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Use an organizational system like Noodletools to keep track of your research. Be sure to write down the exactwords precisely as you read or heard them to avoid plagiarism.
Record all the information about that source you are going to need later: author’s name, title of book or website, page numbers, etc. See How to Cite specific sources for the complete list.
Create aworks cited list, and is a separate page at the end of your paper, using the citation information you recorded when you were taking notes. See How to make a Works Cited for a sample Works Cited.
In addition to listing all cited sources in the works cited page, you also have to provide an in-text citation for all quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. Refer to our examples of How to format In-Text Citations.
In addition to proper citation, you will also need to integrate your quotations, paraphrases and summaries. To learn more about how to introduce and put quotations into context, visit our guide on How to Integrate Quotations, Paraphrases, and Summaries.
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 new, 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 to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today.