Here you’ll find extensive support for MLA documentation style. This section features instructional videos that show you how to set up your papers in MLA format, interactive checklists, and visual support for both in-text documenting and referencing at the end of your paper.
Essays at the college level will require some kind of documentation style. Documentation styles provide students, teachers, and researchers standards and specifications to follow for paper set up, in-text documentation, and references. They also will have recommendations for writing style, word choice, and in some cases, organization.
The most common documentation styles are APA (from the American Psychological Association) and MLA (from the Modern Language Association), and some fields require Chicago Style (from the University of Chicago Press).
While it may feel tedious learning the different aspects of a documentation style, it’s important to remember following style guidelines helps add credibility to your writing by providing you with a structured method for sharing your research with your audience.
Locating Reference Information
Having trouble locating reference information?
As you’ll learn in this section of Citation & Documentation, part of writing within a particular documentation style, such as MLA, is building a Works Cited list with full publication information. But what happens when you’re looking at your sources and just are not sure where to find all the necessary information like publication dates, volume numbers for journal articles, edition numbers, and the like?
The following images link to PDF files that include helpful information about locating publication information you’ll need to build your References or Works Cited lists.
Print Book (Title/Author/Publisher)
Print Book (Date of Publication)
Journal Article from a Database
Online Journal Article
Website
MLA Style | 8th Edition
MLA stands for the Modern Language Association. Most papers that use MLA formatting and citation style are those written in the humanities, especially in languages and literature. In 2016, the MLA Handbook was updated in an effort to simplify much of the documentation process in MLA format.
MLA Formatting: The Basics
Papers constructed according to MLA guidelines should adhere to the following elements:
Double-space all of the text of your paper, and use a clear font, such as Times New Roman or Courier 12-point font.
Use one-inch margins on all sides, and indent the first line of a paragraph one half-inch from the left margin.
List your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. This is your heading. There is no cover page.
Type a header in the upper right-hand corner with your last name, a space, and then a page number. Pages should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.
Provide in-text citations for all quoted, paraphrased, and summarized information in your paper.
Include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper that gives full bibliographic information for each item cited in your paper.
If you use endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page
Your Works Cited page at the end of your project should line up with the in-text citations in the body of your essay.
The following pages in this section will provide you with more information regarding MLA basic formatting, in-text citations, and the Works Cited entries. The information in this section follows the MLA Handbook, 8th edition. MLA guidelines do change over time, so it’s important to be aware of the most current information.
MLA Citations in the Body of Your Paper
MLA citations follow specific conventions that distinguish them from other styles. In-text citations are also sometimes known as “parenthetical citations” because they are enclosed in parentheses. The author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
At the end of the day Wilbur made “in excess of half a million dollars” (Marx 43).
If you use the name of the author to set up your quote or parphrase, you mention the author’s name in the sentence and then put the page number only in the parentheses at the end of the sentence.
According to Marx, Wilbur made “in excess of half a million dollars” (43).
If you need to cite more than one source in your in-text citation, you should use a semicolon to separate the sources.
(Jones 101; Williams 23).
It’s important to remember, in MLA style, each citation in your text must have a complete bibliographic entry in your Works Cited page, so, if readers want to go to the original source, they can!
The examples above are just a few of the most common examples of in-text citations in MLA style. The following provides more detailed information about in-text citing in MLA.
Single Author
When you quote or paraphrase a source, list the last name of the author, followed by the page number.
Example:
According to some experts, Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert 11).
Two Authors
Separate their last names with the word “and.” The authors’ names should be listed in the order they appear in the published work.
Example:
Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert and Sennett 11).
Three or More Authors
If your source has three or more authors, you should include the first author’s name followed by et al.
Example:
Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert et al. 11).
Multiple Works by the Same Author
If more than one work by an author is cited, include shortened titles for the works to distinguish them from each other.
Example if the author’s name is mentioned:
Obama has argued that the invasion was a bad idea (“Too Soon” 42), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that it led to much good (“A Stronger Country” 13).
Example if the author’s name is not mentioned in the sentence:
Photography, because it is both science and art, seems to be “a bridge discipline” (Barthes, “Of Loss and Cameras” 45).
