MLA Formatting, In-Text Citations, and Research Paper Structure (Video Notes)

Flashcards covering MLA formatting, in-text citations, and basic research-paper structure based on the provided lecture notes.

MLA heading

Your name, instructor, course, and date on the first page, left-aligned; MLA style allows using abbreviations for some fields.

Header (page numbers)

A header on each page containing the author's last name and the page number.

Works Cited page

A separate page listing all sources cited in the paper, organized alphabetically by the author's last name.

In-text citation

A brief citation within the text that gives credit to a source; typically includes author’s last name and page or paragraph number.

Narrative attribution

Introducing a source within the sentence (e.g., ‘Adam Danhoff states…’); may allow omitting the author name in the parentheses if already stated.

Page number vs. paragraph number

Use page numbers for print sources; use paragraph numbers for websites without pages (count if needed).

Shortened title in citations

If a title is long or the source lacks an author, use a shortened form of the title in the in-text citation; the full title appears on Works Cited.

Et al.

Abbreviation for ‘and others’; used when a source has three or more authors; two authors are listed fully, three or more use the first author + et al.

Alphabetical order (authors)

Entries in Works Cited are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name, with the last name first.

Two-author vs. multiple-author formatting

For two authors, list both names; for three or more, use et al. after the first author.

Direct quotation

A verbatim excerpt from a source; must be cited with page or paragraph number and may be introduced with attribution.

Rough draft

An initial version of the paper with possible mistakes; the final draft should be more polished and error-free.

Gambit/Hook in the introduction

An opening device (quote, statistic, or question) to grab the reader’s attention and lead into the thesis.

Thesis statement

The main point or argument of the paper that the body will support or prove.

Editing marks (color cues)

Red underlining often marks spelling errors; blue underlining marks grammar/punctuation issues in editing.