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Mla Handbook 8th Edition
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How to Use This Book
PART 1
Principles of MLA Style
You are encouraged to tead the fist part frm start to finish, ft
explains how and why good writes use sources and inceoduces
the core elements of entries inthe worksite ist
PART 2
Details of MLA Style
“The second parti arrange numbered sections Irffers
systematic guidelines on using and documenting your sources.
CROSS-REFERENCES
Dotted underlining inthe text means that mote information is
available a the location noted in the marin,
rudoayms, cling online werames, ate mop
ene relator ses.
‘You can also find topics through the index
PRACTICE TEMPLATE
Ablankcopy ofthe MLA syle template explained in part 1
‘ppears on page 128 at well as online atstylemla.org You can
‘seit to create your works-citedist entries.
MLA Handbook
—*
EIGHTH EDITION
“The Modern Language Assocation of America
New York 2016 “The MIA Honk, pblubed by he Modern Language Aseiton
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ete LECN 201504085 | LCCN 201504757 hoa |
TSBN 71032202 (pea pape | SB 9TSEOHZICG,
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Contents ¢
Poreword by Rosemary G.Feal vii
Preface by Kathleen Fitzpatrick ix
Part
Principles of MLA Style
Introduction 3
‘Why Document Sources? 5
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty 6
‘Think Bvausting Your Sources 10
Select Gathering Information shout Your Sources 13,
‘Organize: resting Your Documentation 19
The List of Works Cited 20
The Core Elements 20
‘Author 22
Tie of Source 28.
‘Tele of Container 90
‘other Contributors 37
Version 38
Publisher 40
Publication Date 42
Lectin 46 ‘Optional Elements 50
Inet Catone $8
Part2
Details of MLA Style
Inerodution 61
4
“The Mechanic of Scholatly Prose 61
1111 Fintand SebequentUsesofNames 6
112 Tit of Authors 62
1113 Names of Authors and Fictional Character 62
1114 Names in Languages Other Than Eaglsh 63
112 Ties of Sources 67
1.23 Copalaation and Punctuation 67
1.22 Iles and Quotation Marks 68
123 Shortened Titles 70
124 Title within Tides 71,
1.25 Tes of Sourcesin Languages Oter Than English 72
13 Quotations 75,
181 Useand Accuracy of Quotations 75
185 Blips 80
1158 Other Alteration of Quotations 86
187 Punctuation with Qutations 87
1188 Translations of Quotations 90
143 lnchsive Numbers 92
144 RoraanNuserale 99
115 DatesandTines 94
2, Wo
1.6 abbreviations 85
11631 Months 95
1162 Common Academic Abbreviations 96
1163 Publsers Names 97
1164 Tiles of Works 97
ited 202
21 Name of Authors 102
212 Variant Forme 102
212 Tales and Sunes 303
213 Corporate Authors 104
22 Tales 105
221 Intvotin, Prelace Foreword or Afterword. 106
222 Translations o Tle 106
23 Versions 107
251 PhuSign wit Page Number 130
252 URLasnd DOM 110
26 Punctuation inthe Works Ce List 110
2062 Forwatd stash 101
27 Formatting snd Ordering the Works Cited ist 111
221 Leterby Letter lphabtiation 112
2272 Malvple Workaby One Author 113,
213 Maltipl WorkabyConuthoe 114
224 Aiphabetsingby Tie 115,
Ine Ciations 116
21 Author 116
2222 Cowithors 116
3:12 Corporate Autor 117
32 Tele 17 32:1 Abbreviatng Ties of Soures 117
13.2.2 Descriptive Termsin Place of Ties 138
123 Numbers net Citations 129
331 Style of Numerals 119
‘332 Numbers in Work viable in Mabie ations 120,
‘3.3 Other Cations Not Iavelving Page Numbers 223
134 Indirect Soares 124
35 Repeated Use of Sources 124
136 Punctuation nthe Tent Citation 126
4, Catone in Forms Other Than Print 127
Practice Template 129,
Index 191
Foreword ¢
1 1883 a small group of distinguished scholare came to
gether with a radical des that modern languages deserved
the same respect in higher education a classical languages
(Greek and Lata). They deeded to form an organivation that
‘would advocate language study, resesech, and the evoition
of cholrship. The organization they founded the Modern
Language Assocation Tay the MLA has over 5,000 men
bers in the United States, in Canada, and around the wesld
Sinceits founding, the organization has been committed
to sharing ideas and research. Its notable publications i
clude the MLA Internationa Biography, a major resource for
‘researchers in iterature and language and PMLA, one ofthe
most respecte journals of trary studies. But the publica
tion best known to the wider publicis surely the MLA Hand
ook which has served asthe “tye bible" for generations of
students Like the asocation, it has evlved in response to
changing needs over the years
am especially pleased to present the eighth edition of
the MLA Handbook, because i erodes so many ofthe vl
ues that define the association: a commitment to sharing
\deas, abel in scholarship asthe work of broad comm
ney and arecogatin that, while methods and medis may
chang, base peincplsofrsearch stay the same Designed
in consultation with student, teachers, and retearches
‘this edition gives users more feedom to create references to fit their audiences. The recommendations continue to
represent the consensus of teachers and acholare but offer a
greater leit that wil better accommodate new media
and new ways of doing research,
Werlease new editions ofthe MLA Handbook when de-
‘lopment in scholarly esearch and writing all for changes
in MLA style. The eighth edition brings one of our greatest
sults everand, we belive, will serve the neds of student
‘teachers, and scholars today and in coming years. AsalWays,
‘we willbe happy to hear from readers ofthis edition so that
‘we can improve future erations of MLA style.
