MLA-9 Sample paper

Sample 1

Claudia Q. Sample

Professor Noname

English Composition 102

27 August 2024

A Sample Paper for Correct Formatting in MLA-9

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has updated its style handbook to provide

substantially more clarity than the previous version with the release of the MLA Handbook Ninth

Edition (MLA-9). As in the prior edition, MLA repeatedly refers to professors’ rights to establish

unique formatting requirements for their students within the MLA-9 (1, 3, 13, 290; see also

“MLA Style Center”). However, in order to achieve uniformity and consistency in all courses

and programs of study requiring MLA formatting, the administrators of Liberty University have

established the formatting rules and standards within this sample paper that students and

professors are to follow for all Liberty University class assignments. The MLA-9 is available

online at mlahandbookplus.org

A significant change in MLA-9 is the recommendation for using internal headings and

subheadings paper to help organize and structure one’s paper (4-5). Headings are not

recommended or required for short essays, however. If you do choose to include headings, be

sure to include two or more headings of the level(s) you choose to use, since MLA-9 forbids

stand-alone heading levels. Three levels are set forth in the MLA-9, with all three presented

flush-left (at the left margin):

Heading Level 1

Heading Level 2

Heading Level 3

  Sample 2 
 
This sample paper contains more headings than would typically be used in an academic 
paper so that students can readily search for specific topics as necessary for their particular 
needs. Below is a list of the available headings in this paper for ease of search-ability; this would 
never be included in an academic paper: 
 
Paper Set Up (Font, Margins, Left-justified, Line Spacing, Punctuation) ...................................... 4 
Title Page Format ............................................................................................................................ 4 
Title of Paper................................................................................................................................... 5 
Notable Changes from Prior Editions ............................................................................................. 5 
Basic Rules of Scholarly Writing ................................................................................................... 6 
Mechanics of Scholarly Prose ......................................................................................................... 7 
Works Cited Introduction and Summary of Formatting ................................................................. 7 
Crediting Your Sources................................................................................................................... 7 
Paraphrasing and Direct Quotes .......................................................................................... 8 
Paraphrasing ............................................................................................................ 8 
Short Quotes............................................................................................................ 9 
Block Quotes ........................................................................................................... 9 
Author Names of Cited Content ....................................................................................... 10 
Single Author ........................................................................................................ 10 
Two Authors ......................................................................................................... 10 
Three or More Authors ......................................................................................... 10 
Unknown Author .................................................................................................. 11 
Abbreviations of Corporate Names and Titles in the Body of the Paper .............. 11 
Citing Sources Multiple Times in-Text ............................................................................ 11 

  Sample 3 
 
Secondary or Indirect Sources; used for Direct Quotes Published in Other Sources ....... 12 
Locations of Cited Content in Original Sources ............................................................... 12 
Placement of Citation in Sentence .................................................................................... 12 
Arranging the Order of Resources in Your Citations ....................................................... 13 
Two Works by the Same Author in Same Year Cited in the Body of the Paper .............. 13 
Two Works by Two Different Authors with Same Last Name Cited in Paper ................ 13 
Number of Authors in the Works Cited List ..................................................................... 14 
Dictionaries ................................................................................................................................... 14 
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 15 
Lists ............................................................................................................................................... 15 
Numbers ........................................................................................................................................ 16 
Displaying Titles of Works In-Text .............................................................................................. 17 
Personal Communications ............................................................................................................ 17 
Resources Canonically Numbered Sections (i.e., Bible Verses, Poetry, and Plays) .................... 18 
Bible / Scripture ................................................................................................................ 18 
Poems ................................................................................................................................ 19 
Plays .................................................................................................................................. 19 
Lectures and PowerPoints ............................................................................................................. 19 
Electronic Sources and Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) .............................................................. 20 
Self-Plagiarism .............................................................................................................................. 20 
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 21 
Annotated Bibliographies ............................................................................................................. 21 
Final Formatting Tweaks .............................................................................................................. 22 

Sample 4

Exhaustive Works Cited Examples ............................................................................................... 22

Additional Helpful Resources ....................................................................................................... 24

Exceptions Used in Sample Paper for Visualization .................................................................... 24

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 24

Paper Set Up (Font, Margins, Left-justified, Line Spacing, Punctuation)

The MLA-9 itself provides basic directives on how to set up or lay out the format of the

pages in a research paper. Margins on all four sides of the page must be 1”, for example, with

everything double-spaced (including quotes and the works-cited entries). MLA-9 recommends

“an easily readable typeface [e.g., Times New Roman] … in which the regular type style

contrasts clearly with the italic” between 11- and 13-point size (1). For the sake of consistency

and uniformity, Liberty University requires Times New Romans 12-point font for all class

assignments. Papers should be “left-justified” (i.e., only the left margin would line up, and the

right margin would have a ragged edge, as shown throughout this paper). Paragraphs should be

indented ½” from the left margin. Only one space should be added after closing punctuation

before beginning the next sentence (2). Students should be sure that their word processing

program is not set to automatically hyphenate words that are too long to appear on one line

(“MLA Style Center”).

Title Page Format

An individual student’s research paper in MLA-9 format does not include a separate title

page (2). Group projects, however, do require a title page that lists all of the student authors’

names (MLA-9 3).

All pages of the essay or paper must include the author’s last name (all last

names in the case of a group paper), followed by one space and the page number in the header at

See the template provided for group papers in our MLA Quick Guide.

