MLA Style

1. MLA Style

2. Humanities and Liberal Arts courses, such as English, generally use Modern Language Association (MLA) format, which calls for in-text citations and a Works Cited page. A title page may also be included. MLA

3. Always check with your instructor for citation guidelines. Sometimes an instructor will adapt guidelines to suit the needs of the class and the assignment. • This tutorial has been created to provide a basic guide to common MLA format requirements. • For more detailed instructions, see the New Century Handbook (5th ed.), the MLA Handbook for Writers Research Papers (7th ed.), or the MLA Style Manual and Guide for Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.). MLA

4. One-inch margins • Double-spaced throughout • 12 point Times New Roman font • Aheader with the student’s last name and the page number located one half-inch from the top of the page on the right side MLA: General guidelines

5. The title page is the first page; however, a title page is not always necessary, so you should check with your instructor. • The title is centered about halfway down the page, followed by your name and other information as required by your professor, such as your instructor’s name, the course name and section, and the due date of the assignment. The title is also centered on the first page of text. MLA: Title page

6. Tough Boyz: Urban Masculinity in the Films of John Singleton Lucy Willis Professor Soule English 2030, Section 8 29 November 2011 EXAMPLE: TITLE PAGE

7. Generally, MLA format does not require a title page; instead, the student and class information is located on the first page of the assignment. • The first page should include the following information in the specified order: • Student’s first and last name • Professor’s name • The course name and number • The date MLA: The first page

8. Willis 1 Lucy Willis Professor Soule English 2030-8 29 November 2010 Tough Boyz: Urban Masculinity in the Films of John Singleton Director and screenwriter John Singleton is known for his raw and intimate depictions of urban communities in the 1990s. From Boyz N the Hood (1991) to Rosewood (1997) to Four Brothers (2005), Singleton perpetually creates films that heighten public awareness of the political and socioeconomic oppression and that young African American males face. Example: first page

9. Both paraphrases and direct quotations require in-text citations. They consist of the last name(s) of the author(s) and the page number(s) from where the information was retrieved. • If there is no author, use an abbreviated title. Capitalize and punctuate with italics for longer works (such as books) or quotation marks for shorter works (such as articles). in-text citations: paraphrases and direct quotations

10. When the author is mentioned in the sentence, it is not necessary to include the name in the parenthetical citation. • Introduce quotations with signal phrases to avoid a “floating quotation” (i.e. a quotation that has been plopped into the writing without explanation of its purpose). In-text citations: general guidelines

11. You should use quotation marks when you quote two or more words from a source. • Example: Richardson claims that his research “uncovers a remarkably consistent imaging of black masculinity in the South as cowardly, counterrevolutionary, infantile, and emasculated” (6). In-text citations: Direct quotations

12. To eliminate an abundance of direct quotations, you can use an idea from a source and put it in your own words; this is called paraphrasing. • Example: Richardson claims that his research examines derogatory stereotypes and representations of Southern black masculinity (6). In-text citations: Paraphrases

13. For two or three authors, use all names in the order they are listed on the title page (not necessarily alphabetical). • Example: In Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation, Natalie Hopkinson and Natalie Moore explore contemporary black masculinity in urban and hip-hop subcultures (6). In-text citations: two or three authors

14. For three or more authors, all last names can be listed, or you can use the first author’s last name with et al. after. • Example: Lee, Harrington, Louie, and Newschaffer pointed out that parents of children with ADD/ADHD do not have their quality of life affected as much as parents of children with autism (1147). OR Parents of children with ADD/ADHD do not have their quality of life affected as much as parents of children with autism (Lee et al. 1147). In-text Citations: three or more authors

15. For multiple sources cited in the same parentheses, list authors or titles alphabetically and separate with a semicolon. • Example: Studies have shown an increase in abuse of ADHD medication by teenagers (“Increased” 29; “Study” 34-35). In-text citations: multiple sources

16. For multiple works by the same author, use the parenthetical citation to specify which work is being referred to. • Example: Ellis is famous for his commentary on late 1980s society: “Surface, surface, surface was all that anyone found meaning in” (American Psycho 375). OR Perhaps the most critical and realistic commentary on 1980s society came from the literature of Generation X: “Surface, surface, surface was all that anyone found meaning in” (Ellis, American Psycho 375). Parenthetical citation: multiple works by the same author

17. For multiple authors with the same last name, include first or first and middle initials in all citations. Parenthetical citation: multiple authors with the same last name

