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MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template

Published on December 11, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024 by Jack Caulfield.

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.

Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

  • Times New Roman 12
  • 1″ page margins
  • Double line spacing
  • ½” indent for new paragraphs
  • Title case capitalization for headings

Download Word template Open Google Docs template

(To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on ‘file’ > ‘Make a copy’)

Table of contents

How to set up mla format in google docs, header and title, running head, works cited page, creating mla style citations, headings and subheadings, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about mla format.

The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes

  • Your full name
  • Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
  • The course name or number
  • The due date of the assignment

After the MLA header, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.

MLA header

For a paper with multiple authors, it’s better to use a separate title page instead.

At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head.” Follow these steps to set up the MLA running head in your Word or Google Docs document:

  • Double-click at the top of a page
  • Type your last name
  • Insert automatic page numbering
  • Align the content to the right

The running head should look like this:

MLA running head

The Works Cited list is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Don’t include sources that weren’t cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography assignment.

Place the title “Works Cited” in the center at the top of the page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references.

If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent ). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.

Format of an MLA Works Cited page

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example below to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation look like for different source types.

Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can help you organize and structure your paper, especially in longer assignments.

MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should

  • Be written in title case
  • Be left-aligned
  • Not end in a period

We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.

Chapter Title

Section Heading

Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels that help you to keep your headings consistent.

Tables and other illustrations (referred to as “figures”) should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.

MLA format for tables

Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the label and number appear in bold.

A caption providing information about the source appears below the table; you don’t need one if the table is your own work.

Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically.

Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title (but not for the caption or notes).

MLA table

MLA format for figures

Figures (any image included in your paper that isn’t a table) are also labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.

The label “Figure” is abbreviated to “Fig.” and followed by the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (author, title, publication year).

MLA figure

Source information in table and figure captions

If the caption of your table or figure includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don’t need to include it in your Works Cited list.

Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman , since it’s easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

  • Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
  • Set 1 inch page margins
  • Apply double line spacing
  • Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
  • Center the paper’s title
  • Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
  • Use title case capitalization for headings
  • Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
  • List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

  • Your instructor requires one, or
  • Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

Is this article helpful?

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Sample Paper Formatted in MLA Style from OWL Purdue

  • Sample MLA Paper Below is a sample paper from OWL Purdue formatted to MLA Standards

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MLA Research Paper Formatting

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You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments.

This template will be sufficient for most student MLA papers. For more information on formatting your paper, consult the official MLA Style website:  https://mlahandbookplus.org/books/book/5/chapter/56247/Introduction-to-Formatting-Your-Research-Project  or pages 1-14 in the MLA Manual. 

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MLA Style Research Paper Example

Your MLA-style research paper should have the following parts:

1. A Heading and Title in top Right corner of paper

2. Running head with page numbers

3. Placement of the List of Works Cited (end of paper)

4. Tables and illustrations (if required)

Refer to this example paper from the Purdue OWL on MLA 8th Edition  when you are unsure of formatting.

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More formatting information can also be found from the MLA Style Center .

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Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

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Citation Guide

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Mla book citation, mla academic journal and periodical (magazine & newspaper) citation, mla website citation, mla in-text citations.

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Ninth Edition

The Modern Language Association (MLA) Manual of Style is commonly used in the Arts and Humanities. The Ninth Edition replaced the Eighth edition in 2021. The Ninth edition did not make many changes to the formatting requirements of bibliographic citations or in-text citations. 

  • MLA 9th Edition Formatting & Style Guide (Purdue OWL) MLA video by Purdue OWL
  • MLA Handbook Plus 9th Edition Book Contents: Formatting Your Research Project, Margins and Text Formatting, Running Head and Page Numbers, and more. more... less... Free web access.
  • MLA Style 101 Course Explore the MLA template of core elements with this introductory course. Each of the nine videos highlight one of the elements—like author, version, or publisher—and provides guidance on how to find publication information in various types of sources. more... less... Must be on Campus to access and view.

Explore MLA Handbook Plus from Modern Language Association on Vimeo .

Book Citation Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName.  Book Title.  Publisher, Year.