Sample 5

the right margin (see top right corner of this page). The first page of the essay or paper itself

should always begin with number 1; if you have a separate title page for a group project, it

should not be numbered. As shown in the figure below from style.mla.org (and in this sample

paper itself), the first page of any individual student’s paper in MLA-9 format must include

separate lines at the left margin with the student’s name, the instructor’s name, the course

number, and the date of completion, in day-month-year format (2):

Title of Paper

The title of your paper goes on the line of the first page of the body, under the four lines

of student/professor details (MLA-9); it should be centered, with no bolding or italics, and in title

case (all major words should begin with a capital letter).

Notable Changes from Prior Editions

In addition to inclusion of headings and a separate title page for group projects (both

mentioned above), MLA-9 has a few other notable changes. Footnotes are now permitted,

sparingly, to clarify or add supplemental details. Though MLA-9 authorizes placement of

footnote content either at the bottom of the page (as in this sample paper) or on a separate page

after the reference list (290), Liberty University recommends that student place them, when

used, at the bottom of the page, as shown throughout this paper. Indent the first line of

footnotes ½” from the left margin.

Sample 6

Citations are also now required for every sentence that includes content derived from

another source (rather than just at the end of a paragraph). MLA-9 allows writers to omit the

author’s name for subsequent citations in the same paragraph, however, provided there is no

intervening content between those sentences, and it is clear to the reader where the content

originated. Location numbers can be presented alone in parentheses in such cases. MLA-9 is also

twice the number of total pages than the previous version was; those pages include significantly

expanded explanations of mechanics rules (e.g., punctuation, bulleting, etc.) and examples of

works-cited entries.

Basic Rules of Scholarly Writing

Most beginning students have difficulty learning how to write papers and also format

papers correctly using the ninth edition of the MLA manual. However, the mission of the Liberty

University “Online Writing Center” (OWC) includes helping students learn how to be

autonomous, proficient writers. The OWC also provides students with templates to help them

with basic formatting elements, but this sample paper is designed to help graduate and doctoral

students learn to master MLA rules and formatting on their own, which will prove helpful as

they progress in their studies and work toward future publication in scholarly journals.

For the purpose of instruction, this paper will use second person (you, your), but third

person (this author) must be used in most student papers. First person (I, me, we, us, our) is not

generally permitted in academic papers. Students should refrain from using first or second person

in college courses unless the assignment instructions clearly permit such (as in the case of

personal reflection sections or life histories). If in doubt, students should clarify with their

professors.

Sample 7

Mechanics of Scholarly Prose

Chapter 2 of the MLA-9 is dedicated to the mechanics of prose. This section in the MLA-9

is extensive and spans 73 pages, which is almost half of the number of total pages (including fore

matter and index) in the entire previous edition. Topics covered in Chapter 2 include rules on

spelling, punctuation, italics, hyphenation, capitalization, names, titles, and numbers. Because

there are many individual rules about specific applications, students are encouraged to consult

their own copy of the MLA-9 for detailed rules; these largely follow standard grammar and

mechanics rules of scholarly writing and are not necessarily specific to just MLA-9.

Works Cited Introduction and Summary of Formatting

MLA-9 is almost identical to previous editions in regard to formatting and parenthetical

citations, but the MLA-9 expands and enhances the examples of works-cited entries to include

virtually every type of resource an author would ever cite. MLA defines the core elements of the

works-cited list as including the author(s), title of the source, title of its container, other

contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location (20), in that order. These

elements are discussed in more detail in the paragraphs that follow and demonstrated visually in

the works cited entries themselves.

Crediting Your Sources

Chapter 6 of the MLA-9 provides a thorough discussion of in-text citations. MLA-9’s goal

regarding in-text citations is to provide “brief, unobtrusive references that direct readers to the

works-cited list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the

source being cited” (227). In-text citations usually require the author’s name and page number

for both direct quotes and paraphrases. If you are just generally referring to a source but not

quoting or paraphrasing its content specifically, you can cite only the author and omit the page

Sample 8

number. When the author is unknown, name the title, in quotation marks, as it appears in the title

place in the works-cited entry. “MLA Style Center” is an example throughout this sample paper.

No punctuation is required between the author and page number. The author may be named in

the text of the sentence itself, or in parentheses after the cited content. For example, Owen

studies children with emotional and behavioral disturbances (12); or children adopted from

trauma often suffer with emotional and behavioral disturbances (Owen 12). In subsequent direct

quotes or paraphrased content from the same author in the same paragraph, and where it is clear

to the reader that you are still referring to that other source, use just the page number in the

citation (262). For example: She believes that attachment difficulties have spiritual implications

(12).

Paraphrasing and Direct Quotes

Paraphrasing is rephrasing another’s idea in one’s own words by changing the wording

sufficiently without altering the meaning (remember not to just change a word here or there or

rearrange the order of the original source’s wording). Quoting is using another’s exact words.

Both need to be cited; failure to do so constitutes plagiarism.

Paraphrasing

Only use quotes when the original text cannot be said as well in your own words or

changing the original wording would change the author’s meaning. You cannot simply change

one word and omit a second; if you paraphrase, the wording must be substantially different, but

with the same meaning. Regardless, you would need to cite the resource you took that

information from. For example, Maryse Benoit and others wrote that “although, a link between

attachment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been established, the

mechanisms involved in this link have not yet been identified” (101). A paraphrase for that quote

Sample 9

might be: A link between dysfunctional attachment and the development of PTSD has been

made, though there is insufficient data to determine exactly how this mechanism works (Benoit

et al. 101).

Short Quotes

As the direct quote in the previous section demonstrates, the closing punctuation in a

sentence with a short quote falls after the closing parentheses.

