- MLA style exists as a method writers can use to properly credit the sources where they obtained their information. This helps stop plagiarism and acts as a way to bring attention to others' work. It can help build a community of scholars because the names of researchers and the research they did is being used and credited in other writers' and researchers' papers. People reading the paper can quickly see where the information was found, which can help them if they wish to seek out more information, such as the source that was mentioned in the paper.
- The information that's included when referencing in MLA style varies on whether it's in an in-text citation (where you say in the text of the paper what the source is) or in a Works Cited page (a list at the end of the paper of the sources you used). In general, information that may be included are things such as the author's last name, the book/journal/article/etc. where the information was found, the page it was found on and more.
- An in-text citation is when you cite a source in the text of your paper. At the end of a sentence where you used material from a source, you place citation information in parentheses. Inside the parentheses are the first word or words from the Works Cited entry for that source (typically the author's last name; if that isn't available, the next piece of information is used), followed by the page number on which you found the information. The exception is Internet sources, which often don't have page numbers. Some Internet sources, such as PDFs and accurate scans of journal articles, do have page numbers. Otherwise, if it is an Internet source without a page number, you do not have to include a page number in your in-text citation. An in-text citation will often look like this example: This particular breed of frogs is known to live in South America (Johnson 11).
- The second part of referencing in the MLA method is including a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. This is where you give more detailed information about the source, including the author's full name, title of the book/website/journal/etc. where the information was found, page number, press name, city it was published in and, if it is an Internet source, the date you accessed the source. For each source that is mentioned in the paper with an in-text citation, a full Works Cited entry must also be included. Thus, following the example above, a Works Cited page must include an entry for the article Johnson wrote on frogs. An example of what that might look like is: Johnson, Lisa. South American Frogs. New York: Gregory Academic Press, 1992. Print.
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