Multiple Sources
If multiple sources are cited within the same in-text citation, separate each citation with a semicolon. The sources do not need to be alphabetized.
Example:
The importance of family bonds and connections is immeasurable (Pickens 21; Bulmore 68).
No Page Numbers
If a work, such as a website, does not include page numbers, then omit this portion of the in-text citation.
Example:
Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert).
Some sources employ location indicators other than page numbers. For example, an ebook may include a numbering system different than page numbers. If your work is divided into stable sections, those sections may be cited.
Example:
Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert, par. 4).
Verse
Poem
For modern verse works, such as poems, include line numbers in your in-text citations.
Example:
And Poe wrote, “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,” (line 1)
Scripture
When citing scripture, give the abbreviated name of the book and chapter and verse numbers.
Example:
And he wrote, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 18.4-20).
Anonymous or Unknown Author
Use an abbreviated version of the work’s title if the author is unknown. If your title is a noun phrase, it should not be abbreviated.
Example:
An anonymous source claimed that the Iraq invasion was a bad idea from the beginning (“Bush Cannot Win” 104).
Citing Indirect Sources
The MLA Handbook recommends taking material from the original source whenever possible. If you need to use indirect quotations, use “qtd. in” to indicate the source consulted. MLA also recommends using your text to clarify the relationship between the original and the secondhand source.
Example:
Jones claimed that runners who “drank regularly usually stopped running after a few months” (qtd. in Salazar 212).
MLA Works Cited
Formatting Sources at the End of Your Paper
With the 2016 update, MLA changed and simplified the way your Works Cited entries should be formatted. Instead of offering a specific way to format each and every source time, the new MLA offers a streamlined approach using something called “containers.”
These containers, pictured here, provide you with the required elements, order, and punctuation for each of your Works Cited entries.
As you work to format your Works Cited entries, you will notice that some sources require only one container, depicted at the right. These are sources that you access directly from their original publication, such as books, an online magazine article, and general websites. You should follow the order of items listed in the container, following the simplified punctuation rules you see in the container as well. You will place a period after the author and the title of the source. Then, you should place commas after each item until the end of the entry.
Two containers are required for sources that you access through places like library databases. An example of MLA’s “two container” structure is depicted at the left. Here, you will notice there is a place for the first container, with the original publication information. Below the first container, the second container provides publication information for where you retrieved that information. For example, a journal article you access through your library’s databases will have its original publication information (container 1) and access information from the online database (container 2).
On the following sections, you can access interpretations of MLA format for Works Cited entries for a wide variety of sources. These interpretations follow the MLA “container” system.
Print Books
Examples
Single Author
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Minot, Stephen. Three Genres. Pearson, 2003.
Multiple Author Books
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Two Authors
Sennett, Richard, and Jonathan Cobb. The Hidden Injuries of Class. Vintage Books, 1973.
More Than Two Authors
For more than two authors: list only the first author followed by the phrase “et al.” (Latin abbreviation for “and others”; no period after “et”) in place of the other authors’ names.
Smith, John, et al. Writing and Erasing: New Theories for Pencils. Utah State UP, 2001.
Two or More Books by the Same Author
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. When you list multiple works by the same author on your Works Cited page, all entries after the first one use three hyphens and a period in place of the author’s name. List alphabetically by title.
Young, Dean. Elegy on a Toy Piano. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005.
‐‐‐. Embryoyo: New Poems. McSweeney’s, 2007.
Corporate Authored Books
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
French Cheese Association. Cheese for Life. Fromage Press, 1996.
Book With No Author
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. When you have a book with no author, you should begin with the title of the book.
Encyclopedia of Cats. Feline Press, 1991.
A Translated Book
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. One Hundred Years of Solitude. Translated by Gregory Rabassa, Harper & Row, 1970.
Republished Book
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. If your source has been republished, the MLA Handbook recommends providing the reader with the original publication date.
Thomas, Paul. Boy Trouble. 1982. State Press, 1999.
A Subsequent Edition of a Book Prepared by the Author
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Minot, Stephen. Three Genres. 8th ed., Pearson, 2007.
A Subsequent Edition of a Book Prepared by an Editor Who Is Not the Author
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 7th ed., edited by J. Paul Hunter, W. W. Norton, 1995.