Block Quotes

Quotes that are “more than four lines in your prose” (254) must be blocked

, with the left

margin of the entire quote indented ½ inch. Maintain double-spacing of block quotes. MLA

prefers that you introduce quotes but note that the punctuation falls at the end of the direct quote

itself, with the page number outside of that (which is contrary to punctuation for non-blocked

quotes). For example, Alone claims:

Half of a peanut butter sandwich contains as much bacteria as the wisp of the planet

Mars. Thus, practicality requires that Mrs. Spotiker nibble one bit at a time until she is

assured that she will not perish from ingesting it too quickly. (13)

For block quotations in which the parenthetical citation does not fit on the same line as the direct

quote itself, drop the citation to the next line and right-justify it:

Wishing upon a star and then some, of which riches there are,

Brightest light, still shining through the delight of a winter storm,

Note that block quotes are required for “more than three lines in the source” for poetry

(MLA-9 256).

Note that there are no quotation marks for block quotes, as shown in the example.

Sample 10

Prettier than the fireflies that twinkle in the summer months,

Ne’er before has the halo of the moon and sun and star burned more amber.

(Burgeot, sonnet 21)

Usually quotes within quotes use single quotation marks; however, use double quotation

marks for quotes within blocked quotes, since there are no other quotation marks involved. Also

understand that direct quotes should be used sparingly in scholarly writing; paraphrasing is much

preferred in scholarly writing, as it demonstrates that you read, understood, and assimilated other

writers’ content into one cohesive whole.

Author Names of Cited Content

Single Author

If you name an author in the text of your sentence itself (called a narrative citation),

include both the author’s first and last names. For example, according to Christy Owen, “foxes

can fly” (17).

Two Authors

When naming two authors in a narrative citation, use the word “and” to connect them

(and use both their first and last names the first time you mention them, as for a single author). In

subsequent or parenthetical citations, use just their last names. For example, Aubrey Perigogn

and Pauline Brazel contemplated that . . . or (Perigogn and Brazel).

Three or More Authors

Narrative citations of resources with three or more authors follow the same rule of giving

the first author’s full name, plus either the phrase “and others” or “and colleagues” (MLA-9 232).

Parenthetical citations of sources that have three or more authors, include the first author’s last

name followed by the words et al. (without italics; MLA-9 232). Et al. is a Latin abbreviation for

Sample 11

et alli, meaning “and others,” which is why the word “al.” has a period, whereas “et” does not.

For example, Abram Alone and colleagues stipulated that peacocks strut. Every single time I

refer to their material thereafter, I would apply MLA-9’s rule of last-name-only plus the

appropriate descriptor: Alone and others, Alone and colleagues, or (Alone et al.).

Unknown Author

Resources without a known author will name the title in the author’s position (MLA-9

237); note that presentation of such titles should mirror the italics and quotation marks around

these titles as presented in the works-cited list.

Abbreviations of Corporate Author Names and Titles within the Body of the Paper

When a corporate author is named parenthetically, “shorten the name to the shortest noun

phrase” (MLA-9 233) but do not abbreviate any of the words. This rule also applies to titles of

sources cited in the body of a paper (237). For example, Owen’s Northern Lights would be

spelled out fully each time, since it is comprised solely of a noun and two modifiers; whereas

Owen’s Lights of the North can be shortened to Owen’s Lights, since “of the North” is a

prepositional phrase that is not part of a noun phrase.

Citing Sources Multiple Times in-Text

If the same source is cited more than once in a paragraph, with no intervening resources

cited between, MLA-9 authorizes a full citation in the first sentence citing that source, and then

only the location number include for other content deriving from that same source in the same

paragraph (262). This is a difference from the previous version of MLA and has been

demonstrated throughout this sample paper, including in the previous paragraph. Anytime there

is any content between cited content in a paragraph, a new citation is required for the sake of

clarity.

Sample 12

Secondary or Indirect Sources; used for Direct Quotes Published in Other Sources

MLA-9 also addresses rules on secondary or indirect sources on pages 284-285. It favors

finding the original source whenever possible, but details how to incorporate an indirect source

when the original source is not available. For example, Bhabha believes that boundaries are

created when critics insist upon bearing “witness to the unequal and uneven forces of cultural

representation" (qtd. in Bartels 46).

Locations of Cited Content in Original Sources

Include the author(s) and location as applicable for paraphrases, and the author(s) and

location (e.g., page, paragraph, line number, or timestamp) for direct quotes. Page numbers

should be used for any printed material (books, articles, etc.), and paragraph numbers should be

used in the absence of page numbers (online articles, webpages, etc.). Inclusion of page numbers

are required for all citations to a paginated book, including both direct quotes and paraphrases

(MLA-9 99-100, 242). Do not use any labels or punctuation before page numbers in your

citations. For example: (Perigogn and Brazel 12–13). However, you must include a label for

other locations, such as par. for paragraph in a webpage or line/lines for lines in poetry (e.g.,

Liberty University par. 8).

Placement of Citation in Sentence

Writers are encouraged to name the author in the beginning, middle, or end of the

sentence. The following three sentences exemplified each option, with coloring to separate them

and the author’s name underlined in each solely for visual demonstrations here; students would

never underline any authors’ names or add highlighting or coloring in their papers:

Eachwort et al. stressed the importance of eating a wholesome breakfast to start one’s day (12).

In “The Squirrel Poem,” Joanna Smith detailed the antics of squirrels.

Sample 13

“The Destructors” foretells the cruel and macabre plot of the Wormsley Common Gang to

deconstruct Old Misery’s home from the inside-out (Greene 3).

Arranging the Order of Resources in Your Citations

If the material you cited was referred to in multiple resources, include a footnote and

separate the different sets of authors and locations with semicolons, arranged in whatever order

seems logical (MLA-9 287). These can be arranged alphabetically as they appear in the works-

cited list or prioritized with the most prominent or relevant for that content placed first. Do not

include parentheses, but format them as if for parenthetical citations (using only last names and

et al. as appropriate).