Rosemary. Feal
Executive Director
Moder Language Association
Preface ¢
"Hasan element of fevchiom perhaps cept into what was once
necessary academie practice?” So asks the writer and trans-
lator Tn Paks as he expesies hie frastration with the pro-
cessaf creating the source documentation tobe inched i is
forthcoming book—not lat because be wonders whether the
Irmet has rendered that information superious. am cer
‘ain that any writes today experience smile frastrtion nd
‘aisesimilar doubt when detaing the soures with wich they
work Given that this is the preface to the nee edition ofthe
‘thoritative guide to MLA dacutentation practice, you might
expect that Fntnd to refute Pars’ question. [do take ese
vith it, but for reasons perhaps diferent from the ones you
right assume. The authors ight to not that scholry docs
‘mentation has over decades acquired increasingly complex rules
and formats, aswell as to sugest tat some ofthe informs-
‘on traditionally included in citations may be dispensed wit
today. He’ not ight however that documentation was “once”
necessity and is now obsolete thanks to seach engines and
full ee databases, If anything, the ncressingu of schools
nnd resouret by students and scholars makes the inclusion of
a relable data tral for fate searchers ven mire important.
‘The problem, let me hasten toad dee not rie fom the
supposed epherseralt of dighal tons and databases, Nor docs
‘this peface othe long guide arume tha papers secure
and that bts, network, and screens ae fragile. The problem, rather is the increasing mobility of texts: The sources with
‘which we work are often discovered in loeations and formats
{ferent from those in which they were originally published,
land we have no way of knowing today where chose sources
‘might end up tomorrow: Moreover, fr ll the wonders of In
termet search engines, they cannet be counted on ye the
right eferences everytime we lesue a query, because the algo
"thm used by search engines often base the presentation of
results on popularity or even sponsorship Ifa quotation in a
text lacks documentation, an Internet search may be the only
way toate the original source, bt the search may yeld i=
relevant works that contain the same passage. And even the
search locates acopy ofthe source, readers cant be certain that
ites fithol copy and ths that these the same thing it
{hat the author who quoted fom the original sa Allis ito
sy that the restons or documenting sources in academic writ
Ingertend beyond simply giving a generic credit tothe work
from which a quotation or ther borowing was derived, Doct:
‘mentation isthe means through which scholarly conversations
re ecrded, and the specs of those conversations matter
‘This edition ofthe MLA Handbook works to foreground
‘those conversations among authors and between writer
‘and reader, Before we get tothe goals and strategies ofthe
volume you holdin your hands (or see on your sreen ot
encounter in some way I havent yt imagined, is worth
rehearsing the history of documentation practices and 2
particular the development of MLA style
In 1951 Wiliam Riley Pathe, then the executive dire
torof the Modern Language Assocation, published The MLA
Style Sect, a thirty-one page pamphlet that sought tobe a
“more lest offical” gue to the writing conventions then
ine at more than eighty scholasy Journal The cll sued
by the style sheet for consistency in academle expression
vas tempered by an acknowledgment that “many problems
of style cannot be reduced to vles even if everyone could
‘gree (3). The release ofthis document expanded the con:
sensus, however; more journal and book publisher adopted
MLA style for their publications, and numerous universities
required it for student popes
In addition o recommendations on the preparation of
documents CIn general, 1488 your manuscript to meet the
very practical needs of your editor and printer” a) and on
conventional aspects of writing inching epeling and the
seof guotstions and numerals, The MLA Sylhet proposed
a coherent system for documenting sources. Tht system re
led primarily on footnotes, examples of which were nckided
Inthe stylesheet and supported by slong accompanying ist
of abbreviations designed to keep the footnotes brief
‘revised and expanded edition of The MLA Stl Shot
‘was published in 1870, updating MLA stylet redace the we
of roman numerals and to add publishers names to biblio-
‘graphic tation. maintained afocus on the needs of chal-
2s who intended to publish the results oftheir research. In
41977 the rst edition ofthe MLA Handbook gaveitsatention
tothe needs of rudents This 163 page guide adopted the ex
pressy pedagogical aim of helping stunt writers of esearch
papers understand and implement the conventions of aca
demic prose. The scond edition of the handbook (221 pages)
‘was eleased in 984 and was accompanied the following year
bythe at edtion of the MLA Ste Manual which tooketa
lished scholars and graduate student as ts audience, sharp
ening the handbooks cis on undergraduate writing,
‘This history suggests that while tere isa temptation to
think of MLA seyle as an unchanging monalith—a singular
‘way of doing things—the style has in fact evolved, and it has
at moments undergone radical transformation (such asthe
shift in 1984, from footnotes to the ist of works cited and.
corresponding in text reference). Modifications came about
in response to development niterary stds, a well sto
the changing needs of students Over the yeas, however, the
-nsnlook gained what some flew forbidding lvelof detail
(the seventh edition wa 292 page long). It gradually became
a reference work, which uses consulted st need, rather than
a guide that taught Ue principle undeying documentation In publishing the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook,
Wwe aim to beter meet the needs of stents today by of
fering a quick but thorough introduction to the hows and
\hysof using sources in academic writing We hope that his
reorientation willconvey what we believe tobe the most i
portant aspect of academic writing ta engagement withthe
reader, which obligates the author to ensure thatthe reader
has all the information necessary to understand the text at
hand without being distracted from ty the citations
Ina citation-by-citation comparison, this new version
‘of MLA syle may appear to dite only slightly from estab
lished practice, bat the approach we tak in tie volome foe
‘grounds principle. While the coventh edition ofthe MLA
Handbook described the style it presented as fleible” and.
