Hey! Whats all this about the MLA?

The MLA, or Modern In your English classes, Language Association, you are expected to follow is an organization the format designated by the MLA in all your. formal founded in 1883 For writings. years, the MLA over 50 has been publishing guidelines for writers of research papers. MLA

Research
Nearly all research builds on previous research. As you research your topic, you will draw on other peoples research and ideas. Whenever you use another persons research or ideas, you must give that person credit. If you dont, you are guilty of plagiarism.

Plagiarism
If you kidnap another Plagiarism is persons ideas, derived from the information, or Latin word expressions without plagiarius, her credit, giving him orwhich meant kidnapper. you have committed academic theft.

The Etymology Owl

Plagiarism
Whether it is accidentaland can be It is a form of cheating or intentional, plagiarism is offense. a moral, ethical, or legal a very serious offense.

Taking Notes
As you research your topic, it is very important to take notes. Your teacher will tell you how you should take notes since there are many different ways to do this, either by hand or on the computer.

Taking Notes
You might be asked to take notes

on paper or on note cards

by copying and pasting Internet information onto a Word document and saving it

Taking Notes
There are three main ways to take notes:
Write down the general idea of information in your own words. Put more detailed information into your own words, capturing the meaning exactly without copying the authors wording. Copy down the original wording of a source: word for word, comma for comma. Use quotation marks!

Documentation
It doesnt matter whether you summarize, paraphrase, or quote a source directly; you must keep an accurate record of where you got your information. When you use another persons research, ideas, or opinions in your own work, you must give credit.

Documentation
There are two steps to correct documentation: Provide the authors last name and the page number in parentheses directly after your summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation. This is called an Internal Citation or Parenthetical Documentation. Example: Example: On the subject of writing, Joseph Gibaldi smirk; his Ancient writers attributed the invention ofwarns Poems may make you laugh or weep or the readers, teach you something or draft to be the they mayDo not expect your first deepen your monochord to Pythagoras, who lived in the sixth finished B.C. (Marcuse 3). experience (Elizabeth 197). century product (57). (This writer quoted information he found on page 3 (This writer quoted information by Gibaldifound on paraphrased information she but did not book of a book by Marcuse.) of aneed to put the authors name in the internal page 197 written by Mary Elizabeth.) citation because he stated it in the paper.)

Documentation
There are two steps to correct documentation: Provide full citation information for the source on your Works Cited page.

The Works Cited page is a list goes at the end of always of all the your paper, project, or summarized, or resources you quoted, assignment. Entries on this page are double-spaced, in alphabetical paraphrased in your assignment. You may have order more first word your research, but unless found by thesources in in each entry, and have the sources centered your paper, Works Cited appear in at the top. they dont go on the Works Cited page.

Documentation

This quotation came from page 225 of something written by McDonald. Lets check the Works Cited.

A reader reading something like this in the paper. . . . . .could look in the Works Cited under McDonald to find the source from which this quotation was borrowed.

Documentation
A curious reader wanting more information could look at this Works Cited entry and know where this information came from.

the author (in this case, hes the editor)

the date of publication the publisher where it was published

the name of the book

A reader reading something like this in the paper. . . . . .could look in the Works Cited under McDonald to find the source from which this quotation was borrowed.

Titles most Works must The MLA heading Cited And, must importantly, words be underlined Allin quotationcomma,one The period, must be lines top marks, must theafter the first orThebe centered at be in sourcesleft corner every entire page must Get used to it. The The entries must contain of each entry must be of listed the topin alphabetical dependingallspaced. and colon must like kind MLA(doubleof the page.in the format spaced be is on what be doubleinformation. the correct indented. else). order. source each everything is. correct place! about

DETAILS!
The people at MLA are very picky about the format of your Works Cited page.

The MLA has guidelines for creating Works Cited entries for each type of source you might use in your research.

Consult the MLA Handbook or use the handout from your teacher or librarian.

When you use Internet sites for research, remember to think about CARS:
CAR S

Credibility Accuracy Reasonableness Support

CREDIBILITY
Is there a way to contact the author? Does the website list the name of the author?

If the website is sponsored by an organization, is the organization known and respected?

Do you have information about the authors education, training, or experience?

THE AUTHOR

CREDIBILITY
Here are a few clues that a website might lack credibility:

anonymity no evidence of quality control negative reviews from experts bad grammar or misspelled words

ACCURACY
While literary or historical information may be timeless. . . Consider how current your information needs to be.

. . .scientific data, technology news, current events, and statistics must be timely.

One factor to consider is whether the information is timely.

Some information changes quickly.

ACCURACY
Warning Signs no date on the website vague or extremely general information an old date on rapidly changing information a very one-sided site that doesnt acknowledge other views

REASONABLENESS

using emotional language

exaggerating making sweeping statements of importance

having a conflict of interest

SUPPORT
Do the authors of the website let you know where they got their information?

I just made up a I found my bunch of data I used facts and information from a figures book. in university a and stuck them on medical study. my web page!

SUPPORT

Suspicious signs of substandard, second-rate support include. . .

no bibliography or source documentation numbers or statistics with no source

Youve got the basic information now. Its time to head to the lab. Good luck on your research!
Works Cited Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.