1 MLA Formatting & Citation
The Modern Language Association (MLA) is the main style and citation guide used in the humanities. This includes fields such as English, (writing) language, and literature studies. Go back a couple of pages to read about what Citation & Style Guides are.
Formatting
MLA format provides a specific heading, font size/color, spacing, margins, and more. Below are links for YouTube videos and a document you can download or copy to use for formatting your work.
In-Text Citation
In-text citation is information about the source you embed in your writing. In MLA style, each sentence you write that includes information, ideas, or words from a source requires a citation within that sentences. Uncited ideas or words are considered a form of copying/cheating called plagiarism by many teachers. College, especially university teachers, can be real extra about what they consider cheating. So including all the types of citation is a way to make it clear you might not know the perfect way to cite, but that you are not copying.
MLA style parenthetical citation should contain the last name of the author and, if available, the page or time(for videos). If there isn’t an author, put the title of the work in the parenthetical. You can review the Highline Library Guide and click the MLA tab. A really popular website for citation is the Purdue OWL MLA Guide. The in-text citation is based on the information that goes in the end-of-text citation; this is called a Works Cited page in MLA style.
Example of In-Text Citation
People are broke and that makes it hard or impossible to afford a place to live. Steven Brill’s 2018 Time Magazine article “My Generation Was Supposed to Level America’s Playing Field. Instead, We Rigged It for Ourselves” is about the precarious financial situation most Americans are in. Based on his research, Brill concluded that Americans will be unable to pay all their necessities if there is any unexpected spending, like a car repair, over $400. He also explained that “For too many, the present is hard enough. Income inequality has soared: inflation-adjusted middle-class wages have been nearly frozen for the last four decades, while earnings of the top 1% have nearly tripled” (Brill).
End-of-Text Citation
End-of-text Citation is a list of references, sources reviewed, or just sources quoted directly. In MLA style, this is called a Works Cited page and you only add items you directly quoted from. Some formatting features are that the list should be alphabetized, there should not be bullets or numbering, and it uses a special type of indentation called a hanging indent (which is not possible in the program this book is written using). You can see a better example with annotations in the Purdue OWL MLA Sample Paper.
Example End-of-Text Citation
Works Cited
Brill, Steven. “My Generation Was Supposed to Level America’s Playing Field. Instead, We Rigged It for Ourselves.” TIME Magazine, vol. 191, no. 20, May 2018, pp. 32–39. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=mth&AN=129656251&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