Anthology or Collection
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
An Essay in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. To cite a work in an anthology or collection, provide the author and title of the specific work first. Then, provide information for the anthology or collection.
Young, Willie. “Knowing the Unknowable.” Poker and Philosophy, edited by Eric Bronson, Carus Publishing Company, 2006, pp. 41-57.
Poem or Short Story Examples from an Anthology or Collection
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. To cite a work in an anthology or collection, provide the author and title of the specific work first. Then, provide information for the anthology or collection.
Coleman, Wanda. “Job Hunter.” For a Living: The Poetry of Work, edited by Nicholas Coles and Peter Oresick, U of Illinois Press, 1995, p. 105.
Article in a Reference Book
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information. If an article in a reference work has no author, you should begin with the title of the article.
“Discourse.” The Dictionary of Literary Theory. 2nd ed., Penguin, 1991.
A Multivolume Work
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Citing Only One Volume
“On the Heavens.” The Complete Works of Aristotle, edited by J. Barnes, vol. 1, Princeton UP, 1971.
Citing More Than One Volume of a Multivolume Work
Physics. The Complete Works of Aristotle, edited by J. Barnes, 3 vols., Princeton UP, 1971.
An Introduction, a Preface, a Forward, or an Afterword
If you are accessing a print book, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Carter, Billy. Introduction. Southern Beers, by Carter, Jersey City Press, 1977, pp. 2-14.
If the author of the part cited is different from the author of the book, then write the full name of the complete work’s author after the word “by.”
Carter, Billy. Introduction. Southern Beers, by Thomas Budweiser, Jersey City Press, 1977, pp. 4-18.
Ebooks
Because ebooks may have been originally published in print, you may need two containers to present publication information. The first container includes the print information, and the second container includes the access information.
If you are accessing a print magazine article, then you will need just one container for publication information.
Gallivan, Joseph. “Against the Odds.” Oregon Humanities, Summer 2008, pp. 16-24.
Online Magazine Articles
If you are accessing a magazine article directly from the web, you will most likely need just one container to present publication information.
Bilger, Burkhard. “The Height Gap.” The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2004, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/04/05/the-height-gap.
Print Journal Articles
If you are accessing a print journal article, then you will need just one container for publication information.
NOTE: If the journal does not use volume numbers, cite the issue numbers only.
Pasquaretta, Paul. “On the Indianness’ of Bingo: Gambling and the Native American Community.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 20, no.4, 1994, pp. 151-187.
Online Journal Articles
If you are accessing a journal article directly from the journal’s website, you will most likely need just one container to present publication information.
NOTE: MLA now requires full URLs for online material. However, if your article includes a DOI (digital object identifier), that information should be provided instead of the URL.
Collins, Ross. “Writing and Desire: Synthesizing Rhetorical Theories of Genre and Lacanian Theories of the Unconscious.” Composition Forum, vol. 33, Spring 2016, compositionforum.com/issue/33/writing-desire.php.
Article from a Database
If you are accessing a journal article from a database, you will need two containers to present the original publication information as well as the access information from the database.
NOTE: MLA now requires full URLs for online material. You should look for a stable link to the article within the database. However, if your article includes a DOI (digital object identifier), that information should be provided instead of the URL.
Goldman, Anne. “Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante.” The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188.
Print Newspaper
If you are accessing a print newspaper article, then you will need just one container for publication information. Reviews and letters to the editor should be presented in a similar manner.
Williams, Joy. “Rogue Territory.” The New York Times Book Review, 9 Nov. 2014, pp. 1+.
Online Newspaper
If you are accessing a newspaper article directly from the web, you will most likely need just one container to present publication information. Reviews and letters to the editor should be presented in a similar manner.
St. Fleur, Nicholas. “City Bees Stick to a Flower Diet Rather Than Slurp Up Soda.” The New York Times, 19 May 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/05/21/science/urban-bees-diet-flowers-soda.html.
Web Page
Websites that contain articles, postings, and almost anything else have been simplified in the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook. Just one container is needed for most websites.
Hollmichel, Stephanie. “The Reading Brain: Differences between Digital and Print.” So Many Books, 25 Apr. 2013, somanybooksblog.com/2013/04/25/the-reading-brain-differences-between-digital-and-print/
Images & Other Multimedia
Image — Photograph or Artwork
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, images from the web will most likely need just one container. Images from other types of sources should follow guidelines for those particular sources.
