Ch. 9-11: MLA Sources, Citation, Bibliography, & Plagiarism
Ch. 10
In order to avoid PLAGIARISM, you must provide MLA documentation in your papers. This consists of both PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES and a WORKS CITED list at the end of your paper.
* The basic parenthetical citation consists of the author's last name and a page number BEFORE the final period of a sentence. Example: (Fielding 213).
* If the author is referred to in the sentence, include only the page number.
Example: According to environmental activist Brian Fielding, the number of species affected is much higher (213).
* When referring to a work by two authors, include both author's names: (Stange and Hogarth 53).
* When citing a work with no listed author (WHICH IS RARE), include a shortened version of the title: ("Small Things" 21).
*When citing a source that is quoted in another source, indicate this by the abbreviation qtd. in.
Example: According to Kevin Kelly, this narrow approach is typical of the "hive mind" (qtd. in Doctorow 168).
* When citing 2 or more works by the same author, include a short title after the author's name.
* We cite prose passages of more than 4 lines differently. You can see an example of this on page 266 of your textbook, but in this class, we will not include LONG QUOTES in our papers. Our papers are all too short for these long quotes.
Poetry or Music (we cite LINE numbers): Blake asks, "What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" (lines 3-4). http://www.shepherd.edu/scwcweb/hndpoetry.htm
Plays (we cite act #.scene #.line #). If we don't have all of these, we cite at least 2. If we don't have 2, sometimes we substitute line # for page #.
Example: Hamlet famously ponders, "To be or not to be, that is the question" (II.3.27-28).
Adding or Omitting Words in QuotationsIf you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text.
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: "some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale" (78).If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a space. For example:
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).
Sample Works Cited Page: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/
Works Cited List:
* Should begin on a new page.
* Header Works Cited should be centered.
* Double space your list, and list entries alphabetically by the author's last name.
* Each entry should begin at the left-hand margin, and the other lines in the same entry should be indented 5 spaces. This is called a hanging indent.
* Italicize all books and periodical titles.
* Use a short version oaf a publisher's name (Penguin rather than Penguin Books), and abbreviate University Press (UP).
* When listing more than one work by an author, include the author's name in the first entry, and substitute 3 unspaced hyphens followed by a period for the 2nd subsequent entries.
* Put " " around the title of an article or a section of a book, and provide the page numbers: 44-99 or 121-37.
* Include the medium of publication- print, Web, CD, etc. for ALL entries.
* Make sure everything in your Works Cited is cited somewhere in the paper.
Examples of how to cite various sources begins on page 267 of your textbook. Here are a few examples:
Podcast:
Glass, Ira. "Scenes from a Recession." This American Life. Chicago Public Radio, 27 March 2009. Web. 10 January 2012.
Article in an online scholarly journal:
Johnston, Rebecca. "Salvation or Destruction: Metaphors of the Internet." First Monday 14.4 (2009): 4 pgs.
Web. 15 April 2009.
Review in an online newspaper:
Ebert, Roger. "Twilight". Rev. of Twilight, dir. by Catherine Hardewick. Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times, 29 November 2009.
Web. 12 April 2011.
Article in a magazine:
Manson, Marilyn. "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?" Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 28 May 1999. Web. 20 January 2012.
Work in an anthology or textbook:
Sherk, James. "Do We Still Need Unions?" Introduction to Practical Argument. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell.
New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 652-55. Print.
In order to avoid PLAGIARISM, you must provide MLA documentation in your papers. This consists of both PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES and a WORKS CITED list at the end of your paper.
* The basic parenthetical citation consists of the author's last name and a page number BEFORE the final period of a sentence. Example: (Fielding 213).
* If the author is referred to in the sentence, include only the page number.
Example: According to environmental activist Brian Fielding, the number of species affected is much higher (213).
* When referring to a work by two authors, include both author's names: (Stange and Hogarth 53).
