Paper Title (Reflects the Main Idea of Your Paper)

Last Name 1

Your Name

Your Instructor’s Name

Course Number (Example: EDU1010)

Date (Example: 3 August 2011)

Paper Title (reflects the main idea of your paper)

Use the first sentence or sentences of the introduction to grab your reader’s attention and let them know what the main idea of your paper is. The introduction of the paper begins here in the first paragraph of your paper on the line following the paper title. Indent the first sentence of each paragraph by pressing the Tab key on your keyboard. Double-space throughout the paper, including the body of the document and Works Cited page. MLA uses a traditional font style such as Times New Roman and a 12 point font size. MLA papers do not use cover (title) pages unless your instructor requires a title page. The title of the paper (in uppercase and lowercase letters) is centered on the first line below the date. Your last name and page number serve as the page header. Page numbers begin on page 1.

To insert page numbers in your paper, click the Insert tab on the ribbon (in Microsoft

Word 2010). In the Header & Footer group, click on Page Number. Click on Top of Page and select Plain Number 3. Be sure that the “different first page” and “different odd & even pages” options in the Options group on the Design tools ribbon are not checked. Page numbers should now appear in the upper-right hand corner of the page. Without moving your cursor away from the page number, type your last name in uppercase and lowercase letters. When you have finished typing your last name on the left side of the page number, press the spacebar on your keyboard once. Your last name and page number should now appear in the upper-right hand corner of each page. Last Name 2

The body of your paper is the main part of your paper. In the body, give three or more major supporting points. Write one or more paragraphs for each point. Provide factual details on each, including examples or evidence from your sources. Provide a topic sentence for each supporting point paragraph.

The sources from which you obtained the information presented in your paper must be documented or cited in the body of the paper. By citing, you give proper credit to the ideas and words of others. Each time that you use information from one of your sources, give the author’s or authors’ last name(s) and the page number(s) where the information appears. Citations inserted within the body of the paper are referred to as in-text citations. Every in-text citation must correspond to a matching bibliographic entry on your Works Cited or Bibliography page.

This allows the reader to obtain the full source citation from the list of references on the Works

Cited page at the end of the paper.

MLA guidelines require in-text citations to document quotations, paraphrases, summaries, and other material borrowed from your sources. A research paper weaves the ideas of others with your own ideas and conclusions. In general, information taken from your sources should be presented in your own words (paraphrasing). This allows you to process the research you have done and interpret it in a way that is meaningful to you and that your readers will understand. Keep in mind, however, that you still need to cite your source, even if the information is in your own words. Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries must all be cited.

Direct quotations (passages copied word-for-word from your source) should be used sparingly in your research paper. Your instructors want to see that you have not only found credible information but that you fully understand the information. By putting the information from your research into your own words, you can show that you have a deeper knowledge of the Last Name 3 material. Furthermore, papers overloaded with quotations may distract your instructor from your own ideas and writing. Use a quotation from a source only when there is absolutely no better way to present the information. A well-written paper balances quotations and paraphrases with your own interpretation of the research.

MLA suggests, “If you borrow more than once from the same source within a single paragraph and no borrowing from another source intervenes, you may give a single parenthetical reference [citation] after the last borrowing.” In other words, you only need to cite at the end of the last sentence when covering information from the same source consecutively in your paper.

For instance, if this entire paragraph was written using information from the MLA Handbook for

Writers of Research Papers, an in-text citation should be inserted at the end of this last sentence

(Modern Language Association 218).

When citing a source in your paper, give either the author’s name within the sentence or in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example: According to Smith, laughter is the greatest cure for sadness (18). In this example, the author Smith is included in the sentence and the page numbers where the information is located within the source appears in parentheses at the end of the sentence (and before the period). Alternatively, the citation could look like this:

Research shows that laughter is the greatest cure for sadness (Smith 18). Note that the author’s name and page numbers do not appear within the sentence but rather in the parentheses at the end of the sentence. It does not matter which of these ways you choose to cite--just make sure to cite your sources within your paper!

When a source that has two or three authors is cited, all authors are cited each time. For example: Laughter is the best medicine (Newton, Mulcahy, and Martin). For a source with more than three authors, the MLA handbook suggests it is optional to list all of the authors’ names or Last Name 4 to list only the first author’s name followed by “et al.” For example: Laughing is the most productive way of turning a frown upside down (Alter et al. 32). Conversely, you could list all authors’ last names: Laughing is the most productive way of turning a frown upside down (Alter,

Darwin, Szameitat, Szameitat, and Wildgruber 32). Both ways are considered equally correct; just be sure that the in-text citation is the same as the bibliographic entry on your Works Cited page.

According to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, “Usually the author’s last name and page reference are enough to identify the source and the specific location from which you borrowed material” (Modern Language Association 214). However, keep in mind that you may not always have this information or you may need to provide additional information in order to clearly define the source that you used. For example, if you are using a source in your paper that does not have page numbers, such as a web page, it is best to include the author’s name in the sentence rather than in parentheses at the end of the sentence. In this case, no parentheses are needed at all. For example: On his website, Williams proposes that laughing is good for the soul. Notice that there are no parentheses at the end of the sentence and that the author’s last name (Williams) appears within the sentence. It is equally correct to include the author’s name within parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example: “Laughing is my favorite sport” (Williams).

For works with no identified author, enclose the full title or the first few words of the title in parentheses when citing unless the title appears in your sentence. Use double quotation marks around the title of an article, chapter, or web page. For instance, a quotation from a web page with no author or page numbers given: “Laughing is the most productive way of turning a frown upside down” (“Laughter Therapy”). Italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report. Last Name 5

For example, a report with no author given: “Shortages of resources, destruction of ecological systems and other environmental issues are becoming ever more serious” (Guide to Agricultural

Meteorological Practices).

