MLA GUIDE

MARKETING STRAT

FORMATTING AND REFERENCING GUIDE FOR

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
JANUARY 2021
 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
MLA WHY?
OVERVIEW You must reference in order to
MLA, which stands for Modern acknowledge that you have used the
Language Association, is only one of words, ideas, images, or data of another
many styles of referencing available. author.
MLA is commonly used in the
Referencing also demonstrates that you
humanities and liberal arts. Students
have undertaken thorough research in
who go on to study at University preparing your work.
may need to know several styles as
directed by the different disciplines.
Some other styles include APA,
PLAGIARISM
Chicago, and Harvard.
At UWC East Africa we have chosen According to the Merriam-Webster
to adopt the MLA style as it is simple online dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:
to understand and is commonly used to steal and pass off (the ideas or
around the world. All students and words of another) as one's own
teachers are expected to use the to use (another's production)
MLA style of citation and without crediting the source
referencing for all work produced
to commit literary theft
for school. For more detailed
to present as new and original an
information not covered in this
idea or product derived from an
booklet, please refer to the Purdue
existing source.
Online Writing Lab at:
In other words, plagiarism is an act of
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/researc
fraud. It involves both stealing someone
h_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_i
else's work and lying about it afterward.
ntroduction.html
 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
IMAGES, VIDEO
& MUSIC
Using an image, video or piece of music
in a work you have produced without
receiving proper permission or
providing appropriate citation is
plagiarism.
The following activities are very
common in today’s society. Despite their
popularity, they still count as plagiarism.
Copying media (especially images)
from other websites to paste them
into your own papers or websites.
Making a video using footage from
others’ videos or using copyrighted
music as part of the soundtrack.
Performing another person’s
copyrighted music (i.e., playing a
cover).
Composing a piece of music that
borrows heavily from another
composition.
The two safest approaches to take are:
1) Avoid them altogether or 2) Confirm
the works’ usage permissions and cite
them properly.
For more information about plagiarism, visit plagiarism.org
PLAGIARISM
All of the following are considered
plagiarism:
turning in someone else's work
as your own
copying words or ideas from
someone else without giving
credit
failing to put a quotation in
quotation marks
giving incorrect information
about the source of a quotation
changing words but copying
the sentence structure of a
source without giving credit
copying so many words or
ideas from a source that it
makes up the majority of your
work, whether you give credit
or not
Most cases of plagiarism can be
avoided, however, by citing
sources. Simply acknowledging
that certain material has been
borrowed and providing your
audience with the information
necessary to find that source is
usually enough to prevent
plagiarism.
 MLA OVERVIEW
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white A4 paper.
Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g. Times New
Roman or Arial).
Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type
styles contrast enough that they are each distinct from one another.
The font size should be 12 pt.
Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless
otherwise prompted by your instructor).
Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. MLA
recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar
five times.
Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand
corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your
instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow
your instructor's guidelines.)
Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and,
only when absolutely necessary, to provide emphasis.
If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works
Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).
 MLA OVERVIEW
THE FIRST PAGE
Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's
name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place
your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard
capitalization), not in all capital letters.
Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title,
just as you would in your text. For example: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as
Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"
Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name,
followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the
right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the
last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor
guidelines.)
 MLA OVERVIEW
THE BASICS
Aside from the general formatting of your work, MLA Style has two main
characteristics: in-text citations and the Works Cited. These two elements must
be present in any properly prepared MLA Style work product.

IN-TEXT CITATIONS
In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using
parenthetical citations. This method involves providing relevant source
information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase.
Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in
parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period).

General Guidelines
The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon
the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the
Works Cited page.
Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source
information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word
or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that
appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited
page.

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that
the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or
paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should
appear on your Works Cited page.
 IN-TEXT CITATIONS
EXAMPLES
The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following
the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the
parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of

powerful feelings" (263).
OR
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"
(Wordsworth 263).
OR
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the
parenthetical citation:

Best and Marcus argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface,
rather than looking for some hidden meaning (9).
OR
The authors claim that surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible,
apprehensible in texts” (Best and Marcus 9).

When citing two different sources making the same point:

Scholars agree that when it comes to ice cream, chocolate chip is superior to vanilla
(Johnson 10; Smith 30).

It is always best to go to the original source if possible, but sometimes you may need to
cite a source quoted in another source:
Bowen argued that Landrovers are the best (Bowen, cited in Brown 10).