  • Note on Capitalization of the Title:  Most words of the title are capitalized, including all nouns, pronouns (e.g., Our and That), adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (e.g., Because and After). Do not capitalize articles (e.g., a, and, the), prepositions (e.g., of, in, and for), coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or) and the infinitive "to" (e.g., to Move). The first word of the title and subtitle (if present) are capitalized. 
  • Subtitle:  Use a colon (:) to separate the main title from the subtitle. For example:  Charles Dickens: The Definitive Collection. If the title contains a question mark or exclamation point, do not include a colon. For example: The Greatest Adventurer? Sir Ernest Shackleton's Doomed Voyage.
  • Note on the Publisher: In most cases, MLA8 does require the city of publication. Only include the city if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in multiple countries, or if the publisher is likely to be unknown to a North American Readership. See the McMillan example below (an unknown publisher in this case). Use this format when including the city of publication: City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
  • Hanging Indent: Every line after the first line should be indented, called a hanging indent. (Found under "paragraph" > "indent" in Word.)

McMillan, Montague.  A History of Limestone University: 1845-1970.  Columbia, SC, R. L. Bryan Company, 1970,

Turabian, Kate.  Student's Guide to Writing College Papers . The University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Example with a subtitle: 

  • The subtitle always follows a colon.

Levitin, Daniel.  A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age.  Dutton, 2016.

Example of a book in translation: 

Mathiez, Albert.  The French Revolution. Translated by Catherine Phillips, Grosset & Dunlap, 1964.

Example of a book in an edition other than the first: 

Jones, Doug.  A Handbook of Photography . 5th ed., Rogers, 2008.

I. Journal Article Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, Pages.

B. Electronic:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, Pages.  Database,  DOI/URL

  • Italicize the  Journal Title,  and  Database .
  • DOI: Always include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), when available. Not all articles have a DOI. Use this formula: https://doi.org/xxxxx
  • Include a permanent link (permalink) for an electronic article only if the article does not have a DOI.
  • Page Numbers: "pp."=pages and "p."=page. Include the full range of pages on your bibliography. Cite individual pages in-text.

Examples of Journal Articles from a database:

Bauer, Christine, and Christine Strauss. “Educating Artists in Management - An Analysis of Art Education Programmes in DACH Region.”  Cogent Education , vol. 2, no. 1, Cogent, Dec. 2015, https://doi:10.1080/2331186X.2015.1045217.

Cazé, Antoine. “Emily Dickinson and the Question of ‘Giving Death.’”  Textual Practice: Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Philosophical , vol. 33, no. 10, Routledge, Nov. 2019, pp. 1787–800, https://doi:10.1080/0950236X.2019.1665928.

Green, Lucy. “Popular Music Education in and for Itself, and for ‘other’ Music: Current Research in the Classroom.”  International Journal of Music Education , vol. 24, no. 2, SAGE Publications, 2016, pp. 101–18, https://doi:10.1177/0255761406065471.

II. Magazine Article Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Volume, Issue, Date, Pages.

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Volume, Issue, Date, Pages.  Database,  DOI/URL

  • A published magazine article follows a similar format as an academic journal.
  • Include the month, year and day, when available (see below examples). Shorten months to three letters and use the day, month, year format.
  • If you are citing a magazine article that you read on the magazine's website, include the URL. Sometimes, online-only editions will not include a volume, issue number, or page numbers.
  • Access dates are not required for stable sources, but they may be optionally given for any online source. Access dates are required for sources that are likely to change.

Berry, Barnett. “Teaching, Learning, and Caring in the Post-COVID Era.”  Phi Delta Kappan , vol. 102, no. 1, Sept. 2020, pp. 14–17.  EBSCOhost , https://doi:10.1177/0031721720956840.

Har'el, Alma. "Why Women's History Should Be Everyone's History."  Time,  5 Mar. 2020. https://time.com/5795675/documenting-100-women-of-the-year/ 

Raine, Michael. “Demystifying Streaming Playlists.”  Canadian Musician , vol. 42, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 38–41.  EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,ip,cookie,uid&db=a9h&AN=141371924&scope=site.

III. Newspaper Article Basic Format:

In general, follow the same format as the magazine. Include the city of publication in [brackets] for local newspapers that do not otherwise include the city of publication in the title. Note: Online editions of newspapers may not include the original page numbers. If you are citing a newspaper article that you read on the newspaper's website, include the URL. Sometimes, online-only editions will not include a volume, issue number, or page numbers.

Shain, Andy. "Fire Ravages the Historic Babcock Building in the Bull Street District."  Post and Courier [Charleston, SC] , 16 Sep. 2020, p. A16.

Lustgarten, Abrahm. "How Climate Migration Will Reshape America: Millions Will Be Displaced. Where Will They Go?"  New York Times.15 Sep. 2020. 

For web-based materials that are potentially unstable in format, provide as much information as possible. Note that if you access a stable,  published source online, like a magazine or newspaper article, cite it according to the rules for periodicals above. A source like a blog or a Wikipedia article is not a stable source. It may either change overtime or be moved to a new location. In general, it is best to avoid citing sources that do not include an author and date information.

