Computer Concepts in Action ©2009

Introduction:
Practice citing sources.

Directions:
Read the information below.
Click the Destination Site link(s) to find out more about the topic.
Apply what you learn to answer the questions.
Check your work carefully, and click Submit.

MLA
The Modern Language Association (MLA) is an organization that provides a popular set of guidelines for citing sources in your paper. The format of your citation, such as punctuation, italics, underlining, and order of information, will depend on the type of citation and the source of your information.

The two preferred MLA ways to cite sources in a research paper are endnotes and the works-cited page.

Endnotes
Endnotes list sources cited in the body of the paper in the order they were cited. The first line is indented and a number appears in superscript at the end of each sentence, phrase, or clause that contains information that needs to be cited. The numbers then match up to the citation list on a separate page at the end of your paper.

¹⁵Amy L. Brown, Creative Beach House Decorating (Venice: Feaux Reality Press, 2006) 94.

Works Cited Page
The works-cited page is an alphabetical list of all the sources you cite in the body of the paper. This also appears on a separate page at the end of the research paper. However, instead of a superscript number, the works-cited format includes an in-text citation.

The ocean view should be the main focus when deciding which direction furniture should face (Brown).

Amy L. Brown, Beach House Decorating. Venice : Feaux Reality Press, 2006.

Online Sources of Information
The citation format you use for online sources depends on the type of source. There are four major types of sites you will use for most reports and other documents.

Online Newspaper or Magazine Articles – When citing an online magazine or newspaper article, the author's last name appears before the first name. The author's name is followed by the title of the article in quotation marks, then the date it was published. Finally, include the date that you read the article. Here is an example:

Professional Sites – A professional site is one posted by a school, government, museum, company, or other organization. The citation for a professional site begins with the title of the Web page or section you used, in quotation marks. Here is an example:

"Ten Ways to Improve Your Grades." Hawaii Math Sit. Hawaii Community
        College. 27 March 2006. 10 April 2008.

Reference Database Sites – Reference database sites include online dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases. Begin with the article title in quotation marks, followed by the underlined database title. Here is an example:

"Calculation." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 1999. 10 April 2008.

Personal Web Pages – When citing someone's personal Web page, begin the citation with the author's full name, or screen name. Follow the author's name with the underlined title of the Web page. Here is an example:

Williams, Kenneth. An Easy Cure For "Math Phobia". 07 July 2005 , 11 April 2008.

Visit the following Web site to explore different formats for citing sources, including print resources.

Destination Site: A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation

If this link is inactive or to find other Internet sites with similar information, use a search engine. Here are some keywords you might use: MLA, Modern Language Association, proper citations.

After you have read the material, answer the following questions.

Note: All citations are invented for teaching purposes.

1			Which text of the following citation for an online article should be underlined? "Vacation Hazards." vacationplanners.com. Library of Congress, 15 February 2004. 21 December 200.
2			Would the following citation be used for an endnote or works-cited list? 8 London J. Wilkes, High Fashion Dressing for Babies (Venice:Feaux Reality Press, 2005) 104.
3			What are three examples of a Reference Database Site?
4			Visit the MLA resource at www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml and select CITING SOURCES. What is the proper format for citing newspaper editorials?