Transcript MLA Documentation - Valencia College

MLA Documentation
Citing and documenting sources
About MLA
• MLA style…
• This cross-referencing system (in-text citations and a works
cited page) allows readers to locate the publication
information of source material.
• The proper use of MLA style also shows the credibility of
writers; such writers show accountability to their source
material.
• MLA style can protect writers from accusations of
plagiarism--the purposeful or accidental use of source
material by other writers without giving appropriate credit.
--Perdue Online Writing Lab
In Other Words…
• It allows readers to easily and accurately
cross-reference your sources.
• It provides a consistent style of documentation
for research papers in the humanities and
English.
• It gives you credibility as a writer and
researcher.
• It protects you against plagiarism and
academic dishonesty.
2 Parts of MLA Documentation
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
In-Text Citations
Whenever you use information or ideas from another text in your
paper, you must indicate what work you used and where in the
text you found it. Parenthetical documentation must have a
reference listed in the Works Cited Page.
• Use in-text citations…
• When you are quoting a source word for word
• When you are summarizing the main points of a
source
• When you are paraphrasing a source by putting
another writer’s ideas into your own words
A Work with One Author
A typical reference consists of the author’s last
name and page number.
End punctuation
placed after
parentheses
No punctuation in
citation
The point has been argued that men
and women communicate in distinctly
different ways; these differences in
communication can cause problems in
social interactions (Tannen 178-85). *
The author’s last name and the page number are enclosed in
parentheses at the end of the sentence and are followed by a
period. This is why this method of sourcing information is called
parenthetical documentation.
A Work by a Single Author
Cont.
• If your source is electronic (i.e. website, online
database)…
• A paragraph or section number, instead of a page
number, may be used.
Lee’s direction “stands out especially because he takes
the Berkowitz story and lets it act as a backdrop to the
characters' story” (Taylor par. 4).
• If the author’s name is included in the sentence, only
use the page number in your citation.
It may be true, as Robertson maintains, that “in the
appreciation of medieval art the attitude of the
observer is of primary importance…” (136)
A Work by Multiple Authors
A work by two or three authors
When citing a work by two or three authors, give the names in the same
order as they are listed on the source.
Authors’ names in text…
Jacobsen and Waugh note that the death penalty is not warranted because of
all the innocent people who have been found on death row (210).
Authors’ names in citation…
The death penalty is not warranted because of all the innocent people who
have been found on death row (Jacobsen and Waugh 210).
A work by more than three authors
Only list the first author, followed by et al.
The European powers believed they could change the fundamentals of
Moslem existence (Bull et al. 395).
A Group or Corporate
Author
If a corporation or other organization
is named as the author of a work, use
the group’s name the same way you
would use a person’s name.
“I’d rather go naked than wear fur” (PETA
22).
A Work Without an Author
If a source doesn’t list an author, use an
abbreviated form of the title in the citation. If you
refer to the work in the sentence, you must write
out the full title.
•
Use a shortened version of the title that will correspond to the
full title of the work in your works cited page.
“Death is bad for the dead man but good for
the grave digger” (Dissoi Logoi 2).
Two or More Authors with
the same last name
If you have more than one author with the same
last name, differentiate them by including their
first initial along with their last name in your
citations.
Crime is on the rise (Wishoff, R. 115). Yet
some believe “it’s not” (Wishoff, C. 76).
More Than One Work by the Same
Author
When citing two or more sources by the same
author, include an abbreviated title in each
citation. Separate the author’s name and the
title with a comma.
Emma Woodhouse’s statement, “Only poverty
makes celibacy contemptible” (Austen, Emma
99) echoes Elizabeth Bennett’s refusal to marry
for financial security (Austen, Pride 22).
Preserving Punctuation
When a quotation ends with punctuation other than
a period (i.e. a question mark or an exclamation
point), include it inside the quotation mark, then insert
the parenthetical reference and add a period.
“There is no enjoyment like reading!”
(Austen 40).
Citing an Indirect Source
It is important to take material from the original
source not a secondhand one, if possible. But, if
only an indirect source is available, you must
follow the following steps:
When you use an indirect quotation, be sure to first give the
name of the author of the indirect quote and then the
abbreviation “qtd. in” and the author of the source from
which you took the quotation.
