mla writing center - yakima valley community college
TRANSCRIPT
MLA
Writing Center - Yakima Valley Community College
This tutorial covers:
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- What MLA is and why we use it
- General document formatting
- Avoiding plagiarism
Presenter: When you see this click your mouse for motion graphics.
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What is MLA?
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MLA is commonly used in the Humanities disciplines.
MLA is a set of standards for academic papers.
MLA provides standards for:
- General document formatting- Avoiding plagiarism
General Document Formatting
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Smith 1
Pete Smith
Dr. Boilermaker
English 106
12 October 2008
Expanding Ross Stadium
During the 2000 football season, the Purdue Boilermakers
won the Big Ten Conference Title, earned their first trip to the
Rose Bowl in thirty-four years, and played every game in front
of a sold-out crowd. Looking ahead, we can expect growth in
our top-line numbers of season-ticket holders, all of whom have
expressed an interest in box-seating and better concessions.
Type on white 8.5” x
11” paper
Set all margins to 1 inch on
all sidesDouble-space everything
Use 12 pt. Times New Roman fontIndent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch (or one tab)
Formatting standards make papers look similar; not all crazy-different (no funky fonts or goofy margins - stuff like that).It’s like the suit you wear to the office, like professional attire: in this business, we wear this suit.
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MLA’s standards for citing and documenting sources
help you to avoid plagiarism.
Avoiding Plagiarism
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Avoiding Plagiarism in MLA
What is Plagiarism?
Citing Sources
Documenting Sources
What is Plagiarism?
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Plagiarism can happen whenever you use words, information, or ideas from a source.
Sources can include books, articles, web pages, interviews, films, advertisements, etc.
Oh yeah!This is good stuff for my
paper.
What is Plagiarism?
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Wyatt Earp Frontier Justice
Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights.
25
Source: a book by Wyatt Earp Your paper:
Me 5
Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights.
Plagiarism happens when you use words, information, or ideas from a source without identifying the source.
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Avoiding Plagiarism in MLA
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Avoid plagiarism by identifying your sources.
Identify your sources by citing and documenting them.
Do this in two places:
- Cite your sources in the text of your paper
- Document your sources on a Works Cited page
Citing Sources
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Identify sources in the text of your paper by:
- using quotes and paraphrases- adding author name(s) and page
number
Using quotes & paraphrases: a quick review
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Quotesuse theexact words
found ina source.
Me 4
“Tighter gun control in the
United States erodes
Second Amendment rights”
Quotations marks show where the exact words begin and end.
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Using quotes & paraphrases: a quick review
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Paraphrasestell your readerswhat the source said,but in your own words.
Me 4
stricter gun control laws would
affect our constitutional rights
Quotations marks are not needed.
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Are quotes and paraphrases alone enough to avoid plagiarism?
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“Tighter gun control in the
United States erodes Second
Amendment rights.”
Gun control laws weaken
our constitutional rights
guaranteed in the Second
Amendment.
No. Quotes and paraphrases alone are not enough.
The quote is plagiarism because the source
is not identified.
The paraphrase is also plagiarism because the
source is not identified. (The words were changed, but the idea came from a source)
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Citing Sources
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Identify sources in the text of your paper by:
Using quotes and paraphrases- Adding author name(s) and page number
Me 4
“Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights”
Adding author name(s) & page number
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Here’s our quote again. The author is Wyatt Earp. The words are on page 25 of his book.
Add the author name and page number to the quote.
Earp says,
(25).
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Me 4
stricter gun control laws would affect our
constitutional rights
Adding author name(s) & page number
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Treat paraphrases the same as you would treat quotes.
Add the author name and page number to the paraphrase.
Earp believes that
(25).
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You have two options for adding author name and page number:
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“Tighter gun control in the
United States erodes Second Amendment rights”
, “gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights”
Option 1 Option 2Author name in front of the quote; page number in back.
Author name and page number in back.
Earp says, Opponents agree that
(25). (Earp 25).
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The same two options apply to paraphrases:
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stricter gun control
laws would weaken our constitutional rights
stricter gun control laws would weaken our constitutional rights
Option 1 Option 2
Earp argues that Opponents argue that
(25). (Earp 25).
Have you noticed that page numbers always go at the end of the sentence? It’s true. So, the only real decision you need to make is where to put the author’s name: in front, or in back.
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REVIEW: Citing Sources
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So, to every quote and paraphrase, add the following:
1. The last name of the author of the source.
2. The page number in the source where you found the words,
information, or idea.
Use Option 1 (author name in front, page number in back)
or Option 2 (author name and page number in back).
