MLA Guidelines for IEG Södermalm

Academic Integrity & the MLA
Dr Jon Buscall * August 2008 *

Every game has rules

Some folks obey them...

Others don’t !

At school, university, and in the real world...

it’s not OK to pass other people’s work off as your own.

Written work that does so is referred to as plagiarism

plagiarism : the act of presenting the words, ideas, images, sounds, or the creative expression of others as your own.

IEGS values academic integrity

And thus requires you to use the MLA

Think of it as a way to document your essays, illustrating what is exactly your work and what information comes from established scholars...

With the MLA your work will ooze professionalism...

And it won’t cause you...

...pain and ignominy

Plagiarism is usually punished ...
with suspension
the sack
the loss of your reputation
the loss of face

“ So what do I have to do ?”

The first thing you need to know...

...is how to format your essay

Instructions...
use A4 paper
set the font to 12 point, New Times Roman
2.54 cm margins
double-space your text throughout
use a running header with your name: e.g. Buscall 1
number pages consecutively, starting on the first page

Indent the first line of each paragraph by five spaces (tab)‏

Next up is...

Parenthetical or in-text citation ...

To explain...
Within the body of your text, you must cite your sources as you use them...
You must cite any and all data, facts, information, opinions, ideas, tables, charts, photographs, etc, that you obtained in your research

What’s more...
References in the text must clearly point to specific sources in the list of works cited and i dentify the location of the information referred to as specifically as possible

and that means..?

E.g. Author’s name in text:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).

E.g. Author’s name in reference:
Romantic poetry is characterised by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).

E.g. Author’s name in text:
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Citations refer to the entry in the Works Cited page

Works Cited Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . London: Oxford UP, 1967.

More Examples...
Multiple Citations
... as has been discussed elsewhere (Burke 3; Dawson 21).
Authors with the same surname :
“ All dogs should be trained to sit before the age of five,” is a good approach to basic dog training (M. King 17).

“ Do I need to cite everything ?”

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources.

You do not need to give sources for:
familiar proverbs,
well-known quotations or
common knowledge.

Works Cited...
Under the heading “Works Cited” all sources mentioned in your paper must be listed
List sources alphabetically e.g. Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book . Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Examples... Works Cited Heinerman, John. Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988. Kowalchik, Claire and William H. Hylton. Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998. Wardlaw, Gordon M. and Anne M. Smith. Contemporary Nutrition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2006.

The purpose of the list is to...

...identify and credit the sources you used...

...and enable the reader to locate your sources.

Some final thoughts...

Formatting rules make essays uniform and easier to read...

In-text citations document your sources, establish your credibility and help justify your argument.

The “Works Cited” list allows readers to refer for themselves to scholarly material...

If the goal is to prevent plagiarism...
establish a climate where academic integrity is valued
design assignments that require students to document their sources
set up check-points in the form of drafts, outlines, preliminary Works Cited
keep portfolios of student writing to refer to
vary assignments and topic suggestions frequently
clarify the extent to which collaboration is acceptable

Resources
MLA Style Guide
IEG Södermalm MLA Style Guide handout

http://www.engelskagymnasiet.se	74
http://www.jontusmedia.com	10
http://whsresourcecenter.wikispaces.com	4
http://blendedschools.blackboard.com	2
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MLA Guidelines for IEG Södermalm

by jon buscall on Aug 14, 2008

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MLA Guidelines for IEG Södermalm — Presentation Transcript