Research Guides

MLA is a citation style created by the Modern Language Association. It is used for research papers for many disciplines, including English.

You must cite all sources that you've paraphrased or quoted to write your paper. Sources are cited in a Works Cited page at the end of your paper, and (if your teacher requires it) in the body of your paper with in-text citations.

What is citation?

A research project will include facts, opinions, quotations, and images taken from a variety of print, non-print, and electronic sources. Citing sources is providing select information about each source used for a project. You should cite not only what you quote, but also what you paraphrase.

Why do we cite?

• to give proper credit for words, ideas, graphics, or other information you borrow from others.
• to help readers find sources you used in case they want to read more from those pieces for themselves.
• to avoid plagiarism.

Purdue OWL MLA Guide