MLA Style is the preferred form of citation for humanities subjects such as those related to literature and language. It was developed by the Modern Language Association to standardize the documentation of sources which makes it easier for readers to find and verify where cited information originated from. MLA Style guides are updated regularly with the most recent 9th edition being released in 2021.

The most recent edition of the MLA Handbook is available at the QVCC Library service desk. 

Without giving proper acknowledgment to those who provided you with information, you are plagiarizing, which means you are claiming someone else's ideas and work as your own. Even if you did not mean to do it, not properly citing is viewed as plagiarism. 

Proper citations are also a way to:

• Strengthen your credibility. By aligning your ideas with existing work, you are building credibility and authority for your own ideas.

• Provide context for readers. Citations help your readers to trace your reasoning, explore further sources, and situate your work in the broader academic context.

• Contribute to knowledge creation. Citations trace a long line of academic conversation, showing where your ideas build on existing ideas and ensuring that future researchers can build even further. 

Still confused?  Citation styles have a lot of parts to think about.  Hands on practice helps us work through all the parts of adding our citations to our work.

Start practicing your MLA citations:

Learn to Create MLA Citations