SOURCE CARD PROCEDURE
1. Record your source exactly as it you will for the works cited list. This includes spacing
and indentations. Months are abbreviated except May, June, and July.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar. Apr.
May
June July
Aug. Sept. Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
2. Put your initials and class period in the upper left of the source card.
Example of a book source card
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Olson, Tiffany. The Prairie Speaks.
New York: Penguin Books, 1999.
Example of a personal web site source card
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Spanoudis, Steve, Bob Blair, and Nelson Miller.
Poet’s Corner. 7 June 1999.
13 June 1999 <http://www.geocities.com/
~spanoudi/poems>.
♦
When an Internet address in a works cited entry or note card must be divided at the
end of a line, break it after a slash. Do not insert a hyphen.
♦
If a personal web page does not have a title, use the phrase Home page followed by a
period where the title would normally appear. The underlining is used here only to add
emphasis. The phrase is not underlined on a source card or works cited page.
Example of a Proquest online subscription service source
card
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Foundas, Scott. “The Chumscrubber.” Variety
13 Mar 2005: 45. ProQuest. WHS
Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 10 January
2008 <http://proquest.umi.com/>.
Example of a SIRS Researcher online subscription service
source card
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Roberts, James. "They Also Served." World & I
13 May 2004:160-9. SIRS. Researcher. WHS
Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 7 Feb. 2008
<http://www.sks.sirs.com/>.
♦
If the database or subscription service only gives the starting page number of an
article
(ex: p145), give the number followed by a hyphen, a space, and a period: (145- .)
♦
Subscription services often do not follow standard capitalization of article
titles. When preparing a source card or works cited entry, a writer needs to
change those capitalizations to follow standard rules.
MLA Forms for Works Cited Entries
GENERAL GUIDELINES
☺ Begin the entry on the left margin of the page. Any time the information does not fit
on a single line, the second and all other lines must be indented five spaces from the
left margin. This is true for note cards and regular paper.
☺ The exact format must be followed at all times.
There is no room for error. Points
will be deducted for even small errors such as a missed comma or period.
Online Sources
Sources on the Internet are numerous and include scholarly projects, reference databases,
articles in periodicals, and professional and personal sites. Not all sites are equally
reliable.
Therefore, material gathered from the Internet should be evaluated carefully.
Entries for an online source in the Works Cited list should contain as much of the
information listed below as possible. If you can’t find something on this list, simply
move on to the next item in the list.
1. Name of the author, editor, compiler, or translator, accompanied by an abbreviation
such as ed., comp., or trans., if applicable.
2. Title of the material.
3. Publication information for any print version of the source
4. Title of the scholarly project, database, periodical, or professional or personal site.
For a professional or personal site with no title, add a description such as Home page
(neither underlined nor in quotation marks).
5. Name of the editor of the scholarly project or database
6. For a journal, the volume number, issue number, or other identifying number
7. Date of electronic publication, of the latest update, or of posting
8. For a work from a subscription service, the name of the service and – if a library is
the subscriber – the name of the library and the town or state where it is located
9. Range or total number of pages, paragraphs, or other sections if they are numbered
10. Name of any institution or organization that sponsors or is associated with the Web
site
11. Date the source was accessed
12. Electronic address, or URL, of the source. For a subscription service, use the URL of
the service’s main page (if known) or the keyword assigned to the service
Entry Examples for the Works Cited
Page
(Same for Source Cards)
Books
One Author
Collins, Larry. Is Paris Burning? Edison, NJ: Castle Books, 2000.
Two or Three Authors
Markham, Roberta H., Peter T. Markam, and Marie Waddell. 10 Steps in Writing
the
Research Paper. New York: Barron’s, 1998.
More than Three Authors
Hall, Stuart, et al. Policing the Crisis. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1979.
Two or More Books by the Same Author
Ryder, Mary. Finding Myth in Today’s Literature. Omaha: Prairie Press, 2003.
---. Willa Cather: Shattering the Feminine Sterotype. Boston: Dalton, 2000.
An Organization or Group Author
American Medical Association. American Medical Association Encyclopedia of
Medicine. New York: Random House, 1998.
An Anonymous Book
The World Almanac of the Strange. New York: New American Library, 1977.
Edited Book
Hoffman, Mark S., ed. World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2002. New York:
Pharos, 2001.
Edited Book – More than One Editor
Schaffert, Tim, and Anne Paterson, eds. Exploring Tech Careers. Chicago: Ferguson
Publishing Co., 2001.
Work from Anthology
Bambara, Toni Cade. “My Man Bovanne.” Breaking Ice. Ed. Terry McMillan. New
York: Penguin, 1990. 33-38.
Personal Interview
Bush, George W. Personal Interview. 15 Sept. 2002.