“modular” providing “several sequences of slements that
‘an be combined to form entries” (129), the style was none
theless based on defining a citation format for ech kind of
source. Thus, until now the handbook presented separate
rules forcitinga book, a journal ati, newspaper stile,
‘apetsonal eter, and all the rest inthe ever-expanding range
of sources that writers sein their work, As eau ith the
‘emergence ofeach new media platform would come a new
‘query: How do you cites YouTube veo? a blogpost? tweet?
‘With the eighth edition, we shift ou focus frm a p=
“seiptive list of format othe overarching purpose of source
Aoeumentation enabling eaders to paeicpate filly inthe con
versabons between writers and their sources. Such participa
‘on requis the presentation frelibleinformation nace,
onsistent structure, but we belive that i we concentrate on
the principles underieding MLAstyleandon the ways theyean
‘beapplied ina broad range of cases, we can craft truly exible
documentation practice that wil continue to serveveriers ell
ina changing environment. Moreover, thi edition recoaizes
that diferent kinds of scholarly conversations vequie difer:
‘ent kinds of docimentation and thus thatthe aplieation of
_riniples might vary according to context. therefore focuses
‘on the writers decision making, It offers a new approach to
{hinkng shout MLA syle, one centered nt on a sour pub
leaion format bat rather onthe elements common to most
sures and onthe means of eb combining those elenents
to create appropriate documentation for any source.
‘Change perhaps the one constant of contemporary cs
demic life. The fst edition ofthe MLA Syl Mona noted
“numerous innovations affecting scholarly publication,” in
ching "the widespread use of word processors” (chert and
Gib vid, and change has only accelerated in recent yeas,
‘making feibilty and openness Ineeasingly important, In
‘thecighth ection, we therefore embrace the fac that stent
research and writing today take many forms other than the
‘eseatch paper, and so we begin what we expect to bean on
{going exploration ofthe best means of documenting sources
Jn new modes of academic writing Just as research sources
have become mobile, so too have the works that etearcher
creates: they appearin print but ae seo projected on creene
and dplayed on reading devies. The cations aresearcher
today produces are appended to traditional, linear text, but
‘they are also attached to weblike texts and even to projects
‘that arent texts tall I this edition ofthe MLA Handbook
lets goof some of what Pat called an element ofeishiem”
In scholarly documentation practices, t nonetheless argues
that documentation remains a core academe principle, one
that canbe adapted to new ccumstances.
Developing this edition and the new understanding of
MLA syle that it conveys required the energy and attention
‘of many scholar, instractors, tors, and brian. The ei
tion builds on the work done before ma, including te impor-
tant contributions of Wiliam Riley Parker, Walter S. Acer,
Joseph Gal, and David G, Nicholl. Though Iwas primar
Ly responsible for writing the text that follow, f could not
Ihave managed without the efforts nd wisdom ofthe MLA
staff members who wok most closely with MLA style dayin
and day out: Angela Gibson, Judy Goulding, James Hatch,
“Margit Longhae, Sora Pastel, and Eric Wirth, who together
rethought the principles of MLA styl fr the twenty Kirst century, We consulted slong the way with a wide range of
MLA members, inciding members ofthe Committe on In-
formation Technology, the Publiatlons Commitee, and the
Executive Council. Many experts read early drafts of the
‘manuscript; among this group we particulary thank Andi
Adkins Pogue, Carolyn Ayers, Rebeca Babcock, Delores Car-
lta, Brooke Carlson, Kelly Diatond, Keri Donovan, Michael
lam, Lindsay Hane, Nic Lersak, Sara Marcus, Debra Ry-
als, Thomas Sth, Jeanne Swedo, Araceli Tinsjer, and Be
linda Wheeler
Transforming the manuscriptinto a inished publication
was also the work of many hands. The design, eypesetting,
‘lectronic processing, and printing were handladby David
Cope, Tom Lewe, Panela Roller, Laurie Russell and Patrice
Sheridan, under the supervision of Judith Alteuter.
“This edition of the MLA Handbook i accompanied by on
line esouce (ee style la ong) We hope that you wil explore
these resources nde wskmow what die you would find wef
‘nally, thanka are de to Rosemary. Fal the executive
Aiector of the MLA, and to the members of the MLA Exec
tive Counc for their vision and leadership in shaping the fu-
ture of scholarly communication i the humanities,
Kathleen Fitzpatrick
Associate Executive Ditector and
Director of Scholarly Communication
Modern Language Associaton
Works!
ied
Achtert, Walter San Joseph Gil. The MLA Style Moma
MLA, 1985.