18. For indirect sources (sources found in other sources), use (qtd. in author’s last name and page number). • Example: According to Phillip Brian Harper, “the dominant view holds prideful self-respect as the very essence of healthy African-American identity” (qtd. in Richardson 6). In-text citations: indirect sources

19. When citing poetry, drama, or sacred texts, page numbers are not necessary; instead, provide the line numbers, acts/scenes, or chapters/verses. • Example of a poetry citation: In Sylvia Plath’s “The Mirror,” she observes how mirrors express the truth and the fragility of human existence (18-19). OR In Sylvia Plath’s “The Mirror,” she observes how mirrors express the truth and fragility of human existence: “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman / Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish” (18-19). *Note: When quoting poetry, each line is separated by a forward slash. Notice the space before and after the slash. In-text citations: Poetry OR drama

20. Example of a citation from a sacred text: The strength and power of friendship is best exemplified when Ruth professes her loyalty to Naomi (New International Version, Ruth 1:16-18). *Note: For texts such as the Bible, include the specific version. In-text citations: sacred texts

21. For a basic website citation, use the author’s name in the parenthetical citation. If the author is not listed, you should integrate the web site into the sentence. • Example: The website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides numerous tips for healthy living and offers advice for overseas travelers. In-text citations: website

22. When citing from the U.S. Constitution, the parenthetical citation consists of “US Const.” and article and section numbers.When citing the U.S. Constitution, an entry on the Works Cited page is not required. • Example: According to the U.S. Constitution, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives” (US Const., art. 1, sec. 1). *Reminder: Pay close attention to the punctuation. In-text citations: U.S. Constitution

23. When quoting four lines or more, a block citation is required. • Block quotations do not require quotation marks; instead, the excerpt is indicated as a quotation by indenting the left margin of the entire passage one-inch. • Block quotations should be preceded by a complete sentence. • In a block quotation, the parenthetical citation is outside of the period. • After the quotation, the alignment should return to the one-inch margin. In-text citations: Block quotations

24. Example In-text citation: Block Quotation In Richardson’s book, he specifies how his examination of black masculinity in the South differs from studies conducted and researched by other scholars. He claims that he explores territory that has previously been ignored: How the South continued to shape the development of discourses on the black masculine body as perversely sexualized and pathological during the twentieth century, for instance, has seldom been recognized. Furthermore, my study uncovers a remarkably consistent imaging of black masculinity in the South as cowardly, counterrevolutionary, infantile, and emasculated. (Richardson 6) Richardson’s book offers enlightening commentary on these derogatory stereotypes of black masculinity in the South.

25. You should always include a Works Cited page at the end of your essay. • The words Works Cited are centered at the top of the page; they are not bold, underlined, or italicized, and they are the same font as your essay. • Sources are listed alphabetically by last name. Authors’ names remain in the order in which they are listed in the source. • Entries are formatted using a hanging indent (each line after the first line of the citation is indented 5 spaces). Works cited page: general guidelines

26. If there is no author, start with the title. • When including the publisher’s name, write a shortened version of the name (ex: Random instead of Random House); when referring to a university press, abbreviate to UP without using punctuation. • Specify the medium of publication. For hard copies of documents, write Print at the end of the citation. For electronic sources, Web is used in place of the URL. Other mediums may include mp3, pdf, DVD, etc. • Correct punctuation and capitalization is extremely important. WORKS CITED PAGE: general guidelines

27. For books with one author, start with the author’s name followed by the title of the work and the publication information. • Example: Ellis, Bret Easton. Less Than Zero. New York: Vintage, 1985. Print. Works cited: book with one author

28. For books with editors, include (Ed.) after the editor’s name or (Eds.) after the editors’ names. Also, provide edition information after the title. • Example: Austin, J.L. How to Do Things with Words. Ed. J.O. Urmson and Marina Shisa. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Harvard U P, 1962. Print. Works cited: book with an editor

29. For book chapters, include the chapter author and the chapter title (in quotation marks) followed by the publication information. • Example: Butler, Judith. “An Introduction: On Linguistic Vulnerability.” Excitable Speech: A Politics of Performance. New York: Routledge, 1997. 1-41. Print. Works cited: book chapter

