Research Guides: Library Research: MLA Style &amp; Citations

What is MLA Style?

MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association of America. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

In MLA style, you must cite sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.
In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

Helpful Tools:

MLA Style Sample Paper (Purdue OWL)
Formatting Your MLA Paper (including paper template)
The Purdue OWL
A widely used style resource with a ton of helpful information and tools (see "MLA Basics" poster, below).
ZoteroBib
ZoteroBib helps you build a bibliography from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software.
MLA Style Center
Official website for the MLA Handbook, with sections on citing sources, writing and research, sample papers, and FAQ

MLA Basics

Image courtesy of the Purdue OWL.

Citation Managers

If you're dealing with a lot of sources and you're afraid of forgetting/misplacing one, you may want to try a citation manager. Citation managers help you collect, organize, cite, and share your references, and can often integrate with writing software like Word or Google Docs. If you think a citation manager might help you, take a look at:

Zotero
A great Zotero research guide is available from the University of New Mexico.
Mendeley
A great Mendeley research guide is available from the University of Michigan.

Keep in mind, any works cited list generated by a citation manager will need to be double checked against the MLA style guide.

(Note from a librarian: I love Zotero and use it in all my research, but it took me a few weeks to be able to use it correctly and effeciently. If you're going to try a citation manager, start early! I'm happy to answer questions if you have them. - Hannah)