Difference between revisions of "MLA Style"
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
== A Brief Overview == | == A Brief Overview == | ||
| − | + | In the college setting, any academic paper that uses outside sources will require some form of citation. A citation is a reference to another source of information. The two most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA). These two are the most commonly used formats in the First Year Writing Program at EMU, but other citation styles, such as Chicago and Council of Science Editors (CSE), may be required in other classes. Usually professors will make their preference clear, but if not this Wiki page will provide a brief overview of both citation styles to help you determine which best suits your paper. | |
| + | |||
| + | First, it’s important to understand why we use citations. They: | ||
| + | * Credit others’ work | ||
| + | * Lend credibility to your work by linking yourself to reputable sources/scholars | ||
| + | * Establish your integrity as a student working in an academic community | ||
| + | * Demonstrate the effort and research you’ve done to craft a paper | ||
| + | * Lead your reader toward several sources that they could, in turn, examine as part of their research process | ||
| + | |||
| + | Using outside resources makes your work more credible. Think of it this way: instead of standing alone defending your work, you have a chorus of voices standing behind you reinforcing your ideas. Anytime you incorporate another’s work, you should include a citation, whether you’re quoting directly or paraphrasing (for an overview on what constitutes direct quotations or paraphrasing, see our Wiki entry entitled “Quotation & Paraphrase”). | ||
Revision as of 17:41, November 12, 2013
A Brief Overview
In the college setting, any academic paper that uses outside sources will require some form of citation. A citation is a reference to another source of information. The two most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA). These two are the most commonly used formats in the First Year Writing Program at EMU, but other citation styles, such as Chicago and Council of Science Editors (CSE), may be required in other classes. Usually professors will make their preference clear, but if not this Wiki page will provide a brief overview of both citation styles to help you determine which best suits your paper.
First, it’s important to understand why we use citations. They:
- Credit others’ work
- Lend credibility to your work by linking yourself to reputable sources/scholars
- Establish your integrity as a student working in an academic community
- Demonstrate the effort and research you’ve done to craft a paper
- Lead your reader toward several sources that they could, in turn, examine as part of their research process
Using outside resources makes your work more credible. Think of it this way: instead of standing alone defending your work, you have a chorus of voices standing behind you reinforcing your ideas. Anytime you incorporate another’s work, you should include a citation, whether you’re quoting directly or paraphrasing (for an overview on what constitutes direct quotations or paraphrasing, see our Wiki entry entitled “Quotation & Paraphrase”).