In-text citations generally do not count towards your paper's word count.
 MLA OVERVIEW
WORKS CITED
According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your paper.
All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main
text.
Basic Rules
Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research
paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number
header as the rest of your paper.
Label the page Works Cited (do not bold, italicize, or put the words Works Cited
in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.
Only the title should be centered.
The citation entries themselves should be aligned with the left margin.
Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a
hanging indent.
List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal
article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your
Works Cited page as pp. 225-50 (Note: MLA style dictates that you should omit
the first sets of repeated digits. In our example, the digit in the hundreds place is
repeated between 225 and 250, so you omit the 2 from 250 in the citation: pp.
225-50). If the excerpt spans multiple pages, use “pp.” Note that MLA style uses
a hyphen in a span of pages.
If only one page of a print source is used, mark it with the abbreviation “p.”
before the page number (e.g., p.157). If a span of pages is used, mark it with the
abbreviation “pp.” before the page number (e.g., pp.157-68).
If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form
but that you retrieved from an online database, you should type the online
database name in italics. You do not need to provide subscription information in
addition to the database name.
Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name
 WORKS CITED
The 8th edition of the MLA handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices.
Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as
author, title, etc., and then assort them in a general format.

Basic Book Format

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. Penguin, 1987.

Periodicals include magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. Works cited entries
for periodical sources include three main elements—the author of the article, the title of
the article, and information about the magazine, newspaper, or journal. MLA uses the
generic term “container” to refer to any print or digital venue (a website or print journal,
for example) in which an essay or article may be included.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep
personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or
even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the
Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference
for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is
changed or deleted).It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each
online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the
web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged
(especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. MLA only requires
the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs. Many scholarly journal
articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available,
cite the DOI number instead of the URL. Online newspapers and magazines sometimes
include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or
“cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use
that instead of a URL.
 WORKS CITED SAMPLE

For complete details on how to format your Works

Cited entries from any type of text, visit
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

or
https://style.mla.org/
 MLA OVERVIEW
NOTES
Because long explanatory notes can be distracting to readers, most academic style
guidelines (including MLA and APA) recommend limited use of endnotes/footnotes.
However, certain publishers encourage or require note references in lieu of
parenthetical references. In these cases, MLA recommends limited use of Endnotes
(called Notes in MLA) rather than Footnotes and therefore MLA does not provide
formatting guidelines for Footnotes.

There are two types of Notes that MLA allows:

bibliographic notes which refer to other publications your readers might consult
explanatory notes (content notes) which refer to brief additional information

Notes in MLA format are indicated in-text by superscript Arabic numbers after the
punctuation of the phrase or clause to which the note refers.

MLA recommends that all notes be listed on a separate page entitled Notes
(centered). Title the page Note if there is only one note. The Notes page should
appear before the Works Cited page. This is especially important for papers being
submitted for publication.

The notes themselves should be double-spaced and listed by consecutive Arabic

numbers that correspond to the notation in the text. The first line of each endnote
is indented five spaces, and subsequent lines are flush with the left margin. Place a
period and a space after each endnote number, and then provide the appropriate
note after the space.
 SUBJECT-SPECIFIC
GUIDANCE
THE ARTS
Music

Song/Album
Generally, citations begin with the artist’s name. They might also be listed by composers or
performers. Otherwise, list composer and performer information after the album title. Put
individual song titles in quotation marks. Album names are italicized. Provide the name of
the recording manufacturer followed by the publication date.

Spotify
Rae Morris. “Skin.” Cold, Atlantic Records, 2014. Spotify,
open.spotify.com/track/0OPES3Tw5r86O6fudK8gxi.

Online Album
Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016,
www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.

CD
Nirvana. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nevermind, Geffen, 1991.

Live Performance
Format: Performer. Concert. Date of Performance, Name of Venue/Location, City (if
not in the venue name).
Example: Church, Eric. Concert. 6 Apr. 2017, Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville.
Example: Astley, Rick. Concert. 6 Oct. 2016, Town Hall, New York City.
 SUBJECT-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
THE ARTS
Music

Group Live Performance

Format: Title of Performance. Concert (omit if 'concert' is in title). Performance by

Name of Group or Major Performers, Date of Performance, Name of Venue/Location,
City (if not in the venue name).
Example: Converse Chorale Spring Concert. Performance by The King's Quire, 20
Apr. 2017, Daniel Recital Hall, Converse College, Spartanburg.
Example 2: Wofford College Music Department Pops Concert. Performance by Men’s
Glee Club, Women’s Choir, Goldtones, and Wofford Men, 27 Apr. 2017, The
Pavilion, Wofford College, Spartanburg.

