The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used for research papers and essays in humanities and liberal arts disciplines such as English, foreign languages, and cultural studies. One of the key elements of MLA style is the title page, which provides important publication details about the research paper such as the title, author, course information, and date.
A standard MLA title page should contain the following elements, formatted consistently:
In the top-left corner of the page, the author’s name should be written. Only the last name should be written, followed by a comma and then the first name. For example: Smith, John.
Centered on the next line below the author’s name should be the full title of the research paper. The title should not be written in quotations, underlined, bolded, or italicized. For example: The Impact of Social Media on Political Participation Among Youth.
On the next line below the title, the instructor or professor’s name should be written, along with the course name and number. This information identifies for what class the paper was written. For example: Professor Daniels, English 101.
The final element on the title page is the due date of the paper. This date should be written on the last line of the page, aligned to the right. For example, the due date in April 15, 2023 would be written as: 15 April 2023.
This standard format and ordering of elements on the MLA title page serves two important purposes. First, it provides key publication and citation details about the paper at a glance, including authorship and context. Second, it establishes a clear hierarchy and visual design that is easy for readers to navigate and understand.
Consistency in title page formatting is important in MLA style. Font style and size should be the same throughout – usually 12-point Times New Roman is preferred. All text should be double-spaced on the page. Margins should be 1 inch on all four sides. Page numbers are not included on the title page itself in MLA style.
Below is a sample title page following MLA format guidelines:
Copy
Smith, John
The Impact of Social Media on Political Participation
Among Youth
Professor Daniels, English 101
15 April 2023
This title page includes all necessary elements – author name, centered paper title, course identification, and due date – in the correct order and formatting. The margins, font, and double-spacing create a clean, readable design.
Some additional points about MLA title pages:
Longer paper titles that extend beyond one line can be single-spaced within the title while maintaining double-spacing between title and other elements.
If the paper has a subtitle, it begins on the same line as the main title and is separated by a colon.
For student papers, the course name and number is enough to identify context – but higher-level works may include institution name as well.
Page numbers are not used on the title page, but the next page (first page of text) will be numbered as page 1.
Titles should not be placed in quotation marks unless they are song titles, article titles, or other works within works.
Additional elements like a running head are not used on the title page as they would be on subsequent pages.
In other citation styles, the requirements and format of a title page may vary. But for papers and documents using MLA style, consistently following this title page format will ensure key publication details are displayed properly and the hierarchy and design helps establish credibility for readers. With practice, creating accurate and attractive MLA title pages becomes straightforward.