LA Hank or Writers of Research Paper. ed, MLA, 2008
Prk liam iy, Te MLA Sy Shs 1951, Rec, MLA, 182,
Parks Tim, "efeonces, Please” NYR Daly, Now York Review of
Books, 13 Sept 201, wtaybookscom/blops/n tog 2014
Sep aleerencee eae!
PART 1
—*
Principles of
MLA Style INTRODUCTION
In today’s world, forms of communication proliferate, and
publications migrate readily fom one medium to another
‘An article published ina print journal may be discovered
‘nd read online through one of many databases an episode
ofa television series may be watched through a service ike
ul; ablog post may be republished asa book chapter. Even
awe developed this edition ofthe MLA Handa, new pb
lication formats and platforms emerged.
‘Asa result, now more than ever we need a system for
documenting sources that begins with a few principles
rather than long ist of rules. Rules remain important and
‘we wil gett them in due course, but inthis section we em
phasize commonsense guidelines simed at helping veriers at
‘various levels conduct research and provide thei audiences
‘with weful information about thei sources.
‘Youruse of MLAstye shouldbe gutdedby these principe:
Cte simple eraits shared by most works.
In previous editions ofthe MLA Handbuc, an entry in
‘the works-clted lst was based on the soure’s publics
‘on format (eg, book, Elm, magazine article, Web pubs
lication) The waiter frst determined the format of the
source and then collected the publication facts associated
with the format. A consequence of that approach was
‘that works in anew medivm could not be documented
‘until the MLA crested netractons fort. Thseiton, by
contrast, isnot centered on publication formats. deals
Snsend with facts common tomost works-—avthor, title,
snd soon. The writer examines the soure and records
‘ts visible Features, attending othe work itself anda set
of universal guidelines. A wore ins new mediam thus
‘canbe documented without new ieatractions. ‘Remember that there is often more than one correct
ay to document a source
Different stations call for diferent solutions A veiter
winse primary purpose sto give credit for borrowed ma
terial may need to provide less information than wir
‘who s examining the distinguishing features of parti
laredivions (or even specif copies) of source texts. Simi
lary, scholars working in specialized flds may need to
cite details about thee sources that ther scholars make
‘ng more general use of the same resources donot.
Make your decumentation usefulto readers.
(Good writers understand why they crete citations. The
reasons inciude demonstrating the thoroughness ofthe
‘writer’ research, giving credit to original sources, and
ensuring that readers can find the sources consulted in
‘order to draw thet ona conelisone about the writers
argument Writers achieve the gals of documentation
by providing uticient information na comprehensible
‘This edition ofthe MLA Handbook ie designed to help
weiters think about the sources they ate documenting
tect the information about the sources that i appropiate
tothe project they are creating. and organize i logially and
without complication. Armed witha few rules andan under
Standing of the basic principles, writer can generate useful
documentation of any work, in any publication format.
Way Document Sources?
Documenting sources isan agpect of wilting common to all
academic fields Across the natural sciences, the social st
‘ences, and the himanites authors use standard techniques
to efer tothe works that influenced or otherwise contrib
uted to thee research Why?
‘Academie writing isa ts root a conversation among
scholars about atope or question, Scholar write for theit
eer, communicating the results of thelr research through
books, journal articles, and other form of published work.
In the course af project, they seek out relevant publica
tions, to lear from and bul on ealer research, Through
their ow published work, they incorporate, modify, respond
to, and refute previous pubiations.
‘Given the importance ofthis conversation to research
authors must have comprehensible, verifiable means ofr
fecring to one anothe’s work Such references enable them
to give credit tothe precursors whose ideas they borrow,
build on, or contradict and allow futue researchers inter:
‘estedin the history of the conversation to trace it bak tits
beginning, The references are formatted ina standard way
so that they cam be quickly understood and used by al ke
common language
Students ae called on to learn documentation styles in
range of courses throughout their education, but not be-
‘cause i is expected that all student wil take up euch =
search practices n thei professional lives, Rather, learning
the conventions of form of writing those ofthe research
essay, foriastance—prepates the dent to write not justi
‘that frm bat nother ones a wel
Learning a documentation style, in other words, pre-
pares a writer tobe on the lookost forthe conventions to
which every professional eld expect its members 9 a4
here inthe weting, Legal documents mut refer to prior
legal documents ina standard way to be acceptable in the legal profession. Reports on scientific research must refer
to eatie esearch in the fashion expected in 3 particular
sient Busines document point to published infr-
‘mation and use. language and format that are accepted in
‘business. Journalists similarly obey conventions for dent
fying ther sources, structuring thelr stories, and soon. The
‘conventions differ from one profession to another, but their
‘purpose ie the ame,
[Learning good documentation practices is also a key
‘component of academic integrity. However, avoiding charges
‘of plagiarism is not che only reason that a student should
learn to document sources. The proper use of a fils pre
ferred documentation style is sign of competence in 2
‘writer Among other benefits, i shows chat the writer knows
the importance of giving credit where credits dv. It there-
forceps theveriter Became part fs community of scholars
snd assures readers that the writer work canbe trusted
PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
‘You may have heatd or read sbout cases in which politician,
‘journalist of another publi gure wa accused of pag
"am, No doubt you have also hal classroom conversations
shout plagiarism and academic dishonest. Your school may
havea honor code tht addresses academic dishonesty, ta
‘most certainly has disciplinary procedures mean to address
case of plagiarism. But you may nonetheless ind yourself
‘with questions: What i plagiarism? What male it serious
‘offense? What does took ike? And how can serupuls r=
szarch and documentation praties lp you avoid?
