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Documenting Information: MLA Format
Formal research papers require the writer to record sources for quotations, paraphrases, ideas. information, and opinions. The Modern Language Association suggests three alternatives for citing this information: parenthetical documentation, endnotes, and footnotes.
Parenthetical Documentation
This method cites the source and page reference parenthetically in the manuscript, referring the reader to the Works Ciled page at the end of the paper.
Example:
The Scarlet Letter prompts insight into people's ways of handling both individual and commu -nal guilt (Smith 47-49).
Usually the parentheses include the author's name and the page reference. Examine the following applications:
Smith points out that The Scarlet Lettersheds light on people's ways of handling both individual and communal guilt (47-49).
It has been argued that The Scarlet Letter is a portrait of guilt at work on individual and communal levels (Smith).
The Scarlet Letter prompts insight into people's ways of handling both individual and communal guilt (Smith and Kerner 47-49).
The Scarlet Letter prompts insight into people's ways of handling both individual and communal guilt (Smith, Literature and Insight 47-49).
Variation 1: Literary Citations
With works of literature, which may be available in various editions with different pagination, the page number is often followed with a semi-colon and other information to help readers find the cited material (e.g., chapter number; act and scene number; poetic line).
Variation 2: Author-Date System
Parenthetical references include author's name, date of publication, and page reference. If the Works Cited includes two works published by the same author in the same year, they are assigned a lowercase letter in alphabetical order.
Example: (Smith 1990, 47-49) (Smith I990b, 47-49)
The author-date system entails a modification in form for the Works Cited page. The publication date is shifted to come immediately after the author's name.
Example:
Smith, Mary C. 1990. Literature and Insight. New York: Connections.