MLA format offers a way of writing research papers that documents sources in a very simple and concise manner. Writers are encouraged to use footnotes and endnotes to provide explanatory information. The citation of external sources, however, is accomplished with in-text sourcing in an attempt to reduce the reliance on footnotes and endnotes.
MLA format strives above all else to make writing as concise as possible. It accomplishes this with in-text citations that provide only as much information as is deemed necessary in order to find the source in the Works Cited section. Citations within the text, therefore, feature only the name of the author or authors, the title of the text and page numbers where the information was found.
In MLA style papers, these notes are designed primarily for the purpose of offering explanations and additional information that does not fit well into the flow of the paper itself. In some cases, endnotes and footnotes can even be used for offering commentary on the information. These notes can also be used for citing several sources within a single contextual paragraph when in-text citations of many sources might distract the reader.
Every source that receives either an in-text citation or a mention in a footnote or endnote must be identified on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited page is placed at the end of the paper as the concluding document of the essay. There is a specific MLA format for the Works Cited page (see Resources).
The Modern Language Association upon which MLA format was based is an organization founded in 1883. Its purpose was to create an advocacy group to discuss and study literature and language. In addition to the official handbook for MLA formatting, the organization also publishes many different academic journals and holds a national convention every year that lasts four days. The convention is an event where published academic papers are discussed and features a job fair for universities and schools looking to hire instructors, as well as more than 800 other programs.