Whats Plagiarism?
Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines plagiariz
ing as committing "literary theft” Plagiarism i prerenting
another person's ideas, information, expressions, or entire
work as one’ wa. Is thus a kindof fraud: deceiving oth
1s to gain something of valve. While plagariem only some
‘tmeshas legal repercussions (eg whenit involves copyright
infingement violating an authors exclusive legal right to
publication, es always serious moral and ethical offense
‘What Makes Plagiariem a Serious Offense?
Plagiarists are sen not ony as dishonest but alz as incom-
petent, incapable of doing research and expressing original
‘thoughts, When professional writers are expoced as plagia-
nts, they are likely tolose thee jobs andar certain to suet
pblicembarrassment, diminished prestige, andlor of ftare
‘rediilty. The same is tru of other profesional who write
Inconnection with tei jobs, even when theyre not writing
for publication. The charge of plagiarism is serious because t
tallsinto question everything about the writer’ work this
lece af writing is misrepresented as being orginal, how an
Areader trust any worky the writer? One instanceof lag
"sm can cast shadow across an entice carer.
Schools consider plagiarism agave matte for the same
reason, Ifa student fils to give credit forthe work of ethers
In one project, hove ean a teacher trust any ofthe students
‘work? Plagiarism undermines the relationship between
teachers and students, curing teachers into detectives in
stead of mentors, fostering suspicion instead of trust, nd
‘making it dificult for learning to take pace. Students who
plalatize deprive themselves ofthe knowledge they would
hhave gained if they had done ther own writing, Pagar
alo can undermine public trust in educational inetiutions,
‘students are routinely allowed to pass courses and tecelve
diplomas without doing the required work
‘What Does Pagiriem Look Like?
Plagiarism can take a number of forms, inching buying
papers from a service on the Internet, reusing work done by
nother student, and copying text from published sources ‘Sty
Saget er
eri
‘Saves
Pg ny
nel)
ae ie
veces
toratooe
‘without giving ereditto those who produced the sources. All,
forms of plagiarim haven common the misrepresentation
of work not done by the writer asthe writer's own. (And,
pes, that includes work yu py for: while celebrities may put
‘heir names on work by ghostriters, students may not)
Even borrowing jst afew words from an author with=
‘out cles inating that you dso constiatesplagarim
‘Moreover, you can plagiarze unintentionally; in hastily
taken notes te esay to mistake a phrase copied from a
source st your original thought and then to use it without
‘crediting the eource
Imagine, for example that you read the fllowing pas-
sage n the course of your research (from Michael Agars
‘book Language Shocks
Breryone uses the wor longue and everybody these days
tals sbouteutre-."Languaculeure sa reminder, 1
hope of the neczsry connection between ts to parts
If you wrote the following sentence, t would constitute
plagiare:
Aine intersection of anguage and care es @ concep that
wwe might cal ongusclire”
“This sentence borrows word from Agar’ work without giv
ing evedit fort. Placing the ter in quotation masks iin
sulfcient Ifyou ute the term, you must give credit to its
‘tthe interaction of anquage and cure Hes concept hat
Michael Agr has cae “angiacuture (6),
In this version, reference to the original autho and par-
tenthetial citation indicate the source of the tem: a cor
responding entry in your lst of works cited wil give your
‘reader fl information about the source
Ws important to note that you need not copy an authors
words tobe guilty of plagisremy if you paraphrase some
‘one's ideas o arguments without giving credit for thei or
gin, you have committed plaglrism. Imagine that you read
‘the fellowing passage (from Walter A. McDougall Promised
Land, Crusader Sate: The American Encounter withthe Wold
since 1775:
‘American Excptionalism as our Founders conceived test
defined by wat Ameria as, t home. Prsign policy ex
Isto defend, not defn, what America ae
I you wete the following sentence, you have plagiarized,
even though you changed some af the wording
Forte founding fathers Ameri’ encepscnalon was based
lon the county’ domes identity, whieh foron poy id
ot shape bt meray ude
In this zentenc, you have borrowed an authors ideas with-
utacknowledgment. You may use the ideas, however, fo
propery give credit to your source
Aswater A. McDougal ages, forthe founding tithes
Ames exceptional was basi on the counts
oes ietty, which foreign poy at shape but
merely guarded (37),
In this revised sentence, which inches an in-text citation
and clay gives credit to McDougall as the source of the
‘des, there iso plagiarism,
Hw Can You Avoid Plagiarism?
‘Avoiding plagiarism begins with being scrupulous in your
esearch and note-taking, Keep 6 complete and thorough
Tist fal the sources that you discover during your research and with tous, linking each source tothe information you
lesa fom it, so that you can double-check that your work
cknwiedges it Take care in your notes to distinguish be-
{tween whatnot yours and whats yours, dentifying ideas
And phrases copied from sources you consult, summaries
‘of your sources, and your own original ideas. As you writ,
‘atefully identify all borrowed material, including quoted
‘words and phrase, parapheased ideas, summarized argw
ments, and facts and other information.