* When citing a work with no listed author (WHICH IS RARE), include a shortened version of the title: ("Small Things" 21).
*When citing a source that is quoted in another source, indicate this by the abbreviation qtd. in.
Example: According to Kevin Kelly, this narrow approach is typical of the "hive mind" (qtd. in Doctorow 168).
* When citing 2 or more works by the same author, include a short title after the author's name.
* We cite prose passages of more than 4 lines differently. You can see an example of this on page 266 of your textbook, but in this class, we will not include LONG QUOTES in our papers. Our papers are all too short for these long quotes.
Poetry or Music (we cite LINE numbers): Blake asks, "What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" (lines 3-4). http://www.shepherd.edu/scwcweb/hndpoetry.htm
Plays (we cite act #.scene #.line #). If we don't have all of these, we cite at least 2. If we don't have 2, sometimes we substitute line # for page #.
Example: Hamlet famously ponders, "To be or not to be, that is the question" (II.3.27-28).
Adding or Omitting Words in QuotationsIf you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text.
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: "some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale" (78).If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a space. For example:
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).
Sample Works Cited Page: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/
Works Cited List:
* Should begin on a new page.
* Header Works Cited should be centered.
* Double space your list, and list entries alphabetically by the author's last name.
* Each entry should begin at the left-hand margin, and the other lines in the same entry should be indented 5 spaces. This is called a hanging indent.
* Italicize all books and periodical titles.
* Use a short version oaf a publisher's name (Penguin rather than Penguin Books), and abbreviate University Press (UP).
* When listing more than one work by an author, include the author's name in the first entry, and substitute 3 unspaced hyphens followed by a period for the 2nd subsequent entries.
* Put " " around the title of an article or a section of a book, and provide the page numbers: 44-99 or 121-37.
* Include the medium of publication- print, Web, CD, etc. for ALL entries.
* Make sure everything in your Works Cited is cited somewhere in the paper.
Examples of how to cite various sources begins on page 267 of your textbook. Here are a few examples:
Podcast:
Glass, Ira. "Scenes from a Recession." This American Life. Chicago Public Radio, 27 March 2009. Web. 10 January 2012.
Article in an online scholarly journal:
Johnston, Rebecca. "Salvation or Destruction: Metaphors of the Internet." First Monday 14.4 (2009): 4 pgs.
Web. 15 April 2009.
Review in an online newspaper:
Ebert, Roger. "Twilight". Rev. of Twilight, dir. by Catherine Hardewick. Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times, 29 November 2009.
Web. 12 April 2011.
Article in a magazine:
Manson, Marilyn. "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?" Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 28 May 1999. Web. 20 January 2012.
Work in an anthology or textbook:
Sherk, James. "Do We Still Need Unions?" Introduction to Practical Argument. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell.
New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 652-55. Print.
If there is time, go over Chapter 11, Plagiarism.
Ch. 9: Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, & Synthesizing Sources
Summarizing Sources (Box on pg. 251)
Paraphrase (Box on pg. 253)
Quoting (pg. 255)
We will most often deal with QUOTING.
To avoid repeating phrases like he says in identifying tags (phrase that introduces the quotations), try using some of these:
notes, acknowledges, proposes, suggests, asks, observes, comments, reports, concludes, etc. (page 259)
It is always easiest to put these tags at the beginning of a sentence.
Blending Quotations With Commentary
Quotations should be blended into your text to prevent awkward transitions and confusion. Avoid "hanging quotations" that are not linked to your writing.
Paraphrase (Box on pg. 253)
Quoting (pg. 255)
We will most often deal with QUOTING.
To avoid repeating phrases like he says in identifying tags (phrase that introduces the quotations), try using some of these:
notes, acknowledges, proposes, suggests, asks, observes, comments, reports, concludes, etc. (page 259)
It is always easiest to put these tags at the beginning of a sentence.
Blending Quotations With Commentary
Quotations should be blended into your text to prevent awkward transitions and confusion. Avoid "hanging quotations" that are not linked to your writing.
