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How to Format Your Paper in MLA Style | Chegg

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Cite this for Me | Free Reference Generator - Harvard, APA, MLA, Chicago...

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FREE Citation Machine: Accurate & Easy-to-Use | Cite This For Me

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Use Cite This For Me's FREE citation machine to get accurate citations in seconds. Sign up now & choose from over 1,000 styles including APA, MLA, Chicago & ASA.

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Citing your sources is essential in academic writing. Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a citation crediting the original author.

Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism, since you're presenting someone else's ideas as if they were your own.

The most commonly used citation styles are APA and MLA. The free Scribbr Citation Generator is the quickest way to cite sources in these styles. Simply enter the URL, DOI, or title, and we'll generate an accurate, correctly formatted citation.

Generate accurate citations with Scribbr

When do you need to cite sources?

Citations are required in all types of academic texts. They are needed for several reasons:

To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you're taking information from another source

To give proper credit to the author of that source

To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselves

A citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:

Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don't forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos, and lectures.

Note
You usually don't need to cite common knowledge. This is information that you can assume most people know, such as the fact that Tokyo is the capital city of Japan.

Which citation style should you use?

Usually, your institution (or the journal you're submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor.

In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently:

APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and beyond.

MLA style is common in the humanities.

Chicago style consists of two systems:

There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.

If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow.

See our APA vs. MLA article for a comparison of two of the most popular styles. You can also use the interactive tool below to explore the format for various source types in both styles.

In most styles, your citations consist of:

In-text citations

In-text citations most commonly take the form of parenthetical citations featuring the last name of the source's author and its year of publication (aka author-date citations).

Example: Parenthetical citation (APA)
Evolution is a gradual process that "can act only by very short and slow steps" (Darwin, 1859, p. 510).

An alternative to this type of in-text citation is the system used in numerical citation styles, where a number is inserted into the text, corresponding to an entry in a numbered reference list.

Example: Numerical citation (Vancouver)
Evolution is a gradual process that "can act only by very short and slow steps" (1, p. 510).

There are also note citation styles, where you place your citations in either footnotes or endnotes. Since they're not embedded in the text itself, these citations can provide more detail and sometimes aren't accompanied by a full reference list or bibliography.

Example: Note citation (Chicago)
Evolution is a gradual process that "can act only by very short and slow steps."¹
1. Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species (London: John Murray, 1859), 510.

Note
Some special Latin terms are also used in in-text citations, such as "et al." (used for multiple authors) and "ibid." (used for repeated citations).

Reference lists and bibliographies

A reference list (aka "Bibliography" or "Works Cited," depending on the style) is where you provide full information on each of the sources you've cited in the text. It appears at the end of your paper, usually with a hanging indent applied to each entry.

The information included in reference entries is broadly similar, whatever citation style you're using. For each source, you'll typically include the:

Author name

Title

Publication date

Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in)

Publisher

Location (e.g., a URL or DOI, or sometimes a physical location)

The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization, use of italics) also varies.

Most commonly, the entries in your reference list are alphabetized by author name. This allows the reader to easily find the relevant entry based on the author name in your in-text citation.

In numerical citation styles, the entries in your reference list are numbered, usually based on the order in which you cite them. The reader finds the right entry based on the number that appears in the text.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Because each style has many small differences regarding things like italicization, capitalization, and punctuation, it can be difficult to get every detail right. Using a citation generator can save you a lot of time and effort.

Scribbr offers citation generators for both APA and MLA style. Both are quick, easy to use, and 100% free, with no ads and no registration required.

Just input a URL or DOI or add the source details manually, and the generator will automatically produce an in-text citation and reference entry in the correct format. You can save your reference list as you go and download it when you're done, and even add annotations for an annotated bibliography.
Scribbr Citation Generator
Other useful citation tools

Once you've prepared your citations, you might still be unsure if they're correct and if you've used them appropriately in your text. This is where Scribbr's other citation tools and services may come in handy:

Plagiarism Checker

Plagiarism means passing off someone else's words or ideas as your own. It's a serious offense in academia. Universities use plagiarism checking software to scan your paper and identify any similarities to other texts.

When you're dealing with a lot of sources, it's easy to make mistakes that could constitute accidental plagiarism. For example, you might forget to add a citation after a quote, or paraphrase a source in a way that's too close to the original text.

Using a plagiarism checker yourself before you submit your work can help you spot these mistakes before they get you in trouble. Based on the results, you can add any missing citations and rephrase your text where necessary.

Try out the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker for free, or check out our detailed comparison of the best plagiarism checkers available online.
Scribbr Plagiarism Checker
Citation Checker

Scribbr's Citation Checker is a unique AI-powered tool that automatically detects stylistic errors and inconsistencies in your in-text citations. It also suggests a correction for every mistake.

Currently available for APA Style, this is the fastest and easiest way to make sure you've formatted your citations correctly. You can try out the tool for free below.
Citation Checker
Citation Editing

If you need extra help with your reference list, we also offer a more in-depth Citation Editing Service.

Our experts cross-check your in-text citations and reference entries, make sure you've included the correct information for each source, and improve the formatting of your reference page.
Citation Editing
Citation examples and full guides

If you want to handle your citations yourself, Scribbr's free Knowledge Base provides clear, accurate guidance on every aspect of citation. You can see citation examples for a variety of common source types below:

And you can check out our comprehensive guides to the most popular citation styles:

Frequently asked questions about citing sources

When do I need to cite sources?

