UVU Writing Center Fall 2013 Situa&on and Disciplines —  What is MLA? —  Modern Language Association —  MLA Style refers to the specific formatting developed and used by the Modern Language Association —  Who uses MLA? —  Typically, disciplines in the humanities (English, Art, Philosophy, etc.) —  YOU DO (if it’s the documentation style YOUR PROFESSOR requires) Situa&on and Disciplines Cont. —  Focus of MLA: —  The values of the discipline affect the details of MLA style—more concern for the individual who wrote it than when it was written. For example: Aristotle is considered a valid source for an MLA document, even though he lived more than 2,000 years ago. Why Do We Cite? —  Citation styles were created to have consistency in academic writing for the purpose of presenting research, submitting articles for publication in your field, and having a consistent style for your chosen field. —  All claims made in academic writing must have evidence and be justified. We use citation methods in the academic world to give proper credit to authors and avoid plagiarism. Situa&on and Disciplines —  Why do writers use MLA? —  To join the academic conversation —  Increase credibility — 
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Citing all quoted, summarized, or paraphrased materials “By using MLA style, you will direct your readers to the sources you consulted in arriving at your findings, and you will enable them to build on your work” (MLA, xiii). —  Avoid plagiarism When Do We Cite? —  Whenever you have ANY claim that you did not personally come up with, YOU MUST HAVE A CITATION. This includes inferring (to conclude from evidence or premises), quoting, and paraphrasing (a restatement of a text or passage in another form or “in other words”). —  Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s original ideas your own. Without citations, you are plagiarizing. Avoiding Plagiarism Utah Valley University defines plagiarism as “the act of appropriating any other person’s or group’s ideas of work [written, computerized, artistic, etc.] or portions thereof and passing them off as the product of one’s own work in any academic exercise or activity” (UVU Catalog 2008-­‐2009, 31-­‐32). Plagiarism Destroys Credibility Vs. “Under Pressure” “Ice, Ice Baby” Avoiding Plagiarism “Continuum Activity” (http://owl.engligh.purdue.edu/handouts) Avoiding Plagiarism Consequences of Plagiarism —  Receive a failing grade (see class syllabus) —  Dismissed from class or university —  Inability to write proper academic papers —  Humiliation —  Lose job —  Court case, lawsuit How to Avoid Plagiarism —  Properly cite sources —  In-­‐text —  Works Cited —  Use quotation marks around direct quotes —  Follow-­‐up summaries & paraphrases with citations —  Budget time wisely MLA Resources —  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition —  St. Martin’s Handbook —  D.K. Handbook —  MLA Style handout (UVU Writing Center) —  http://www.uvu.edu/owl/infor/handouts.html —  Citation Help Page (UVU Library website) —  http://www.uvu.edu/library/guides/citations.html —  Copies of handbooks can be checked out at the UVU Writing Center, LI 208, or at the Library Circulation Desk, 1st floor. Let’s Walk Through a Paper in MLA Format… First Page of Text Jones 1
Heading: Include your name, instructor’s name, course number, and the date (day month year) on separate lines. Title: The title should follow the header and be centered in the document. Use the same typeface and font as the rest of the document. Do not underline, italicize, bold face, or use quotation marks around the title. Page numbers: Your last name and page number should appear on the top right corner of every page. David Jones
Professor Mills
English 2010
7 March 2011
Understanding Whitman’s Poetry
A study of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself reveals that 1891
revisions underscore the function of each section as a unit of meaning
governed by its own rhythm (Strauch 64). Roger Mitchell explains:
Whitman is doing more than simply distributing a pattern of groups
in some sensible fashion over the lines of a poem, creating what
some critics are calling a group/line pattern. Whitman is also
Text: Use 12-­‐point Times New Roman (or a clear, readable typeface) and double-­‐
space the entire document. conscious of the size of his groups and of their progression in terms
of size pattern. (16)
Such an analysis demonstrated the method governing Whitman’s formation
of stanzas and the meter governing the lines and verses of poetry.
Margins: Use 1-­‐inch margins on all four sides of each page. Adding Page Number and Name to Header In-­‐Text Cita&ons —  Often called “Parenthetical Documentation” (MLA 241). —  (Smith 20) —  “You must indicate to your readers not only what works you used in writing the paper but also what you derived from each source and where in the work you found the material” (MLA 214). —  In-­‐text citations must be used after quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. In-­‐Text Cita&on Examples Jones 3
David Jones
Professor Mills
English 2010
7 March 2011
Understanding Whitman’s Poetry
A study of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself reveals that 1891
Paraphrase with parenthetical citation revisions underscore the function of each section as a unit of meaning
governed by its own rhythm (Strauch 64). Roger Mitchell explains:
Whitman is doing more than simply distributing a pattern of groups
in some sensible fashion over the lines of a poem, creating what
some critics are calling a group/line pattern. Whitman is also
conscious of the size of his groups and of their progression in terms
of size pattern. (16)
Such an analysis demonstrated the method governing Whitman’s formation
of stanzas and the meter governing the lines and verses of poetry.