Use the abbreviation qtd. in.
Samuel Johnson admitted that Edmund Burke was an
“extraordinary man” (qtd. in Boswell 450)
Citing Plays and Poems
Hamlet’s existential angst is expressed in his famous
soliloquy, “To be, or not to be: that is the question”
(Shakespeare 3.1.56).
Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost, opens with the line,
“Of man’s first disobedience and the fruit” (1.1).
When citing material from plays and poems, include
the act, scene, book, canto, stanza, verse, or line
numbers instead of the page number. Use Arabic
numbers in your citations, even if the source uses
Roman numerals (6 instead of VI).
Citing a Website
If the website lists an author, use the author’s name in your citation.
If there is no author given, use an abbreviated form of the title. If a
website has page numbers, use them as you would a print source.
“The Q&A” page of The Etiquette Grrls website
states that it is inappropriate to wear white after
Labor Day (Carlin and McDonough).
“Frogs are members of the zoological class
called Amphibia”(Frogland).
A direct quote which runs more than
four lines
John K. Mahon adds further insight to our understanding of the War of 1812:
Financing the war was very difficult at the time. Baring Brothers, a
banking firm of the enemy country, handled routine accounts for
the United States overseas, but the firm would take on no loans. The
loans were in the end absorbed by wealthy Americans at great
hazard—also, as it turned out, at great profit to them.
Indent entire quote 2 tabs (1 inch), doublespaced, with no quotation marks. Note that the
punctuation comes before the reference in this
case.
(385)
Citing in MLA Format
• A Works Cited List…
• Is a complete list of all sources cited in your
research paper
• Provides the information necessary for your
reader to be able to locate any of the
sources you reference in your paper
Citing Books
Most book citations will include some, if not all, of the following
information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Author's name (last name, first name).
Title of Book (underlined or italicized)
Name of editor, translator, or compiler.
Edition used.
Number of volume(s) used.
Name of series.
Place of publication: name of publisher, year of publication.
Page numbers.
A book with one author…
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year
of Publication.
Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in
Conversation. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990.
Book by two or more authors
Rabkin, Eric S., Martin Greenberg, and Joseph
Olander, eds. No Place Else. Carbondale:
Southern Illinois UP, 1983.
Or
Rabkin, Eric S. et al. No Place Else. Carbondale:
Southern Illinois UP, 1983.
Two or More Works by the Same
Author
Gilbert, Sandra M. Emily's Bread. New York:
Norton, 1984.
---. Ghost Volcano. New York: Norton, 1995.
The sources are listed alphabetically by title. Three
dashes and a period substitute for the author’s name in
all subsequent citations.
Anthology or Compilation
Lopate, Phillip, ed. The Art of the Personal Essay.
New York: Anchor-Doubleday, 1994.
One work in an anthology…
Swift, Jonathan. “A Modest Proposal.” The Bedford
Reader. Ed. X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M.
Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 621-629.
Notice that the short work (i.e. essay, short story,
poem) is placed in quotation marks…
Citing Interviews
Name of person interviewed, kind of
interview (personal, telephone) and
date.
Anderson, Paul T. Personal Interview. 20 Dec.
1999.
Periodical Articles
Citing Periodicals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Author's name.
"Title of Article"
Name of Periodical
Series number or name
Volume number
Issue number
Date of publication
Page numbers
Supplementary information
Article in a Newspaper,
Scholarly Journal or Magazine
Newspaper
Boyar, Jay. "The Art of Bad Film Criticism." Orlando
Sentinel 7 Jan. 2000: C4.
Put quotation marks
around article title.
Underline title of
publication.
Magazine
Amelar, Sarah. "Restoration on 42nd Street." Architecture Mar.
1998: 146-150.
Journal
Most, Andrea. "We Know We Belong." PLMA 113 (1998):
77-89.
Citing Films
Title, director, distributor, year of
release. Other information optional.
Pulp Fiction. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Screenplay by
Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery. Perf. John
Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Uma
Thurman. Miramax: 1994.
Citing Online Sources
• Always include the most specific web address possible at the
end of the citation. Also, only include a line break before a
period or after a slash in the web address.