Wootten, Bayard. Woman Resting. 1937. Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 12 Feb. 2013, http://library.unc.edu/wilson/.
Online Video
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, videos accessed via web will most likely need just one container.
Digoxin Nursing Pharmacology NCLEX (Cardiac Glycosides). YouTube, uploaded by RegisteredNurseRN, 9 Mar. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S73GT32EE48.
Television or Radio Program
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, television or radio programs may need two containers. In addition to the original airing information, you may need a second container to show how you accessed the program.
“In the Graveyard.” New Amsterdam, season 2, episode 13, NBC, 11 Feb. 2020. Hulu, https://www.hulu.com/watch/26be7472-2727-4d02-b77a-22bdeb79278e. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.
NOTE: The title is normally italicized; however, when the item is part of a whole (an episode within a series for example), the title is contained within quotation marks.
Film or DVD
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, films may need two containers but a DVD would need just one.
One Container (Example from DVD)
Luhrmann, Baz, director. Romeo + Juliet. 1996. Performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, and John Leguizamo, 20th Century Fox, 2004.
Two Containers
Cook, Barry, and Bancroft, Tony, directors. Mulan. 1998. Performance by Eddie Murphy, Donny Osmond, and Lea Salonga, Disney. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/14607635.
Album or Song
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, albums or songs accessed from the web should be cited as websites or online videos. However, if you access an album or a song from a CD or vinyl the following information applies.
Album
Lady Gaga. The Fame Monster. Streamline/Konlive/Cherrytree/Interscope, 2009.
Song
Lady Gaga. “Dancer in the Dark.” The Fame Monster, Streamline/Konlive/Cherrytree/Interscope, 2009.
Theses & Dissertations
If you have a hard copy of the thesis or dissertation, you will need just one container. However, since you are likely accessing the work via a database, you will most likely need two containers.
One Container — Example of Hard Copy
Samuelson, Michael Lynn. Contending with Foucault. 2003. Florida State U, dissertation.
Two Containers — Example of Database
Samuelson, Michael Lynn. Contending with Foucault. 2003. Florida State U, dissertation, ProQuest, search.proquest.com/docview/502312254.
Blog Entry / Comment
In the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, access information for blog posts and comments is presented in the same manner that website information is presented.
Hollmichel, Stephanie. “The Reading Brain: Differences between Digital and Print.” So Many Books, 25 Apr. 2013, somanybooksblog.com/2013/04/25/the-reading-brain-differences-between-digital-and-print/.
Online Course & Discussion Boards
Formatting entries for online course pages and discussion posts should follow similar formatting you will find for other online sources in the 8th edition of MLA. Provide as much information as you can, based on an online resource example. Since the information is accessed directly online, you will likely need just one container system.
Course Page
Sands, Crystal. “English 101: English Composition.” Excelsior College, 2016, mycourses.excelsior.edu.
When documenting an email message, you will need just one container. Use the subject line as the title and standardize its capitalization.
Jones, Star. “Re: Your Mother.” Received by Daniel Jones, 11 May 2013.
Government Publications
If a person is not listed as the author of a government document, the government organization should be listed as the corporate author. The number of containers needed to document government publications will depend upon how you accessed the publication. For example, if you accessed the publication directly from the web, just one container is needed. If you accessed the publication via a database, two containers are needed.
United States Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Specifications for Medical Examinations of Underground Coal Miners.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 9 Jan. 2012, www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/archive/docket225.html.
Interviews
Radio or Television
When documenting a radio or television interview, you will need just one container. In general, treat the person being interviewed as the author. Then provide the title of the interview.
Barrett, Paul. Interview conducted by Terry Gross. Fresh Air, NPR, 1 Feb. 2013.
Online
When documenting an online interview, you will need just one container. In general, treat the person being interviewed as the author. Then include the title of the interview.
Sometimes the same interview can be found in more than one place. When formatting your citation, list the source you used to watch. If your interview comes from an online network or show, follow the format below.
