MLA style is a set of guidelines for citing sources in academic writing. It is used in the humanities and some social sciences. MLA style is based on the author-date system, which means that the author's last name and the year of publication are used to identify the source.
In-text citations
In-text citations are brief references to sources that are placed in the body of your paper. They tell the reader where to find the full citation in the Works Cited list. In-text citations should be placed in parentheses immediately after the information that is being cited. The format of an in-text citation depends on the type of source that is being cited.
Here are some examples of in-text citations for books, journals, and websites:
Smith, John. "The Title of the Book." Publisher, Publication Date, Page Number.
Jones, Jane. "The Title of the Article." Journal Title, Volume Number, Issue Number, Publication Date, Page Numbers.
Author, A. "The Title of the Page." Website Name, Publisher, Publication Date, URL.
Works Cited
The Works Cited list is a complete list of all of the sources that you have cited in your paper. It should be formatted in alphabetical order by the author's last name. The format of a Works Cited entry depends on the type of source that is being cited.
Here are some examples of Works Cited entries for books, journals, and websites:
Smith, John. The Title of the Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Jones, Jane. "The Title of the Article." Journal Title, Volume Number, Issue Number, Publication Date, Pages.
Author, A. "The Title of the Page." Website Name, Publisher, Publication Date, URL.
For more information on MLA style, please consult the MLA Handbook.
Here are some additional tips for using MLA style:
- Use consistent formatting throughout your paper.
- Double-check all of your citations for accuracy.
- Use a citation generator to help you format your citations correctly.
MLA style is a complex system, but it is important to use it correctly in order to give credit to your sources and to avoid plagiarism.
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