Internal Citations- TIPS
From St. Cloud State Website:
There are various ways to punctuate quotations, depending on their placement in the sentence, their purpose, and the purpose of the sentence. The key is to be consistent with your punctuation. This page highlights rules and examples that should help you when punctuating quotations within your papers. Click on the punctuation that most closely matches your situation.
* Brackets
There are various ways to punctuate quotations, depending on their placement in the sentence, their purpose, and the purpose of the sentence. The key is to be consistent with your punctuation. This page highlights rules and examples that should help you when punctuating quotations within your papers. Click on the punctuation that most closely matches your situation.
* Brackets
- Single Quotation Marks
- Block Quotations
- Comma/Period
- Colon/Semicolon
- Ellipses
- Slash Mark
- Exclamation Point/Question Mark
- Sometimes you may want to insert something into a quotation for clarification. Place any additional information within square brackets [ ].
- Author Elliot Would argues that, "They [Western doctors] are too intenton medicating and not intent enough on fixing them [ailments] " (Heveronian 29).
- Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.
- Dave Anderson believes that "there is no saying less true than 'it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.'"
- When a quote is three lines or longer, it should be offset in a block. In a block quotation, no quotation marks are used and the period comes before the parenthetical citation.
- There was no day more important than this one for him. He hadbeen planning for weeks now, and wasn't going to let anyone stop himnow. Except, maybe, for the policeman pounding at his front door. (72)
- The comma and period always go inside the closing quotation mark when there is no parenthetical reference.
- "Really, there is no excuse for aggressive behavior," the supervisor said. "It sets a bad example."
- The comma and period always go inside a quotation within another quotation when there is no parenthetical reference.
- According to the film critic, "One of the most widely acclaimed actors in history, Humphrey Bogart, is quoted as saying, 'I don't like acting.'"
- The period goes outside of the quotation mark when using a parenthetical reference.
- "Animals have a variety of emotions similar to human's" (Erikson 990).
- The colon and semicolon always go outside the closing quotation mark.
- He referred to this group of people as his "gang": Heidi, Heather Shelley, and Jessie.
- Marx did not believe that "a single nation should have a single leader"; nevertheless, he became a leader singled out.
- For omissions in the middle of a sentence, use an ellipses.
- The character of Sammy was soft-spoken, but he believed strongly in "respect for women, love of country . . . and a bright, sunny day" (87).
- For omissions at the end of a sentence, use an ellipses followed by a period.
- According to Zephron Cochran, "Warp drive is a creation that willchange multitudes of lives . . . ."
- If a parenthetical citation follows an omission at the end of a sentence, place the period after the final parenthesis.
- Of the many fruits available, Abraham Lincoln thought "apples to be the most nutritious . . . " (47).
- When omitting a long passage (stanzas, paragraphs, pages), use a single line of spaced dots as long as the preceding line.
- There were many people vying for the president's attention,but he seemed immune to their pleas. It was as if he was standing
alone in a huge room, without the distractions of voices.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
By the time he finally noticed her, she had forgotten what her
question was. She stared at him blankly. - Omissions immediately following an introductory statement do not need an ellipses.
- In Harris' book, one-to-one conferences are "one of the most importantaspect of teaching" (2).
- The slash mark (/) is used to separate lines of poetry. Unless the original poetical form is retained for effect, quotations of one to three lines should be enclosed by quotation marks.
- In "Driving to Devil's Tower, Wyoming," Heidi Gomez becomes closer to the land as the land comes closer to being alive: "Heat from the highway / Rises from my skin" (28).
- When the whole sentence except for the section enclosed in quotation marks is a question or exclamation, the question or exclamation mark goes outside the quotation mark.
- Which British writer wrote, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls"?
- When only the unit in quotation marks is a question or exclamation, the mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
- The mediator asked, "What have you learned from this experience?"
