PLAGIARISM & MLA A “Workshop” Brought to You by Ms. MacCartney

PLAGIARISM & MLA

A “Workshop” Brought to You by Ms. MacCartney

What is Plagiarism?

Essentially, plagiarism is not giving credit where credit is due.

What Happens If I Plagiarize?

You will most likely receive a zero on your paper

You may fail the entire class

Some institutions will expel you

It may be on your permanent record

Using MLA Format

MLA (Modern Language Association) is a commonly usedmethod for documenting sources in a written work.

For the beginner, MLA can be daunting, but there are many resources for you to use, and in time, this method willbecome a piece of cake.

Why use MLA format?

Provides consistent format within a particular discipline

Gives you credibility as a writer Protects you from plagiarism

Allows readers to cross reference your sourceseasily

Where do I find MLA?

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research, 7th ed.

Textbooks (Writers Inc., A Writer’s Reference, etc.)

www.mla.org

Purdue OWL

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01

/

Handouts

The library

Teacher website

The teacher??

http://www.mla.org/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/



GENERAL FORMAT/THINGS TO NOTE

• Paper must be typed on standard white paper. • Text of paper must be double-spaced, including

the heading. • Margins are set at 1 inch for left, right, top, and

bottom (older versions of Microsoft Word will set the margins at 1.25 inches for left and right – go in and reset manually).

• 12 point font, Times New Roman• Do Not use abbreviations or contractions EVER• Book titles are italicized (unless you are

handwriting) and short stories are in quotes. If you are not sure, ask!

MORE TO NOTE

• A proper essay consists of at least five paragraphs

• A full paragraph must have at least five sentences

• Indent each paragraph one tab • Pick a tense (past, present, or future) and

stick with that tense. Past or present tend to work best

• Using “you” is incorrect in an essay -use “one”

• Don’t end a sentence with a preposition

MORE? YEP

Quotations•Remember that a comma or period at the end of a direct quotation is tucked inside the ending quotation marks. •Semicolons and colons are place outside ending quotations marks.•If the quotation itself ends with a question mark, the question mark appears inside the quotation marks; if the entire sentence is a question, then the question mark appears outside.

ANNNNDDDD MORE

When writing numbers:•From one to ten, write out the numeral.Example: I have four cats and one dog.

•From 11 on, write the number.Example: There are 650 people living in that township.

•However, do not begin a sentence with a numeral.Example: Twenty members belong to the group.

An MLA Title PageAn MLA Title Page► Do not make an MLA Title Page unless specifically Do not make an MLA Title Page unless specifically

requested to by your teacher.requested to by your teacher.► Title (Approximately 1/3 down from the top of the page)Title (Approximately 1/3 down from the top of the page)

Brief TitleBrief Title Center text on page and double space.Center text on page and double space.

► Author’s Name (this is you!) (1” under the title)Author’s Name (this is you!) (1” under the title)► Identification (1” under author’s name)Identification (1” under author’s name)

Teacher’s NameTeacher’s Name Subject Course # (Subject Course # (ex. ex. Honors English 11)Honors English 11) Date: Day Month Year (Date: Day Month Year (ex. ex. 10 May 2008)10 May 2008)

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.. New York: MLA Association of America, 2003.

An MLA First PageAn MLA First Page Upper Left Hand CornerUpper Left Hand Corner

List your name, instructor’s name, course number, List your name, instructor’s name, course number, and date; remember to double space your linesand date; remember to double space your lines

Ex.Ex.

Joe SmithJoe Smith

Ms. MacCartneyMs. MacCartney

Honors English 11Honors English 11

12 August 201212 August 2012

The Purdue OWL. 26 Aug. 2008. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. 23 April 2008 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu>.

An MLA First PageAn MLA First Page►TitleTitle

Double space after the date and center your title. Do Double space after the date and center your title. Do not use quotation marks or underline the title. Only not use quotation marks or underline the title. Only use quotation marks or an underline when use quotation marks or an underline when recognizing another piece of work.recognizing another piece of work.

Ex.Ex.

11 August 200911 August 2009

The Brick is Red: A StThe Brick is Red: A Storyory of the of the Three Little PigsThree Little Pigs


A MLA First PageA MLA First Page

►HeaderHeader Create a header ½” from the top of the page with Create a header ½” from the top of the page with

your last name and the page number in numerical your last name and the page number in numerical form. form.

Ex.Ex.

Williams 1Williams 1


Heading and TitleDrew 1

Stephen Drew

Ms. MacCartney

Honors English 11

30 October 2011

Edgar Allen Poe’s Manipulations in “The Cask of Amontillado”

and “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Edgar Allen Poe is renowned for his spooky tales and haunting plotlines. One of

the reasons that his stories work so well is the manner in which Poe layers

manipulation into his tales. Throughout his works, including “The Cask of

Note: header to the rightThis is the correct order for informationThe title of published stories are in quotation marks, but not the title of the paper

Two Parts of MLA

PARENTHETICAL NOTATION

WORKS CITED

Parenthetical Notation (In-text Citations)

The Two Basic Features Always Used When Citing a Source In Your Paper:

The last name(s) of the author (or authors)

The page number(s) where the information is located, unlessthe source is online or only one page long

Do not include the abbreviation “p.” (or “pp.”) or the word page or pages

Parenthetical Notation (Examples)

One Author, named in your introductory phraseAccording to Jane Leeves, there are too many rules when

itcomes to writing a research paper (21). Author not named in the text

In the last ten years, the guidelines for writing an “A” paperhave become very stringent and selective (Leeves 17-18).

Two or more authors: (Leeves and Smith 71).

Work in an anthology: (Hemingway (author, not editor)25).

Work cited indirectly in another source: (qtd. in Smith 91).

What is the format for a long quote?

If a quotation is four lines or longer, indent each line of textten spaces on the left; quotation marks are omitted; no periodafter citation:

When Ambrose asked Tom Hanks if he is an optimist, Hanks replied: Shamelessly so. I apologize to my friends and family because I say it all the time, but if you had told me in 1966 that I’d be an actor and make movies, I would have thought you were insane. If you told me in 1966 I’d be married and have four great kids, I could never have imagined it. (68)

How do I paraphrase?

Original Text: The amazingly fast recovery of the cancerpatient baffled the doctors and scientists.

The cancer patient’s amazingly fast recovery surprised the scientists and doctors.

Acceptable ParaphrasingWhen they were informed about the speedy recovery of the cancerpatient, neither doctors nor scientists could provide a reasonable explanation.

Unacceptable Paraphrasing

DocumentationDocumentation

►Refers to the Works Cited page at the end Refers to the Works Cited page at the end of the paperof the paper

►The ListThe List is labeled Works Cited (centered, no font changes)is labeled Works Cited (centered, no font changes) starts at the top of a new pagestarts at the top of a new page continues page numbering from the last page of textcontinues page numbering from the last page of text is alphabeticalis alphabetical is double spacedis double spaced uses a hanging indent (1/2 inch – can be formatted from the uses a hanging indent (1/2 inch – can be formatted from the

Paragraph dialog box in MS Word)Paragraph dialog box in MS Word)


Questions??Questions??

Documents

PLAGIARISM & MLA A “Workshop” Brought to You by Ms. MacCartney