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Table of contents

• Journal vs. magazine

• In-text citations

• MLA updates

• Works Cited help

Journals are often published by an academic or professional organization to advance knowledge in a particular discipline. Journals usually contain:

• Scholarly articles with abstracts and references (footnotes, in-text citations, bibliography)
   

• Scholarly vocabulary, including words and ideas that might be understood only by other experts on the topic
   

• Few photos, pictures, or ads

Magazines appeal to a general audience and usually:

• Do not include footnotes or references
   

• Include pictures, colorful design elements, decorative fonts, and ads

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Place a citation as close to the quoted or paraphrased material as possible without disrupting the sentence.
 

When material from one source and the same page numbers is used throughout a paragraph, use one citation at the end of the paragraph rather than a citation at the end of each sentence.
 

Parenthetical citations usually appear after the final quotation mark and before the period. An exception occurs, however, in quotes of four or more lines since these quotes are presented as block quotes: that is, they are indented and use no quotation marks. In such cases, the parenthetical citation goes after the period.

For help with in-text citations, visit these sites:

• In-Text Citation Basics: From the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University.
   

• Create MLA Parenthetical Citations: A good overview from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
   

• MLA Parenthetical Documentation: General guidelines, including use of authors' names, placement of citations, and treatment of electronic sources.
   

• NoodleTools Knowledge Base: Detailed Q&A about a variety of in-text citation situations.

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Beginning in April 2009, the rules in 7th edition of The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing are in effect. The updates include no changes to the formatting of your paper or in-text citations, but there are major changes to Works Cited entries, including:

• Italicize rather than underline titles of works
   

• Do not provide URLs for web sources unless the information in the citation is insufficient to lead a reader to the source
   

• Include the medium of publication (e.g., print, web)

See a summary of MLA updates (April 2009).

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Edition): Online version of the manual (see Ms. Hickson for password info).

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Works Cited help

Because the MLA updates are so new, the citation web sites listed below have not yet incorporated the new style guidelines. Follow the examples in the MLA update summary, and use these sites with caution:

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide: From the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University.
   

• Overview of MLA Citation Style: From the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.
   

• Sample Works Cited Page Entries: From the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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©2009 • North Hunterdon High School • Updated 05/14/2009