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How to Write a Proper MLA Research Paper
No matter how brilliant your research skills may be, it is not infrequent that you stumble over one of the key requirements of academic writing: formatting. The format of your paper is your academic trademark; therefore it is worth spending extra time on it. Research papers in MLA style are among the most frequently required in academic institutions. This article focuses on the ways to succeed in writing your MLA research paper.
MLA Research Papers: General Format
- 1-inch margins on all sides.
- 12 pt. legible font (e.g. Times New Roman), double-spaced.
- Indent the first line of paragraphs half-inch using the Tab key.
- Number section headings with an Arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section title.
MLA Research Papers: In-Text Citations
The author-page method of in-text citations is used in MLA research papers:
- State the author’s name either in the text itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase.
- The page number should always be in the end parentheses, not in the text.
- In case the author is unknown, state the shortened title of the work cited instead.
MLA Research Papers: Works Cited Page
- List the entries by author’s last name; in case multiple works by one author are cited, use three hyphens in place of author’s name for all entries after the first.
- In titles capitalize each word except auxiliary.
- Use italics for titles of books and magazines, and quotation marks for titles of poems and articles.
- State the medium of publication for each entry (Print or Web).
These are just the basic requirements for MLA research papers. More detailed information is available from specialized handbooks and manuals on MLA research papers. Bear in mind that the requirements for MLA research papers may vary in different institutions, as well as updates to MLA style are introduced frequently!