  • Include an accessed date that indicated when you used the source
  • Include the title and author information, as available
  • Include a date when possible Since many web sources are not formally published, you may need to include a copyright date located at the bottom of the website
  • Include a URL

Basic Format

AuthorLast, First. "Page/Article Title."  Website Title,  Date of Publication, URL, Date Accessed [Day Month Year].

Treilhard, John B. "Chaucer the Love Poet: A Study in Historical Criticism."  Medievalists.net , 1 Apr. 2017, https://www.medievalists.net/2015/01/chaucer-love-poet-study-historical-criticism/, Accessed 15 Aug. 2018.

Ferlazzo, Larry, "Tuesday's Must-Read Articles About School Reopening."  Larry Ferlazzo's Website of the Day.  14 Sep. 2020. https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/09/14/tuesdays-must-read-articles-about-school-reopening/, Accessed 15 Sep. 2020.

Basic In-Text Citation Format

(AuthorLast Page #)

  • When referencing a source, provide the last name(s) of the author(s) and page number (or page number range) of the reference in parentheses. The reference must be included as an item on the Works Cited page. 
  • Place the citation after the sentence, but before any period or other punctuation mark. If the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, only include the page number in the parentheses.
  • * If you include a block quotation in your paper, place the in-text citation after the final period of the quotation.

Sentence text referring to the source (Smith 62).

OR: According to Smith, . . . (62). 

The above reference is to a work included in the Works Cited page by an author named Smith. If there happened to be two authors named Smith on the Works Cited page, for this example, provide an additional initial or name. Thus, (A. Smith 51) and (N. Smith 62) would separate an Allison Smith from a Nelson Smith.

Classic Works:

When citing a classic work for which many various editions exist, provide a chapter reference in addition to the page number.

(Author Page #; Chapter #)

Smith, Adam.  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.  London: Harriman House, 2007.

For the above entry on the Works Cited page, provide an in-text citation referencing the chapter and page number:

(Smith 45; ch. 1).

The  Purdue OWL  is an excellent source for MLA Citation Style information. The Purdue University's Online Writing Lab offers comprehensive information, guidelines and examples.

MLA Research Paper Example

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7 th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3 rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

Contributors: Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli, Russell Keck, Joshua M. Paiz, Michelle Campbell, Rodrigo Rodríguez-Fuentes, Daniel P. Kenzie, Purdue OWL Staff Last Edited: 2013-02-14 10:32:55

This handout provides an example of a Works Cited page in MLA 2009 format.

"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund . Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.

Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” New York Times . New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times . New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth , dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com . Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009.

GlobalWarming.org . Cooler Heads Coalition, 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print.

An Inconvenient Truth . Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore, Billy West. Paramount, 2006. DVD.

Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology . New York: Springer, 2005. Print.

Milken, Michael, Gary Becker, Myron Scholes, and Daniel Kahneman. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly 23.4 (2006): 63. Print.

Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming." American Economic Review 96.2 (2006): 31-34. Print.

---. "Global Warming Economics." Science 9 Nov. 2001: 1283-84. Science Online . Web. 24 May 2009.

Shulte, Bret. "Putting a Price on Pollution." Usnews.com . US News & World Rept ., 6 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.

Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming . Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print.

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Citing Social Media

  • Citing Social Media Guide by Boise State This guide by Boise State University, Albertsons Library, shows examples of citing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter in MLA or APA style.

MLA Quick Links

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MLA In-text Citations

MLA Examples:

The global debt crisis is having a strong impact on women and children in developing nations (Bronstein 74).

Bronstein contends the global debt crisis is having a strong impact on women and children in developing nations (74).

For electronic sources that have no page number, give the paragraph number (par. 4).

Examples of how to format sources for your works cited list.

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MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper in Word)

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Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

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😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

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Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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  4. MLA Sample Paper from OWL Purdue

    mla research paper owl

  5. Sample Paper Mla Owl Purdue

    mla research paper owl

  6. OWL Purdue MLA Full Document in Word

    mla research paper owl

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  1. MLA Sample Paper

    Suggested Resources Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises Purdue OWL Research and Citation MLA Style MLA Formatting and Style Guide MLA Sample Paper MLA Sample Paper This resource contains a sample MLA paper that adheres to the 2016 updates. To download the MLA sample paper, click this link.