‘Mos importants that you check with yourinstructorif
‘youareunsuze about the way that you are usinga parielar
Does Absence of Documentetion Indicate Plagiarism?
Docuinentation is nt required fr every type of borrowed
‘material. Information and ideas that are common kaov-
‘edge among your readers need not be documented. Com
‘non knowledge includes information widely avallable in
fefetence works, ech as basic blogeaphlaal facts about
prominent persons and the dates and circumstances of
Isjor historical events, When the facts are in dispute,
however or when your readers may want more informa:
ton about your topic, ts good practice to document the
material you borrow.
‘The rest ofthis section wil guide you through the steps
involved in giving credit for other’ work. Documentation
begins well before you pu together your lt of works cited,
‘Sound academic use of sources tarts with evaluating them
and selecting the appropriate information fom them,
EvALuariNe Your Sources
writing vesearch paper, putting together presentation,
cating an online projet, or doing oter kinds of academic
work, you wil gather sources that inform, support, or oth
exwise help you shape your argument, The gathering of
sources usd tobe more arduous than it is today: researc:
ershad to spend hours the ibrary, racking down printed
indexes and bibliographies, locating the works uncovered,
‘and then obtaining physial copes ofthe works, One part
of thie process used tobe easier, however areeatcher could
assume that the works found were reliable, since they were
‘discovered through professionally compiled indexes and in
rofesionlly curated collections
‘Today the Iateroet, with its many pebliations, dats:
bates, archives, and search engines, hae accelerated the
process af finding and retrieving sources—but a the same
‘time thas complicated the researcher’ assessment oftheir
‘liability. The amount and variety of formation avilable
Ihave grown exponentially, us the origins ofthat informs
ton te to often unclear.
The frst step, therefore in gathering sources fr your
‘academic work isto evaluate them, asking yourself quer
tions suchas these:
isthe author ofthe source? Ts the author qualified to
ret the subject? Does the author draw on appro
ste esearch and make a logical argument? Do you pee
ceive bias othe possiblity oft inthe author’ elation
tothe subject mater?
isthe source? Doss have a title, and dos tha tle
tell you anything about it If lacks tile, hoe would
you describe? Isa primary source, such a an orig
ral document, creative work, oF artifact fa secondary
source which reports on or analyres primary sources? If
itisan edition, is itauhortative? Does the source docu-
rents own sources a trustworthy manner?
ITD was he source produced? Doe it havea recognized
publisher or sponsoring organization? Was subjected ge
strana
epee
Fotos
tigen
ese
‘alte
‘eng
somn
ersian a
ost
Seto
pes
toa process of vetting, such as peer review, through
‘which authorities in theSeldaasesse its quality?
UME aia you find the source? Wasi cited in an authorta-
tive worl? Wasit among the results of search you con-
ducted through 2 scholarly database (uch asthe MLA
Incernational Bibliography) oa library's resources? Did
you discover through a commercial search engine that
may weight results by popularity or even payment?
RULE was the source published? Could its information have
boon supplemented or replaced by more recent worl?
‘These are only afew ofthe questions that you might con-
ser as you evaluate the sources you use in your work Both
your judgment and your awareness of you readers’ expeca-
‘ons ate crucial at this stage.
Its important to understand that research isa cyclic
process Scholars rarely find al the sources they need in
a singe search. You should expect to search, evaluate the
sources you find refocus or othercse revise our searching
strategy and begin again,
As you do your research, keep complet, well-organized
record that allow you to retrace your footsteps, since you
‘may nee to return to source fr more information Keep
ing good notes will alco simplify the task of documenting
‘your sources. Digital reference managers can be helpful to
thie end, but they have limitations. They may ovrlok key
Information, capture the wrong information, o generat
lations with improper formatting You thould understand
‘haw to create your own documentation even if you sea
tation generator, 20 that you can correct the output and can
‘produce it yourself if the citation generator isnot available
‘After gathering sources, evaluating them, and winnow:
{ng out those unsuitable fo your research, you will record
information about the ones you plan to consul. This infor
‘ation isthe bass of your documentation
GATHERING INFORMATION
ABOUT YOUR SOURCES
‘The source documentation in your finished projec wil be
‘built fom information you collet as you discover and read
‘useful works. As you evaluated your sources, you asked your
salf the fllowing questions
the author ofthe source?
isthe ule of che sure?
[BIBI wns the source published?
Aid you nd the source?
asthe source publi?
Bech ofthese elements—author, ite, publisher, location,
publication date—has a place in your documentation, s0
‘keep track of them carefully Be suze that you selet the
correct information about your sources. Examine the work
Itself fr the facts about its publication. Do not eely on 2
listing found elsewhere, whether on the Web, ina ibeary
catalog orina reference book, because it may be exoneous
orincomplete
Im general, you should look in the places where the
source's publisher, editor, or author gives credit for or de-
scribes its production. The examples on pages 14-18 show
vinere you can ind publication facts about works in various
‘media, Well go into more detail about what information you
‘eed and what you do with it as we discuss organizing your
documentation Finding Facts about Publications
| TCT a a LS
Fst canst the tile page ot he cover or he top of page "the ile page oa book cs needed information, sch a the dt of pubes
‘ion, const the book's copyright page usualy the ever of the We page)
Modernist Heresies
t British Literary History, 1883-1924 ‘Copyeight © 2008 by The Ohio State Univesity.
