Page 49 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Information Analysis and Repackaging

Notes Like the MLA Style Manual, the MLA Handbook is an academic style guide widely used in the
United States, Canada, and other countries, providing guidelines for writing and documentation of
research in the humanities, such as English studies (including the English language, writing, and
literature written in English); the study of other modern languages and literatures, including
comparative literature; literary criticism; media studies; cultural studies; and related disciplines.
Released in March 2009, the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook is addressed primarily to
secondary-school and undergraduate college and university teachers and students.

According to the MLA, “For over half a century, the MLA Handbook is the guide
millions of writers have relied on,” and “It provides an authoritative presentation of
MLA documentation style for use in student writing.”

3.4.3 Catalogue Description
According to the MLA book catalogue description and other information accessible from its website:
Widely adopted by universities, colleges, and secondary schools, the MLA Handbook gives step-
by-step advice on every aspect of writing research papers, from selecting a topic to submitting the
completed paper.
The seventh edition is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to research and writing in the online
environment. It provides an authoritative update 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.

3.4.4 Citation and Bibliography Format
In addition to “Works Cited”, MLA style also provides other possible options for bibliographies,
such as more-selective lists headed “Selected Bibliography” or “Works Consulted”.

3.4.5 In-text Citations

In-text citations can vary depending on how many sources were used in the body of text. For example,
if multiple sources are used in the paragraph, brief “Author-title” parenthetical citations, including
the name or names of author(s) and/or short titles (as needed) and numbers of pages (as applicable),
are used within the text. These are keyed to direct readers to a work or works by author(s) or editor(s)
and sometimes titles (if the works are anonymous), as they are presented on the list of works cited (in
alphabetical order), and the page(s) of the item where the information is located (e.g. (Smith 107)
refers the reader to page 107 of the cited work by an author whose surname is Smith).
If there are more than one author of the same name and/or more than one title of works by that
author or authors being cited, then a first name or initial and/or titles or short titles are also used
within the text’s parenthetical references to avoid ambiguity. (No “p.” or “pp.” prefaces the page
numbers and main words in titles appear in capital letters, following MLA style guidelines).
However, if the entire paragraph is using only one source, the full citation of the source may be
listed at the conclusion of the paragraph. There is no need for a complete bibliography at the end if
this method is used. If multiple sources are cited within the paragraph, the full citations must be
included in the list of “Works Cited.”
To cite a work within an article, paper, or book, one inserts the author’s name in a introductory
phrase and then within parentheses inserts the page number of the work in which the information
appears.

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