MLA Handbook , Ninth Edition
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Whether you have questions about works-cited lists, in-text citations, footnotes, endnotes, or an annotated bibliography, the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook has all the answers about MLA format. You’ll also find the latest information on how to cite song lyrics, websites, e-books, databases, YouTube videos, and any other type of source requiring documentation.
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MLA Guide (7th edition)
The examples provided in this guide are meant to introduce you to the basics of citing sources using the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (seventh edition). For types of resources not included in this guide (e.g., government documents, manuscript collections, video recordings) and for further information about the examples included below, please consult the MLA Handbook itself , and/or a Reference Librarian . For help with layout, margins, spacing and page numbering, see the MLA Handbook (Fig. 12, page 131). Consider using RefWorks to help you track your research and automatically create a bibliography in MLA style.
If you need help with the current version of MLA, please see the guide for MLA ( 8th edition, 2016). If you are unsure which version of MLA to use, please consult with your professor.
Table of Contents:
Parenthetical Documentation Preparing the List of Works Cited A Brief Note on Footnotes and Endnotes For More Help
PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION
When using MLA documentation style, you need to reference your sources by using a combination of a list of works cited (see below) and parenthetical notation . Whenever you refer to or use another's words, facts or ideas in your paper, you are required to cite the source. Generally, brief parenthetical notations consisting of the author's last name and a page reference are sufficient. For example: (Drucker 30) .
Note: If you mention the author in your sentence, then you need only cite the page number . And if you cite more than one work by the same author , include the title of the work in your notation. For example: (Drucker, Management Cases 30) .
1. ONE AUTHOR
The character Folly denies satirizing Christianity when she says, "it is no part of my present plan to rummage through the lives of popes and priests," yet she spends much of her encomium doing just that (Erasmus 115).
2. TWO OR MORE AUTHORS
Max Weber purported that value systems could be studied "without the social scientist's own values distorting such studies" (Keat and Urry 196).
According to Russell Keat and John Urry in Social Science as Theory, Max Weber believed that value systems could be studied "without the social scientist's own values distorting such studies" (196).
Max Weber believed that individuals can objectively study values without their own values interfering with their judgment (Keat and Urry 196).
3. CORPORATE AUTHOR
Children of Central and Eastern Europe have not escaped the nutritional ramifications of iron deficiency, a worldwide problem (UNICEF 44).
4. NO AUTHOR
Marketers of health services and products will find the National Center for Health Statistics' site useful, particularly its statistics on mortality rates. Discovering a population's leading causes of death "tells the researcher a lot about its underlying health problems" ("Information to Die For" 40).
5. WORK IN AN ANTHOLOGY
Cite the author of the essay or story and not the editor of the anthology unless they are the same.
Although some critics disliked Mel Brook's 1993 parody of Robin Hood, it is actually "in the mainstream of the Robin Hood tradition" (Knight 461).
6. INDIRECT QUOTATION
Chief Joseph concluded his surrender by stating eloquently: "[.. .] I will fight no more forever" (qtd. in Safire 108).
7. ONLINE RESOURCE
If the work is not paginated, include the name of the author or editor within the context of your sentence (for example, from a discussion list).
Posting on the VICTORIA listserv, Karen O'Connell mentioned a relevant novel by Wilkie Collins that deals with the 19th-century use of arsenic as a complexion improver.
If the work is paginated, cite it as you would a print resource.
Imagine that the sentences above could somehow be synthesized and used in a single paper. The works cited page would look like this:
WORKS CITED
Erasmus, Desiderius. The Praise of Folly. Trans. Clarence H. Miller. New Haven:
Yale University Press, 1979. Print.
"Information to Die For." Marketing Health Services 22.1 (2002): 40-42. ABI/Inform.
Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
Keat, Russell, and John Urry. Social Theory as Science. 2nd ed. London: Routledge
and K. Paul, 1982. Print.
Knight, Stephen. "Robin Hood: Men in Tights: Fitting the Tradition Snugly."
Robin Hood: An Anthology of Scholarship and Criticism. Ed. Stephen
Knight. Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer, 1999. 461-467. Print.
O'Connell, Karen. "Re: Poisoning." VICTORIA. Indiana U. 3 Nov. 2000. Web.
14 Aug. 2009.
Safire, William. Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History. New York: W. W.
Norton and Company, 1992. Print.
UNICEF. Generation in Jeopardy: Children in Central and Eastern Europe and the
Former Soviet Union. Ed. Alexander Zouev. Armonk: M. E. Sharpe, 1999.
Print.