  2. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    Here is an overview of the process: When deciding how to cite your source, start by consulting the list of core elements. These are the general pieces of information that MLA suggests including in each Works Cited entry. In your citation, the elements should be listed in the following order: Author. Title of source. Title of container,

  3. MLA Style

    Writing an MLA style paper and need something to reference? Check out Excelsior Online Writing Lab's collection of MLA sample papers.

  4. Sample Essays: Writing with MLA Style

    The following essays were selected for the 2023 edition of Writing with MLA Style. The 2023 selection committee was composed of Ellen C. Carillo, University of Connecticut (chair); Rachel Ihara, Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York; and Tarshia L. Stanley, Wagner College. PDF Caroline Anderson (Pepperdine University)

  5. MLA Format

    This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time. Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document: Times New Roman 12. 1″ page margins. Double line spacing. ½" indent for new paragraphs. Title case capitalization for headings. Download Word template Open Google Docs template.

  6. PDF Formatting a Research Paper

    Do not use a period after your title or after any heading in the paper (e.g., Works Cited). Begin your text on a new, double-spaced line after the title, indenting the first line of the paragraph half an inch from the left margin. Fig. 1. The top of the first page of a research paper.

  7. MLA Sample Paper from OWL Purdue

    Research Methods; Linguistics; Discourse Analysis; Writing Centers; Creative Writing; ... Need Help? Sample Paper Formatted in MLA Style from OWL Purdue. Sample MLA Paper. Below is a sample paper from OWL Purdue formatted to MLA Standards << Previous: Citation Help; Next: ENG 322 >> Last Updated: Dec 11, 2023 3:02 PM; URL: https://mc.libguides ...

  8. MLA Research Paper Formatting

    Sample Papers You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments. This template will be sufficient for most student MLA papers.

  9. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    Start Here General Format Guidelines on writing an MLA style paper MLA Formatting and Style Guide Overview of how to create MLA in-text citations and reference lists In-Text Citations Resources on using in-text citations in MLA style The Basics General guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay Works Cited Page

  10. General Format

    Purdue OWL Research and Citation MLA Style MLA Formatting and Style Guide MLA General Format MLA General Format MLA Style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and citing research in writing. MLA Style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.

  11. LibGuides: MLA Citation Help: MLA Style Research Paper

    MLA Style Research Paper Example. Your MLA-style research paper should have the following parts: 1. A Heading and Title in top Right corner of paper. 2. Running head with page numbers. 3. Placement of the List of Works Cited (end of paper) 4. Tables and illustrations (if required) Refer to this example paper from the Purdue OWL on MLA 8th ...

  12. Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

    Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  13. PDF Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  14. MLA Style

    The Modern Language Association (MLA) Manual of Style is commonly used in the Arts and Humanities. The Ninth Edition replaced the Eighth edition in 2021. The Ninth edition did not make many changes to the formatting requirements of bibliographic citations or in-text citations. MLA 9th Edition Formatting & Style Guide (Purdue OWL)

  15. MLA Style |How To Format In MLA

    9th Edition 8th Edition MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, and its style guidelines have been assisting authors since 1951. In 2016, the MLA Handbook introduced a template using core elements in an effort to simplify much of the documentation process in MLA format.

  16. Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7 th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3 rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  17. Purdue OWL MLA formatting

    The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA style is covered in chapter four of the MLA Handbook, and chapter four of the MLA Style Manual. Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style. General Guidelines. Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

  18. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    Purdue OWL Research and Citation MLA Style MLA Formatting and Style Guide MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the MLA Handbook and in chapter 7 of the MLA Style Manual.

  19. MLA

    MLA Examples: The global debt crisis is having a strong impact on women and children in developing nations (Bronstein 74). --OR--. Bronstein contends the global debt crisis is having a strong impact on women and children in developing nations (74). For electronic sources that have no page number, give the paragraph number (par. 4).

  20. MLA

    Fresno State Library's MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site. TUTORIALS: MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper ...

  21. MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

    Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources.

  22. PDF MLA Checklist 9th Edition

    MLA Checklist . This checklist will help you ensure that your paper meets the MLA requirements. The page number(s) listed in each item refers to where this information may be found in the MLA Handbook, 9. th. edition. 1. Margins. Except for my running head, my margins are 1 inch at the top, bottom, left, and right of each page. (p. 1) 2ypeface. T

  23. Free MLA Citation Generator [Updated for 2024]

    Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form. The generator will produce a formatted MLA ...

  24. Writing a Research Paper

    Never fear—inexperience and unfamiliarity are situations you can change through practice! Writing a research paper is an essential aspect of academics and should not be avoided on account of one's anxiety. In fact, the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in academics.