The Purdue Owl website is a go-to resource for all things MLA style and formatting. Their guides on creating MLA research papers provide a standardized approach to ensure papers are properly formatted according to MLA guidelines. Let’s take a deep dive into their recommendations for formatting an MLA style research paper.
The first thing to consider is general formatting. MLA style papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5×11 inches) with 1-inch margins on all sides. Times New Roman 12pt font is the recommended typeface. Page numbers should be located in the upper right corner flushed with the last name. Students should number all pages of the paper consecutively in the upper right header even if the paper contains preliminary pages like the title page.
The next section to properly format is the title page. An MLA style paper requires a separate title page with only two pieces of information—the title and your name. The title should be centered and appear in the upper half of the page. Your name, course name, instructor name, and date should be flushed right on separate lines in the lower half of the page. No extra information like the page number or headers should appear on the title page.
After the title page comes the body of the paper. Each new idea or section within the paper should start on a new page. Paragraphs should be double spaced with no extra space between paragraphs. Students should indent the first line of each paragraph one half inch from the left margin using the tab key. Long quotations, defined as four lines or more, should be indented one inch from the left and right margins and double spaced without quotation marks. In-text citations should follow any quoted or paraphrased information and consist of the author’s last name and page number enclosed in parentheses.
At the conclusion of the paper is the works cited page. This page should start on a new page with the centered title “Works Cited” but it does not get a unique page number. List all references alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author attribute the work to the title. Entries should use hanging indents where the first line of each citation aligns with the left margin but subsequent lines are indented a half inch. Just like the body text, the works cited page should be double spaced throughout.
A few other areas to consider are headers and footers. MLA papers do not require headers with students names or page numbers on the body pages, only the title page. No footers are needed either. Italics are the preferred way to reference the titles of longer works like books, edited collections, movies, television shows, lengthy poems, plays, operas, albums. Short works like poems or individual episodes should be in quotation marks instead. Authors names are written normally, not italicized.
Proper MLA citation is essential to avoid plagiarism. Both in-text parenthetical citations and the works cited list must include accurate information to direct readers to the original sources. Following Purdue Owl’s comprehensive documentation on MLA style formatting ensures students meet the standard guidelines established for academic writing. Their resources provide consistency and allow writers to focus on the content of their research instead of worrying about structural details. Mastering MLA style through Purdue Owl’s recommendations helps students properly represent their sources and strengthen their written arguments.