The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides guidelines for formatting research papers and documenting sources in the MLA style. This style is commonly used for papers in the liberal arts and humanities, especially languages, literature, cultural studies, and other related fields. The guidelines below cover the most current MLA recommendations for formatting a research paper, including a reference page, as well as citing sources within the text of a paper and creating a Works Cited list.
Formatting the Research Paper
Margins: All margins should be set to 1 inch on all sides. Top, bottom, left, and right margins should be the same size.
Spacing: The entire research paper, including the title page, text, headings, block quotes, references, and footnotes, should be double-spaced. There should be no additional spaces between paragraphs or sections.
Pagination: The research paper should have page numbers placed in the upper right corner, 1/2 inch from the top and flush with the right margin. Only the numbers themselves should appear; do not use “p.” or any other abbreviation. The page number should go on every page except the title page. The title page is counted as page 1, even though the number does not appear.
Title Page: The title page should include only the following elements:
The title of the paper, centered. Do not underline, bold, or italicize the title.
Your name, centered below the title. Do not include titles like Mr. or Ms.
The name of your instructor or professor, course name/number, and submission date, centered below your name.
Running Head: On the pages following the title page, include a running head in the header at the top of each page. The running head is a shortened version of the title in ALL CAPS and flush left at the top of each page. It should not exceed 50 characters including spaces.
Headings: Major sections of the paper (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) are centered and not bold or underlined. Second-level headings are flush left and italicized. Third-level headings are flush left, indented, and ended with a period. No other heading levels are needed.
Font and Size: The entire paper should use 12-point Times New Roman font unless instructed otherwise by your instructor.
Block Quotes: Quotes that contain 40 words or more should be formatted as block quotes and indented 0.5 inches on both sides. The block quote should be double-spaced. No quotation marks are used.
Citing Sources in the Text
Parenthetical citation: Using author-page style (Smith 150). Cite sources in parentheses with the author’s last name followed by a space and the page number(s). Place the parenthetical citation before the period at the end of the sentence when possible.
Block quotes: After the close of the quote, cite the author’s last name followed by a space and the page number in parentheses without quotations or block format (Smith 150).
Multiple authors: List the last names of all authors separated by commas in your in-text citation. (Johnson, Wilson, and Lee 123).
No date: Use the author’s last name and “n.d.” for no date instead of the year in your in-text citation (Connors n.d.).
No author: Use an abbreviated title in quotations marks for your in-text citation without any author (“Indiana Code” sec. 11).
Formatting the Works Cited Page
Formatting: Begin the Works Cited page on a new page at the end of the research paper. The page is titled “Works Cited,” centered without any formatting such as bold or underline. The entries are double-spaced and have a hanging indent of 0.5 inches on the second and additional lines of citations with multiple lines. Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
Order: Citations are arranged alphabetically by the first element in each entry, usually the author’s last name or title if there is no author.
No author: If a source has no identifiable author, use the title in place of the author’s name in the Works Cited entry and alphabetize by the first significant word of the title.
No date: Use “n.d.” in place of the year for sources missing a publication date. Alphabetize by treating “n.d.” as if it were the year.
Anonymous author: Begin the citation with the title rather than author if the author is listed as Anonymous. Alphabetize by the title ignoring “Anonymous.”
Major source types: Books and articles located online or in print are formatted differently in MLA style. Specific formatting requirements exist for other less common sources like reports, podcasts, or artwork. Consult the MLA Handbook for detailed examples of less common sources.
This covers the essential guidelines for formatting a research paper and citing sources using the most current MLA style according to the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. Additional resources on the MLA style and specific formatting requirements can be found on the MLA Style Center website at style.mla.org. Carefully following the MLA guidelines will ensure consistency and credibility in research papers, reports, and other academic works that require documentation of sources. Let me know if you need any other information on MLA style or have additional questions.