The MLA-formatted paper should be written in black ink and printed on standard, white 8.5- by 11-inch paper. The margins should be set at one inch on both sides; the top and the bottom and the paper should be double-spaced. There should be one space after each period and a new paragraph should be indented half an inch from the left margin. Italics should be used to indicate titles and provide emphasis only when necessary. A header should be created that includes page numbers on the right-hand corner of each page.
When using MLA guidelines, a title should not be created unless specified in the assignment requirements. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, you should include your name, your instructor's name, the course name and the date, in a double-spaced format. If a title is needed for the paper, it should come after your name and other information. It should be centered on the first line and should not be bold or italicized.
If you choose to use an in-text citation to dictate a direct reference to the work of another author, the information must correspond directly to a work listed on the Works Cited page at the end of the document. The author and page number method should be used when marking in-text citations. After the sentence is completed, you should place the author's last name, followed by a comma, followed by the page number on which the information was found in parentheses. The period should come after the parentheses.
In a research paper, the Works Cited page should come on a separate page at the end of the paper. The page should be labeled Works Cited and centered at the top of the page. All sources should be double-spaced similar to the rest of the paper. Only the second and subsequent lines should be indented, while the first line of the citation should be left directly on the left margin.