PREPARING THE LIST OF WORKS CITED
As demonstrated above, a works cited page consists of an alphabetical listing of the books, articles and other sources that you parenthetically noted in your paper. The works cited page occurs at the end of your paper; however, it is useful to create a draft of it before you begin writing. Following are typical examples of the types of references you will use in your research.
Include some or all of the following elements in your book citation:
- Author or editor
- Title (italicized)
- Translator or compiler
- Volume(s) used
- Name of series
- Place of publication, publisher, and date of publication
- Page numbers
- Name of vendor, database, or provider (italicized)
- Medium of publication consulted (e.g., Print)
- Date of access (Web only; day, month, year)
- Supplementary information and annotation
1. ONE AUTHOR OR EDITOR
Cather, Willa. The Professor's House. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1925. Print.
UNICEF. Generation in Jeopardy: Children in Central and Eastern Europe
and the Former Soviet Union. Ed. Alexander Zouev. Armonk: M. E.
Sharpe, 1999. Print.
Hudson, Valerie N., ed. Culture and Foreign Policy. Boulder: L. Rienner
Publishers, 1997. Print.
2. TWO OR MORE AUTHORS OR EDITORS
Names should be given in the order in which they appear on the title page.
Keat, Russell, and John Urry. Social Theory as Science. 2nd ed. London: Routledge
and K. Paul, 1982. Print.
Kennedy, Mary, Kathy Lubelska, and Val Walsh, eds. Making Connections: Women's
Studies, Women's Movements, Women's Lives. London: Taylor and Francis,
1993. Print.
3. ELECTRONIC BOOK
Include the vendor, database, or provider's name (italicized) and date of access (day, month, year) .
Turam, Berna. Between Islam and the State: The Politics of Engagement. Stanford,
CA: Stanford UP, 2007. NetLibrary. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
If the book is accessed from a SCHOLARLY PROJECT , also include the project name, place of publication, and the date of the electronic publication if available.
Child, Lydia Maria. An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans.
Boston: Allen and Ticknor, 1833. Women Writers Online. Brown U. Web. 14
Aug. 2009.
4. ANTHOLOGY
Knight, Stephen. "Robin Hood: Men in Tights: Fitting the Tradition Snugly."
Robin Hood: An Anthology of Scholarship and Criticism. Ed. Stephen
Barrick, Richard, John Sullivan, and Alexander White. "The American Bloody Register."
Pillars of Salt: An Anthology of Early American Criminal Narratives. Comp.
Daniel E. Williams. Madison: Madison House, 1993. 233-258. Print.
5. INTRODUCTION, PREFACE, FOREWORD, OR AFTERWORD
Ritterson, Michael. Introduction. The Odin Field: A Story. By Wilhem Raabe.
Trans. Michael Ritterson. Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, and Culture.
Rochester: Camden House, 2001. xi-xxvii. Print.
6. MULTIVOLUME WORK
Tomkins, Silvan S. Affect, Imagery, Consciousness. 4 vols. New York: Springer,
1962-1992. Print.
Anthony, Robert N., and James S. Reece. Accounting Principles. 7th ed. Chicago:
Irwin, 1995. Print.
8. TRANSLATION
Erasmus, Desiderius. The Praise of Folly. Trans. Clarence H. Miller. New Haven:
Yale, 1979. Print.
9. ARTICLE IN A REFERENCE BOOK
"Audubon, John James." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Micropaedia. 15th
ed. 2002. Print.
"Audubon, John James." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
Ebeling, Richard, ed. Global Free Trade: Rhetoric or Reality? Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale
College Press, 1993. Print. Champions of Freedom 20.
B. Articles in Periodicals
Include some or all of the following in your article citation:
- Article title (usually in quotation marks)
- Periodical title (italicized)
- Series/Issue number or name
- Volume number
- Issue number (if available)
- Publication date (year for scholarly journals; day, month, year for others, as available)
- Medium of publication
- Name of database (italicized and placed before medium of publication) (Web only)
- Date of access (day, month, year) (Web only)
1. SCHOLARLY JOURNAL
Freedman, L. "The Changing Forms of Military Conflict." Survival 40.4 (1998): 39-56.
Print.
Kirby, John T. "Aristotle on Metaphor." American Journal of Philology 118.4
(1997): 517-554. Print.
Online Journal -- Use n. pag. to indicate the absence of inclusive page numbers.
Ketabgian, Tamara. Rev. of The Body Economic: Life, Death, and Sensation in
Political Economy and the Victorian Novel, by Catherine Gallagher. Bryn Mawr
Review of Comparative Literature 6.2 (2007): n. pag. Web. 19 Aug. 2009.