Pamphlets
No Author
Pedestrian Safety. {United States}: n.p., n.d.
Signed Pamphlet
Grayson, George W. The North American Trade Agreement. New York: Foreign
Policy
Association, Inc., 1993.
Newspapers
Note: When pages are not consecutive, give the first page number followed
by a +.
(example: A10+.)
Unsigned Article
“U.S. Companies Shouldn’t Fight Cleaner Air Standards.” Detroit Free Press 31
Oct. 1991:
A10.
Signed Article
Sow, Beth. “Dolphins in Our Lives.” Los Angeles Times 27 Mar. 1988, sec.4:3.
Editorial
“Political Process has its Good Side.” Editorial. The Brookings Register 22 Jan.
1998: A4.
Smith, Sam. “More Trouble for the U.N.?” Editorial. USA Today 3 May 1995.B6.
Letters
Letter to the Editor
Byers, Elvin A. “Problems with the Draft.” Sioux Falls Argus Leader 24 Feb. 2003:
B5.
Magazines
Note: When pages are not consecutive, give the first page number followed
by a +.
(example: May 1995: 23+.)
Unsigned Article
“Crafts Fair Showcases Women.” Entrepreneur May 1995: 23.
Signed Article
Winters, Rebecca. “The Philadelphia Experiment.” Time 21 Oct. 2002: 64-68.
Television and Radio Programs
“The Ultimate Road Trip: Traveling in Cyberspace.” 48 Hours. CBS. KELO, Sioux
Falls. 13
Apr. 1995.
Recordings
Chapman, Tracy. “Paper and Ink.” Telling Stories. Elektra, 2000.
Films or Plays
No Author
Trading Places. Dir. John Landis. With Dan Akroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy,
and Jamie Lee Curtis. Paramount, 1983.
A Film or Play by a Specific Author
A Walk in the Woods. By Lee Blessing. Dir. Des McAnuff. Perf. Sam Waterston and
Robert
Prosky. Booth Theatre. New York. 17 May 1988.
Filmstrips, Slide Programs, and Videocassettes
Secrets of the Titanic. Videocassette. National Geographic, 1986.
Chocolat. Dir. Lass Hallstrom. Perf. Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina,
Lena
Olin, and Johnny Depp. Miramax, 2001.
Maps
Wisconsin Territory. Map. Madison: Wisconsin Trails, 1988.
Cartoons and Advertisements
Trudeau, Garry. “Doonesbury.” Cartoon. Chicago Tribune 23 Dec. 1988, sec. 5:6.
Air France. “The Fine Art of Flying.” Advertisement. Travel and Leisure May
1988:9.
Electronic Sources
Internet
Internet with author
Peterson, Susan Lynn. The Life of Martin Luther. 1999. 9 Mar. 2007
<http://pweb.netcom.com/~supeters/luther.htm>.
Internet with corporate (group) author
United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Values and Functions of
Wetlands.
25 May 2006. <http://www.epa.gov-owow/wetalnds/facts/fact2.html>.
Internet with author unknown
Margaret Sanger Papers Project. 18 Oct. 2000. History Dept., New York U.
3 Jan. 2007 <http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/>.
Databases
** The databases will often show you how to cite the specific article in MLA
format. However, the databases are not always correct. It is your responsibility to
check the citation for MLA standards.
** Database articles often print with non-standard capitalization in the article
title. It is the writer’s responsibility to cite the article using standard
capitalization. Capitalize the first, last, and all important words of a title.
** If the subscription service only gives the first page number of the original
article’s print information, give the number followed by a hyphen, a space, and a
period.
Example: 25- .
Discovering Collection
“The Holocaust: America’s Response, 1941-1946.” Discovering U.S. History. Online
Edition.
Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Thomson Gale. WHS Library, Sioux
Falls, SD.
16 Jan. 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/>.
EBSCOhost
Jaffe, Sam. “In the Business of Synthetic Life.” Scientific American Apr. 2005:4041.
MasterFile Premier. EBSCOhost. WHS Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 16 Jan.
2008
<http://search.epnet.com/>.
Opposing Viewpoints
Peters, Robert. “The Government Should Limit Free Speech in the Media.”
Censorship
Kate Burns, ed. Contemporary Issues Companion Series. Greenhaven Press,
2004.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. WHS Library, Sioux
Falls,
SD. 10 Jan. 2008 < http://galenet.galegroup.com/>.
ProQuest
Foundas, Scott. “The Chumscrubber.” Variety 13 Mar. 2005: 45. ProQuest. WHS
Library,
Sioux Falls, SD. 10 Jan. 2008 <http://proquest.umi.com/>.
SIRS Researcher
Jones, Ray. “Once Upon a Time, A Black Cloud.” Boca Raton News 15 May 1992: 3.
