Creating MLA-Style Documents Narrative Script MLA Basics Getting Started

Transcription

1 Creating MLA-Style Documents Narrative Script MLA Basics Getting Started 1. With the skills you have learned thus far in this class, I am sure that all of you create a document in Word 2007, but there may still be some confusion as to how to produce an MLA style paper to include required elements such as headers, page numbers, and hanging indents. This tutorial is designed to assist you in using Word 2007 to create an MLA style paper. We will be using the new 7 th ed. of the MLA Style. Once you learn these skills, you can also apply them to a paper in APA style or other styles. 2. This video series will include 4 videos. The first is the starting block for all MLA Style documents. You should complete the steps included in this first video each time you begin an academic document. These steps will allow you to create consistent, professional documents that will be in line with the requirements of academic documents. The other videos will then teach you the basics of creating an outline, developing the body of a Research paper to include adding footnotes and formatting long quotes and finally, how to complete your Works Cited paper. 3. So, let s begin with our MLA Basics Getting Started video. 4. Open a new blank document in Word There are a few preliminary things, 5 in all, that you ll need to change to comply with MLA Style. 6. First, select the No Spacing Style from the Styles Gallery on the Home Tab. This must be the first step before you make any other formatting changes or begin typing your document. 7. The next steps can be done in any order: change the font to Times New Roman, change the font size to 12 and change the spacing to double or Next verify that the margins are 1 inch all around. 9. Click on the page layout tab. Then click on the margins drop down menu. 10. Make sure Normal is selected. 11. The next thing you need to do is insert headers. In MLA style the headers consist of your last name, a space, and the page number. Although we are inserting headers, we are going to make this step a bit easier by inserting a page number and then adding the additional information. 12. So, click on the insert tab, and then click on drop down for page number, select Top of Page and Plain Number Your insertion point will be to the left of the page number so you are now ready to type your last name. Be sure to put a space following your name so that your name and the page number are separated. 14. Now we must make the text comply with MLA style and match the rest of the paper. 15. Highlight the text in the Header and click the home tab. 16. Change the font to Times New Roman and size To exit the header, either double click in the document or select the Close Header and Footer tool from the Header & Footer Tools Contextual Tab.

2 18. At this time, you can enter your MLA heading lines which consists of your name, your instructor s name, the class name, and the date. Press enter after each line to ensure that each item is on a line by itself. 19. Following the date, press the enter key to go to the next line, this is where you will type the Title of the paper. 20. From the Home Tab, select the Center text from the Paragraph Group. 21. Type the title, press enter and then select the Align Text Left to move the insertion point back to the left margin. 22. This concludes the MLA basics. From this point you will follow the steps to create either your Outline or begin typing your research paper.

3 Steps to creating an alphanumeric outline 1. It is now time to set up your alphanumeric outline. Some instructors will require this while others may not. As with all assignments made in your courses, be sure to follow the specific instructions provided by your instructor. 2. Hopefully, you have already gone through the MLA Basics steps and your insertion point is now flashing at the left margin under the title. 3. If a Thesis statement is needed, simply type the word Thesis, follow it with a colon, press the space bar once and begin typing your thesis paragraph. 4. Upon completion of your paragraph, press the enter key and you will be positioned to begin typing your outline. 5. Although Word has been created with many different outline styles, the proper MLA style is not incorporated into the program so in order to type your outline correctly; you must define your multilevel numbering items. 6. To do this, select the multilevel list tool found on the Home tab in the paragraph group. 7. Select Define New Multilevel list from the drop down list that appears. 8. You must now define the levels with the correct style and formatting features. 9. In the Click level to modify list be sure that the number 1 is selected. 10. In the number style for this level box, select the Roman numeral option. 11. In the Enter Formatting for number be sure to leave the grayed item but delete all other symbols such as parenthesis, put a period after the grayed number. 12. Now you need to format the second level. 13. Select level 2 in the Click level to modify list. 14. Select the capital A, B, C option in the number style for this level option. 15. Again, in the enter formatting for number box be sure to leave the grey letter but delete the parenthesis. 16. You will need to do this for the number of levels you will have in your outline. It is good practice to go ahead and do up to four levels. Level 3 will have numbers and level 4 will have lower case letters. 17. To ensure that all levels fit appropriately, it is suggested that the position be set to.5 so all levels will align correctly. In the position area of the same dialog box, select the Set for all Levels button. 18. Be sure the following items are set: a. Bullet/Number position for first level: 0 b. Text Position for first level is set at.5 and c. Additional indent for each level is Click Ok 20. Upon completion of this list, click Ok 21. You are now ready to type your outline as the Roman Numeral 1 has already been placed for you.