Two Works by the Same Author in Same Year Cited in the Body of the Paper

Authors with more than one work published in the same year are distinguished by adding

a title to the citation so the reader can easily identify which resource each citation refers to

(MLA-9 235). For example, this sample paper refers to two resources written by Charles Double

in 2008. In “Arranged Alphabetically,” Charles Double details the rules for writing (11). Double

also elaborates on subsequent publications (“The Second” 6).

Two Works by Two Different Authors with the Same Last Name Cited in the Body of the Paper

If you have two or more resources authored by individuals with the same last name in the

same year, include those authors’ first names in every narrative citation (not just the first one in

each paragraph). In parenthetical citations to such resources, include the author’s first initial and

last name, with the title, separated by a comma. For example, James Brown wrote about

anteaters and Marilyn Brown discussed verb forms. Anteaters have long snouts (J. Brown,

“Anteaters” par. 3). Capricious means “whimsical” (M. Brown, “Capricious” par. 2).

Owen, figure 1; see also Rackley, 8; De Vries et al., 17; Fried and Polyakova, table 3.

Sample 14

Number of Authors in the Works Cited List

The same rules apply to the number of authors named in the works cited list as with in-

text citations. Resources with only one or two authors will name all of those authors in every

citation; resources with three or more authors will only name the first author and add the phrase

et al.

Dictionaries

MLA-9 advises writers to use just one dictionary for the sake of consistency, such as the

Merriam-Webster dictionary (15), which can be accessed at www.merriam-webster.com. Writers

should consult that dictionary resource often to check for non-standard plurals (16), determine

whether a term requires a hyphen (28, 31), clarify foreign language terms in literary periods and

cultural movements (52), determine whether items in a numbered series should be spelled out or

enumerated (84), check for offensive terms (93), clarify variant spellings of an author’s name

(115), and discern whether and how to properly abbreviate a term (293). Terms and phrases that

have not been adopted into the English language should be italicized in the text of a paper; mise

en abyme is an example of this.

When citing a dictionary entry, name the word searched in quotation marks. For example,

“heuristic” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “involving or serving as an aid to learning,

discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods.” This

sample paper strives to help students avoid learning MLA-9 formatting through heuristic

methods. In the works cited entry, include the form of the word (e.g., N. for noun; Adj. for

Sample 15

adjective) and the definition number, if more than one entry for that form of that word (see the

works cited entry for “heuristic”).

Abbreviations

The MLA-9 includes an extensive list of accepted abbreviations in its first appendix,

including all of the books of the Bible, as well as some other classical works (295-301). The

Bible abbreviations are attached to this sample paper in the appendix herein, since Liberty

University will likely use those in each class.

If you will use a long term, phrase, or entity name at least three times in the body of your

paper, write out the full name the first time you mention it, followed by an abbreviation or

acronym in parentheses, and then use the abbreviation throughout the rest of the body of the

paper. Spell the entity name out fully in the works-cited list. The abbreviation MLA-9 is an

example of this; see the top of page 1 of this sample paper for how it was introduced. Note that it

is italicized because it represents the abbreviation of a book title.

Lists

MLA-9 allows lists to be woven into the text directly within the paragraph or set

vertically (9-13). When integrated into your content, use a colon or the word “include” (with no

quotation marks) before beginning your list; your list can be unnumbered or numbered. If you

use numbers, add enclose the number in parentheses. For example, lizards like to eat apples,

bananas, and cantaloupe. Last year, the most active people groups were: (1) Americaunas, (2)

Brazeltonians, (3) Cliffordians, and (4) Driftylons. The same content presented vertically would

include that lizards like to eat:

• apples

• bananas

Sample 16

• cantaloupe

Last year, the most active people groups were:

1. Americaunas;

2. Brazeltonians;

3. Cliffordians; and

4. Driftylons.

If your vertical list items are complete sentences, begin each with a capital letter and end

with a period; if they are fragments, separate them with semicolons with the word “or” or “and”

before the last item, and add a period at the end as demonstrated in the numbered vertical list

above.

Numbers

In MLA-9 format, when you can use only or two words for a number, spell it out in word

format (82); include a dash to combine words for numbers under 100. For example:

three

two hundred

four thousand

two-thirds

sixty-four

eighty-six

Use numbers when three or more words are required to state the number other than percentages

or money:

106

152

1,112

5,618

8,008

If your sentence includes a combination of numbers from both of the rules state above (i.e.,

numbers with only one or two words, as well as numbers with three or more words), express all

the numbers in that sentence numerically (MLA-9 83). For example, only 9 of the 305 students

in the graduating class attended the concert. You may combine numerals and words for very

large numbers, such as 6.8 million frogs (84).

Amounts of money and percentages are spelled out in word format if you use one to three

Sample 17

words to express them, and written out numerically if you use four or more words (MLA-9 83):

six percent

fifty-three percent

forty-one dollars

four hundred dollars

$4.62

$936

42.6%

50.3%

For numbered street names, use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 8th) and do not superscript the suffix

(st, nd, th); see section 2.219 of your MLA-9. When you begin a sentence with a number, spell

that number out in word format (84), even if your sentence contains a number that is expressed

numerically (85). Add a comma for numbers greater than 999 except for page/line numbers,

four-digit years, and street addresses (86).

Displaying Titles of Works In-Text

The names of journals, books, plays, dissertations, films, websites, apps, court cases, and

other long works, if mentioned in the body of the paper, are italicized in title case (MLA-9 66-

69). When you mention a work that is normally italicized (e.g., a play) as well as the larger work

it is published in (i.e., a book with collections of plays), italicize both titles in that sentence (69).