Armstrong, Lance. Lance Armstrong Confirms Emma O’Reilly’s Claims. OWN, uploaded by The Oprah Show, 17 Jan. 2013, http://www.oprah.com/search.html?q=lance%20armstrong%20interview.
If your interview comes from YouTube, treat YouTube as the container and follow the format below.
When documenting a published interview, you will need just one container. In general, treat the person being interviewed as the author. Then provide the title of the interview.
Print Published Interview Example
Te’o, Manti. ″The Full Manti.″ Interview conducted by Pete Thamel. Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2012, pp. 46-50.
Online Published Interview Example
Te’o, Manti. ″The Full Manti.″ Interview conducted by Pete Thamel. Sports Illustrated, 1 Oct. 2012, https://vault.si.com/vault/2012/10/01/the-full-manti.
NOTE: If no title is provided, then write “Interview” (with no quotes).
Smith, John. Interview. Conducted by Bridget Peterson, 30 Nov. 2019.
Personal Interview
When documenting a personal interview, you will need just one container. In general, treat the person being interviewed as the author. Then provide the title of the interview. If no title is provided, then write “Interview” (with no quotes).
Davis, Benjamin. Interview. Conducted by William Anderson, 3 May 2004.
Lecture or Speech
When documenting a lecture or speech you attended in person, you will need just one container.
Foucault, Michel. “The Culture of the Self.” University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley. 12 May 1983. Lecture.
Online Lecture or Speech
When documenting an online lecture or speech, you will need just one container.
Sometimes the same interview can be found in more than one place. See the citation examples below as a reference. When formatting your citation, list the source you used to watch the lecture or speech.
Brown, Brené. ″The Power of Vulnerability.″ TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, June 2010, https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability.
Brown, Brené. ″The Power of Vulnerability | Brené Brown.″ YouTube, uploaded by TED, 3 Jan. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o.
MLA Style Demo
MLA formatting can seem a little confusing at first, and it can be helpful to view a sample MLA paper when you are new to this documentation style. The following short videocasts are designed to give you an overview of the basic requirements for page setup, in-text citations, and works cited in MLA format.
This first video will demonstrate the requirements for the MLA heading, headers, and page set up.
This second video will show you what in-text citations should look like and explain why you must use them.
In this third and final video on MLA format, you’ll see a sample Works Cited page with some tips on creating a works cited list of your own.
MLA Formatting Guide
Once you review the different aspects of MLA formatting, you may find that it takes you a while to remember everything you need to do. Referring back to helpful resources here can help, but a guide with the key components of MLA can provide important reminders and support.
When you have your paper in order, it’s a good idea to review this handy guide below.
MLA SIGNAL PHRASES
Keep things interesting for your readers by switching up the language and placement of your signal phrases.
MODEL PHRASES
In the words of professors Greer and Dewey, “…”
As sociology scholar Janice Kinsey has noted, “…”
Creative Commons, an organization that helps internet users understand and create copyright for materials, reports that “…”
“…,” writes Deidre Tyrell, “…”
“…,” attorney Sanderson claims.
Kyles and Sanderson offer up a compelling point: “…”
VERBS
Acknowledges
Contends
Observes
Admits
Declares
Points out
Adds
Denies
Reasons
Agrees
Disputes
Refutes
Argues
Emphasizes
Rejects
Asserts
Endorses
Reports
Believes
Grants
Responds
Claims
Illustrates
Suggests
Comments
Implies
Thinks
Compares
Insists
Writes
Confirms
Notes
Avoiding Plagiarism When Documenting
In addition to adding credibility to your writing when you cite your sources correctly, you also help yourself avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when writers do not give proper credit to sources for words, ideas, and images.
Plagiarism can be both purposeful and accidental, but plagiarism is a serious offense either way. With that in mind, the following tutorial can help you understand the importance of citing your source material and how you can avoid plagiarism.
Acknowledgment of Sources is a Rhetorical Act
To an inexperienced writer, citing and documenting sources may seem like busywork. Yet, when you cite your external sources in the text of your paper and when you document them at the end of your piece in a list of works cited or a bibliography, you are performing a rhetorical act. Complete and accurate citing and documenting of all external sources help writers achieve three very important goals:
It enhances your credibility as a writer. By carefully and accurately citing your external sources in the text and by documenting them at the end of your paper you show your readers that you are serious about your subject, your research, and the argument which you are making in your paper. You demonstrate that you have studied your subject in sufficient depth, and by reading credible and authoritative sources.
