“Students! Please make sure that you hand in your Research Papers with citations done MLA style. Otherwise, I will not be grading your papers!”
What in the world is MLA? If you are a STEM student, you probably might not know about citing or formatting papers in the MLA style
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Summary:- For Humanities students, this blog will present an insight to formatting Research Papers according to the MLA style in a detailed and easy manner. |
Did Someone Just Say “MLA Citation Please!”?
Are you also wondering “What is MLA and why do I need to follow its guidelines?”
MLA is the abbreviation for the Modern Languages Association which is an organisation established to develop guidelines which range from grammar usage to journal publications and much more. All of these guidelines pertain to Humanities, Language and Literature.
Just as you need to cite your Research Papers, essays, thesis, dissertations and assignments according to a recommended style, you need to follow MLA citation style if you are a Humanities student.
Beware of Plagiarism! Cite Your Research Papers!
Teachers and professors prefer to get the source from where the information has been taken. Whether you get an Informative essay to do, or a Research Paper as your assignment, you need to make sure that it is done according to the MLA format.
No matter how much of a brilliant student you are, it is rather obvious that you will also write based on borrowed information. Instead of getting your Research Paper rejected for not citing or formatting it properly, simply put in some effort and well, FOLLOW THE FORMAT.
Just Citing or Formatting As Well?
Many students do not realise that there is actually a MLA Research Paper format that they need to follow, which means that MLA is not only limited to citation.
The whole format consists of the Font, the font size, the line spacing, pagination and many more elements.
The latest edition is the 8th edition, and can be applied to a wide variety of writing types. This is mainly because a lot of writing and texts have become digital. The format is not that difficult and complete guidelines are available everywhere on the internet.
Behold! Formatting Your Paper MLA Style!
Would you like to see the Research Paper outline MLA in a well explained manner? Or a brief table? Do not worry. Before you scout to an Assignment Service to place an order for a Research paper, check out the outline below!
| Research Paper MLA Format | |
| Size of Paper | Standard Size (which is 8.5 x 11” in the United States) |
| Margins in the Page | 1” from all four sides including top, bottom, left and right |
| Font & Font Size | An easily readable font in 12-pt size. Fonts such as Times New Roman are recommended |
| Spacing | Double spacing throughout the page including the small captions and the bibliography section. |
| Text Alignment | The alignment will be kept as Flush Left with an uneven right margin. |
| Paragraph Indentation | ½” (or five spaces) |
| Sentence Ending & Spacing | It is advised to leave one space after a period or full stop. You can leave two spaces if your teacher prefers it that way. |
| Pagination | Insert the page numbers on every page in the upper right margin. Leave ½ “space from the top and flush with the right margin. Your last name will be added after the page number. |
| Making a Title Page | Usually made if requested by the teacher. |
| Insertion of Tables & Illustrations | Tables and Illustrations are placed close to the text. Tables are labeled as ‘Table’ and given a number. The caption of the table appears below the table. All pictures or graphs or charts are labeled as ‘Figure’. The captions or labels appear underneath the concerned picture or graph or chart. |
Just looking at the format is not enough, you as a student would need some quick tips as well. Well, the blog has not ended yet. Here you go!
- Choose the paper carefully
Don’t go running changing the paper size AFTER starting your Research paper. Remember that you have to check the paper size beforehand only.
The recommended paper size is 8.5 x 11 inches. You should however confirm the size from your teacher as well.
- Make an attractive header
You can either place your format heading at the top of the first page, or you can create a title page separately with the following components:
- Your full name
- Your instructor’s name
- The name of the class or course
- Due date of the assignment
- Maintain consistency throughout the paper
For MLA format, double spacing is to be done in the whole of the paper. This includes the title page and the bibliography section as well.
You cannot use single spacing in one section, and double spacing in the other. That would give your paper a very bad look.
- Left align your text please
While some papers require justification of the text, for MLA format you have to Left align the text and keep an uneven right margin.
- Don’t forget to insert the page numbers!
Leave ½ or 0.5 inches space from the top of the upper right margin for inserting the page numbers. Also add your last name after the page number.
Author Bio
Elijah Gabrielson has done MA in Linguistics and will be sure to provide you the best kind of research papers that swipe you from your feet!