Titles of journal articles, lectures, essays, poems, chapters in a book, pages on a website, and

songs should be in title case, encapsulated by quotation marks (70). Do not add italics or

quotation marks to Scripture, laws, titled categories on websites (such as Ask the MLA; 71).

Divisions of a work should be presented in lowercase, with no bolding, italics, or quotation

marks (72): act 6, appendix, bibliography, canto 8, chapter 12, list of works cited, preface, scene

2, stanza 11.

Personal Communications

In MLA-9, relevant details for personal communications include the other person, the type

of communication, and you as recipient (124). MLA-9 allows you to name yourself as the

https://style.mla.org/sections/ask-the-mla/

Sample 18

recipient or use the term “the author” (without quotation marks). For example:

Perrington, Annabelle. E-mail to the author. 8 August 2021.

Perrington, Annabelle. E-mail to Christy Owen. 8 August 2021.

Rousch, Peyton. Telephone interview with the author. 15 July 2020.

Rousch, Peyton. Telephone interview with Christy Owen. 15 July 2020.

In both cases, as with any other type of resource, name the author in your in-text citations

(Perrington) or (Rousch).

Resources Canonically Numbered Sections (i.e., Bible Verses, Poetry, and Plays)

Some resources—including Bible verses, poetry, and plays—do not have page or

paragraph numbers.

Bible / Scripture

MLA-9’s rules on citing scriptural writings are found on page 247. Include a works-cited

entry. When mentioned in the text of your paper other than as a citation (discussed in the next

paragraph), the general term Bible should not be italicized. Bible verses should designate the

chapter and verse as the location. Because Liberty University is a distinctly Christian institution

and many of its courses require biblical integration, most if not all of its students will cite the

Bible in virtually every course. For the sake of clarity and consistency, Liberty University

has deemed that all named Bible versions will be cited in both the text and the works-cited

entries by the full name of the version used, following the term The Bible.

The first time the Bible version is cited in your paper, you must include a citation with

the full name of the version from your works-cited entry. For example, in a vivid prophetic

vision, Ezekiel saw “figures resembling four living beings”—each with the faces of a man, an

ox, a lion, and an eagle (The Bible, New American Standard Version, Ezek. 1.5-10). Later, in the

Sample 19

last book of the Bible, John echoed this passage when describing his own vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Notice that The Bible is italicized in the citations since it represents a book title, but the specific

version of the Bible named in citations is not italicized. As long as you do not change versions,

future citations in the rest of that paper will only include the location (rather than in each

paragraph, as for other resource types). If multiple versions are cited in the paper, the version

must be cited each time as required for the reader to clearly understand which version was

consulted for each citation.

Poems

When citing poems, include the line(s) as the location, instead of page or paragraph

numbers. Spell the word line or lines out (rather than using l. or ll.) so as to avoid confusion with

numerals. Shakespeare mourns the relentless passage of time in Sonnet 12: “And nothing ‘gainst

Time’s scythe can make defence / Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence” (lines 13-

14).

Plays

Locations of content from plays include the act, scene, and line(s), in a single string,

separated by periods. For example, (Hamlet 1.5.35-37) refers to Act 1 Scene 5, Lines 35-37 of

that play.

Lectures and PowerPoints

For purposes of Liberty University course presentations and lectures (which are not

readily available to the public), reference each as a video lecture with the URL (if available) for

the presentation, naming the presenter(s) in the author’s position. Include the course number,

lecture title, and enough details for others to identify it within that course (including the semester

and year the course was taken), in a sort of book format, naming Liberty University as publisher.

Sample 20

Peters is an example of this in the works cited list of this paper. If the presenter for a Liberty

University class lecture is not named, credit Liberty University as the author; see Liberty

University in the works cited list below as an example.

Section 6.79 discusses formatting of PowerPoint slides in MLA-9 format (285). In such

projects, citations should appear on each slide to give credit to the content therein, and there

should be a Works Cited list in the last slide. When citing a slide presentation in a class paper,

include the slide number as the location.

Electronic Sources and Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)

MLA-9 requires inclusion of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in the references whenever

available; if not, then a webpage, if available. In keeping with its unification of resources, MLA-9

now standardizes all DOIs and URLs to be presented in URL format, with the DOI number itself

preceded by https://doi.org/ — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1524838017742386. If no DOI is

available copy and paste the URL directly from the web browser unless it is a static hyperlink

(one that requires log-on credentials to access, rather than a direct link that is accessible to

everyone). Add a period after the DOI or URL in the works cited entries. MLA-9 does not require

authors to break long URLs with soft returns (hold down the Shift key and press the Enter key) at

forward slashes, periods, or underscores to avoid unsightly spacing gaps, but it may be best to do

so in academic papers.

Self-Plagiarism

MLA-9 recognizes that “many schools’ academic honesty policies prohibit the reuse of

one’s prior work in papers” (96-97). Indeed, Liberty University has stringent rules against self-

plagiarism, as do many scholarly journals. Because students receive grades for their class papers;

those who have received feedback and a grade from a prior professor on a prior paper have an

Sample 21

advantage over their classmates, both in having the benefit of that feedback/grade and in not

having to write a whole paper from scratch during the subsequent class. Student papers are also

submitted to SafeAssign or Turnitin to deter plagiarism. For these reasons, Liberty University

expressly forbids students using significant portions of a prior paper in a subsequent course

(either a retake of the same course or a new class altogether). It is conceivable that students who

are building their knowledge base in a subject matter—particularly at the graduate and post-

graduate levels—would reasonably justify incorporating brief excerpts from past papers into

current ones, as MLA-9 itself also recognizes (97). In such case, Liberty University authorizes

students to include brief excerpts of prior class papers in future courses, along with a citation to

the prior class paper and a reference entry (i.e., Owen, 2012; Yoo et al., 2016), as with any other

source. Such self-references and re-use of content from prior papers should be used sparingly

and disclosed fully in the current paper, and that content should not constitute a significant

portion of any academic assignment.