• The web address should appear between “bent brackets”
<…> so that there is no confusion about where the web
address begins and ends.
• When possible, it is a good idea to include two dates in your
citation.
• The first will always be the date that the cited information
appeared on to the website, while the second will always be the
date that you accessed the website.
• This is done in case the website is updated and the information
you cited is changed.
Internet Citations Should Include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The author, if available
The title of the article, in quotation marks
The title of the website, underlined
Publication information for a print version, if
applicable
The date of publication, if applicable
Pagination information, if applicable
The name of a sponsoring organization, if
applicable
The date you accessed the site
The entire URL enclosed in angle brackets
The minimum you should
cite:
•
•
•
•
The title of the article
The title of the website
The date you accessed it
The entire URL
“BBQ Kisses and Pork Rind Dreams.” Daily Candy.
19 Sept. 2003
<http://www.dailycandy.com/article.jsp?
Articleid=238529>.
Professional Sites and Home Pages
Title of Webpage. Institution sponsoring web page. Date
you accessed the web page <web address>.
Professional Page
Portuguese Language Page. U of Chicago. 1 May 1997
<http://humanities.uchicago.edu/romance/port/>.
Home Page
Ambler, Jay C. Home Page. 15 Feb. 2003. 18 Aug. 2003
<http://www.geocities.com/JayClayton Ambler/>.
Reference Databases
Many, if not all, of your sources will come from the references
databases available through the Library. These databases contain
full-text articles, work overviews, and literary criticism pertaining to
your subject. Each database has it’s own format. The following
examples come from Lexis Nexis and Academic Search Premier.
Article in a Reference Database
Author (Last, First). “Title of Article.” Periodical Title. Date of Publication.
Pagination. Reference Database. Database Publisher. Date you
accessed the site <web address>.
For help with a specific database check out this link:
Winter Park Campus Library Website
Lexis Nexis
Academic Search Premier
Periodical Articles
Article in a Magazine
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine and
date of publication. Date that you accessed the website <web
address>.
Landsburg, Steven E. "Who Shall Inherit the Earth?" Slate 1 May 1997.
2 May 1997 <http://www.slate.com/Economics/97-0501/Economics.asp>.
Article in an Online Periodical
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article” if any. Title of
Publication and date posted. Date you accessed the
information <web address>.
Chass, Murray. “Players Talk About Strike.” The New York Times On the
Web 15 May 2002. 15 May 2002
<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/15/sports/baseball/15BA
SE.html>
Works Cited Page Format
• The Works Cited page follows the last page of your paper and is
numbered sequentially.
• The title of your Works Cited page goes 1” from the top margin and
is not bold, italicized, underlined or in quotes
• Your first entry, alphabetized by author’s last name or first major
word of the title, begins at the left margin, two lines below the title.
• The first line of each citation is at the left margin. Each additional
line takes a ½ inch hanging indention from the left margin.
• The ENTIRE Works Cited page is double-spaced with 1” margins
Sample Works Cited Page
Smith 13
Works Cited
Great Lives of Mexico. Philadelphia: McGraw - Hill, 1971.
Jones, William. The Life of Sandra Cisneros. New York: Random House, 1995.
Kim, Joseph. "Sandra Cisneros." 6 June 1997. <http://www. virg.edu/hispanics>.
Ramsey, Harold W. "Sandra Cisneros and the Mexican- American Dream.“
Newsweek. 16 June 1997: 74-80.
Where Can I Get Help with MLA?
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The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed.
The Penguin Handbook
Troyka Quick Access
Basics: A Handbook
Winter Park Campus Library Website
• By selecting the “Online Databases and Articles” link from
“Research Tools”, you gain access to detailed, color coded
examples for each of the databases you use for this paper (these
examples are found under “documentation”)
• www.citationmachine.net
• Don’t feel like building your own citations? Visit
citationmachine.net, plug in information about your source and
then copy and paste the program’s example.
• The CSSC
• Come in and pick up a tip sheet on MLA documentation, format,
and more. Also, take a look at the various writing handbooks
available, such as the Penguin Handbook, Basics: A Handbook,
and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.