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The Ohio Sate Unies rss Conslthe ist page of he et forthe sthor pdt othe wok. The pubic
tion facts about an sue oa peraczal ours, maps, news) ae
aly found 0 the cove on ati poge near the able of contents
we
Science Fiction Studies
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er SP view of Sti C's eo of previ pb ty
opal Shop yn Wine eed et armet he
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‘lini “op hs po.” Winer sie gration sb he
{em fy mc pat oO pt, Sha wg
| impr quston shou eer ers Sina she sy ot
eb sources may requie yout loka mae than one plas fer the information
you ned. The Webpage on which you ound he werk wil have ore fs,
‘Nong with therinlermaion er, copy the URL athe pagent your notes.
‘hepagelods needed information, sch asthe nue of he ste’ pub oo
for ak tat ead “Abou th ste” or has snr wong,
‘Some Wel ses spect worksite ens orth contents. Such examples
‘ight provi you with stl infrmation about thee but wl rot necessary
Cots othe sysen in his handoo, even they are bed “MLA se
medievalfragments~
ean EE
Avwerkin amediom efi video or teevson wl contains eds that up Beane] CREATING Your
cet are acing inthe wrk and you viewed on x OVD or ther di, ou ay (Once you've evaluated the sources you used in your research
fed the msn nformation on he die’ packaging, and gathered the relevant information about them, i’ time
to organize the information into entries in the works cited
lst and create in-text citations. The purpose of any docu
mentation style i to allow authors to guide their readers
Gulely and unobtrusively to the source of « quotation, a
paraphrased lea, piece of iformation, or another kindof
borrowed materia used inthe development ofan argument
or ides. citation should provide a oad map leading to the
‘original source while interrupting the reader's engagement
with che text as litleas possible
‘Minimizing interruptions is goal in many kinds of
‘writing. If eaders are tobe engaged and involved in an idex
or issue, the reading process should be smooth and unis
peed, Every time readers have to stop and figure sotnething
out-—whether ifs deciphering the inten of stray punct
tion, puzzling.
over an incorrectly structured citation, or wondering about
areference toa soure not inthe works cited it—they ate
distracted from the argument at hand, and their distraction
Ihnders engagement with the author’ point. Ifa piece of
sveting is as leas and ervorfre as possible and its doc
entation i erastworthy, readers wil remain focused on
fra misspelled or misused word, stumbling
the ideas
7 To satisly the two requirements of completeness and
ARSO! ‘revit, documentation in MLA style hastwo parts. The fst
part is detailed entry ina list of works cited the second is
‘cation in the text, minimal reference that directs the
othe entry. Well discus each of thee in ten The List of Works Cited
‘Telit tiled "Works Cited” identifies the sources you borrow
from=and therefore cte—in the body of your research pro}
ect. Works that you consul during your research but donot
‘borrow from are not incuded if you want te document thers
3 well and you instructor approves ther inchsion, give the
lista broader tile such ae "Works Consulted”). Each entry in
the ist of works cited is made up of core elements given in a
specific order, ad there are optional elements that may be
Included when the situation warrants
‘Tue Cone ELEMents
‘The cove elements of any entey inthe works-citd list are
‘ven below in the order in which they should appear. An
‘erent ebould be omitted from the entry if not relevant
tothe work being documented. Each elements followed by
the punctuation mark shown winless itis the fil element,
which should end with a period,
‘The author's name is usually prominently displayed in a
‘work, often near the ttle (ee fg, 1). Begin the entry with
‘the authors last name, fllowed by a comma and the rest of
the name, as resented inthe work. End this element with
period (unless a period that is part ofthe authors name
already appears at the en)
Son Nar. “Retning Resin: The Impact of Dig
‘Communication Median” PMLA, vl. 128, on
2013, pp. 193-200,
Iacobs Alan The eure of eoding in an Age of Dirt
Kral, ama. “n Histor” Cala vl 24, 0.2, Sng
2001, p. 2026
When a source has two authors, clude them in the
order in which they are presented in the work (ee fg 2
Reverse che fist ofthe names as just described, fllow t
with a comma and and, and give the second name in nor
sal order
Deni, Micha an Laue Eraih, The Crown af Camb
swimacthacit | gota
| eis
fe Leeper so
In what follows, wel explain each ofthese elements, how
‘youll ind them, and hove they might difer fom one me-
dium to another ‘When a source has three or more authors, reverse the first
ofthe names ae just described and fellow with comma
and eal. and others")
Burdick, Anne a Dial Humans. MTF, 2012
‘We use the term author loosely here it refers tothe
‘person or group primarily responsible fr producing the
‘work or the aspect of the work that you focused on. If
the role of tht person or group was something other than
(CoLUMBUS
‘Michael Doris Louis Erdrich
creating the work's main content, follow the name with
label that describes the role. For example, if the source
{sam edited volume of ersays that you need to dacument
as a whole, the “author” for your purposes ie the person
‘who assembled the volume—its editor. Since the editor
{id not create the main content, the name i followed by 2
escrptive abe.