- When both the whole sentence and the unit enclosed in quotation marks are questions or exclamations, the question or exclamation mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
- What does Joseph Campbell believe happens when you "Follow your bliss?"
- When using a parenthetical reference with a quote that ends in an exclamation point or question mark, keep the original punctuation inside the quotation and place a period after the parenthetical reference.
- Kurt Koffka, a Gestalt psychologist, asked "Why do humans see their minds in terms of elementary parts?" (Gray 74).
Aspects of Writing to Focus On [These are the errors I observed most frequently in the "Allegory" response papers]:
1. Blending
Quotes need to be "blended" within a sentence. A quote can never stand alone within a paragraph.
Example:
INCORRECT: "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (Plato 658).
The above quote cannot stand alone within a paragraph. All quotes need to be introduced, stated, cited, and explained. The quote must be "blended" within your sentence in a way that makes logical sense grammatically and mechanically and includes context. In other word, you can't randomly place a quote in your essay; the quote must serve some clear purpose.
How can we fix it?
At the most BASIC level, a quote could contain an identifying tag:
Plato explains, "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (658).
However, it is better to provide an explanation as well:Plato explains, "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (658), which indicates that the prisoners in the cave are incapable of distinguishing truth and reality.
You don't always need an identifying tag; another option is to BLEND:Example: Unable to distinguish reality, the prisoners in the cave are exposed to "nothing but the shadows of the images" (Plato 658), which they perceive as truth.
2. Narrative Mode in Essay Writing:
1st person perspective: "I"
This perspective is acceptable for various types of essay writing, most notably the personal narrative or personal response (when you are being asked to defend an opinion and are using personal examples as one of your means of evidence) . "I" is less formal, though, so when you are asked to write a formal response, 3rd person is the appropriate perspective to use.
3rd person perspective: "He," "She," "It," "They," "One," etc.
This perspective is preferred in more formal types of writing. If you are asked to write a research paper or a literary analysis, then 3rd person is expected. It is less subjective than the 1st person perspective.
2nd person perspective: "You"
This is rarely used in essay writing. In fact, my advice would be to avoid it altogether. It is the most tricky perspective to "pull off". Readers do not like to be "preached to," and often times, when a writer says "you," he or she really means "I" or "one".
3. Tense:
Present, Past, Future:
Most literature is written in the past tense. However, when we write about literature (or film), it is customary to refer to the action in the present tense.
Example:
NOT: In the book Twilight, Bella agreed to marry Edward only if he promised to turn her into a vampire.
BUT: In the book Twilight, Bella agrees to marry Edward only if he promises to turn her into a vampire.
4. ELLIPSES
EllipsesThe ellipses, three spaced dots ( . . . ), indicates that part of a quotation has been left out. Ellipses are useful when you want to include only the most relevant words of a quotation; however, any omission must not distort the quotation's original meaning.* For omissions in the middle of a sentence, use an ellipses.Example: The character of Sammy was soft-spoken, but he believed strongly in "respect for women, love of country . . . and a bright, sunny day" (87).For omissions at the end of a sentence, use an ellipses followed by a period.Example: According to Zephron Cochran, "Warp drive is a creation that will change multitudes of lives . . . ."If a parenthetical citation follows an omission at the end of a sentence, place the period after the final parenthesis.Example: Of the many fruits available, Abraham Lincoln thought "apples to be the most nutritious . . . " (47).Omissions immediately following an introductory statement do not need an ellipses.Example: In Harris' book, one-to-one conferences are "one of the most important aspect of teaching" (2).5. Semi-Colons:The rule for when to use a semi-colon is very simple-- it is used to separate two independent clauses (complete sentences) that you wish to link together to form a compound sentence. Examples:We must emerge from the dark cave; we must search for the light.[When two independent clauses are joined together without a conjunction, a semi-colon is needed.]
We must emerge from the dark cave, and we must search for the light.[When two independent clauses are joined together with a conjunction, a comma is placed before the conjunction.]Plato shows us the importance of enlightenment; furthermore, he challenges us to put our enlightenment to good use.[When two independent clauses are linked with a transitional phrase or conjunctive adverb [list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunctive_adverb ], you need a semi-colon and then a comma.
Quotes need to be "blended" within a sentence. A quote can never stand alone within a paragraph.
Example:
INCORRECT: "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (Plato 658).
The above quote cannot stand alone within a paragraph. All quotes need to be introduced, stated, cited, and explained. The quote must be "blended" within your sentence in a way that makes logical sense grammatically and mechanically and includes context. In other word, you can't randomly place a quote in your essay; the quote must serve some clear purpose.
How can we fix it?
At the most BASIC level, a quote could contain an identifying tag:
Plato explains, "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (658).
However, it is better to provide an explanation as well:Plato explains, "To them, I said, the truth would be nothing but the shadows of the images" (658), which indicates that the prisoners in the cave are incapable of distinguishing truth and reality.
You don't always need an identifying tag; another option is to BLEND:Example: Unable to distinguish reality, the prisoners in the cave are exposed to "nothing but the shadows of the images" (Plato 658), which they perceive as truth.
2. Narrative Mode in Essay Writing:
1st person perspective: "I"
This perspective is acceptable for various types of essay writing, most notably the personal narrative or personal response (when you are being asked to defend an opinion and are using personal examples as one of your means of evidence) . "I" is less formal, though, so when you are asked to write a formal response, 3rd person is the appropriate perspective to use.
3rd person perspective: "He," "She," "It," "They," "One," etc.
This perspective is preferred in more formal types of writing. If you are asked to write a research paper or a literary analysis, then 3rd person is expected. It is less subjective than the 1st person perspective.
2nd person perspective: "You"
This is rarely used in essay writing. In fact, my advice would be to avoid it altogether. It is the most tricky perspective to "pull off". Readers do not like to be "preached to," and often times, when a writer says "you," he or she really means "I" or "one".
3. Tense:
Present, Past, Future:
Most literature is written in the past tense. However, when we write about literature (or film), it is customary to refer to the action in the present tense.
Example:
NOT: In the book Twilight, Bella agreed to marry Edward only if he promised to turn her into a vampire.
BUT: In the book Twilight, Bella agrees to marry Edward only if he promises to turn her into a vampire.
4. ELLIPSES
EllipsesThe ellipses, three spaced dots ( . . . ), indicates that part of a quotation has been left out. Ellipses are useful when you want to include only the most relevant words of a quotation; however, any omission must not distort the quotation's original meaning.* For omissions in the middle of a sentence, use an ellipses.Example: The character of Sammy was soft-spoken, but he believed strongly in "respect for women, love of country . . . and a bright, sunny day" (87).For omissions at the end of a sentence, use an ellipses followed by a period.Example: According to Zephron Cochran, "Warp drive is a creation that will change multitudes of lives . . . ."If a parenthetical citation follows an omission at the end of a sentence, place the period after the final parenthesis.Example: Of the many fruits available, Abraham Lincoln thought "apples to be the most nutritious . . . " (47).Omissions immediately following an introductory statement do not need an ellipses.Example: In Harris' book, one-to-one conferences are "one of the most important aspect of teaching" (2).5. Semi-Colons:The rule for when to use a semi-colon is very simple-- it is used to separate two independent clauses (complete sentences) that you wish to link together to form a compound sentence. Examples:We must emerge from the dark cave; we must search for the light.[When two independent clauses are joined together without a conjunction, a semi-colon is needed.]
We must emerge from the dark cave, and we must search for the light.[When two independent clauses are joined together with a conjunction, a comma is placed before the conjunction.]Plato shows us the importance of enlightenment; furthermore, he challenges us to put our enlightenment to good use.[When two independent clauses are linked with a transitional phrase or conjunctive adverb [list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunctive_adverb ], you need a semi-colon and then a comma.