How do I incorporate quotations into my writing using MLA style?
For quotations shorter than four lines, integrate the quote
into your sentence or paragraph and place the parenthetical in-text citation immediately following the end quotation mark but before the period, as follows: According to recent psychological research, "the best way to prevent cheating is to create a campus-wide culture of academic integrity" (Novotney 54).
For quotations longer than four lines, you must set the quotation off by using a block indent for the quoted lines. No quotation marks are used and the parenthetical in-text citation is placed after the period, as follows:
There is also evidence that students care about academic integrity as much as their professors:
At the University of California, San Diego, for example, the student-led group Academic Integrity Matters! (AIM!) is circulating a student petition that calls on faculty to provide more education on academic integrity, state more explicitly the rules for academic integrity in the classroom and report all cheating when they see it. The petition spawned from a recent survey AIM! developed asking professors for their opinions on the current state of academic integrity at UCSD, says Nick Graham, the UCSD student who led the development of the petition. (Novotney 55)
Is there anything else I should know about using MLA?
Ask your professor whether URLs are required for your online sources. Since URLs change so often, the MLA guide recommends only including URLs for sources that would be hard to find otherwise. If you need to include a URL, place it inside angle brackets: < > brackets. Unless your professor requires otherwise, URLs should not be made into hyperlinks. For example, <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/>
NOTE: Every source cited in your works cited list should include the medium that the source was published in (Print, Web, DVD, Television, etc.).
As with all the formatting styles, there are many specific details about how to cite your sources and how to format your essays and reports. Once you know what style you are required to use, make sure you get a style manual or visit a good website so that you can get all the details.
