Formatting Quotes in MLA Style Research Papers
When writing a research paper, you will likely need to incorporate quotes from various sources to support your main ideas and arguments. While quotes can strengthen your writing, it is important to properly format them according to the guidelines of your chosen style guide. For research papers in MLA style, which stands for Modern Language Association, there are specific formatting rules for incorporating quotes into your text and listing full citations.
This article will provide an in-depth overview of how to properly format both short and long quotes when writing a research paper in MLA style. It will cover how to introduce and punctuate quotes within the body of your paper as well as how to format the attribution and citation information for any quoted material. Following MLA standards consistently for quotes is key to maintaining proper academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism in your research writing.
Integrating Short Quotes
For verbatim quotes that are less than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse, they should be incorporated into the text of your paper and enclosed in double quotation marks. Spell out any words in the quote being emphasized. Here are some examples of properly formatted short quotes in MLA style:
According to Smith, “culture heavily influences the way we see the world” (32).
As the poet writes, “perception shapes our deepest thoughts” (Jones 10).
When introducing a short quote, it should flow grammatically with the rest of the sentence. Place relevant attribution or identifying information in parentheses after the closing quotation mark but before any concluding punctuation. This typically includes the author’s last name followed by a page number.
Block Quoting Long Passages
For verbatim quotes that are four or more lines of prose or three or more lines of verse, they should be formatted as a block quote in the text of your paper. Indent the entire quote half an inch from the left margin and do not use quotation marks. Attribution information goes in parentheses after the final punctuation of the quote. Here is an example:
Shakespeare illustrates this theme, stating:
It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. (Shakespeare 52)
According to MLA guidelines, you have the option to introduce such a block quote with a signal phrase before it or incorporate it as a standalone element. Either way, the entire passage should be double spaced like normal text.
Citing Quotes
Any quote or idea taken from an outside source requires a full citation in MLA format to give proper credit. This includes both in-text quotes formatted with attribution information as well as any stand-alone block quotes. Citations always go at the end of the sentence containing quoted or paraphrased material.
For printed sources like books with page numbers, provide the author’s last name and page number(s) in parentheses. If the author is already mentioned in the text itself, list only the page number. The page numbers should correspond exactly to the print publication being referenced.
Omitting Information in Quotes
It is acceptable to omit words from a quote by using ellipses (…) and still maintain integrity, as long as the overall meaning of the passage is not altered. Insert ellipses inside square brackets ([…]) when omitting words from the middle of a quote. Omit ellipses brackets when cut text is at the beginning or end of a quote. An example:
As David explains, “Children today spend [an excessive amount of] time online versus outside” (45).
Properly Formatting Poetry
Block quote or single incorporate lines of poetry with in-text citations just as you would prose. Maintain original line breaks and capitalization if quoting multiple lines. Provide the line number(s) instead of page in the in-text citation. Here is a correctly formatted example:
T.S. Eliot emphasizes this notion, stating, “We shall not cease from exploration /And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started” (4-6).
Avoiding Plagiarism
Be sure to include an in-text citation any time you paraphrase, summarize or directly quote another source, even if just part of a sentence. Not attributing ideas properly is considered plagiarism. When in doubt, it is always better to over-cite a source rather than under-cite and risk plagiarizing. Properly formatting quotes and citations according to MLA style ensures academic integrity.
Following these guidelines will ensure all quotes integrated into a research paper are properly attributed and formatted based on MLA standards. Consistently punctuating and structuring both short quotes and block quotes throughout your writing maintains a professional level of style. Be diligent about including full citations at the end for any source material to avoid plagiarism issues. Proper MLA quote formatting demonstrates your mastery of integrating outside information into original analysis and arguments.