It helps you to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is trying to pass someone else’s ideas or writing as your own. It is a serious offense that can damage the reputation of a writer forever and lead to very serious consequences if committed in an academic or professional setting. Later on in the chapter, we will discuss plagiarism and ways to avoid it in detail.
The presence of complete citations of sources in your paper will help you demonstrate to your readers that you are an active participant in the community of readers, writers, researchers, and learners. It shows that you are aware of the conversations that are going on among writers and researchers in your field and that you are willing to enter those conversations by researching and writing about the subjects that interest you. By providing enough information about the sources which you used in you own research and writing, you give other interested readers the opportunity to find out more about your subject and, thus, to enter in a conversation with you.
The Logic and Structure of a Source Citation
Every time writers cite and document their sources, they do it in two places in the paper—in the text itself and at the end of the paper, in a list of works cited or bibliography. A citation is incomplete and, by and large, useless to the readers, if either of the parts is missing. Consider the following example, in which I cite an academic journal article using the Modern Language Association citation system. Please note that I give this example at this point in the chapter only to demonstrate the two parts of a citation. Later on, we will discuss how to cite and document different kinds of sources using different documentation systems, in full detail.
In-text citations
In-text citations are also known as parenthetical citations or parenthetical references because, at the end of the citation, parentheses are used. In her essay “If Winston Weather Would Just Write to Me on E-mail,” published in the journal College Composition and Communication, writer and teacher Wendy Bishop shares her thoughts on the nature of writing: “[I see…writing as a mixture of mess and self-discipline, of self-history [and] cultural history.” (101).
The Citation in the List of Works Cited
Bishop, Wendy. “If Winston Weather Would Just Write to Me on E-mail.” College Composition and Communication. 46.1 (1995): 97-103.
The reason why each citation, regardless of the type of source and the documentation system being used, has two parts is simple. Writers acknowledge and document external sources for several reasons. One of these reasons is to give their readers enough information and enable them, if necessary, to find the same source which the paper mentions. Therefore, if we look at the kinds of information provided in the citation (page numbers, titles, authors, publishers, and publication dates), it becomes clear that this information is sufficient to locate the source in the library, bookstore, or online.
When to Cite and Document Sources
The brief answer to this question is “always.” Every time you use someone else’s ideas, arguments, opinions, or data, you need to carefully acknowledge their author and source. Keep in mind that you are not just borrowing others’ words when you use sources in your writing. You are borrowing ideas. Therefore, even if you are not directly citing the source, but paraphrase or summarize it, you still need to cite it both in the text and at the end of the paper in a list of works cited or in a list of references.
The only exception is when you are dealing with what is known as “common knowledge.” Common knowledge consists of facts that are so widely known that they do not require a source reference. For instance, if you say in your writing that the Earth rotates around the Sun or that Ronald Reagan was a US President, you do not need to cite the sources of this common knowledge formally.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a problem that exists not only on college, university, and high school campuses. In recent years, several high profile cases, some involving famous writers and journalists have surfaced, in which these writers were accused of either presenting someone else work as their own or fabricating works based on fictitious or unreliable research. With the advent of the Internet, it has become relatively easy to download complete papers. Various people and organizations, sometimes masquerading as “writing consultants” promise students that they would write a paper on any subject and of any level of complexity for a hefty fee. Clearly, the use of such services by student writers is dishonest and dishonorable. If your college or university is like mine, it probably has adopted strict policies for dealing with plagiarizing writers. Punishments for intentional plagiarism are severe and may include not only a failing grade for the class but even an expulsion from the university.
In addition to intentional plagiarism, there is also the unintentional kind. Experience shows that beginning writers’ work sometimes include passages which could be called plagiarized because such writers often do not know how to cite and document external sources properly or do not understand that importance of following proper citation practices.