Questions about options:
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Why two options?So you can mix it up.
Which option is the best?Option 1.
Why is Option 1 the best?Because you integrate sources more smoothly into the text of your paper.
Author’s last name + verb of attribution + quote or paraphrase + (page). This is called a “signal phrase”
Earp
arguesbelievesclaimssaysthinkswrites
“Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights.“
Gun control weakens our rights guaranteed in the Second Amendment.
(25).
(25).
Earp writes, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (25).
Earp claims that gun control weakens our rights guaranteed in the Second Amendment (25).
Option 1: Using signal phrases to integrate sources more smoothly into your paper
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Activity: Citing Sources
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You’ve seen how to avoid plagiarism in the text of your paper by identifying your sources:
using quotes and paraphrases adding author name(s) and page number
Now, you try it.
Activity: Citing Sources
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Select one of the sources on the next slide and cite the source:
1. Quote or paraphrase the words.2. Identify the source by adding author name(s) and page number. Use Option 1 (name in front, page in back).3. Write down your result.
Activity: Citing Sources
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My window is a grave, and all that lies within it’s dead.William Gass Page 213
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.Mark Twain Page 141
I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.James Michener Page 25
Tattoos and piercings can be seen as bodily aids in the inner struggle toward identity.Andres Martin Page 79
We have an oversimplified perspective of why children develop as they do.Elissa Allen Page 8The lack of success of recent initiatives suggests that medication might not be the answer for the escalating problem.Luisa Mirano Page 3
See next slide for another look at the signal phrases table.
Author’s last name + verb of attribution + quote or paraphrase + (page). This is called a “signal phrase”
Earp
arguesbelievesclaimssaysthinkswrites
“tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights.“
Gun control weakens our rights guaranteed in the Second Amendment.
(25).
(25).
Earp writes, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (25).
Earp claims that gun control weakens our rights guaranteed in the Second Amendment (25).
Option 1: Using signal phrases to integrate sources more smoothly into your paper
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Avoiding Plagiarism in MLA
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Avoid plagiarism by identifying your sources.
Identify your sources by citing and documenting them.
Do this in two places: A) Cite your sources in the text of your
paper
B) Document your sources on a Works Cited pageYou’ve seen how to do A), so now, let’s do B).
Documenting sources on a Works Cited page
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Me 7Works Cited
Earp, Wyatt. “Frontier Justice: Your Rights, Your Gun.” Tombstone Law Journal. Aug. 2005: 10 – 52. Print.
Smith, Bubba, and Bo Wesson. Take Our Jobs, But Not Our Guns. Sioux Falls, SD: Rifleman Press, 2006. Print.
“Wild West in Our Nation’s Capital.” Editorial. The Washington Post. 12 Feb 2007: A4. Print.
What is a Works Cited page?
It’s a bibliography of all the sources you used in your paper.
It includes author names, titles, book titles, names of journals or magazines, names of publishers, dates, page numbers, etc.
It’s the last page of your paper, and it stands alone as its own page.
Documenting sources on a Works Cited page
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Earp, Wyatt. “Frontier Justice: Your Rights, Your Gun.” Tombstone Law Journal. Aug. 2005: 10 – 52.
Smith, Bubba, and Bo Wesson. Take Our Jobs, But Not Our Guns. Sioux Falls, SD: Rifleman Press, 2006.
“Wild West in Our Nation’s Capital.” Editorial. The Washington Post. 12 Feb 2007: A4.
Format: Each entry on a Works Cited page has to be formatted in very specific ways, depending on the type of source. But there are some general similarities.
Author “title of article” title of publication Publisher Dates Pages Medium
Basic format for a book with one author.
Tan, Amy. Saving Fish From Drowning. New York: Putnam, 2005. Print.
authortitle of
publication
place of publication
publisher
date of publication
medium (print or web)
The differences depend on the type of source:
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Short work from a website (with one author).
Jenkins, Henry. “Bearings.” MIT Communications Forum. MIT, 19 Feb. 2002. Web. 16 Jan. 2005.
author“title of article”
title of publication
sponsor of website
date the site was last updated
medium (print or web)
date you accessed the site
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The differences depend on the type of source:
How do I know which format to use for a particular source?
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Consult a style guide. Style guides have comprehensive lists with explanations and examples.
The Writing Center has style guides for use in the Center.
Style guides on the web: Try the Purdue Online Writing Lab:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Avoiding Plagiarism in MLA
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Now you’ve seen it all, right? You’ve seen how to avoid plagiarism by identifying your sources in two places:
A) Cite your sources in the text of your paper B) Document your sources on a Works Cited
page
You’ve tried A).Now, try B).
