This document discusses the proper use of quotations and citations. It explains that citations are used to avoid plagiarism and allow readers to find sources. It describes the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style, including in-text citations, Works Cited pages, and formatting guidelines. Examples are provided for both in-text citations and Works Cited entries for various source types like books and websites. The document directs readers to the Purdue OWL website for more detailed MLA style guidance.

1. Quotations and Citations

2.  To avoid plagiarism
 So the reader knows where you’re getting your
information
 So the reader can consult your sources for further
research

3.  MLA: Modern Language Association
◦ Citation style developed by the Modern Language
Association of America, an organization dedicated to
scholarship, research, and teaching, particularly of
language and literature
◦ www.mla.org

4.  A list of all the sources you have cited in the text
of your paper
 Listed alphabetically
 Double-spaced, with the second and subsequent
lines indented for each entry

5.  Provide in-text citations for all direct quotes and
paraphrases.
 Purpose: so the reader can find the full listing of
the source of the quote/paraphrase in the Works
Cited page

6.  The author-page style
◦ Use only the author’s last name in the citation followed
by the page number:
 Example: “Nor is Sauron himself more than a cipher”
(Hourihan 34).
◦ If the author is mentioned in the sentence, then include
only the page number of the text:
 Example: As Hourihan says, “Nor is Sauron himself more
than a cipher” (34).
 Note that the citation and the period come after the closing
quotation mark.

7.  Non-print sources (ex. from the Internet, speeches,
presentations)
◦ Include the first item from the corresponding Works Cited entry
(ex. author name, article name, website name, etc.)
◦ Do not include page numbers, as there are none
◦ Example:
Boghossian writes that objective morality does not exist, that “moral
right and wrong are to be relativized to a community’s ‘moral
code.’” However, such a claim does not take into account certain
scientific findings.
Works Cited
Boghossian, Paul. “The Maze of Moral Relativism.” New York Times,
24 Jul. 2011, opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/the- maze-
of-moral-relativism/?_r=0. Accessed 19 Dec. 2014.

8.  Example:
◦ As Hourihan says, “Nor is Sauron himself more than a cipher. He
has no discernible motivation […] Neither Sauron nor his servants
the Orcs provide any insights into the nature of institutionalized or
individual evil […] The Lord of the Rings simply reasserts the
traditional dualisms” (34). It is true that “Many fantasy stories are
at best simple good versus evil stories” (Birzer 129).
◦ Works Cited:
Birzer, Bradley J. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth:
Understanding Middle-Earth. ISI Books, 2002.
Hourihan, Margery. Deconstructing the Hero: Literary Theory
and Children’s Literature. Routledge, 1997.

9.  For more information, consult the Purdue OWL
website:
◦ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
 ‘MLA 2016 Formatting and Style Guide’ link at right
 MLA Vidcast series:

10.  For more information, consult the Purdue OWL
website:
◦ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
 ‘MLA 2016 Formatting and Style Guide’ link at right
 MLA Vidcast series: