MLA Rules of Acknowledging Sources

1
MLA Rules of Acknowledging Sources

• Uses Parenthetical Notes to cite borrowed
  material. NOT footnotes
• Source acknowledgment appears at the end of the
  borrowed text. In ( ).
• Authors last name and page or paragraph number
  in the ( ).
• Constructed so ( ) reflects how the source is
  listed on the Works Cited

2
General Rules

• Citations appear to two places in the body of
  the paper in a ( ) note
• In a list at the end of the essay Works Cited
  (MLA) which lists works in alphabetical order and
  gives complete bibliographical information
• Give credit where credit is due
• So that your reader can track down original
  sources to conduct his/her own research

3
Author Tags and Paraphrasing

• Documenting Paraphrases or Summaries
• Introduce borrowed material with an author tag or
  some sort of acknowledgment end with a ( )
• Michael Smith, District 6 superintendent of
  schools, believes that-------(par. 15).
• Greeley schools struggle to make the best
  decisions on teacher salaries, according to
  Michael Smith, District 6 superintendent (par.
  56).

• Using Authors Names in author tags
• First time you use a new author, present with
  both first and last name, include title or
  position
• After first use, use only last name for both men
  and women. Omit Mr., Miss, Mrs. Ms., even titles
  such as Dr.
• If you provide authors name in an author tag,
  name will not appear in ( ), only page or
  paragraph reference.

4
Acknowledging Quotations

• Write quotation exactly as it appears in the
  original text
• Set quotations up with introduction Author tag
• Place that material in quotation marks
• Period goes at end of ( ).
• Check web site for rules on using quotations and
  for a list of words to instead of says

• The Greeley Tribune article explains another
  reason why teachers oppose performance based pay
  Moreover, some critics say, the explicit profit
  motive could overshadow teacher-students
  relationships (C6).

5
Combining quotations with your words

• Introduce each new author the first time you use
  that author by giving a very brief statement of
  his credibility or expertise

• Michael Smith gained his reputation as a tough
  leader when he enforced strict measures in the
  Houston school district to curtail gang
  activities.

6
Using Source Names

• Once you have acknowledged the author (or
  source), you will refer to him with last name
  only
• Or by a ( ) note at end of quoted material
• EX District 6 could cut costs by 10 if it would
  examine every aspect of its operational costs
  (Smith, par. 79).

7
More Rules for the ( )

• no author tag (Smith, par 5)
• author tag or some sort of source
  acknowledgement (par. 5)
• As long as borrowed material continues to be from
  same source you need only page or par
  reference, but once you switch to another source
  and then back to Smith, if you do not provide an
  author tag then (Smith, par. 6)

8
Review Citing Quoted material

• Author tag or source acknowledgment to introduce
  quotation
• Provide full name and brief information to
  establish sources credibility
• Use only last name following
• Use quotation marks
• ( ) go outside quotation marks period at end of
  ( ).

9
Using Paragraph numbers

• Use paragraph number for electronic sources such
  a articles taken from an on line data base
  (EbscoHost)
• Web sites
• For Web sites and organizations, name of
  organization will appear in ( )--or the way it
  is listed on Works Cited

10
Un-authored Quotations

• Provide acknowledgement to introduce source An
  editorial from the Greeley Tribune states
  that-----.
• Note will provide first 3 important words of the
  title and page/par reference (Linking Teacher
  Pay C6)

11
More than one Author

• Note reflects Works Cited entry
• (Smith et al 78)
• (Smith, Jones, and Waterman 67)
• (Teachers Vote No 45)
• (United States Senate Sub CommitteeChild Abuse
  124)

12
A quotation from another source quoted in your
source

• Set up using an acknowledgement phrase
• John Winn warned Colorado Educators by saying
  ---------(qtd in Linking Teacher PayC6). or
  (qtd in C6)
• A quote with in a quote use ---- (single
  quotation marks)

13
Acknowledging Paraphrased Material

• Handle the same as quoted material with these
  differences
• Paraphrased material is in your own words
  combined with your thoughts, so must always be
  framed with introductory element--author tag,
  source acknowledgment, introduction of some sort
• Ends with ( ). Only way to distinguish your
  thoughts from borrowed material.

14

• For Friday email me a paragraph (extra credit 10
  points) of a paragraph to review
• For Monday April 3 email me a draft of essay for
  class review. Receive 15 points if we use your
  essay in class 10 points for submitting--wont
  be able to review all that sent to me. Use
  attached file feature or bring to class on flash