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Citation: About MLA

About MLA

What is MLA Style? 

MLA Style establishes standards of written communication concerning:

  • formatting and page layout
  • stylistic technicalities (e.g. abbreviations, footnotes, quotations)
  • citing sources
  • and preparing a manuscript for publication in certain disciplines.

Why Use MLA?

  • Provide your readers with cues they can use to follow your ideas more efficiently and to locate information of interest to them
  • Allow readers to focus more on your ideas by not distracting them with unfamiliar or complicated formatting
  • Establish your credibility or ethos in the field by demonstrating an awareness of your audience and their needs as fellow researchers (particularly concerning the citing of references)

Who Should Use MLA?

MLA Style is typically reserved for writers and students preparing manuscripts in various humanities disciplines such as: 

  • English Studies - Language and Literature
  • Foreign Language and Literatures
  • Literary Criticism
  • Comparative Literature
  • Cultural Studies

"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: MLA Overview and Workshop. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2016. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/675/1/>.

MLA Handbook Ninth Edition

This is the electronic version of MLA handbook-fully searchable. The handbook is also available as a hard copy in the library. 

Please use off-campus access to be able to open it outside school. 

Call Number: 808.02 MLA