Chan, Winnie. "Curry on the Divide in Rudyard Kipling's Kim and Gurinder Chadha's
Bend it Like Beckham." ARIEL: A Review of International English
Literature 36.3-4 (2005): 1-23. Web. 14. Aug. 2009.
Full text of an article from a Database -- Include the name of the database, the name of the database provider and the date of access. Use n. pag. to indicate the absence of inclusive page numbers.
Freedman, Lawrence. "The Changing Forms of Military Conflict." Survival 40.4 (1998):
39-56. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
Kirby, John T. "Aristotle on Metaphor." American Journal of Philology 118.4 (1997):
517-554. JSTOR. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
2. MAGAZINE
Monthly or Bimonthly
Goldberger, Paul. "Machines for Living: Architectonic Allure of the Automobile."
Architectural Digest Oct. 1996: 82.
Weekly
Levy, Steven, and Brad Stone. "Silicon Valley Reboots." Newsweek 25 Mar.
2002: 42-50. Print.
2002: 42-50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
3. ANONYMOUS ARTICLE
"Information to Die For." Marketing Health Services 22.1 (2002): 40-42. Print.
"Information to Die For." Marketing Health Services 22.1 (2002): 40-42. ABI/Inform. 14 Aug. 2009.
4. NEWSPAPER
Pianin, Eric. "Use of Arsenic in Wood Products to End." The Washington Post 13
Feb. 2002, final ed.: A2. Print.
Pianin, Eric. "Use of Arsenic in Wood Products to End." The Washington Post 13 Feb.
2002, final ed.: A2. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
Nash, Alanna. "Hit 'em with a lizard!" Rev. of Basket Case, by Carl Hiaasen. New
York Times 3 Feb. 2002, late ed., sec. 7: 24. Print.
York Times 3 Feb. 2002, late ed., sec. 7: 24. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 14
C. Web Sites
Following are elements to include when citing entire Web sites. Keep in mind that
if you cannot find all of the elements, you should include whatever is available on the site . The URL is no longer required unless locating the site requires it or your professor requires it.
- Title of Web site (italicized)
- Site publisher/sponsor
- Date of site's publication (if none, use n.d. )
- Date of access (day, month, year)
1. SCHOLARLY PROJECT
Crane, Gregory, ed. Perseus Digital Library. Dept. of the Classics, Tufts U.
n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
2. PROFESSIONAL SITE
Financial Accounting Standards Board . Feb. 2002. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
3. PERSONAL SITE
Lewis, Paul. The Wilkie Collins Pages. n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.
<http://www.paullewis.co.uk/>.
See also Electronic Book and Periodicals above.
D. Online Postings
To cite a posting from a discussion list, include the following elements if available:
- Author of posting
- Title of posting (from subject line of posting, in quotes)
- Name of discussion list
- Date of posting
- 5. Medium of publication
- Date of access
O'Connell, Karen. "Re: Poisoning." VICTORIA. Indiana U. 3 Nov. 2000. Web.
A BRIEF NOTE ON FOOTNOTES AND ENDNOTES
Long explanatory footnotes or endnotes can distract the reader. Nevertheless, you may occasionally need to clarify a citation with a bibliographic note . Or you may wish to incorporate information that might interest your reader but which would seem tangential if included within the text of your paper. In this case, you would use a content note. Notes are indicated with consecutive superscript numbers within the text of your paper. The actual note is indented and can occur either as a footnote at the bottom of the page or as an endnote at the end of the paper.
1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTE
Nineteenth-century critics of cheap, mass-produced fiction feared that the gory subject matter of stories like Sweeney Todd would lead a generation of youth into depravity. 1
1 For a selection of penny fiction as well as 19th-century criticism of it, see
Haining's The Penny Dreadful .
2. CONTENT NOTE
Charles Knight did not rely solely on the cheaply printed word in publications like the Penny Magazine to educate people; he also mass-produced images to diffuse knowledge visually. 2
2 Patricia Anderson's The Printed Image and the Transformation of Popular Culture, 1790-1860 provides examples of Penny Magazine images, such as depictions of flamingos, reproduced portraits of people like Benjamin Franklin, and engravings of famous artworks like "The Dying Gladiator" and "Laocoon" (50-83).
FOR MORE HELP
Following are links to sites that have additional information and further examples:
- RefWorks : Once you have created an account, go to Tools/Preview Output Style to see examples of MLA style.
- Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) : Excellent source for research, writing and citation tips.
- Citing Sources : Duke University's guide to citing sources. The site offers comparison citation tables with examples from APA , Chicago , MLA and Turabian for both print and electronic works.