Block quotation with signal phrase and parenthetical citation Giving Credit —  Paraphrase is preferred over direct quotations —  Use quotation marks around direct quotations —  In-­‐text citation formatting: —  Author name —  Page numbers —  Works Cited page Paraphrase —  Put the quoted material into your own words if possible —  Quote as little as possible —  Try to establish a writing ratio of 80% your own words to 20% (or less) quotation —  Think “summarize” —  Anyone can cut and paste texts. Paraphrasing shows effort and understanding. Synthesis is an important skill that writers should work to develop; paraphrasing uses synthesis by showing that the writer knows how to incorporate source material with original thoughts and ideas. Paraphrase Example —  Original Quote: —  “People of African descent in the Diaspora do not speak languages of Africa as their mother tongue. For the most part, they speak Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French as a mother tongue” (Painter 5). —  Paraphrased: —  Nell Irvin Painter contends that cultural factors like language and religion divide African Americans from their ancestors. Black Americans speak a wide variety of languages, but usually these are not African. Painter notes how important language is in shaping our cultural identity; it dictates in large part how we think and feel. Linguistic differences create significant boundaries between peoples (5). (Examples taken from The Little Penguin Handbook, 3rd ed.) In-­‐Text Cita&on: Educa&on —  Many believe that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world, but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly. After all, a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. Who Said That? —  Many believe that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world, but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly. After all, a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. Nelson Mandela Who Said That? —  Many believe that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world, but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly. After all, a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. Winston Churchill Quota&on Marks —  Many believe that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world, but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... Quota&on Marks —  Many believe that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... In-­‐Text Cita&ons: Author Name (Op&on 1) —  Nelson Mandela claims that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... In-­‐Text Cita&ons: Author Name (Op&on 2) —  Many believe that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela), but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... (Don’t forget to bump the comma!) In-­‐Text Cita&ons: Page Numbers (Op&on 1) —  Nelson Mandela claims that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (5), but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... In-­‐Text Cita&ons: Page Numbers (Op&on 2) —  Many believe that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela 5), but a misleading education does more harm than good and does damage very quickly... In-­‐Text Cita&ons: Paraphrasing —  Include author name —  Within sentence (like Option 1) —  -­‐OR-­‐ At end of sentence in parentheses (like Option 2) —  Include page number —  In parentheses at end of sentence (like Options 1 & 2) Block Quota&ons —  Quotations that are four or more lines in length need to be set apart in a block. —  Double space and indent 1-­‐
inch from the margin —  Do not use quotation marks —  The final punctuation is placed before the in-­‐text citation. governed by its own rhythm (Strauch 64). Roger Mitchell explains:
Whitman is doing more than simply distributing a pattern of
groups in some sensible fashion over the lines of a poem,
creating what some critics are calling a group/line pattern.
Whitman is also conscious of the size of his groups and of
their progression in terms of size pattern. (16)
Such an analysis demonstrated the method governing Whitman’s
formation of stanzas and the meter governing the lines and verses of
A Word on Block Quota&ons… —  Use block quotations sparingly! (1-­‐2 times per 5 page paper) —  Paraphrasing and summarizing show that you understand and fully comprehend the source —  There will be times when a direct quote is best, but make sure you reference and explain the quote in your essay —  Ask yourself: What is best for the essay? —  Your professor knows when you are using block quotes to fill up the paper Works Cited Page Works Cited Page Title Jones 13
Works Cited
The title should appear Asay, Ronald. “How the Americans Made Transcendentalism.” Journal of
centered at the top of the page. Do not underline, American History 23 (1978): 345-357. Print.
italicize, or boldface the title. Chan, Evan. “Postmodernism and Hong Kong Cinema.” Postmodern Culture
10.3 (2000): n. pag. Project Muse. Web. 5 Dec 2011.
Alphabetical Order Arrange entries in alphabetical order by author’s last name. Spell out the first name and use initials for the middle name (if applicable). If the author’s name is unknown, use the first word in the entry to alphabetize the entry, ignoring a, an and the. Genoways, Ted. “’Scented Herbage of My Breast’: Whitman’s Chest Hair and
Hanging Indent Use a ½” hanging indent for entries longer than one line. the Frontispiece to the 1860 Edition of Leaves of Grass.” Huntington
Library Quarterly 73.4 (2010):693-702. Print.
Kepner, Diane. “From Spears to Leaves; Walt Whitman’s Theory of Nature in
‘Song of Myself’.” American Literature 51.2 (1979): 179-204.
JSTOR. Web. 8 Jan 2012.
Mitchell, Roger. “The Patterns of Whitman.” Great Literature 7 (June 1990):
12-16. Print.
Reynolds, David. Walt Whitman’s America: A Cultural Biography. New York:
Vintage Books, 1995. Print.
A Note on Works Cited: List only the works you used, not everything you read. How Do I Create a Hanging Indent? Works Cited Prac&ce—Example —  Article in a Journal: —  In-­‐text: — 
— 
— 
(Richardson 694) According to Richardson, “…” (694). In “The Gospel According to Spider-­‐Man” Richardson states: ... (694) —  Works Cited: — 
— 
Richardson, Niall. “The Gospel According to Spider-­‐Man.” Journal of Popular Culture 37.4 (2004): 694-­‐703. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. OR if found in print: Richardson, Niall. “The Gospel According to Spider-­‐Man.” Journal of Popular Culture 37.4 (2004): 694-­‐703. Print. Works Cited Prac&ce —  Break out into 3 groups for citation practice. —  Locate the type of source for citation on the MLA Works Cited Page handout. —  Work with your group to create the proper citation for the works cited page. —  Remember – check the author! Is it an individual, a group of individuals, a corporate author? Source #1—Book In-­‐Text Citations: Lunsford says, “…” (34). Works Cited: Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martin’s Handbook (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. Print. Source #2—Ar&cle in an Anthology/Reference Book/
Chapter in a Textbook In-­‐Text Citation: Hawthorne writes, “…” (417). Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birthmark.” Reading Life: A Writer’s Reader. Eds. Inge Fink and Gabrielle Gautreaux. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005. 417-­‐29. Print. Source #3—Journal Ar3cle from a Database In-­‐Text Citation: “…” (Lester 306). Works Cited: Lester, Neal A. "Disney's The Princess And The Frog: The Pride, The Pressure, And The Politics Of Being A First." Journal Of American Culture 33.4 (2010): 294-­‐308. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. Ques&ons?