Musical Score
In-text citation Mozart supplies a gently rocking melody for Figaro and Susanna’s
private reconciliation (measures 275-93).

Work Cited:
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro). Dover
Publications, 1979.
 SUBJECT-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
THE ARTS
Drama & Theatre Studies

Published Script
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.

Unpublished Script
Although the title of a published play is styled with italics, use quotation marks to
indicate that a work is unpublished. You may use the optional-element slot at the end
of the entry to provide supplemental information about the work:

Marino, Alex. “Ramona’s Umbrella.” 2015. Theatrical script.

Performance
To cite a performance of the same work, start with the title and then follow the
template of core elements to list the other contributors (author, director,
performers), the publisher (the production company), the date of the performance,
and the location of the performance:

“Ramona’s Umbrella.” By Alex Marino, directed by Jeannine Overstreet, performance

by Tania Milena, Tiny Plays Production Company, 15 Aug. 2017, Second Street
Theater, Sacramento, CA.

If you see the play on more than one date, you’re effectively seeing different versions
of the work; thus, a new entry is required:

“Ramona’s Umbrella.” By Alex Marino, directed by Jeannine Overstreet, performance

by Tania Milena, Tiny Plays Production Company, 17 Aug. 2017, Second Street
Theater, Sacramento, CA.
 SUBJECT-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
THE ARTS
Drama & Theatre Studies

References in the Text

If you refer to both the script and the performance in your writing, be sure to
distinguish them in context. For example, you could write:

In the closing scene of “Ramona’s Umbrella,” Marino has Ramona confess to her
boyfriend that she’s lost the umbrella (45). In the Tiny Plays production, Tania Milena
delivers these lines in an anguished whisper.

For in-text references, cite the script by the author’s last name and cite the
performance by the performance name, in accordance with the works-cited-list
entries.

Visual Arts

From a Museum or Exhibition

To cite an original work of visual art (a lithograph, painting, photograph, sculpture,
etc.) in an institution such as a museum or in a private collection, follow this format:

Format: Artist’s last name, first name. Title of artwork. Year. Medium. Name of
institution/private collection housing artwork, city where institution/private
collection is located.

Example:
Turner, Joseph Mallord William. Dieppe: The Port from the Quai Henri IV. Turner’s
Modern and Ancient Ports: Passages through Time, 23 Feb. 2017- 14 May 2017,
Frick Collection, New York.
 SUBJECT-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
THE ARTS
Visual Arts

From the Web

An Image/Reproduction of a Work of Visual Art from the Web
To cite an image/reproduction of a work of visual art from the Web, follow this
format:

Format:
Artist’s last name, first name. Title of artwork. Year. Name of institution/private
collection housing artwork. Title of database or website. Publisher/sponsor of
database or website. Medium consulted. Date of access.

Note about publisher/sponsor: When known, include if it is not related to the housing
institution/collection; is a parent entity of the database or website, or offers the
source in additional formats.

Note: Often someone paid a fortune for this artwork. They own it, not the artist.
Publication rights are granted by the owner. Also sometimes different works by the
same artists have the same name. Below are citations for two artworks by William
Eggleston, both titled Memphis. However, the photo in MOMA in New York is a color
image of a tricycle. The one at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles is of an older woman
sitting in a restaurant. One is color, one is black and white.

Examples:
Eggleston, William. Memphis. c. 1969. Dye transfer Print. Museum of Modern Art.
New York City, New York.

Eggleston, William. Memphis. c. 1965-1970. Silver gelatin Print. Getty Museum. Los
Angeles, California.
 Works Cited

"File:Plagiarism signature.jpg." Wikimedia Commons, the free

media repository. 10 Jun 2020, 22:28 UTC.

commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
title=File:Plagiarism_signature.jpg&oldid=425356718. Accessed 29

Dec. 2020.

Learner Profile Logos. "Logos and Programme Models". IBO.org.

https://www.ibo.org/digital-toolkit/logos-and-programme-models/.

Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at
Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl.
Accessed 28 Dec. 2020.

“What Is Plagiarism?” Plagiarismorg RSS, Turnitin,

www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism. Accessed 28 Dec.
2020.