30. For e-books, the author’s name comes first and is followed by the book’s title, title of website or database, the sponsoring organization, year of publication, medium of publication (Web), and the date of access. In the example below, the names of the database and sponsoring organization are the same. • Example: Baraka, Imamu Amiri. Black Music. Black Thought and Culture. Black Thought and Culture, 1967. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. Works cited: e-books

31. For weekly or monthly publications, include the author’s name, the article title, the name of the periodical, the date of publication, the page numbers, and the medium: Print. • Example: Schachtman, Noah. “The End of the Air War.” Wired Jan. 2010: 102-09. Print. Works cited: weekly/monthly publications

32. For articles found in online databases, list the author(s), the title of the article, the name of the journal, the volume and issue number, the year of publication, the page numbers, the name of the database, the medium of publication and the date of access. If no page numbers are available, write n. pag. • Example: Byers, Thomas. “Terminating the Postmodern: Masculinity and Pomophobia.” Modern Fiction Studies 41.1 (1995): 5-33. Project Muse. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. Works cited: articles from online databases

33. For online newspapers and magazines, include the author, the article title, the name of the website, the name of the sponsor, the date of posting, the medium of publication, and the date of access. • Example: Ellison, Jesse. “Are Men the New Minority?” Newsweek.com. Newsweek, 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. Works cited: online newspaper/magazine

34. For online journals, write the author’s name, the article title, and the journal title followed by the volume and issue numbers, the year of publication, the page numbers, medium of publication, and the date of retrieval. • Example: Williams, Linda. “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess.” Film Quarterly 44.4 (1991): 2-13. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. Works cited: online journals

35. For a basic website citation, list with the title of the website (italicized), the creator/editor of the site, the date when last updated, the name of the organization or institution, the medium, and the date of access. • Example: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 12 Feb. 2011. USA.gov. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. *Note: Sometimes a website will not provide all of the information listed above. When this occurs, list all information available. Works cited: basic website

36. For sources with two or more authors, list the names in the same order as provided on the book. Notice that the first author’s name begins with the last name, but the subsequent name(s) begin with the first name followed by the last name. • Example: Baumgardner, Jennifer, and Amy Richards. Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000. Print. *Note: For three or more authors, you can either list all the names in the same order as provided on the book (same as the above example), or you can opt to write the first author followed by et al. Works cited: two or more authors

37. For multiple works by the same author(s), arrange alphabetically by the title of the works. After the first citation with the author’s name, replace the author’s name with three dashes. • Example: Ellis, Bret Easton. Less Than Zero. New York: Vintage, 1985. Print. ---. The Rules of Attraction. New York: Vintage, 1987. Print. Works cited: multiple works by the same author

38. For a work from an anthology, include the author’s name, the name of the piece, the name of the anthology, the editor(s), edition, city of publication, publisher, year of publication, and page numbers followed by the medium of publication. • Example: Wittig, Monique. “The Straight Mind.” Feminist Theory: A Reader. Ed. Wendy K. Kolmar and Frances Bartkowski. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 343-46. Print. Works cited: A work from an anthology

39. For an album, include the name of the artist (last name first), the title of the album (in italics), the record label, the year of release, and the medium of publication. When citing a specific song, insert the song title (in quotation marks) before the album title. • Example: Eminem. Recovery. Aftermath Records, 2010. CD. OR Eminem. “Won’t Back Down.” Recovery. Aftermath Records, 2010. CD. Works cited: album/song

40. For a film, include the title of the film (in italics), the director, the distributor, the year of release, and the medium of publication. • Example: Boyz N the Hood. Dir. John Singleton. Columbia Pictures, 1991. Film. Works cited: Film

41. For interviews, include interviewee, the type of interview (personal, telephone, etc.), and the date of the interview. • Example: Grimes, Johnanna. Telephone interview. 14 Feb. 2011. Works cited: interview

42. Willis 5  Works Cited Austin, J.L. How to Do Things with Words. Ed. J.O. Urmson and Marina Shisa. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1962. Print. Baraka, Imamu Amiri. Black Music. Black Thought and Culture. Black Thought and Culture, 1967. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. Baumgardner, Jennifer, and Amy Richards. Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000. Print. Boyz N the Hood. Dir. John Singleton. Columbia Pictures, 1991. Film. Example: works cited page

43. Don’t forget: print the handout that goes with this presentation! Please complete a survey on this tutorial. For more information about MLA style or for help with other writing concerns, come to TSU’s Writing Center. Visit room 300 in the Learning Resources Center or call 615.963.5102 to make an appointment.