4 22. The rest is easy type each line, pressing enter upon completion of the line. To type another item on the same level, simply type the information where you re automatic numbering appears. 23. To change levels, select the Increase indent tool in the paragraph group of your Home ribbon or you can press the tab key. 24. Your new level will appear and you will continue typing your information. 25. To move back a level, select the decrease indent tool or hold your Shift key and press tab to move back a level. These steps should help to ensure your successful setup of your outline.

5 Typing the body of your MLA research paper. 1. Hopefully, you have already gone through the MLA Basics steps and your insertion point is now flashing at the left margin under the title. 2. Before you begin typing your paragraphs you should set the First Line indent so that each paragraph within your document will be indented. There is a difference between First Line indent and Tab so be sure to set this up correctly. 3. To set the First Line Indent, click the Dialog Box Launcher found in the Paragraph group from the Home Tab. 4. Once viewing the dialog box, move to the Special box and select First line. Select Ok. 5. Now you are ready to start typing your paper. 6. Start typing your paper. 7. To start a new paragraph, hit the enter key at the end of a paragraph. Your next paragraph will automatically be indented. Block Quotes 8. To start a block quote, hit enter at the end of the last word before the block quote. 9. Start typing your quote. 10. When you have finished typing the quote, highlight the paragraph, then hit the tab key twice. 11. Put your cursor in front of the first word of the quote and hit the backspace button to remove the indent. 12. When you are ready to continue typing your paper, go to the end of the block quote and hit enter 13. The cursor will be indented 10 spaces to coincide with the beginning of the block quote. 14. Hit the backspace key once to go back to left margin and continue the paragraph you were on. 15. If you want to start a new paragraph start at the left margin. 16. Click on the paragraph dialog box launcher again and click on the drop down box to select first line indentation and continue typing your paper. Footnotes 17. To insert a footnote, place your insertion point at the end of the word to footnote or at the end of the last word in a phrase in which the footnote should be attached. 18. Select the Reference Tab and click on the Insert Footnote tool. 19. Your insertion point will drop to the bottom of the page and you will type the information needed in your footnote. 20. Be sure to select the footnote text and change the font to Times New Roman and size 12 to maintain consistency as required in your MLA document. 21. Upon completion of your footnote, move back to the location where you need continue typing or to another location to insert an additional footnote.

6 Works Cited 1. The Works Cited page can be created at any time when you are typing your paper. Some students like to create the Works Cited page at the beginning of typing their paper so they can easily add citations as they type, while others will leave the Works Cited page to do when they have completed their paper. These steps can be utilized no matter when you decide to type it but be sure that you set it up with the instructions provided here. 2. When you are ready to begin typing your citations, move to the end of your document. 3. Your Works Cited page must be a page separate from the rest of your paper. To achieve this, insert a manual page break. The easiest method to accomplish this is to press the Control and Enter Key. This will move you to a blank page. 4. Check to be sure that your First Line indent feature is not on. To do this, select the dialog box launcher from the Paragraph group of the Home tab. 5. From the Special group, select (none). 6. Now center the Works Cited title at the top of the page. Select the Center text tool from the Home tab and type the words Works Cited and press the enter key. 7. Select the Align Text Left button to move to the left margin. 8. Works cited entries must be in a format known as a hanging indent. To do this, click on the paragraph dialog box launcher and under indentation from the special drop down box, select hanging. 9. This will create a hanging indent for your citations throughout the rest of your paper. 10. Start typing your citation. 11. Don t forget to go back and format any parts of the citation that require it. 12. At the end of this first citation and hit enter. Your next citation will automatically be formatted like the first. 13. In the new edition of MLA, web address or URLs are not required unless you won t be able to relocate the original website without it. 14. If you have to use a citation that requires a URL or web address, type it as normal. 15. Don t forget the brackets at the beginning of the citation. 16. When you close the bracket and add a period the URL will automatically turn blue and become underlined. If you immediately hit the backspace key on your keyboard it will immediately change back to MLA style with the brackets. 17. Long URLs are sometimes a problem in the Works Cited entries. If you find that a URL is extremely long and breaks up a line, you may press the space bar following a period or slash to break the URL up in an appropriate manner. 18. Always press enter at the end of each entry. Each entry will automatically be formatted with the hanging indent paragraph style. 19. When you finish typing all Works Cited entries, it is important to be sure your entries are listed in alphabetical order. 20. This is the basic Word 2007 format for a paper using the 7 th edition of the MLA handbook. Please remember to verify with your instructor that this format is correct.