The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used for researching and formatting papers in language arts and humanities disciplines such as English, literature, modern languages, performing arts, and art history. The MLA style specifies rules for formatting manuscripts and using MLA format for research papers including MLA cover page layout and in-text citations. Many universities and high schools require students to format their research papers and source citations using the MLA style.
The key principle of MLA format is that the research paper should promote readability by ensuring the reader understands the sources being used to construct arguments and easily finds them in the works cited list or bibliography. MLA guidelines seek to facilitate academic discourse and make ideas transparent and verifiable. Although there are many different citation styles, MLA style is perhaps the most widely used format for citing sources in research papers, especially in arts, humanities and some social science fields.
MLA Cover Page Layout
The MLA cover page clearly shows readers the author’s name, the instructor’s name, class information and submission date. This helps ensure proper identification and grading of the assignment. The MLA cover page format appears at the top of the first page with the following elements included in the left, center and right margins:
The author’s name appears one inch from the top of the page and aligned left. Only the author’s last name and corresponding page number are required on subsequent pages of the research paper in the top right header area.
Centered on the line below the author’s name is the full title of the research paper. The title is not italicized, underlined, quoted or enclosed in quotation marks or placed in boldface type.
Two double-spaced lines below the title is the teachers’s name or instructor, the class subject and number, and the submission date, all centered.
No other information like title page, abstract, header, or page number appears on the MLA cover page. The initial page is numbered as page 1, centered at the bottom of the page.
Here is an example of a proper MLA cover page layout:
Roberts 1
Title of Your Paper
Professor John Doe
ENGL 101
10 May 2023
The cover page provides essential information for identifying and tracking the student assignment. Details include the student’s last name, the assignment title, name of instructor or class, course subject and number and submission date. This clearly shows who authored the paper and for which class without lengthy explanatory text. The result is a clean, readable and standardized first page for research papers using MLA format.
Additional MLA Style Guidelines
MLA format dictates specific guidelines for the entire formatting and styling of a research paper. While the cover page is the visible header students see first, proper MLA style continues in the body of the paper and bibliography or works cited list. Here are some additional key points about MLA formatting:
One-inch margins on all sides of 8.5 x 11 inch standard sized paper.
Double spaced throughout the entire document including the works cited page. No extra spaces between paragraphs or sections.
12 point font, most commonly Times New Roman is acceptable. Font style should be consistent in the paper.
Last name and page number appears in top right header of every page after the cover page.
The body text is not justified, left-aligned or ragged right.
Italicize longer works like books, edited collections, television series, films, artworks but not short works like journal articles or poems.
Provide both the webpage URL and the date accessed for online sources as they can change over time.
Entries should be arranged alphabetically by author’s last name in the works cited section at the end.
Proper use of MLA style establishes credibility and readability. Formatting all elements consistently makes information easy to locate for the reader and ensures citations in text exactly match entries on the works cited page. Adherence to MLA guidelines allows seamless academic discourse by providing stable ways to acknowledge sources and enable verification.
Sample MLA Cover Page
Here is a sample MLA cover page for a research paper titled “Jane Austen’s Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice”:
Williams 1
Jane Austen’s Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice
Professor Susan Jones
English 102
3 December 2022
This sample cover page shows the correct MLA formatting with the author’s last name in the top left, title of paper centered below, instructor or professor’s name centered below the title, course name and number below the instructor, and submission date centered at the bottom.
The one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced layout clearly presents the core bibliographic information needed on an MLA style cover page in a neat, organized and readable way. This formats the initial page in keeping with MLA expectations and makes it easy for the instructor to identify assignment details with a glance.
Other MLA Sample Cover Pages
Beyond the standard book report or essay, there are variations on MLA style cover pages for different types of research papers:
Group or team project MLA cover page lists all student names and submission date.
Annotated bibliography cover page adds “Annotated Bibliography” after the title and omits the course/professor info.
Literary analysis paper cover follows the same format but adds the book or work title after the paper title: “Symbolism in The Great Gatsby: An Analysis.”
Research proposal cover page uses “Proposal for” before the paper title and includes the submission deadline date instead of just the date.
Senior thesis or capstone project cover page lists the student’s major and submission semester instead of a specific course number.
Adapting the generic MLA format cover model to clearly communicate more detailed assignment parameters keeps academic work organized and identified properly throughout preparation and submission. Following MLA style guidelines establishes consistency for effectively presenting research and properly attributing ideas to their sources. Learning the specific format rules early helps students understand scholarly protocols for clear, transparent research communication.
Andrew Stroud