Good research builds on the prior research of others. Using someone else’s quotations or ideas, however, demands that credit be given to what is borrowed and from whom it is borrowed. The researcher must use a two-part system to give credit where credit is due. Whenever paraphrasing or quoting the works of another, first provide the author's name (or the title of the work) and the page (or paragraph) number of the work in a parenthetical citation within the text of your report. Secondly, this brief acknowledgement must clearly point to full citation information within a Works Cited list.
Joseph Gibaldi’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, is a handbook located in SE Polk libraries to assist in citing sources of information. MLA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the Modern Language Association for acknowledging sources used in a research paper.
The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University provides a MLA posters for students to download. Also please note that the poster only contains basic MLA guidelines. For detailed instructions, please see the complete OWL MLA resources here.
CLICK HERE 
to download.
The district provides K-12 NoodleTools to help students prepare and store their Works Cited pages and lists. Students may create their own user name and password to save their Works Cited online. Please see your Teacher Librarian for assistance.
Why use bibliographic citations? Recording sources systematically allows the reader to:
- Evaluate the authority and expertise of the information referenced.
- Check the accuracy of the quotation or other gathered information.
- Refer to the original quotation or read from the context of the cited idea.
- Avoid plagiarism (passing off someone else’s ideas as your own or failing to acknowledge the source of the information presented).
Some sources do not have to be cited. A dictionary, a Bible, or Shakespeare only need to be fully cited if it is important to compare different versions. Identifying the book, verse, play, act, or scene within a student’s work is correct. When in doubt, cite the source. Initially, the research process should begin with books. This first step in finding answers often provides the learner with additional keywords to search. As the student progresses to online resources, three tools must be considered: authority, accuracy, and currency. When evaluating websites, validation of information is accomplished by using these tools. The Internet supports freedom of speech, and anyone is free to publish information or an opinion. Remember that many reputable sites as well as unreliable sites reside side by side on the Internet. Equal access to these sites is generally available. Evaluating Internet sites is essential to good research. Ask yourself the following questions as you check the validity of a website:
- Authority: Who is the author of this work? How credible is the author? Are the author’s sources of information indicated? Who is the publisher or sponsoring organization of the work?
- Accuracy: Compare the information to another resource. Is the information consistent and correct? Is the information logical and without bias?
- Currency: Are the author’s sources current and up-to-date?