- Citing Electronic Primary Sources : From the Library of Congress. Provides MLA and Turabian examples of citing formats such as films, photographs, maps and recorded sound that are accessed electronically.
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MLA Eighth Edition: What's New and Different
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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
In April 2016, MLA replaced its seventh edition resources with a new eighth edition. This updated version reflects the ways in which digital publication has changed how writers and researchers document sources. Therefore, the new edition includes significant shifts in the approach to source documentation in academic writing. While earlier editions emphasized the importance of following specific guidelines for formatting, the eighth edition focuses on the practice and process of scholarly documentation. The logic here is basic: a style guide should offer a method that is widely applicable. Rather than insisting that writers follow strict citation formulas, this handbook outlines the principles of MLA documentation and explains how writers can use them in many different situations.
For this reason, the new edition focuses on the writer’s strategy and individual decisions. Not all scholarly prose is the same, and writers should evaluate their readers and determine how to best engage them. The writer’s goal should be to provide a document and list of sources that is easy for readers to use, so that the reading experience is informative and enjoyable .
Like earlier editions, this handbook includes information on evaluating sources, avoiding plagiarism, using quotations, constructing abbreviations, and other topics important to the scholarly writer. But what is different about the eighth edition is that it recommends a universal set of guidelines that writers can apply to any source, in any field. In the past, writers would create an entry in a works cited list by looking at MLA’s instructions for how to cite a specific type of source. For example, if you needed to cite a film, you would consult the handbook to see the proper format for documenting film. In this new edition, MLA explains that this method is no longer practical, since types of sources are sometimes undefinable, or accessible in more than one way (for instance, a YouTube clip from a film is not the same as the original film itself). Therefore, the eighth edition offers a new model for entries in a works cited list, so that rather than consulting the handbook for the proper way to document a specific type of source, the writer creates entries by consulting MLA’s list of core elements and compiling them in the recommended order.
Core elements are those basic pieces of information that should be common to all sources, from books to articles, from lectures to tweets. The MLA core elements are as follows:
If you have included these elements and assembled them in a way that makes sense to your readers, then your works cited entries will be consistent and thorough.
For more information, you can always consult the MLA Handbook (8 th edition) or visit the MLA Style Center .
Since the eighth edition focuses on the principles of documenting sources, rather than on strict adherence to a particular format for each source, citations in this new edition vary only slightly from the old ways. When comparing works cited entries in the new eighth edition with the former seventh edition, see that differences in citation style are minimal; punctuation is streamlined, volume and issue numbers are identified as such, and there is no excess information such as city of publication or media type.
Note the differences in citing a print book with one author :
Eighth edition (the new way) :
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction . Oxford UP, 2011.
In this version, only the most essential information is included (author’s name, book title, publisher, and date). Note that the city of publication is not needed, and the medium of publication is eliminated.
Seventh edition (the old way) :
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction . Oxford: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
This version includes the city of publication (Oxford) and the medium (print), which the new eighth edition does not require.
The differences in citing an article from a scholarly journal :
Eighth edition :
Kincaid, Jamaica. “In History.” Callaloo , vol. 24, no. 2, Spring 2001, pp. 620-26.
This version identifies the volume (24), the number (2), and the page numbers (620-26) of the scholarly journal, rather than leaving those numbers without clear explanation. This helps readers best make sense of your citation and allows them to locate your source without getting bogged down with extra information or references that can be difficult to decipher. Also note that punctuation is simple; only commas separate the journal title, volume, number, date, and page numbers.
Seventh edition :
Kincaid , Jamaica. “In History.” Callaloo 24.2 (Spring 2001): 620-26. Web.
This version includes the volume and number (24.2), and page numbers (620-26) of the journal, but does not explain those references. The seventh edition emphasized following a strict punctuation formula, such as parentheses around the date and the colon, while the new eighth edition focuses on providing this information in a more streamlined manner by using only commas to separate each component.
If you are already familiar with traditional MLA citation methods, continue to use them in a more simplified form. Since the eighth edition emphasizes the writer’s freedom to create references based on the expectations of the audience, consider what your readers need to know if they want to find your source.
- Think of MLA style principles as flexible guides, rather than rules. Part of your responsibility as a writer is to evaluate your readers and decide what your particular audience needs to know about your sources.
- Your goal is to inform, persuade, and otherwise connect with your audience; error-free writing, along with trustworthy documentation, allows readers to focus on your ideas.
- In-text citations should look consistent throughout your paper. The principles behind in-text citations have changed very little from the seventh to the eighth editions.
