MLA Documentation

1. MLA Documentation In-Text Citations and Works Cited

2. OVERVIEW Documentation In-text citations Research databases Works cited Resources

3. documentation What is documentation? Why, what, and when do I document? Style Guides

4. DOCUMENTATIONWhat is Documentation? Documentation gives an author or resource credit for original information. Documentation of a paper includes two parts: • Citations: These are “in-text”, meaning in body of your paper. When you present information, you briefly identify its source. • Works Cited: On a separate page at the end of your paper, you write a detailed list of the sources cited in your paper. The in-text citations and works cited should document the exact same sources.

5. DOCUMENTATIONWhy, What, and When Do I Document?

6. DOCUMENTATIONStyles Guides Different professional communities use different style guides, that include rules for documentation, organization, style, and formatting. Ask your teachers which guide they want you to use.

7. In-text citations MLA uses parenthetical, in-text citations Author and page number Title and page number Page number only No page number available

8. IN-TEXT CITATIONSAuthor and Page Number REQUIRED INFORMATION • Author’s last name and page number (or range of pages) in parenthesis. EXAMPLE Symbolic reasoning helped the brain evolve quickly through the development of words and language (Medina 34).

9. IN-TEXT CITATIONSTitle and Page Number REQUIRED INFORMATION When there is no author identified, use the first few words of the title and page number in parenthesis. EXAMPLE By 2004, ten nations were expected to join the fifteen that comprised the European Union (“The World Almanac” 202).

10. IN-TEXT CITATIONSPage Number Only REQUIRED INFORMATION When the author is identified within the text, include the page number only in parenthesis. EXAMPLE In Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, John Medina identifies the “nap zone” as a period of time in the mid-afternoon when humans naturally feel sleepy (159).

11. IN-TEXT CITATIONSNo Page Number Available REQUIRED INFORMATION When a resource doesn’t use page numbers, identify the work by author’s last name or title in parenthesis. EXAMPLE - eBook Humans rationalize their bad behavior to fool themselves into thinking it is acceptable (Rosenberg, ch. 2). EXAMPLE – scholarly article accessed electronically The brain’s ability to conserve energy allows it to outperform robotic technology (Sejnowski). EXAMPLE - webpage San Benito Junior College opened its doors in 1919 and became Gavilan Community College in 1966 (“History”).

12. IN-TEXT CITATIONSLet’s Practice! Below are the Works Cited entry for John Medina’s Brain Rules and two sentences you included in your paper which refer to his ideas. Show how you would correctly cite this information. Medina, John. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Seattle: Pear Press, 2008. Print. From page 85: From page 240: Although people often claim they multitask, the human brain can only do one thing at a time (Medina 85). Although people often claim they multitask, the human brain can only do one thing at a time. Medina claims that “Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resource.” Medina claims that “Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resource” (240).

13. GAVILAN LIBRARYRESEARCH DATABASES Gavilan library subscribes to databases for scholarly research. Research databases often provide MLA formatted citations that can be copied into your paper. Students have access through the library website (http://www.gavilan.edu/library/) with a student ID or library card.

14. Gavilan Library GAVILAN LIBRARY RESEARCH DATABASES

15. Gavilan Library GAVILAN LIBRARY RESEARCH DATABASES

16. Gavilan Library GAVILAN LIBRARY RESEARCH DATABASES

17. Works cited Formatting works cited is specific and dependent on the type of reference material. There are many resources available in print and on the internet.

18. WORKS CITEDMLA Format - BOOKS FORMAT Author. Title. City: Publisher, date. Format. EXAMPLE: Printed Book Medina, John. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Seattle: Pear Press, 2008. Print. EXAMPLE: eBook Rosenberg, Tina. Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011. n. pag. Kindle file.

19. WORKS CITEDMLA Format - WEBSITES FORMAT Author or organization. “Title of Section, if given.” Title of the Website. Sponsoring organization or publisher. Date of publication or last revision. Web. Date your viewed it. EXAMPLE “History of Gavilan College.” Gavilan College. Gavilan College. 26 Aug. 2011. Web. 26 Sep. 2012.

20. WORKS CITEDMLA Format – SCHOLARLY ARTICLE FORMAT Author or Organization. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal. Volume number. Issue number (Year): pages covered by article. Information service. Format. Date viewed if online. EXAMPLE Sejnowski, Terry, and Tobi Delbruck. "The Language Of The Brain." Scientific American 307.4 (2012): 54-59. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. CORRECTED EXAMPLE Sejnowski, Terry, and Tobi Delbruck. "The Language of the Brain." Scientific American 307.4 (2012): 54-59. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. NOTE: For articles originally in print found through the library computer system, include the information service. NOTE: Double check citation provided from information service for correct formatting.

21. WORKS CITEDLet’s Practice In your paper you have cited the Kindle edition of Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván. You have looked up the correct format for book: Author. Title. City: Publisher, date. Format. Create a correctly formatted entry for your works cited page. Montalván, Luis Carlos. Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him. New York: Hyperion, 2011. Kindle file.

22. WORKS CITEDMLA Format – Sample Works Cited Page Page is double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point. Last name and page number is in the upper right corner of the header.. “Works Cited” is centered and the first line of the page Works are alphabetized by authors’ last names. 1st line of each entry begins at left margin. Subsequent lines are indented ½ inch. 1” ½ ”

23. Mla resources There are many resources available to guide you through formatting citations. You should always have one handy when working with reference material.

24. MLA FORMAT RESOURCESReference Books & Websites

25. MLA FORMAT RESOURCESGavilan College Writing Center • Writing Assistants trained to guide you through citing sources and formatting a Works Cited page • Computers available to access research databases • Helpful advice for MLA reference books and websites • Schedule an appointment or drop in • Hours: Monday thru Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 8:00 AM-1:00 PM • Phone: (408)848-4811