MLA format, or Modern Language Association format, is a style of formatting and citing sources commonly used in the humanities, such as language arts and cultural studies. It was developed by the Modern Language Association as a way for researchers, students, and scholars in the literature and language fields to uniformly format their papers and assignments. Today, MLA format is also widely adopted in other subject areas.
Some key guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style include:
- Using white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
- Setting 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Using a readable font, such as Times New Roman, in 12-point size.
- Double-spacing the entire research paper, including the Works Cited page.
- Indenting the first word of every paragraph one half inch.
- Indenting set-off or block quotations one half inch from the left margin.
In addition to these formatting guidelines, MLA style also provides a system for referencing sources through parenthetical citations in the main text of the paper and a Works Cited page at the end. When using MLA format, you must include the authors name, the title of the work, and the location of the work (such as page number or URL) in your in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
