How to Make MLA Format Source Cards for Research Papers

The Modern Language Association provides guidelines for citing references in "Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook for Writers of Research Papers," edited by Joseph Gibaldi and Walter S. Achtert. MLA format has become the preferred method of citation in many English and humanities courses. The sources are noted in the body of the research paper by author name and page number, when possible. A separate "Works Cited" page or a collection of source cards gives further information about each citation. There are separate formats for books and periodicals in MLA style. There is currently no set format for electronic resources, but they are typically cited with the same information as a book.

Things You'll Need

  • Index cards
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Instructions

    • 1

      Divide your sources into books, periodicals such as newspapers and magazines and electronic resources such as online articles and websites.

    • 2

      Select a blank index card for each book you referenced. List the last name of the author, then the first name. Put a period, and two spaces. Add the title of the book. This should be underlined or italicized. Add another period and two more spaces. Look in the front few pages of the book, and locate the publication information. List the city of publication, names of publisher and publication date. Put a period at the end. Format the card so that only the first line is aligned with the margin. Indent all other lines five spaces.

    • 3

      Prepare source cards for any newspapers or periodicals referenced. Write the last name of the article's author, then the first name. List the full title of the article and the publication; it is important to note that newspaper and periodical titles are underlined or italicized while article titles are put in quotation marks. Add the city of publication, names of publisher and publication date if possible. The date of publication is mandatory. Place a period and two spaces between each section of information.

    • 4

      Prepare to cite any electronic sources by counting out an index card for each reference. At minimum, website citing requires the site title, the date you accessed the information and the site's URL address. If possible, the author or editor's name, the last update date and the organization that publishes the site should be included. These should be arranged with the site title first, followed by the author or editor's name. Then list the latest update date, followed by the sponsoring organization. The date accessed and website address should come last. Put a period and two spaces between each section.

    • 5

      Arrange the cards in alphabetical order by authors' last names, or by title when the author name isn't available.

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