A quotation that runs less than four lines of your paper should be enclosed in double quotation marks and should be incorporated into the formal structure of the sentence as shown in the previous example. A longer quotation that spans more than four lines of your paper should appear in block format without quotation marks. Indent each line one inch from the left margin.

You may choose to introduce a longer quotation with a colon, like this:

Laughing is the most productive way of turning a frown upside down. It is the

fastest way to change one’s mood, bringing the entire mind and body back in

balance. Not only does laughing have an immediate effect on the body, but it also

has long-lasting effects. Laughing relieves physical stress and tension in the body

and relaxes muscles for up to 45 minutes after the laughing session has occurred.

(Smith 14–15)

Notice that the in-text reference for block quotations (see example above) follows a slightly different format than for shorter quotations. For in-text citations of longer quotations, type one space after the last punctuation mark of the quotation and insert the author’s last name and page numbers, both within parentheses.

If you are using more than one volume in a multi-volume work, such as an encyclopedia, give the volume number before the page number(s) within the parentheses at the end of the sentence. Separate the volume number from the page number by using a colon and a space. For example: Laughing is good for the soul (Brody 9: 126-127). The citation for this example shows Last Name 6 that this information is located on pages 126-127 and is found in volume 9 of a multi-volume set authored by Brody.

The last paragraph of your paper is your conclusion. Summarize the main idea of your paper by restating the topic and supporting points of your paper. Tie all of your points together to show that you have supported your main idea. The conclusion should end with a satisfying closing statement.

Your Works Cited page begins on a new page. The heading is centered on the first line of the page. The first reference begins on the line following the Works Cited heading. Before you begin your Works Cited page, set up the paragraph formatting so that each entry in your list has a hanging indentation (where the first line of the entry “hangs” over the second line of the entry).

To set up a hanging indentation in Microsoft Word 2010, click on the boxed arrow next to the

Paragraph group to open the paragraph dialog box. In the Indentation field, click on the dropdown menu under “Special.” Select “Hanging” from the menu and click OK.

Entries on the Works Cited page are organized alphabetically by last names of authors, or if no author is available, by the first word in the citation. If a source has more than one author, use the last name of the first author given. Most reference entries have five components:

1. Authors: Authors are listed in the same order as specified in the source, using last

names and first names. Example: Smith, Robert. For multiple authors, reverse only

the name of the first author, followed by a comma; provide the second and

subsequent names in normal form with the first name before the last name. Example:

Smith, Robert, Stephanie Johnson and Mark Jones. Commas separate all authors.

2. Source Reference: This may include book or article title, journal title, database

name, Last Name 7

volume, pages, city of publication, publisher, etc. Example:

Smith, Robert. “Laughing is healthy.” Journal of Laughter (2010): 104-05. Gale

Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 July 2010.

3. Date of Publication: When citing books, the date appears after the publisher. Use

a comma to separate the year from the publisher. Example:

Jones, Holly. The Joy of Laughing. New York: Funny Publishing, 2009. Print.

If no publication date is identified, use “n.d.” after the publisher to indicate that no

date is given. Example:

Jones, Holly. The Joy of Laughing. New York: Funny Publishing, n.d. Print.

For journals and magazines, the date of publication appears in parentheses following

the volume and/or issue number. For a Web site, the electronic publication date or

date it was last updated follows the Web site name.

4. Format: For books, the word “Print” should appear after the year of publication. For

periodicals, “Print” should appear after the page numbers (which follow the date).

Separate the two with a period. Example:

For sources accessed electronically, the word “Web” should appear after the page

numbers (which follow the date). Example:

Smith, Robert. “Laughing is healthy.” Journal of Laughter (2010): 104-05. Gale

Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 July 2001.

5. Date of access: For resources found online, provide the date that you accessed it. Use

the format day month year, without commas. Abbreviate all months except May,

June, and July. The date of access should follow the format type “Web,” with a period Last Name 8

and space separating the two, as illustrated in number two and four above. Example:

30 Nov. 2009.

Consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition, for directions on formatting your citations. Other sources you may wish to consult include:

Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/

Turn to the next page for an example of a Works Cited page.

Works Cited

Alter, Kai, et al. "Formant Characteristics of Human Laughter." Journal of Voice 25.1 (2011):

32+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. Last Name 9

Brody, Jane. “Health.” World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2003. Vol. 4.

Print.

Guide to Agricultural Meteorological Practices. Geneva: World Meteorological Organization,

2010. Web. 1 October 2011.

“Laughter Therapy: Cancer Treatment Centers of America.” Cancercenter.com. Cancer

Treatment Centers of America, 2011. Web. 1 October 2011.

Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New

York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print.

Newton, Phyllis J., Timothy M. Mulcahy, and Susan E. Martin. Finding victims of human

trafficking. Washington, U.S. Department of Justice, 2008. Web. 1 October 2011.

Smith, Robert. “Laughing is Healthy.” Journal of Laughter 24.2 (2008): 10-19. Gale Virtual

Reference Library. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.

Williams, Mike. “Laughter.” Pastormikewilliams.blogpot.com. Pastor Mike, 2011. Web. 6

October 2011.

*A note about this sample paper (please highlight and delete this note before saving or printing your paper):

Original template created by: Last Name 10

Nelson L. Eby – Graduate student of Computer Fraud Investigation, Columbian School of Arts and Sciences, The George Washington University, [email protected]

In collaboration with Dr. Douglas Degelman, Professor of Psychology, Vanguard University of

Southern California