Activity: Documenting sources with a style guide
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Source type: BookWilliam GassIn the Heart of the Heart of the Country and Other StoriesNew YorkPocket Books1977Print
Tan, Amy. Saving Fish From Drowning. New York: Putnam, 2005. Print.
Model #6: Basic format for a book with one author.
Let’s say you’re using this book in your paper.
Here’s all the info you need to create a Works Cited page entry.
Your task is to make this info match the model below.
Write down your result.
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Activity: Documenting sources with a style guide
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Source type: short work from a websiteAndres MartinTeenager and TattoosOnline Journal of the AACAPAACAP19 Feb 2004Web15 Sep 2011
Model #48: Short work from a website (with one author).
Let’s say you’re also using this short work from a website in your paper.
Here’s all the info you need to create a Works Cited page entry.
Your task, again, is to make this info match the model below.
Write down your result.
Jenkins, Henry. “Bearings.” MIT Communications Forum. MIT, 19 Feb. 2002. Web. 16 Jan. 2005.
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REVIEW: MLA -- how it all works
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Me 4
Earp says, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (25).
Me 7
Works Cited
Earp, Wyatt. Frontier
Justice. Tombstone Law
Journal. Aug. 2005: 10 – 52.
Print.
Wyatt Earp Frontier Justice
Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights.
25
Earp’s book My paper My Works Cited page
1. Use a source 2. Cite the source
3. Document the source
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Me 4
Earp says,
“Tighter gun control in the
United States erodes Second
Amendment rights” (25).
Me 7
Works Cited
Earp, Wyatt. Frontier
Justice. Tombstone Law
Journal. Aug. 2005: 10 – 52.
My paper My Works Cited page
In-text citations refer readers to your Works Cited page
via the author’s last name.
REVIEW: MLA -- how it all works
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FAQ: What do I put here?!
Me 3
Characters like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man are the
most familiar, the most popular, and the biggest money-makers
( 22). Some similarity in mainstream titles was for many
years unavoidable due to the creation in 1954 of the Comics
Code Authority (CCA), an organization formed by leading comic
publishers to regulate the content of comics ( ).
In 1968, Robert Crumb’s Zap initiated the “underground
comix revolution” ( 101). Zap satirized mainstream,
conservative beliefs and did not shy away from sexual or
political content, yet beneath the crude humor of Zap lay
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Answer: The first thing listed for that source on your Works Cited page, along with the page number (if the
source has page numbers).
FAQ: What do I put here?
Me 3
Characters like Batman, Superman, and Spider-
Man are the most familiar, the most popular
(Heller 22). Similarities in mainstream titles was
for many years unavoidable due to the creation
in 1954 of the Comics Code Authority (CCA), an
organization formed to regulate the content of
comics (“Good Shall Triumph”).
Me 3
Works Cited
Heller, David. Comic Book Nation: Transformation
of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins UP, 2001. Print.
“Good Shall Triumph Over Evil: The Comic Book
Code of 1954.” History Matters: The U.S. History
Survey Course. George Mason University, 2006.
Web. 22 Mar. 2009.
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Whenever you use words, information, or ideas from a source….
…you must identify the source.
Oh yeah!This is good stuff for my
paper.
Identify your sources by citing and documenting them:
A) Cite your sources in the text of your paper
B) Document your sources on a Works Cited page
REVIEW: Avoiding Plagiarism
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Cite your sources in the text of your paper by:Using quotes and paraphrasesAdding author names and page numbers
Document your sources on a Works Cited page by: Consulting a style guide for the right format
for each type of source.
Mr. Mackey says: “Plagiarism’s bad. Mmmkay? Don’t do it. That would be bad. That would be like…mmreally, really bad. Mmmkay?”
REVIEW: Avoiding Plagiarism
For more info…
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Use, or buy a style guide.
Buy it once; you’ll use it through your entire college career, if not beyond. We use them; we can’t remember all this stuff!
Come to the Writing Center at YVCC.
We have style guides, handouts, and helpful staff.
Located in G-125 (Glenn-Anthon).
Make an appointment for an individual, 30-minute consultation.
Purdue Online Writing Lab:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Disclaimer
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Individual results may vary.*
You may discover discrepancies between style guides, on-line MLA resources, suggestions from Writing Center consultants, and instructions about using MLA from your instructor.
When in doubt, always check with your instructor.
* This is not, in fact, fine print. It’s just supposed to look like fine print, you know, as a joke– mocking fine print. I mean, yeah, sure, the font is very tiny, so in one sense I suppose it is fine print, but you certainly can’t say that it is “fine print” in the pejorative sense of that term.