- List of works cited/works consulted needs to include basic core information, such as author’s name, title of source, publication date, and other information, depending on the type of source. Each entry should be uniform and simple, but should give enough information so that your readers can locate your sources.
- These updated MLA guidelines are based on a simple theory: once you know the basic principles of style and citation, you can apply that knowledge widely, and generate useful documentation for any type of publication, in any field.
For a more detailed overview of how to cite sources using the eighth edition, see How to Cite Document Sources in MLA Style: An Overview .
COMMENTS
format recommended by the MLA for preparing a research paper. Examples of works cited are listed on the reverse side. A copy of the MLA Handbook is at the Reference Desk. More information about the MLA style is at: style.mla.org. Basic Format: Use standard-sized paper, 8 ½ x 11 inches. Use an easily readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt.)
An MLA Style paper should: Be typed on white 8.5" x 11" paper. Double-space everything. Use 12 pt. Times New Roman (or similar) font. Leave only one space after punctuation. Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch. Guidelines (cont.)
MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION (MLA) STYLE (9TH EDITION) MLA style is mainly used by students in English and the Humanities. It consists of two parts: a list of works cited, and parenthetical references (also called in-text citations) within the text of your essay. For further assistance in writing research papers and citing sources in the MLA ...
This 9th edition focuses on clarification, guidance, and expansion on MLA 8, an edition that featured extensive changes. The use of core elements for Works Cited was designed to be more user-friendly, with built-in flexibility that allows writers to cite their sources in ways that works best for their specific projects.
Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from ...
Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is the only official, authorized book on MLA format. The ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases ...
About MLA Handbook Plus; Formatting Your Research Project; Interactive Practice Template; MLA Handbook, 9th Edition; Ask the MLA; Sample Essays: Writing with MLA Style; Using MLA Format; Works Cited: A Quick Guide
The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab. Accessed 18 Jun. 2018. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations ...
The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook, published in spring 2021, builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song ...
approach to MLA style yet with the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. The ninth edition works as both a text-book and a reference guide. Focusing on source evaluation, it features a wealth of visual examples and updated advice on punctuation and grammar, footnotes and endnotes, annotated bibliographies, and paper formatting.
MLA Handbook. (Spring 2021) Published in April 2021, the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook works as both a textbook and a reference guide. You can order a copy from the MLA Bookstore. An all-in-one resource that makes MLA style easier to learn and use for writers at any level, the handbook includes. expanded, in-depth guidance on how to use the ...
MLA Citation Guide -th9 edition This is a basic guide to the MLA style of citation. For more in-depth information, please see: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (9th Ed.) THE CORE ELEMENTS The ninth edition of MLA focuses on pieces of information which are common to most sources (core elements). Determine which pieces of
The MLA Handbook makes it easier. Whether you have questions about works-cited lists, in-text citations, footnotes, endnotes, or an annotated bibliography, the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook has all the answers about MLA format. You'll also find the latest information on how to cite song lyrics, websites, e-books, databases, YouTube videos ...
Style Guidelines - 9th EditionThe Modern Language Association of America (MLA) published the 9th Edition o. he MLA Handbook in April 2021. Please note: your institution or instructor may still. be using the 8th Edition of MLA. Be sure to carefully review your syllabus, assignment instructions, and professor expectations to determine w.
Provides MLA and Turabian examples of citing formats such as films, photographs, maps and recorded sound that are accessed electronically. The examples provided in this guide are meant to introduce you to the basics of citing sources using the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (seventh edition). For types of resources not included in ...
The first page of an MLA-style paper must include a heading. The heading begins in the upper-left corner, one inch from the top of the page. It consists of your name, the instructor's name, the course, and the date. Double-space all information. Double-space from the last line of the heading to the title.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Sixth Edition Joseph Gibaldi THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA New York 2003. Contents Foreword by Phyllis Franklin xv CHAPTER 1: Research and Writing 1.1. The Research Paper as a Form of Exploration 3 1.2. The Research Paper as a Form of Communication 5 1.3. ... An Edition 163 5.6.13. A ...
In April 2016, MLA replaced its seventh edition resources with a new eighth edition. This updated version reflects the ways in which digital publication has changed how writers and researchers document sources. Therefore, the new edition includes significant shifts in the approach to source documentation in academic writing.
The fourth edition of the MLA Handbook presents a comprehensive guide to preparing research papers and contains detailed information on using computers for research and writing and on citing electronic publications. Since the publication of the first edition in 1977, the MLA Handbook has sold more than three million copies worldwide. Completely revised and updated, the fourth edition presents ...