Every day brings new projects, emails, documents, and task lists, and often it is not that different from the work you have done before. By using Modern Language Association (MLA) standards, you are sure the reader will appreciate your work and won't be distracted by the formatting.
- MLA Paper Formatting Basics;
- Use white 8 ½ x 11” paper;
- Make 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides;
- The first word in every paragraph should be indented one-half inch;
- Indent set-off quotations one inch from the left margin;
- Use any type of font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman. Make sure that italics look different from the regular typeface;
- Use 12 point size;
- Double-space the entire research paper, even the works cited page;
- Leave one space after periods and other punctuation marks, unless your instructor tells you to leave two spaces;
- These guidelines come from the MLA Style Center’s web page “Formatting a Research Paper.”.
If time or quality is of the essence, this MLA Style tutorial and guidelines can help you to save time and to focus on the topics that really matter.
The Research Paper MLA Style
Examples for the List of “Works Cited” and In-text Citation The Works Cited is an alphabetical list of all sources you consulted to write your paper.
These parenthetic citations are usually only authors’ last names and page references, which refer the reader to your alphabetical “List of Works Cited.” This method of citing sources is generally preferred to using endnotes or footnotes.
Example of in-text citation: (Record) Note: No page is needed because articles are alphabetical Encyclopedia – unsigned article “Sitting Bull.” Encyclopedia Americana.. Example of in-text citation: The doctor's group concluded thaT. Magazine Article – unsigned “Laughter and Stress.”
How do you do MLA format on Microsoft Word?
Academic writing requires the author to support their arguments with reference to other
published work or experimental results/findings. A reference system will perform three
essential tasks:
- Enable you to acknowledge other authors' ideas (avoid plagiarism).
- Enable a reader to quickly locate the source of the material you refer to so they can consult it if they wish.
- Indicate to the reader the scope and depth of your research.
- The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is a widely used referencing system to help
- you achieve these objectives.
How do I use the Style?
The MLA system involves two tasks:
- How you compile a list of reference sources at the end of your text (reference list).
- How you refer to other authors in the body of your text (in-text citation).
- Below is a list of some common citation types along with examples of how they are laid out within the MLA Style guidelines.
- etc...
Using this MLA document template guarantees you will save time, cost, and effort! It comes in Microsoft Office format, is ready to be tailored to your personal needs. Completing your document has never been easier!
Download this Modern Language Association (MLA) Research Paper template that will perfectly suit your needs!