MLA Style & Research


MLA Style | Research Guide | Copyright & Plagiarism


MLA Style

Memphis University School has adopted the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed., as its official style manual for all subject areas.

RED & BLUE GUIDE FOR WORKS CITED LISTS (New version for the 7th edition). MUS librarians have chosen examples of the most frequently needed citation styles at our school and created a PDF document for your convenience.

RED & BLUE GUIDE FOR WORKS CITED LISTS  (Older version for the 6th edition).

MLA Formatting  Mrs. Balton's online guide to setting up MUS papers.

DianaHacker.com   This site gives good examples of citations in MLA format, with a drop-down index of document types.

In-Text Parenthetical Citations  These tips will help you with citing Web sites, books without authors, e-books, and other difficult sources.  Examples of how to work them into your paper are included.

The Owl at Purdue  This college site provides a guide to MLA style and the research process, with examples and links to several other similar sites.

As for Citation Machine, Easy Bib, and other online bibliography generators: don't assume that they'll correctly format all your citations. As Citation Machine points out: "Warning: There are many nuances to how citations are formed, and this software may not pick up all of the circumstances that influence a citation's proper format. Because of the myriad of characteristics in information sources, neither David Warlick, nor The Landmark Project, can fully guarantee the accuracy of citations generated by this tool."

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Research Guide

Research and Topic Guides | Finding Different Types of Sources

Big 6 (Steps to Research)  Wondering how to get started with your research and how to finish with the grade you want? This is the best map we know to chart your course!

Evaluation Checklist  Information is not all of the same quality or usefulness. Here is a short list of questions to ask when determining whether a book, video, magazine article, CD-ROM, or web page fits your information needs.

Research and Topic Guides

To help you choose or narrow a topic, these databases and internet sites provide excellent guides.

Databases

Student Resource Center-Gold  Includes a Topic Trees tab which gives you a choice of 6 subjects: Cultures, Science, Geography, U.S. History, Literature, and World History.  Each of these topics gives a comprehensive list of various themes, subjects, and ideas for a research paper.  Use the Subject Guide tab to search through subject terms in the database, like 'Washington' to bring up a list of available subjects (Washington State, Washington D.C., George Washington, etc). 

History Study Center  Holds primary and secondary sources from Proquest and gives good research guides for your history project. Check the Study Units or the Maps and Reference section, where you can "Browse Topic Overviews."

American National Biography Online  Oxford database that includes a Research Ideas and Teacher's Guide tabs.

"Need a Research Topic?" See this list of recent controversial subjects from Facts on File.

 

Internet Links  Use the library's delicious.com page to browse links that may help in the research process.

 


Remember:  To find a word on any page on the internet, hit Ctrl-F and enter your word into the search box.

 

Finding Different Types of Sources: a Quick Pathfinder for Gathering Information

(If you already know which type of source you need, go to our Search the Databases page and select the type of information you need under Databases by Media. This guide is here to help you compare your options for gathering data.)

 

Books

  • Books often display the results of years of research, benefit from editorial direction, and usually supply the backbone of a good research paper. They may outperform and outlast information you find on the internet.

Articles

  • Articles contribute a more detailed perspective on a subject and can be more up-to-date or have their own historical value.

  • Popular Magazines and Scholarly Journals have different purposes and audiences; know which you're using.

  • Periodical Holdings List at the Hyde Library  We still subscribe to print journals and microforms; here's our list.

  • Serials Solutions  This application lists the journals we subscribe to and allows you to search or browse for a journal by keyword.  Once you've found a title, it provides a direct link to that journal.

Databases

  • Database List  This comprehensive list contains all of our subscription databases, each containing a variety of information formats. Consult this list if you know from experience which database you need.

  • Use the dropdown menus to sort resources by type of media or by subject.

Maps

  • Library Catalog  Maps can be found in the library's excellent collection of atlases, reference books, and stack books and can be used as primary or secondary sources in all kinds of projects. Online maps are improving; below are some of the better Web sites for maps.
  • North American Indian Map Page Links "This site archives thousands of historical events which happened to or affected the indigenous peoples of North America."
  • Northwestern University Libraries  Has exhibits containing ancient maps.
  • Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection  Wonderful map resource for researchers and historians.  Maps are drawn from the university's extensive collection or from non-copyrighted sources.
  • Maps Area  Features a keyword search engine of global maps. In addition to maps, link topics for this site include map companies, map magazines and forums, and a big list of historical map resources.
  • Library of Congress Map Collection 1500 to the present includes wonderful images of maps from the famous to the mundane.  Their divisions include military and battle maps; transportation and communication; cities and towns; conservation and the environment; discovery and exploration; cultural landscapes; and general maps.

Videos

  • Videos & Images can serve as primary or secondary sources and can supply valuable information and perspectives on your topic.

Primary Sources

  • Primary Sources are required by most MUS teachers for their research assignments; here's a way to approach them. Just remember that you have to use your own judgment in determining which are the best for you.

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Copyright & Plagiarism

Copyright 

  • U.S. Copyright Office Web site

  • Guidelines for educational fair use

  • Is it protected by copyright?  A digital slider which allows you to figure out if the material is copyright protected.

  • Copyright is a complicated issue; there are laws that have yet to be tested in court, and because of that, publishers, authors, and users have attempted (not always successfully) to come up with standards that are agreeable to all parties.  The Stanford University Libraries have a Copyright & Fair Use Web site that may be helpful.

  • In general, it is usually acceptable for a teacher or student to make a copy of part of a printed work for limited educational use without having to write for permission; however, if in doubt, it's best to write a copyright holder for permission to copy his or her work. Copying a complete work or making repeated sets of multiple copies for any purpose, including educational, may be illegal.

Plagiarism

  • Plagiarism is a form of cheating that involves using another person's ideas or words without acknowledging the source.  Whenever you write a research paper, you must tell specifically where you got each idea, whether you quote it directly or paraphrase it (put it in your own words). This information can be included in parenthetical notes or worked into your sentence structure; putting a title in your works cited list is not enough.
  • Plagiarism is one of the most frequent types of honor code violations at MUS, according to the Honor Council.

  • To avoid plagiarism, be sure to take detailed notes on each source and always write down the author, title, and page number on each note.  Keep up with your notes, and don't copy and paste text into your paper from another document. 

  • Never buy or borrow any work that someone else has done and turn it in as your own; that's the most blatant form of plagiarism, and it's easy for teachers to recognize it.
  • See this Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism from the Iowa State University Web site.


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