8th Edition
(Other)
Page Length: | 160 pgs |
Copyright: | 2016 |
Weight: | 0.85 lbs. |
Item Code: | 303568 |
ISBN: | 9781603292627 |
ISBN-10: | 0873529863 |
The eighth edition of this time-tested, step-by-step MLA resource is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to research and writing in the online environment. It provides an authoritative account of MLA documentation style for use in student writing, including simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Web and new recommendations for citing several kinds of works such as digital files and graphic narratives.
Every copy of this edition of the MLA Handbook comes with a code to access the accompanying web-site, which includes:
- Contains the full text of the print volume
- Provides over 200 additional examples
- Presents several research project narratives with sample papers to illustrate the steps successful students take in researching and writing papers
- Allows searching of the entire site, including the full text of the MLA Handbook
Table of Contents
Foreword Rosemary G. Feal vii
Preface Kathleen Fitzpatrick ix
Part 1 Principles of MLA Style
Introduction 3
Why Document Sources? 5
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty 6
Think: Evaluating Your Sources 10
Select: Gathering Information about Your Sources 13
Organize: Creating Your Documentation 19
The List of Works Cited 20
The Core Elements 20
Author 21
Title of Source 25
Title of Container 30
Other Contributors 37
Version 38
Number 39
Publisher 40
Publication Date 42
Location 46
Optional Elements 50
In-Text Citations 54
Part 2 Details of MLA Style
Introduction 61
1 The Mechanics of Scholarly Prose 61
1.1 Names of Persons 61
1.1.1 First and Subsequent Uses of Names 61
1.1.2 Titles of Authors 62
1.1.3 Names of Authors and Fictional Characters 62
1.1.4 Names in Languages Other Than English 63
1.2 Titles of Sources 67
1.2.1 Capitalization and Punctuation 67
1.2.2 Italics and Quotation Marks 68
1.2.3 Shortened Titles 70
1.2.4 Titles within Titles 71
1.2.5 Titles of Sources in Languages Other Than English 72
1.3 Quotations 75
1.3.1 Use and Accuracy of Quotations 75
1.3.2 Prose 75
1.3.3 Poetry 77
1.3.4 Drama 80
1.3.5 Ellipsis 80
1.3.6 Other Alterations of Quotations 86
1.3.7 Punctuation with Quotations 87
1.3.8 Translations of Quotations 90
1.4 Numbers 92
1.4.1 Use of Numerals or Words 92
1.4.2 Commas in Numbers 92
1.4.3 Inclusive Numbers 93
1.4.4 Roman Numerals 93
1.5 Dates and Times 94
1.6 Abbreviations 95
1.6.1 Months 95
1.6.2 Common Academic Abbreviations 96
1.6.3 Publishers' Names 97
1.6.4 Titles of Works 97
2 Works Cited 102
2.1 Names of Authors 102
2.1.1 Variant Forms 102
2.1.2 Titles and Suffixes 103
2.1.3 Corporate Authors 104
2.2 Titles 105
2.2.1 Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword 106
2.2.2 Translations of Titles 106
2.3 Versions 107
2.4 Publisher 107
2.5 Locational Elements 110
2.5.1 Plus Sign with Page Number 110
2.5.2 URLs and DOIs 110
2.6 Punctuation in the Works-Cited List 110
2.6.1 Square Brackets 111
2.6.2 Forward Slash 111
2.7 Formatting and Ordering the Works-Cited List 111
2.7.1 Letter-by-Letter Alphabetization 112
2.7.2 Multiple Works by One Author 113
2.7.3 Multiple Works by Coauthors 114
2.7.4 Alphabetizing by Title 115
2.7.5 Cross-References 115
3 In-Text Citations 116
3.1 Author 116
3.1.1 Coauthors 116
3.1.2 Corporate Author 117
3.2 Title 117
3.2.1 Abbreviating Titles of Sources 117
3.2.2 Descriptive Terms in Place of Titles 118
3.3 Numbers in In-Text Citations 119
3.3.1 Style of Numerals 119
3.3.2 Numbers in Works Available in Multiple Editions 120
3.3.3 Other Citations Not Involving Page Numbers 123
3.4 Indirect Sources 124
3.5 Repeated Use of Sources 124
3.6 Punctuation in the In-Text Citation 126
4 Citations in Forms Other Than Print 127
Practice Template 129
Index 131
The eighth edition of the MLA Handbook, published in 2016, rethinks documentation for an era of digital publication. The MLA now recommends a universal set of guidelines that writers can apply to any source and gives writers in all fields—from the sciences to the humanities—the tools to intuitively document sources. Learn more below about the changes to MLA guidelines. The eighth edition of
the MLA Handbook introduces a new model for entries in the works-cited list, one that reflects recent changes in how works are published and consulted. Previously, a writer created an entry by following the MLA’s instructions for the source’s publication format (book, DVD, web page, etc.). That approach has become impractical today, since publication formats are often combined (a song listened to online, for example, could have been taken from a record album released decades ago) or are
undefinable. In the new model, the work’s publication format is not considered. Instead of asking, “How do I cite a book [or DVD or web page]?” the writer creates an entry by consulting the MLA’s list of core elements—facts common to most works—which are assembled in a specific order. The MLA core elements appear below: In the new model, then, the writer asks, “Who is the author? What is the title?” and so forth—regardless of the nature of the source. Because of this
fundamental change, the works-cited-list entries produced by the two approaches are different. Below are differences that might be overlooked by writers making the transition from the seventh edition. The principles behind in-text citations in MLA style are
unchanged. A few details have been added or clarified, though: Following are new points that concern the writing in a research project:The List of Works Cited
Abbreviations
Authors
Books and Other Printed Works
Journals
Online Works
Publishers
Miscellaneous
In-Text Citations
Other Aspects of Writing