text: MLA style, or MLA format, are terms commonly used to describe the guidelines for writing which are developed, maintained, and periodically updated and issued by the Modern Language Association of America (MLA).\n\nThe Modern Language Association of America was founded in 1883 as a forum for scholars to share their ideas, experiences, and findings with counterparts in their respective fields. Since it was founded, the MLA has grown to more than 30,000 members from over 100 countries.\n\nAmong MLA’s many activities over the years, has been the development of standards and guidelines for the uniform writing of academic documents developed by its members. These MLA style guidelines are now the standard used by hundreds of thousands of students and scholars worldwide for the preparation of manuscripts and research papers in English and the Humanities.\n\n\n\nThe MLA documentation style covers all aspects of scholarly writing, beginning with the mechanics of writing and publishing, through the basics of writing style, to guidelines for the preparation of theses and dissertations. Although the MLA guidelines cover all aspects of writing and publishing a paper, MLA documentation style places special emphasis on the proper citing of sources of information in one’s written work, and how to properly and consistently cite them throughout a paper or manuscript.\n\n\nA key feature that differentiates MLA style from other major style conventions is that it recommends that the citation of works (sources) be listed “in-context” within the text of a paper, rather than in page footnotes or chapter/document endnotes.\n\n\nBasic MLA Rules – Paper Format and Citations\nThe publications mentioned above cover literally thousands of technical details for the writing and publishing of papers, and should be consulted if that level of detail is required. Nevertheless, there are a number of overall general guidelines, which are normally sufficient for the preparation of most papers at the undergraduate level:\n\n\nOverall Paper Format - MLA\n\n\nThe paper should be typed and double-spaced, on standard 8 ½” x 11”, 20-pound white paper.\n\n\n\nAll four outside margins should be set at 1 inch.\n\n\n\nA header with consecutive page numbering should appear on the upper right-hand corner of each page. It must be flush with the right margin, and one-half inch down from the top margin.\n\n\n\nA title page is not necessary (unless otherwise requested). Instead of the title page, four double-spaced entries are made, beginning at the top left-hand corner of the first page, listing author (your) name, course instructor’s name, course name/number, and the date.\n\n\n\nThe title of the paper should be centered, one double-space from the bottom of the previous entry (either the header, or the date if there was no title page).\n\n\nIn-Text Citations of Sources - MLA\n\nWhen citing a work within the text of a paper, try to mention the material being cited in a “signal phrase” that includes the author’s name. After that phrase, insert in brackets, the page number in the work referred to from which the information is drawn.\n\n\n\nIn cases where the author is not mentioned in a "signal phrase" the author’s name, followed by the page number, must appear in parentheses. \n\nWorks Cited List - MLA\n\nSources are referred to in a "Works Cited" list that should begin at the top of a separate page after the last page of essay text. (do not capitalize, underline, etc.).\n\n\n\nAll entries in the works cited list should be double-spaced with no extra line spaces between entries.\n\n\n\nThe first line of each entry in the works cited listshould be flush to the left margin, and each subsequent line for that entryshould be indented one-half inch (i.e. hanging indent).\n\n\n\nFor the title of the work being cited, use underliningor italics, not both. They are equivalent in this case. Whichever convention ischosen must be used throughout the 