MLA Research Papers:
Easy Formatting Guidelines for Students
Table of Contents
Sample Title Page…………………………………………….…….page 1
Sample Title page with notes…………………………………………page 2
Sample MLA Outline with notes………………..………….………...page 3
Sample MLA paper………………………………….…….……..…page 4
Sample MLA paper continued……………………….….………….page 5
Sample MLA Works Cited page with notes……………………….....page 6
Title of Paper:
Subtitle of Paper
Over A. Chiever
Senior Seminar
Ms. Ledbetter
March 5, 2009
Title of Paper:
Subtitle of Paper
(the paper’s title is 2 inches from the margin or 3 inches from the top of the paper)
(use the ruler on the side of Microsoft Word documents to judge)
(single space between title and subtitle)
(title should be centered, 12 point, Times New Roman font)
Over A. Chiever
(student name goes 2 inches below title, 4 inches from margin)
Senior Seminar
Ms. Ledbetter
March 5, 2009
(class, teacher, and due date are 2 inches from student name)
(6 inches from top margin)
(information is double-spaced)
Student Name
Senior Seminar
Ms. Ledbetter
March 5, 2009
Title of Paper
(centered, not italicized, bolded, or enlarged)
Thesis: Students will write their thesis here. (Make sure the heading “Thesis:” is present)
I. Topic (slightly indented below thesis) (use Roman numerals for all topics) (should be a statement)
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A. Subtopic (slightly indented, should fall directly below first word of previous entry) (use capital letters)
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B. Subtopic
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1. Detail of subtopic (indented, should fall directly below first word of subtopic, use regular numbers)
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2. Another detail of subtopic
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a. Detail of subtopic
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b. Detail of subtopic
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C. Subtopic
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II. Topic
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A. Subtopic
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B. Subtopic
***Notes***
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Nothing is bold or underlined; everything is 12 point Times New Roman font
Everything is double-spaced; use line spacing—don’t hit enter after every line; no extra line spacing anywhere in the document
Microsoft Word Bullets and Numbering option does not automatically give the correct format; therefore, it is recommended
that students turn the auto format feature off and create their own spacing.
On the final outline, there should only be statement or sentences, not questions as topics, subtopics, etc.
Topics, subtopics, details, etc. all need to have parallel structure, meaning they can be words, they can be phrases, or they can be
sentences, but they all must be the same type structure throughout the outline. Phrases seem to be the best choice.
Use Page Setup to set left, right, top, and bottom margins to one inch.
Spacing between numerals, letters, or numbers should be the same throughout the outline.
There are no page numbers on the outline as page numbers do not start until there is actual research text.
Make sure when creating an outline, there are no single entries; for example, if there is an “A” in the outline, there must be at
least a “B.” If there is a “1,” there must be a “2.”
All information highlighted on outline above is considered notes and does not belong in an outline.
There should be no end punctuation at the end of each entry, and all entries should begin with a capital letter.
LastName 1
Student Name
Senior Seminar
Ms. Ledbetter
March 5, 2009
Title of Paper
This is where students will write their introduction. The last sentence of the introduction
should be the exact thesis students included on their outline. The introduction should be a
minimum of five sentences.
This is where the body of the text begins. The body paragraphs should go in order
following the outline. Many students have trouble ensuring that their papers match their
outlines. The GP judges will make sure to check that the paper and the outline correspond.
Remember, the paper must be six pages, minimum, not including the title page, the outline, and
the works cited page. Also, the visual aids that students add to their papers do not count towards
their final page number total.
The margins of the paper should still be one inch. On the pages which include the actual
text of the research paper, there should be a header with the student’s last name and the page
number. This header and page number should continue to the works cited page, with the works
cited as the very last page/s of the paper (“MLA Formatting”). Please notice the header on this
page, the next page, and the works cited page; this is the correct formatting for these items. It
may be easier to create several different Word documents for the paper, such as a separate title
page and separate outline as it is difficult to add page numbers to certain pages and yet leave
them off others.
LastName 2
When incorporating a visual aid into the research paper, there are a few things to
consider. First of all, within the text, the writer should reference or mention and even explain the
visual aid. For example, if the visual is a graph, the writer should explain the purpose of the
graph and the information contained in the graph. It is very important that students do not just
plug in a picture or chart without first referencing it. Also, another thing that the GP judges will
look for is that the visual is “student-generated”; this means students should not simply copy and
paste a picture, graph, or other visual aid into their research papers (McAliley). Whether they
create a spreadsheet, take a photograph and upload it into their document, or use paint to draw a
diagram, students must create the visual on their own!
Another important component in a MLA research paper is the use of parenthetical
citations. A paper without parenthetical citations is a work of plagiarism, plain and simple.
Therefore, after each piece of information that is not common knowledge, there should be a
citation at the end of that sentence or paragraph giving credit to the author of that particular piece
of information. There are several rules regarding parenthetical citations that are important to
consider, and students should be aware of these rules in order to prevent acts of plagiarism.
A good MLA research paper ends with a conclusion. This conclusion has no specified
length, but it should remind readers of the most important points within the paper. After all the
work put into the paper, students don’t want the last thing their audience reads to be a poorly
written conclusion.
LastName 3
Works Cited
Brown, Grace. Freshman Academy 101. Garner: Raleigh State Press, 2008. Print.
EasyBib: Free Bibliograph Maker – MLA, APA, Chicago citation styles. Web. 23 July 2009.
<http://www.easybib.com/>.
Holmes, Tracy. “Building Block for Graduation Projects: Harnett County Steams Ahead.”
Newsweek 15 Jan. 2009: 15-19. Print.
Matticola, Erik. E-mail interview. 16 Feb. 2009.
McAliley, Deborah. Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2009.
“MLA Formatting and Style Guide: MLA Update 2009 – The Owl at Purdue.” Welcome to the
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). 2009. Web. 23 July 2009.
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/15/>.
Yutzy, Linda. Telephone interview. 14 Dec. 2009.
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***Notes***
All Works Cited entries are in ABC order, with the exception of titles that begin with an article (a, an, or the).
When titles begin with an article, then students should default to the next word in the title when alphabetizing.
For example, the book title, The Jungle Book, would be alphabetized by the J, not the T.
All entries are to be double spaced, just like the rest of the research paper.
All entries that are longer than one line should be reverse indented, meaning the entry begins at the margin and
all subsequent lines are indent. Students can do this by hitting Ctrl + tab.
All entries should include correct punctuation; for example, periods follow certain pieces of information within
the entry, and all entries should end with a period. Students should consult MLA guidelines to ensure their
punctuation is correct.
The 7th edition of MLA Guidelines was released in 2009. Students should make sure they are using the most
current edition of MLA in their Works Cited pages.
The 7th edition of MLA Guidelines requires entries to include the medium in which a source is published.
Internet sources are Web; books are Print; others may include DVD, Performance, or TV. This information will
usually come at the end of entries.
Listed above are examples of citations for interviews via e-mail, telephone, and face-to-face conversation.
The Works Cited page(s) is/are considered the last page(s) of the research paper. Therefore, the header at the
top of the page should include the student’s last name and the page number.
All titles must be in italics (not underlined).
According to MLA, 7th edition, the URLs for websites are no longer required. However, to include them is not
incorrect. In the event that students include a website’s URL, they should make sure that it is not interrupted by
a line break. URLs, if included, should be in brackets. Microsoft Word will automatically hyperlink URLs, and
thus, remove brackets that have been typed. Again, students should turn off the automatic formatting, or simply
retype the brackets.