Nunber, Geo, etor. The Rate othe Book ot
‘abtoria 1986
A source with two or more editors requires combining the
‘wo methods ast described (nd making the descriptive l-
bel plu.
von Sabina zor ta, eters Agent of Choe:
Pit Cature Sutera Elzobt etn. ot
MasachuetsP/ Centro the Boo, iba of
Holand Mer, and Rupert Har. Davi, eos The Compete
tere Oscar ie Henry Ho, 2000,
When you discuss «source that was translated from,
other language and your focus i on the translation, est
the translator as the author.
a eves chard ane aie Votan, and Cine
‘neve and Panne. By Fedor Doxtoesy, Vintage
wana took, 198.
eet Suva, Alo, ne Tiny Minh ants Boma
id ted by Sarah Anderson, Penton, 2008,
* IF the mame of the crestor of the work’ msi content does
rot appear at the start ofthe entry (as in the example for
(Crime and Punishment, above) give that name, preceded by
By, the positon of othe contributors.
pecan
Fig 2 Teelepgolabk Th ‘Works in media sucha fil and television are usually
produced by many people playing various roles. If you dis-
‘asion of such a work forases onthe contribution of par-
ticular person—say, the performance ofan actr or the ideas
ofthe screenwriter begin the entry with his or her name,
followed by a descriptive label.
eta, sarah Michal, erormer. ut the Yop Slayer
Mutant Enemy, 1997-2003,
whedon fos, ceator Bye Vopr Sayer Mutant
Enemy, 1987-2003,
Ifyou are writing bout film or television series without fo
using on an individual's contribution, begin with the tite
‘You ca include information about the director and other
ley participants in the pesition of ether contributors.
uty he Yap Ser Creates by fs Whedon, perermance
by Sarah Michelle el, Mutant Eneny, 1972003,
Peeudonyms, including online wrernames, are mostly
given tke regular author names
open. “We have rear ogee bates in ast
west Tan po Hraee0n” Dit, 25 up 2008,
TAS am, titercom/ persists 2298106072
Stendhal, The Red adie ck Tandy Roger Cad,
Penguin Sook, 2002
"bbe ban, “Bloggers Need Not ApI/? The Cronk af
ghar Eazy, 8 ty 205, croie coma
Boggart Need Notply4S022,
‘When a work s published without an authors name, donot
listthe author as‘Anonymoss” Instead skip the author ee
ment and begin the entry with the work's title
rot Tasted Wy Aan San and Tenoty Murphy,
ed by Soa Andersen ean, 2004
‘Authors donot havetobe individual persons. A workmay
‘be created by corporate author—an institution, a aioc-
ation, 2 government agency, of another kind of organization.
ote Nations Cmequences opi option Growth in
Dewey Coots. Talo and Fans 1991
‘When a work is published by an organization that i lao ts
suthor, begin the entry with the tile, skipping the author
‘clement, alist the organization ony as publisher,
Feding a tA Sey fea Roading Aer
‘Nin Endowment forthe Ars, lune 2004,
[After the autho, the next element incded in the entry
‘the works cited list the title ofthe source The tee usu
ally prominent displayed inthe work, often ner the a-
thor Gee fg 3).
Puig, Manuel. is fh pdr Worn. arsed by Thomas
Cole, viage 004,191
‘A subsite incaded after the main tile ee fg).
oye, Michael. Otemindere: Te ern Netwa
atreU of Michigan 2000.
Tides are given inthe entry in fll exaty as they ae found
In the source, except that capitalization and the punctuation
between the main ite anda subtitle ae standardized,
The appropriate formatting of titles helps your reader
lunderstand the nature of your sourees om sight. title is
placed in quotation marke ifthe source i pre of a Iarger
work. title is italicized (or underlined if iealies are ua.
available or undesirable) ifthe source is sel-contained and Independent. For example, a books 2 whole unto itself, and
soit title aet in tale,
Inco, ln, Te Ps feaing nn Age Ditrtin
‘ford r, 2011
‘The same is true of volume that i callection of essays,
stories, or poemsby various authors.
arn, Savina Aa eal, eters. Agar Charge: i Cte
‘Sta ter Erbe Eatin Uo Macht P
enero th oot, Lary Ganges 2002
a
KISS
|. ofthe
| SPIDER
WOMAN
by MANUEL
Puc
i Cc
‘The tile ofan essay, a story, oFapoom in a collection, 388
partof larger whole, i placed in quotation marks
Deva jas A, and Peg Ha Ang. “The Cultus
“Consequences of iting adhe net Aine
Change: Pent Ctr Stace oer Eleabth ,
{sot eta by Sabina Aco Barn etal, Uf
Massachetts ? Cntr forthe Book Urry of
Conges, 2007, pp. 365.77,
When a work that is normally independent (such a8 a novel
‘or play) appeae ina cllection (Ton Pay, blow, the wor’
tle remains in tales,
Epes. The Ton Nomen Ten Pay tnt by Past
Roce, New Amerean Libra 198, pp 45712.
The title ofa periodical Gournal, magazine, newspapes) is
‘stim italics, an the itl ofan article in the periodical goes
{in quotation marks,
Othermindedness ~
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