MLA Format Research Paper Sample
While many personal preferences and writing traditions have evolved over time, the Modern Language Association (MLA) style remains one of the most widely used formats for research papers across various disciplines. When developing an original research paper in MLA format, following the most recent MLA Handbook guidelines will ensure the paper is properly formatted and citations are consistently applied. This sample MLA research paper provides general directions and specific formatting requirements for writing papers according to the latest MLA guidelines published in 2021.
Formatting the First Page of an MLA Style Paper
The first page of an MLA style paper begins with a heading section located in the top left corner of the page. This section includes the student’s name, the instructor’s name, the course name and number, and the due date of the assignment. Directly beneath this heading section is the title of the paper centered on the page. The title should not be underlined, bolded, italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; it should appear in title case.
Beneath the title is a blank line followed by the introduction of the paper. No other heading such as “Introduction” is necessary. The entire first page is single spaced and the subsequent pages are double spaced. The font for the entire paper should be Times New Roman 12-point font (or a similar serif font) that is highly readable. Page numbers are located in the top right corner of the page 0.5 inches from the top and flush with the right margin. The page number on the first page is omitted.
Sample First Page of an MLA Style Research Paper:
James Smith
Professor Williams
English 101
14 March 2021
Title of the Paper
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum vel posuere felis, quis interdum lorem. Nunc non mi non nulla iaculis volutpat ac sit amet risus. (Smith 1)
Citing Sources Within the Body of the Paper
Any outside sources cited in the body of the paper are done through in-text parenthetical citations that include the last name of the author followed by a space and the page number(s) within the paper. For example:
(Smith 1).
If both the author and a page number are provided within the text of the sentence itself, the parenthetical citation is omitted. For example:
As Smith noted in his book (1), dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
When citing multiple works, the parenthetical citations are listed alphabetically separated by semicolons. For example:
Scholars have explored this topic in depth (Johnson 45; Smith 12; Williams 98).
Block quotes that include four or more lines of text are indented half an inch from the left margin and do not use quotation marks. Shorter quotes are enclosed in quotation marks and maintained within the text of the paper. For example:
As Johnson noted, “Dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum vel posuere felis” (45).
Or for a block quote:
Vestibulum vel posuere felis, quis interdum lorem. Nunc non mi non nulla iaculis volutpat ac sit amet risus. Nunc non mi non nulla iaculis volutpat ac sit amet risus. Nunc non mi non nulla iaculis volutpat ac sit amet risus (Smith 12).
Formatting the List of Works Cited
A separate page titled “Works Cited” is located at the end of the research paper where full bibliographic citations are listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name. For entries with no author listed, the title is used for alphabetization. For sources with no author or title elements, alphabetizing should follow the guidance outlined in section 3.3.1 of the MLA Handbook. The list of works cited is double spaced like the body of the paper and uses a hanging indent format, where the second and all subsequent lines are indented half an inch from the left margin. See an example Works Cited entry for a print book:
Smith, John. Title of the Book. Publisher, Publication Year.
And for a Scholarly Journal Article:
Johnson, Anne. “Title of the Article.” Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Publication Year, pp. #s.
Adherence to these formatting guidelines outlined in the latest MLA Handbook ensures an MLA style research paper is consistent and professionally presented. Paying close attention to formatting the first page, in-text citations, block quotes, and works cited list allows students to correctly structure their paper and provide appropriate attribution for all sources used within their original research. Following these standards is essential for meeting assignment expectations and avoiding plagiarism.