MLA Research Paper Requirements: Vital Rules to Keep in Mind
There are a few things to remember when considering the research paper structure MLA formatting style. There are different editions of this formatting style and it is important to refer to whichever option your educational institution requires you to use. There are certain details you need to pay attention to closely and understand where and how they appear within the text. Doing this helps avoid mistakes, while giving sources proper credit. The following details provide more insight on what to keep in mind as you use this formatting style.
Important Rules to Know
Using the MLA format requires understanding the latest edition of rules and guidelines for the formatting style. There are manuals and handbooks available for those using this formatting style that provides additional insight on how to use it correctly. When in doubt, refer to the handbook or ask your instructor about your content. Here are a few things to keep in mind when using this formatting style:
- When making an entry for works cited it may include mentioning the author, source title, additional contributors, version, number, publisher, date of publication, and location in this order.
- Each element mentioned has its own rule to follow when mentioning it as a cited source. You are required to write the author name, source title, and other elements in a specific way using proper capitalization, spacing, and punctuation. There are free examples available for visual reference.
- Some elements for citing may be considered optional such as original publication date, publication city, date accessed, URLs, and digital object identifier (DOIs).
- An in-text citation can be created including the name of the author and page number using parentheses. You can include runtime with hour, minute, and seconds when citing a media source such as podcast or movie clip.
- Certain college universities may have their own way of citing them as a source they detail on their website for academic purposes.
Additional Information to Consider
Your project guidelines may provide more details on how to use MLA citation for research paper. Schools may have variations on how to format their papers. Pay attention to what is required for your school and ask your instructor if you have questions about what your content should look like. Using examples is helpful and they can be accessed through academic writing companies or through online databases.
An example can be just the tool you need to get your content formatted properly. If you don’t have time to format your own consider hiring an expert. There are editors and proofreaders that know how to format papers properly. You can get help with writing your paper from an academic writer that knows the formatting style.