SIRS
Researcher. WHS Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 3 Feb. 2008
<http://sks.sirs.com/>.
CountryWatch
Youngblood-Coleman, Denise, editor. Country Review: France. 2003. Houston, Texas:
CountryWatch Publications, 2003. Country Review: France. Online. WHS
Library, Sioux Falls, SD 28 Jan. 2008. <http://www.countrywatch.com/>.
Science Resource Center
Christensen, Thomas. "Changing the Learning Environment in Large General
Education Astronomy Classes." Journal of College Science Teaching 35
(2005): 34-35. Science Resource Center. Thomson Gale. WHS Library, Sioux
Falls, SD. 15 Jan. 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/>.
NOTE CARD PROCEDURE
Now it is time to prepare note cards. Do not feel like you have to read the entire
source if it is lengthy. Instead, skim through it, paying particular attention to those sections
that apply to your statement of purpose.
1. While researching you will want to take notes when you come across
significant facts or quotations that apply to your statement of purpose.
Writing each note on a separate card is an easy and organized way to do this.
Try to keep each note card focused on one specific idea and only one to two
sentences in length. This will make it easier to arrange them later on as you
begin to write your outline.
2. Your notes may take the form of a direct quotation or a paraphrase. Use
direct quotations when what the source says is especially well stated.
Direct quotations are helpful because you do not risk losing the original
meaning of the quote and you can incorporate them into your paper as
quotations as well as basic information. If you decide to use direct
quotations on your note cards, make sure you use quotation marks at
the beginning and end of the quote.
3. If you decide to use a paraphrase (or summary) on your note cards, you will
need to read the quote from the source and then put it into your own words.
You must be careful not to change the author's original meaning when you
paraphrase. Remember, you must not use the author’s exact words in a
summary. Likewise, it takes more than just changing a few words in a
passage. If you use more than three words in a row from an author, that is
considered a direct quote. Refer to class examples for more assistance.
Basic Note Card Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.
Initials and class period in upper left corner
Quote marks at beginning and end of a direct quote
Name of person who said quote if it is not the author of the article or book.
In-text documentation information (author’s last name with page number
surrounded by parentheses)
5. If no author is available, the title of the article or a shortened version of the title
appears in quote marks followed by the page number(s).
Example: (“D-Day Battles” 57)
Example of a direct quote note card
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"Linda Hasselstrom is the voice of gentle reason that
sweeps through the reader like a September wind during
a cold rain. Her command of language both astonishes
and humbles even the mightiest of writers."
(Haug 56)
** For a quote within another quote, use a single quote mark to begin and end the
quotation the author of your source is quoting.
Example: "' I can't believe terrorism has come to such barbaric acts,' states Wilson
Smith.'"
** If you choose to cut some unnecessary words from a quote, you need to use ellipsis to
indicate where you take out words. Keep in mind that you cannot change the author's
intent when using ellipses. The latest MLA books tell the writer to add brackets around
the ellipsis so the reader understands the ellipsis are not part of the quotation.
Example: "Today's students are bright, talented, and […] rich."
** If you need to add a word to bring clarity to a direct quote, put your word in brackets.
Use this option sparingly.
Example: “He [Whitman] was deeply affected by his experience as a Civil War
nurse.”
** Sometimes a source quotes another source. When you use that information, it is
necessary to give the original source and to use the proper format. The first example is from
a book by an author whose last name is Harper. The second example is from a database
article with no author.
Example: Margaret Kiunke believed Harold Schultz to be a “bloody tyrant who
enjoyed the taste of his enemy’s blood” and felt Schultz needed to be removed from power
(qtd. in Harper 35).
Example: Because of his own early career as a bootlegger and gaming operator,
Joseph Kennedy knew JFK’s future as president depended heavily on J. Edgar Hoover’s
“unpredictable, undeniably self-serving method of blackmail” (qtd. in “The Truth Behind
1960,” par. 3).
** A quote within a quote is easy to use. Begin with double quotes to indicate you (the
writer) are taking someone else’s direct words. When you encounter the author’s double
quotes, switch them to single quotes. End the section you are quoting with double quotes.
Notice that the writer must give the original source’s name if known. In the following
example, the author, Andrews, used Sharon Anderson in his article. The writer of the
research paper integrated Sharon Anderson’s name into the text of her paper.
Example: Sharon Anderson explains how technology can help some teens: “Still, socialnetworking can also be a good thing for some teenagers. ‘A shy kid who has a terribly hard time expressing
himself one-on-one may be much more comfortable conversing online’” ( qtd. in Andrews 58).
Example of summary note card with no author and
multiple page numbers
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Both the army and navy established guidelines for women
who wished to volunteer for active service during World
War II.
(“Women of the War” 13-15)