The Modern Language Association (MLA) is an organization responsible for developing MLA format, which is a set of guidelines for researching and writing papers. MLA format dictates certain rules and guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using citations in scholarly writing. Whether you’re a high school student writing a research paper for the first time or you’re pursuing a graduate degree, this article will cover everything you need to know about setting up an MLA research paper from start to finish.
Setting Up Your Paper
The first thing you’ll need is a basic template and you’ll want to set your document to follow MLA format guidelines. Most word processing programs like Microsoft Word have default MLA templates built in that you can easily select. Make sure your paper is set to the appropriate margins – typically one inch on all sides. The font should be Times New Roman 12 point and double spaced throughout. Your document should not have page numbers, headers, running heads, or titles on the first page.
The next step is adding a header to all pages after the first one with your last name and the page number. The header should be positioned in the top right corner of the page, half an inch from the top. After that header formatting is set, you’re ready to type the title of your paper centered at the top of the first page only. The title should be worded normally (not bolded, underlined, or placed in quotation marks) and typed in title case (capitalize the first letter of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions).
After the title, skip one double spaced line and type your name, the name of your instructor, the course name/number, and the due date centered on separate lines. This heading establishes authorship and context for the paper. After your context lines, skip another double spaced line to begin the body of your paper text on the first page. All subsequent pages should follow the header style without restating context information. Now you’re ready to move onto researching, writing, and citing sources in MLA format!
Formatting the Body of Your Paper
The body of your MLA research paper should have one inch margins, be double spaced, and use a 12 point Times New Roman font like the rest of the document. Begin each new paragraph by indenting half an inch rather than skipping a line. This makes it clear where one paragraph ends and another begins. All text should be left aligned, not centered, justified, or arranged in columns. Never break information across multiple pages if it can reasonably fit on one. Short verses or lines of poetry can be incorporated within the text in quotation marks and single spaced.
Begin each new section or chapter on a new page rather than continuing text without spacing. Sections can be identified with centered, boldfaced headings or by formatting headings and subheadings with different font styles or sizes. Keep section titles brief but descriptive, and capitalize major words. All text, including headings, should be easily readable with no unusual formatting characteristics like italics or boldface across larger passages. Focus content on being well organized and logically structured to support your thesis throughout the paper.
Incorporating Outside Research Through Citations
One of the keys of MLA research is using credible scholarly sources to support analysis and strengthen arguments. This requires citing references within the text and also providing a Works Cited page at the end compiling full citations for all sources. In-text citations are concise references that directly correspond with the full citations listed on the Works Cited. For example, you would write (Smith 12) for a citation and list “Smith, John. Research Title. Publisher, 2019” on the Works Cited page.
Citations in MLA consist of the author’s last name and the page number(s) of the reference in parentheses following a quote or paraphrase. Place citations as close to the referenced material as possible, usually at the end of the sentence or clause. For sources without page numbers use the abbreviation “n.p.” If citing an entire book without a page, omit the page number. It’s important citations match up exactly with sources on the Works Cited page and provide enough information to uniquely identify sources to readers without prompting lengthy detours.
As for formatting the Works Cited list of sources, use a hanging indent format by indenting the second and subsequent lines of each entry one-half inch from the left margin. The citation components should be ordered specifically based on the source type, with author names, titles of works, publisher or website URL, and publication date given. All sources are listed alphabetically by the first element, usually author’s last name, to allow readers to follow your citations back to the original source material with ease.
Editing Your Research Paper
After drafting your paper, take time to thoroughly proofread and edit. Review your writing for proper organization, coherent thoughts, smooth transitions between ideas, clarity and correctness. Look for grammatical and spelling errors, check citations and references align properly, and review headings and sections. Peer review your paper with classmates or friends to gain additional perspectives and feedback. Soliciting outside input often helps identify flaws missed during self-editing.
Once you’ve revised your paper incorporating suggestions for improvement, it’s time to prepare the final submission. The polished paper should have a flush left, evenly single spaced, one-inch hanging indent and all text verbatim aligned. Ensure formatting styles like font, margins, and citations remain consistent from start to finish. Print your paper on standard white paper and staple it in the top left corner for submission. Double check that all components like title page, body text, headings, citations and Works Cited list are present before final turn-in. With care taken to formatting structure and organization, your meticulously cited MLA research paper is now complete!
Andrew Stroud