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays, research papers, and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Who uses APA Style?

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

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How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide

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To cite a source, you need an in-text citation and a reference entry. Auto-cite in the right format with our free citation generator.

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General Paper Format According to MLA Formatting Rules

Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper,

Double-space the entire paper, and use a legible font like Times Roman. The font size should be 11 or 12 pt font. NO larger than 12 point font.

Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of a paragraph one half-inch (five spaces or press tab once) from the left margin.

Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin and make sure the header includes your last name.Go to insert, page number - top of page, right side, then type in your last name before the number

Use either italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis. CHANGE: No more underlining major works (books, journals, newspapers, movies, etc.)- only italicize!

Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.

In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

Double space again and center the title. Don't underline your title or put it in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case, not in all capital letters.

What is a Quote?

There are three basic ways to quote:

*Summary - Summarize large chunks of what you read by recording the general idea of the material. Cite the information with an in-text parenthetical citation.

*Paraphrase - Read the work and restate all of the material in your own words. Cite the information with an in-text parenthetical citation.

*Quotation - If what the speaker or author said was important in the exact order that he or she stated it, record the sentence(s) word-for-word as a direct quotation. Remember to put quotation marks around the sentence(s) to remind you later that it is a direct quotation. If you copy and paste phrases from an article, you should put quotation marks around what you copied to remind yourself that it's a direct quote. Cite the information with an in-text parenthetical citation.

Please remember that ALL THREE REQUIRE PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS AND YOUR COMMENTARY.

How to Quote a Source in Your Paper
Integrating Quotes handout: 07-Integrating-Quotations
Integrating Quotes practice: integrating-quotes-practicenew

1. Always introduce the quote.

2. If it is a direct quote, use beginning and ending quotation marks.

3. If you are paraphrasing, you still need to cite your source.

4. Always cite the quote using parentheses, author's last name and pg #. In the case there is no author, use a shortened version of the title (the first 3-4 words of the title). If it is a short piece (like a webpage title), the title is in quotation marks; if it is a long piece (like a book or journal) the title is italicized.

5. For quotations that are four or more lines of verse or prose: place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. If your quote is more than 4 lines long, you must indent the entire quote three times. The quote is still double spaced.

6. Period are placed after the parenthetical citation, however question marks, commas, and exclamation points are placed within the quotation marks followed by a period after the parenthetical citation.

7. Always explain, argue with, or reference the quote you use directly after the quote.

In-text Parenthetical Citations

Immediately following a quotation from a source or a paraphrase of a source's ideas, you place the author's last name followed by a space and the relevant page number(s). ** Parenthetical citations can vary depending on what information is included in the introduction of the quote. If you are writing the source's ideas word for word, you MUST include quotation marks around those words; if you are summarizing or paraphrasing, you do NOT use quotation marks. Either way, you MUST include parenthetical citation.

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work, or italicize it if it's a longer work.

If the source is from the internet and has no page number, omit the page number. Cite the author's last name only. If there is no given author, use the shortened article title. NEVER cite the URL. Don't cite the website. Cite the author's name, or if no author, the article title.

Secondary Sources: Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited in another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:Jenkins discusses the advantages to of fine arts in schools as a "method to teach children to thing critically and creatively"(qtd. in Stephenson 42).

Works Cited

1. The Works Cited is its own page and must have the title centered at the top. See the example for assistance.

2. Include a header on the right-hand side. (Your last name and appropriate page number.)

3. Double-space the page.

4. Indent the second line of the citation. This is called a hanging indent.If you are using Google Docs, place the cursor in front of the second (and third if there is a third) line and hit "enter" and then "tab." If you are using Word, highlight the source entry, go to paragraph arrow; under Indentation go to special and click hanging indent.

5. Put the citations in alphabetical order.

6. Use italics instead of underlining for titles of larger works (books, journals, newspapers, whole websites, movies, album titles).

7. Capitalize each major word in the titles of articles, books, etc.

8. Optional: Include the URL is it is needed in order to easily find the source

Online Citation Makers

You can use an online citation maker, but remember that it will only work if you type the correct information in the correct places, and that you capitalize correctly.

EasyBib

For MLA formatting

BibMe

For MLA formatting

Citation Machine

MLA formatting for websites. You can choose other formats, however.

EasyBib Video

For using an app in Google Docs that uses easybib to create a Works Cited

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MLA Formatting, Quote Citations, and Works Cited

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General Paper Format According to MLA Formatting Rules Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper, Double-space the entire paper, and use a legible font like Times Roman. The font size should be 11 or 12 pt font. NO larger than 12 point font.

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The basic paragraph consists of three parts: a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. This basic paragraph format will help you to write and organize a paragraph and make each paragraph lead to the next.5 Tips for Structuring and Writing Better Paragraphs

1. Make the first sentence of your topic sentence. ...

2. Provide support via the middle sentences. ...

3. Make your last sentence a conclusion or transition. ...

4. Know when to start a new paragraph. ...

5. Use transition words.

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how to write a paragrapgh video clip - Google Search

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Search instead for how to write a paragrapgh video clip