The MLA Style of Writing

by Comstone Cavella

Overview

The Modern Language Association is the definitive scholarly organization for American humanities, and has recommended a certain format and structure for scholarly papers for decades. This format is used by students and professionals in most college courses, and covers such issues as plagiarism and research patterns.
Mechanics

MLA coordinates with and influences dictionaries in American English. Issues such as spelling, hyphenated words, punctuation, names and italics are specified.

Research Paper Format

A research paper should be formatted with 1-inch margins, and all text is double spaced. The first page has a left-justified heading consisting of the author's name, instructor's name, course name and date. A header with the author's last name and page number is included on every upper-right corner. Paragraphs have a 1/2-inch indentation.
In-Text Citations

Each source is cited within parentheses, whether paraphrased or quoted. Generally, an in-text citation is the source's author's surname followed by page number, though for anonymous works, the title of the work is substituted. The name or title must match the first element of the corresponding reference on the Works Cited page.
Works Cited

Each citation must have a full bibliographic reference listed on a Works Cited page. Alphabetized and hanging-indented, each reference shows author's name, title of work, source of publication, copyright date and media format. Each type of source has specific documentation standards.
The Handbook

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is considered the bible of documentation for most college students. The Handbook covers all components of writing a paper.