Observing the following practices will help you avoid plagiarism:
As you research, keep careful notes of your sources. As you take notes for your research project, keep track of what materials in those notes come from external sources and what material is yours. Keep track of all your sources, including interviews and surveys, photographs and drawings, personal e-mails and conversations. Be sure to record the following information:
Author
Title
Date of publication
Publisher
Remember that when you use external sources, you are borrowing not the words of another writer, but his or her ideas, theories, and opinions. Therefore, even if you summarize or paraphrase a source, be sure to give it full credit. Writers used to have to record this information on separate note cards. However, with the proliferation of online and other electronic tools which allow us to keep track of our research, the task of recording and reflecting on source-related information has become easier.
Anti-Plagiarism Activity 1
Read the following four paragraphs. They are from a research source, an article in The New Yorker magazine. The other three are from student papers which attempt to use the article as an external source. As you read consider the following questions:
Would you call the student’s passage or its parts plagiarized from the original? Why or why not?
If any parts of the student’s passages are plagiarized what needs to be changed in order to avoid plagiarism? Keep in mind that you may need to rewrite the whole Paragraph and not just make changes in separate sentences.
Which of the student passages will require more significant rewriting than others and why?
Source Paragraph (from the article “Personality Plus,” by Malcolm Gladwell. New Yorker, Sept 20, 2004). One of the most popular personality tests in the world is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological assessment system based on Carl Jung’s notion that people make sense of the world through a series or psychological frames. Some people are extroverts, some are introverts. Some process information through logical thought. Some are directed by their feelings. Some make sense of the world through intuitive leaps. Others collect data through their senses.
Student Paragraph 1
The Myers-Briggs Test is a very popular way to assess someone’s personality type. Philosopher Carl Jung believed that people make sense of the world in different ways. Some are extroverts and some and introverts. According to this idea, people process information either by logical reasoning or through intuition or feelings.
Student Paragraph 2
According to writer Malcolm Gladwell, One of the most popular personality tests in the world is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological-assessment system based on Carl Jung’s notion that people make sense of the world through a series of psychological frames. Gladwell states that the test is based on the idea by Carl Jung that people make sense of the world through a series of psychological frames. According to Jung, some people are extroverts and some are introverts. Some process information through logical input, and some through feelings. Some make sense of the world through intuitive leaps. Others collect data through their senses.
Student Paragraph 3
One of the most popular personality tests in the world is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological assessment system based on Carl Jung’s notion that people make sense of the world through a series of psychological frames (Gladwell 43). The test is based on Jung’s theory that people understand the world differently. This is why we have extroverts and introverts and people who act either based on reasoning or feelings (Gladwell).
Anti-Plagiarism Activity 2
Major Citation Systems
In this part of the chapter, I will explain the major citation and documentation systems which you are likely to encounter in your writing for college classes and beyond. The information in this section is not meant to be memorized. Instead, I encourage you to use this material as a reference source, when you are writing a paper and need to cite and document sources correctly, using one of the systems described below, refer to this chapter.
Please note that the following sections include only the basic information about each of the citation styles. There are plenty of excellent sources explaining and illustrating the differences between citation systems. I recommend the site of the Online Writing Center at Purdue University.
Conclusion
Avoiding plagiarism and acknowledging your external sources completely and accurately are vital parts of the writing process. Your credibility as a writer and the reception that you work will receive from readers may depend on how well you acknowledge your sources. By following the guidelines presented in this chapter and by seeking out more knowledge about the rules of citing and documenting from the publications listed in this chapter, you will become a more competent, more professional, and more credible writer. This chapter covers only the basics of source citing and documenting.
Attribution
The Modern Language Association of America. (2016). MLA Handbook (8th ed.). The Modern Language Association of America.
Here you’ll find extensive support for MLA documentation style. This section features instructional videos that show you how to set up your papers in MLA format, interactive checklists, and visual support for both in-text documenting and referencing at the end of your paper.
With the 2016 update, MLA changed and simplified the way your Works Cited entries should be formatted. Instead of offering a specific way to format each and every source time, the new MLA offers a streamlined approach using something called “containers.”
Two containers are required for sources that you access through places like library databases. An example of MLA’s “two container” structure is depicted at the left. Here, you will notice there is a place for the first container, with the original publication information. Below the first container, the second container provides publication information for where you retrieved that information. For example, a journal article you access through your library’s databases will have its original publication information (container 1) and access information from the online database (container 2).