Appendices

Appendices, if any, are attached before the works cited list in an MLA-formatted paper

(“MLA Style Center”). You must refer to them (i.e., “callout”) in the body of your paper so that

your reader knows to look there. For example, this sample paper includes a list of abbreviations

for the books of the Bible (see appendix). The word “appendix” is singular; use it to refer to

individual appendices. If you have more than one appendix, assign a letter to each and denote

each by that: “Appendix A” and “Appendix B.”

Annotated Bibliographies

MLA-9 provides parameters for formatting annotated bibliographies in section 5.132

(226). The works-cited entries themselves are to be presented in standard MLA-9 formatting,

Sample 22

with a normal ½” hanging indent. The annotations, however, are to be indented a full 1” from the

left margin so that they can easily be identified by the reader. See the sample annotated

bibliography. Because of the unique formatting for these assignments, Liberty University

provides a separate template for individual student annotated bibliography assignments in the

MLA Quick Guide.

Final Formatting Tweaks

The templates provided by Liberty University are already formatted with proper spacing,

margins, heading level structure, and hanging indents, as necessary. Papers in MLA format

should be double-spaced throughout, with no extra spacing between lines. Academic papers at

Liberty University should also be in one of the accepted fonts throughout (recommended: Times

New Romans, 12-point font). Sometimes when you format your paper or cut-and-paste material

into it, things get skewed. One quick way to ensure that your paper appears correct in these

regards is to do a final formatting tweak after you have completed your paper. Hold down the

“Ctrl” button and press the “A” key, which selects and highlights all of the text in your paper.

Then go to the Home tab in Microsoft Word and make sure that whichever acceptable font/size

you choose to use is selected in the Font box. Next, click on the arrow at the bottom of the

Paragraph tab. Set your spacing before and after paragraphs to “0 pt.” and click the “double” line

spacing.

Exhaustive Works Cited Examples

The works cited list at the end of this paper includes an example of a myriad of different

sources and how each is formatted in proper MLA-9 format. One example of each of the primary

types of resources will be included in the works cited list, as cited in the body of this paper.

Remember that, for purposes of this paper only, many of the sources cited in the body of the

Sample 23

paper were provided for illustrative purposes only and thus are fictional, so you will not be able

to locate them if you searched online. Nevertheless, in keeping with MLA-9 style, all resources

cited in the body of the paper are included in the works cited list and vice versa. Be absolutely

sure that every resource cited in the body of your paper is also included in your works cited list

(and vice versa).

The works-cited list in this paper is fairly comprehensive and will include a book by one

author who also appears as one of many authors in another resource (Alone; Alone et al.);

chapters in edited books (Cloivre and James; Perigogn and Brazel); electronic version of book

(Cain); edited books with and without a DOI and one or more publishers (Pridham ;Schmid);

work in an anthology (Greene); journal articles (Carlisle; McCauley and Christiansen);

newspaper article (Goldman; Guarino); online webpages (Liberty University; Prayer); resource

with corporate author as publisher (Modern Language Association); resources by two authors

with the same last name but different first names in the same year of publication (J. Brown, and

M. Brown); two resources by same author in the same year (Double, and Carlisle); two resources

by the same author in different years (Second, 2011, 2015); dictionary entries (“heuristic”);

Liberty University class lecture using course details (Peters); PowerPoint slides or lecture notes,

not including course details (Canan and Vasilev); citing a student’s paper submitted in a prior

class, in order to avoid self-plagiarism (Owen); unpublished manuscript with a university cited

(Yoo et al.); religious and classical works, including the Bible (New American Standard Bible,

Shakespeare); dissertation or thesis (Rackley); video (Forman); podcast (Peters); recorded

webinar (Jarrett); photograph (McCurry); report by a government agency or other organization

(United Nations); report by individual authors at a government agency or other organization

Sample 24

(Fried and Polyakova); conference session (Owen.); and webpages (“M LA Style Center;”

“Online Writing Center”; U.S. Census Bureau).

Additional Helpful Resources

Below are a few webpages that address critical topics, such as how to avoid plagiarism

and how to write a research paper. Be sure to check out Liberty University’s Online Writing

Center (https://www.liberty.edu/online/casas/writing-center/) for more tips and tools, as well as

its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LUOWritingCenter). See also writing a

research paper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaa-PTexW2E or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNT6w8t3zDY and avoiding plagiarism

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCrUINa6nU). Remember that these links are only

provided for your easy access and reference throughout this sample paper, but web links and

URLs should never be included in the body of scholarly papers; just in the reference list.

Exceptions Used in Sample Paper for Visualization

Students would, of course, NOT include any color-coding or footnotes in their works-

cited entries. However, for the sake of clarity and ease in identifying what each entry represents,

each one that follows in this sample paper is color-coordinated to its corresponding footnote,

with a brief description of what each depicts. Also remember that MLA-9 requires double-

spacing, even in notes, but for the sake of readability in this sample paper, each footnote

corresponding to the works-cited entries is single-spaced. Always be sure to begin the works-

cited list on its own separate page.

Conclusion

The conclusion to your paper should provide your readers with a concise summary of the

main points of your paper (though not via cut-and-pasted sentences used above). It is a very

Sample 25

important element, as it frames your whole ideology and gives your readers their last impression

of your thoughts. Be careful not to introduce new content in your conclusion.

