Skip to Main Content

English 10 - 11: Research Process: Cite Resources

Citing Sources

When you are writing a paper or doing research on a topic, you must cite ALL of your sources in order to avoid plagiarism.   

Your research assignment must be formatted in MLA style, and it will require a 

works cited with full citations in MLA format for every source that you use.

Use the information below to help you with this part of your assignment.

MLA Format Rules for Your Research Paper

Margins

  • Use 1" margins for the entire document
  • Indent the first line of paragraphs a 1/2" from the left margin

Text Formatting

  • Use size 12 point font
  • Double-space
  • Leave one space after periods or other punctuation marks.

Heading and Title

  • No title page unless required by your instructor
  • Place your name, the instructor's name, the course number and the date on separate lines at the top left margin of the first page
  • Center and double-space the title between the heading and the first line of text
  • Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks

Page Numbers

  • Place page numbers in the top header on the upper right-hand corner of the page
  • Type your last name before the page number
  • Do not use the abbreviation p. or pg

Format for In-Text Citations

In-text citations in the body of your paper point the reader to specific sources listed on your Works Cited page. They usually include:

  • author’s last name

  • title (if there is no author)

  • page numbers (if provided)

Examples

Author's name in text
Smith notes that the Syrian refugees fled under the following circumstances... (203-205).

Author's name in parenthetical reference
The Syrian refugees fled under the following circumstances... (Author's Last Name 118-21).

More examples here!

Format for Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page is a list of the sources that you used to write your research paper.  A reader should be able to find all of the materials that you used to write your paper from the information provided in your works cited.

  • Begin on a new page at the end of your paper
  • Use 1" margins
  • Continue the page numbers of the text (i.e., the Work Cited will be labeled page 6, if the paper ends on page 5)
  • Center the Works Cited title
  • List sources alphabetically
  • Double space within and between entries
  • Indent the second and all subequent lines of an entry by a 1/2"

EasyBIB

 

 

If your teacher allows, use EasyBib to help generate and organize citations in MLA format.  Be careful!  Automated citations are not always correct, and it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to check the details of your citation. 

MLA 8 Citation Guide

 

MLA Citation Examples

 

ARTICLE FROM A DATABASE

Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Date of Publication: Volume/Issue/Series. Name of Database. Web. Date Accessed.

EXAMPLE

Mole, Beth. "Sea Trash Defies Ocean Boundaries: Plastic Garbage Swirls around Globe, Obscuring Its Sources." Science News 4 Oct. 2014: 13.Science in Context. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

ARTICLE FROM A WEBSITE

Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Website Title. Publisher, Date Published. Format. Date Accessed.

EXAMPLE

Harrabin, Roger. "Climate Change Deal: 'Zero Carbon' Laws Promised by Government." BBC News. BBC, 15 Mar. 2016.   Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

BOOK

Author Last, First. Title. City of Publication, State of Publication: Name of Publisher, Year of Publication. Format.

EXAMPLE

Barbour, Scott. Does Illegal Immigration Harm Society? San Diego, CA: ReferencePoint, 2010. Print.