### MLA Citation: A Comprehensive Guide
In the academic world, referencing is an essential part of writing to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to the original sources. One of the most common referencing styles is the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation. Developed by the Modern Language Association, it is widely used in the humanities, particularly in the fields of literature, cultural studies, and the arts.

#### What is an MLA Citation?
An MLA citation is a way to acknowledge the sources you use in your research papers, essays, or projects. It consists of two main parts: the in-text citation and the Works Cited page.

#### In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style
The in-text citation in MLA format follows the author-page method. This means that whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from a source, you must include a brief reference within the body of your text. This reference includes the author's last name and the page number(s) from where the information was taken.

Example: (Smith 23)

Here, "Smith" is the last name of the author, and "23" is the page number where the information can be found.

#### When to Use In-Text Citations
You should use in-text citations in the following situations:
1. When you quote directly from a source.
2. When you paraphrase or summarize information from a source.
3. When you refer to a source to support a point or argument.
4. When you mention a source to provide background information.

#### The Works Cited Page
In addition to in-text citations, MLA style requires a Works Cited page at the end of your document. This page lists all the sources you cited in your paper, formatted according to MLA guidelines.

Example of a Works Cited entry:

Smith, John.
"Title of the Article." *Title of the Journal*, vol. 2, no. 1, 2019, pp. 22-35.

Here, "John Smith" is the author, "Title of the Article" is the article title in quotation marks, "Title of the Journal" is the journal name in italics, "vol. 2, no. 1" indicates the volume and issue number, "2019" is the publication year, and "pp. 22-35" are the page numbers.

#### Formatting the Works Cited Page
The Works Cited page should be formatted as follows:
- Alphabetized by the author's last name.
- Double-spaced, with the first line of each entry not indented, and subsequent lines indented.
- Entries should include the author's name, title of the source, title of the container (like a journal or book), other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location (for online sources).

#### Special Cases in MLA Citation
There are special cases in MLA citation, such as citing multiple works by the same author, citing sources with no author, and citing electronic sources.

#### Why is MLA Citation Important?
MLA citation is important for several reasons:

1. Avoiding Plagiarism: It helps to avoid plagiarism by clearly indicating the sources of your information.

2. Giving Credit: It allows you to give proper credit to the authors whose work you are using.

3. Facilitating Research: It makes it easier for readers to locate and verify the sources you have used.

4. Maintaining Academic Integrity: It upholds the standards of academic writing and research.

#### Conclusion
Understanding how to properly use MLA citation is crucial for anyone involved in academic writing. It not only helps to maintain academic integrity but also enhances the credibility of your work. By following the guidelines provided by the Modern Language Association, you can ensure that your citations are accurate and consistent.

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#### MLA引用：全面指南
在学术界，引用是写作中不可或缺的一部分，以避免剽窃并给予原始来源适当的认可。最常见的引用风格之一是现代语言协会(MLA)引用。它由现代语言协会开发，广泛用于人文学科，特别是在文学、文化研究和艺术领域。

#### MLA引用是什么？
MLA引用是承认你在研究论文、文章或项目中使用的来源的一种方式。它由两个主要部分组成：正文引用和参考文献页。

#### 正文引用：作者-页码风格
MLA格式的正文引用遵循作者-页码方法。这意味着，每当你直接引用、改述或总结来源的信息时，你必须在文本主体中包含一个简短的引用。这个引用包括作者的姓氏和信息来源的页码。

示例：(Smith 23)

这里，“Smith”是作者的姓氏，“23”是信息来源的页码。

#### 使用正文引用的时机
在以下情况下，你应该使用正文引用：
1. 当你直接从来源引用时。
2. 当你改述或总结来源的信息时。
3. 当你引用来源以支持一个观点或论点时。
4. 当你提到来源以提供背景信息时。

#### 参考文献页
除了正文引用外，MLA风格还要求在文档末尾有一个参考文献页。这个页面列出了你论文中引用的所有来源，根据MLA指南进行格式化。

参考文献条目示例：

Smith, John.
"文章标题。" *期刊标题*，卷2，第1期，2019年，第22-35页。

这里，“John Smith”是作者，“文章标题”是用引号括起来的，"期刊标题"用斜体表示，"卷2，第1期"表示卷号和期号，"2019"是出版年份，"第22-35页"是页码。

#### 格式化参考文献页
参考文献页应按以下方式格式化：
- 按作者的姓氏字母顺序排列。
- 双倍行距，每个条目的第一行不缩进，后续行缩进。
- 条目应包括作者的姓名、来源的标题、容器的标题（如期刊或书籍）、其他贡献者、版本、编号、出版商、出版日期和位置（对于在线来源）。

#### MLA引用中的特殊情况
MLA引用中有特殊情况，例如引用同一作者的多部作品、引用没有作者的来源以及引用电子来源。

#### 为什么MLA引用很重要？
MLA引用很重要，原因有几点：

1. 避免剽窃：它通过清楚地标明信息来源，有助于避免剽窃。

2. 给予信用：它允许你给予你所使用的工作的作者适当的信用。

3. 促进研究：它使读者更容易找到并验证你所使用的来源。

4. 维护学术诚信：它维护了学术写作和研究的标准。

#### 结论
了解如何正确使用MLA引用对于任何参与学术写作的人来说都至关重要。它不仅有助于维护学术诚信，还能增强你的工作的可信度。通过遵循现代语言协会提供的指南，你可以确保你的引用是准确和一致的。

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In-text citations: Author-page style. MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page.Mar 20, 2018read more >>