MLA. What a Pain.
I find that the MLA standard is confusing and contradictory. There, I said it. Now I need to go hide before all of the English professors in the world take out a contract on me. Well that felt good to just let it out. All of that MLA tension. You see, for me, I find that the information used for formatting MLA in-site quotations and on the Works Sited page are contradictory. Why? Well that is the million dollar question.
First lets go back and I will give you a little history lesson. When I was in High School, we were taught to do a Bibliography when we did an essay. We had to site sources but, we mainly used printed material as that was the most prevalent. The material was referenced in the footer area of the page in addition to a Bibliography page. Around the late '70's, a new standard came out called the Modern Language Association, or more commonly referred to as the MLA standard. Also in use at this time is the APA format. This standard was designed primarily for scientific papers and writings. In total, there are about two dozen recognized writing formats siting works. I am so thankful that I only have to be concerned with the MLA!
"The purpose of MLA citations is to document where information used in the essay was found and to provide credit to the authors for using their works" (AIMS). The in-text citations provide basic information and, essentially, refer readers to the Works Cited page where more information can be found and verified if necessary.
Sounds simple right? Well, for me at least, not so much. Because I have been away from writing (but I should say academic writing) for so long, I have to learn MLA formatting from the beginning. It seems like the more places I research the correct way to site something, I run across another site which has a slightly different way of doing the same thing.
My solution you ask? Is to do just that, ask. I ask my writing coaches, English Professors, and family who are scholars (in other words, they know a thing or two about writing). If I still have conflicts, I have to bite the bullet and go the the source itself, the dreaded MLA style handbook. Rumor has it there are students who have gone to research a MLA issue, and have never been seen again. Well, maybe not as there is no reference.
In some ways it does make sense why the academic community does it like they do but, that does not make it easy, but it is necessary
Like anything new, it takes practice. Even the MLA states that it is evolving and it doesn't have to be picture perfect. Thank Goodness. There is hope after all.
Until we talk again.
Work Sited
AIMS Community College.
Honestly just asking is the safest way to go. Definitely ask before you receive a zero on your paper for accidentally plagiarizing.
ReplyDeleteI like how you started your entry with how frustrated you were and then went in to how you solved your problems. I like how you went to people you knew were experts and got their opinion before just going along with what you read.
ReplyDelete