MLA 8 Guidelines
Research Tools
Overview
Citing sources isn't difficult, but it will take some attention to detail. This page is full of resources to help you be successful, but if you need assistance, always feel free to contact a librarian. Mrs. Denecker or Mrs. Chavonelle are here to help!
3 parts to MLA citation:
1. Formatting the Paper & Works Cited Page
No title page necessary. Double space header to look like this.
Times New Roman 12 pt. font
Title of the paper one line below the header. Do not italicize paper title.
Tab in one space to start a new paragraph. Leave one space after a period.
Double space the entire paper, including the works cited page.
The header at the top should be centered and say "works cited."
Each citation should be flush with the left margin. Subsequent lines should be indented one tab (or 5 spaces).
For more detailed written instructions, check out the MLA website!
Smith 1
Jane E. Smith
Mr. Mister
English I
22 November 2016
The Role of Women in To Kill a Mockingbird
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird...
2. Parenthetical (In-text) Citations
Last name and page number 1/2 inch from the top of each page
1" margins top, bottom and sides
Smith 11
Works Cited
"Elizabeth I 1533–1603 English Queen." Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students, edited by
Paul F. Grendler, vol. 2, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004, pp. 44-47. World History in
Context. Accessed 17 Sept. 2015.
"Elizabeth I." Elizabethan World Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson and Jennifer
York Stock, vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2007, pp. 81-93. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Accessed 17 Sept. 2015.
Richards, Judith. "Elizabeth I: Fictions And Realities." History Review, vol. 72, 2012, pp. 11-16.
Academic Search Complete. Accessed 18 Sept. 2015.
"The Speeches of Elizabeth I." Elizabethan World Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson
and Jennifer York Stock, vol. 3: Primary Sources, UXL, 2007, pp. 35-44. World History in Context. Accessed 18 Sept. 2015.
Weir, Alison. The Life of Elizabeth I. Ballantine, 1999.
1" margins top, bottom and sides
Alphabetize entries by the last name of the author or by the first word in the article title.
Purdue OWL is another great resource for MLA 8 citation!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
check out this tutorial at the MLA Style Center !
NoodleTools Express is a citation creation tool similar to EasyBib and Citation Machine. It does not save to your NoodleTools account but does create more accurate citations compated to other similar sites.
3. Creating a Works Cited Page
Book
Print Reference Book
Print Sources
Online Sources
Use these templates to help you create citations!
To save:
1. Download file to desktop
2. Open Preview or Acrobat from the Applications folder
3. Open saved file from Preview or Acrobat
4. Enter information and save to your computer
Article in a Database
Web Page on a Website
Reference Book in a Database