After your conclusion, if you are not using the template provided by the Online Writing

Center, insert a page break at the end of the paper so that the works-cited list begins at the top of

a new page. Do this by holding down the “Ctrl” key and then clicking the “Enter” key. You will

go to an entirely new page in order to start the reference list. The word “Works Cited” (not in

quotation marks) should be centered but not bolded. Items in the works-cited list are presented

alphabetically by the first author’s last name and are formatted with hanging indents (the

second+ lines of each entry are indented 1/2” from the left margin). MLA authorizes the use of

singular “Work Cited” (without quotation marks) if you only have one resource (5).

Sample 26

Appendix: Abbreviations of the Books of the Bible

Old Testament

Name of Book

Abbreviation

Genesis

Gen.

Exodus

Exod.

Leviticus

Lev.

Numbers

Num.

Deuteronomy

Deut.

Joshua

Josh.

Judges

Judg.

Ruth

I Samuel

1 Sam.

II Samuel

2 Sam.

I Kings

1 Kings

II Kings

2 Kings

I Chronicles

1 Chron.

II Chronicles

2 Chron.

Ezra

Nehemiah

Neh.

Ester

Esth.

Job

Psalms

Ps.

Proverbs

Prov.

Ecclesiastes

Eccles.

Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs)

Song of Sol. or Song of Sg.

Isaiah

Isa.

Jeremiah

Jer.

Lamentation

Lam.

Ezekiel

Ezek.

Daniel

Dan.

Hosea

Hos.

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Obad.

Jonah

Jon.

Micah

Mic.

Nahum

Nah.

Habakkuk

Hab.

Zephaniah

Zeph.

Haggai

Hag.

Zechariah

Zech.

Malachi

Mal.

Sample 27

New Testament

Name of Book

Abbreviation

Matthew

Matt.

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

Rom.

1 Corinthians

1 Cor.

2 Corinthians

2 Cor.

Galatians

Gal.

Ephesians

Eph.

Philippians

Phil.

Colossians

Col.

1 Thessalonians

1 Thess.

2 Thessalonians

2 Thess.

1 Timothy

1 Tim.

2 Timothy

2 Tim.

Titus

Philemon

Philem.

Hebrews

Heb.

James

Jas.

1 Peter

1 Pet.

2 Peter

2 Pet.

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelations

Rev.

Sample 28

Works Cited

“Heuristic, Adj. (1).” Merriam-Webster, 2021, https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/heuristic#h1.

“MLA Style Center: Formatting a Research Paper.” MLA Style Center. Modern Language

Association, 2016, style.mla.org/formatting-papers/.

“Online Writing Center.” Liberty University, 2019., https://www.liberty.edu/online/casas/

writing-center/.

Alone, Abram. This Author Wrote a Book by Himself. Herald Publishers, 2007.

Alone, Abram, et al. He Wrote a Book with Others, too: Arrange Alphabetically with the Sole

Author First, then the Others. Herald Publishers, 2011.

Bartels, Emily. "Othello and Africa: Postcolonialism Reconsidered." The William and Mary

Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 1, 1997, pp. 45-64. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2953312.

Benoit, Maryse, et al. “Emotion Regulation Strategies as Mediators of the Association Between

Level of Attachment Security and PTSD Symptoms Following Trauma in Adulthood.”

Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, vol. 23, no. 1, 2010, pp. 101-18.

http://doi.org/10.1080/10615800802638279.

Entry in a dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia.

Online webpage with URL.

Entry by author who also appears as one of many authors in another resource (single author

appears first in list).

Multiple authors appear after same single-author resource.

Secondary or indirect source where the direct (primary) source is unavailable.

Sample 29

Brown, James. Ardent Anteaters. Brockton, 2009.

Brown, Marilyn. “Capricious as a Verb.” Journal of Grammatical Elements, vol. 28, no, 6, 2007,

pp. 11-12.

Burgeot, Priscilla. “Sonnet 21.” Parody of a Rainbow, https:// parakeet.edu/.

Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. E-book.

Random House, 2012.

Canan, Edith, and Jefra Vasilev. (2019, May 22). [Lecture notes on resource allocation].

Department of Management Control and Information Systems, University of Chile.

https:// uchilefau. academia.edu/ElseZCanan

Carlisle, Metra. “Erin and the Perfect Pitch.” Journal of Music, vol. 21, no. 3, 2020, pp. 16-17,

http:// make-sure-it-goes-to-the-exact-webpage-of-the-source-otherwise-don’t-include.

———. “Perfect Pitch makes Sweet Music.” Journal of Music, vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 3-6, http://

make-sure-it-goes-to-the-exact-webpage-of-the-source-otherwise-don’t-include.

Cloivre, Patrice, and Patrick James. “What Time is it Anyway?” A History of Clocks around the

World, edited by Mike Masterson, Peace Books, 2007, pp. 52-55.

De Vries, Raymond., et al. “What does it take to have a Strong and Independent Profession of

Midwifery? Lessons from the Netherlands.” Midwifery, vol. 29, no. 10, 2013, pp. 1122-

Resources by two authors with the same last name but different first names in the same year of

publication. Arrange alphabetically by the first initials.

Electronic only book.

PowerPoint slides or lecture notes.

Online journal article with a URL and no DOI; also depicts one of two resources by the same

author, in which three em-dashes are used to replace the author’s name in the second entry.

Chapter in an edited book or essay in an anthology.

Sample 30

1128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.07.007.

Double, Charles. This is Arranged Alphabetically by the Name of the Title. Peters, 2011.

———. This is the Second (“the” Comes after “Arranged”). Peters, 2017.

Eachwort, Peter. Quotes for the Day. Strouthland, 2020.

Folgerpedia. Folger Shakespeare Library, 23 April 2020, folgerpedia.folger.edu/Main_Page.

Forman, Milos. (Director). (1975). One flew over the cuckoo’s nest [Film]. United Artists.

Fried, Daniel, and Alina Polyakova. (2018). Democratic defense against disinformation. Atlantic

Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/democratic-

defense-against-disinformation/

Goldman, Carrie. “The Complicated Calibration of Love, Especially in Adoption.” Chicago

Tribune, 28 November 2018, https://carriegoldmanauthor.com/2018/11/28/the-

complicated-calibration-of-love-especially-in-adoption/.

Green, Graham. 1954. “The Destructors.” The Literature Collection E-book, edited by X. J.

Kennedy and Dana Gioia, Pearson, 2016, p. 167.

Guarino, Ben. “How will Humanity React to Alien Life? Psychologists have some Predictions.”

The Washington Post, 4 December 2017,

Journal article with a DOI.

Two resources by same author. Arrange alphabetically by the title and then replace the

author’s name in the second entry with three em-dashes (———)

Online resource with no named author. Title of webpage is in the author’s place.

Video.

Report by individual authors at a government agency or other organization.

Online newspaper article.

Short story, with an original publication year included.

Sample 31

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/12/04/how-will-

humanity-react-to-alien-life-psychologists-have-some-predictions/.

Jarrett, Christian. “Why are we so Attached to our Things?” TED, Dec. 2016,

www.ted.com/talks/christian_jarrett_why_are_we_so_attached_to_our_things/.

Liberty University. “Name of Class Lecture.” BIOL 102: Human Biology, Fall 2020.

McCauley, Stewart, and Morten Christiansen. “Language Learning as Language Use: A Cross-

Linguistic Model of Child Language Development.” Psychological Review, vol. 126, no.

1, 2019, pp. 1-51.

McCurry, Steve. “Afghan Girl”[photograph]. National Geographic, 14 June 1985,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-

of-covers/#/ngm-1985-jun-714.jpg.

MLA Handbook. 9

ed., e-book ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Owen, Christy. “Obscure Dichotomy of Early Childhood Trauma in PTSD versus Attachment

Disorders.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, vol. 21, no. 1, 2020, pp. 83-96. SAGE,

https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017742386.

Webpage on a news website.

Webinar, recorded.

Liberty University class lecture with no presenter named.

Journal article without DOI, from most academic research databases or print version.

Photograph.

Resource with corporate author as publisher.

Typical journal article with doi.

Sample 32

———. “PTSD from Childhood Trauma as a Precursor to Attachment Issues.” International

Conference: Salt & Light, April 12-14, 2018. Christian Association for Psychological

Studies, 2018.

———. “PTSD from Childhood Trauma as a Precursor to Attachment Issues.” Graduate

Symposium, vol. 16, no. 7, February 2015, pp. 11-17.

———. Behavioral Issues Resulting from Attachment have Spiritual Implications [Unpublished

manuscript]. COUN502, Liberty University, Spring 2012.

Perigogn, Alistair, and Pleshette Brazel. “Captain of the Ship.” Wake up in the Dark, edited by

Janet Auger,. Shawshank Publications, 2012, pp. 108-21.

Peters, Clay. “Defining Integration: Key Concepts.” COUN 506: Integration of Spirituality and

Counseling, Spring 2020, Liberty University.

Pridham, K. F., et al., editors. Guided Participation In Pediatric Nursing Practice: Relationship-

Based Teaching And Learning With Parents, Children, And Adolescents. Springer

Publishing, 2018.

Rackley, Blake. God Image and Early Maladaptive Schemas: A Correlational Study. 2007.

Regent U, PhD dissertation. ProQuest,

Conference session.

Transcript of live presentation published without accompanying audio or video.

Citing a student’s paper submitted in a prior class, in order to avoid self-plagiarism.

Chapter from an edited book.

Liberty University class lecture using course details.

Edited book, available in print.

Sample 33

proquest.com/openview/4b418a093a47e60c7d07b6cabfc5104d/1.pdf?pq-

origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y..

Schmid, Hans-Jörg, editor. Entrenchment and the Psychology of Language Learning: How we

Reorganize and Adapt Linguistic Knowledge. American Psychological Association; De

Gruyter Mouton, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1037/15969-000.

Second, Mark. Arrange Works by the Same Author Alphabetically by the Title of Each. Journal

Name, vol. 8, 2011, pp. 12-13.

———. (2015). Replace the Author’s Name with Three Em-Dashes. Journal Name, vol. 11, no.

1, 2015, p. 18.

Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 12.” The Folger Shakespeare, https://shakespeare.folger.edu/

shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/sonnet-12/.

———. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare, edited by G.

Blakemore Evans et al., Houghton Mifflin, 1974, pp. 1135-97.

Smith, Joanna. “The Squirrel Poem.” Poems about Wildlife, edited by John Smith, Harvard UP,

2016, pp. 122-23.

The Bible. New American Standard Version. Thomas Nelson, 1995.

Doctoral dissertation, from an institutional database.

Edited book with DOI and multiple publishers.

Two resources by the same author, in different years. Arrange by the earlier year first.

Shakespeare.

Work in an anthology.

Bible in print.

Sample 34

U.S. Census Bureau. “U.S. and World Population Clock.” https://www.census.gov/popclock.

Accessed 3 July 2019.

United Nations. Consequences of Rapid Population Growth in Developing

Countries: Proceedings of the United Nations / Institut National D'études

Démographiques Expert Group Meeting, New York, 23-26 August 1988. Taylor and

Francis, 1991.

Yoo, J., et al. Linking Positive Affect to Blood Lipids: A Cultural Perspective [Unpublished

manuscript]. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016.

Webpage on a website with a retrieval date.

Report by a government agency or other organization.

Unpublished manuscript with a university cited.