The World of MLA Format

James Cone

Instructor, Stacy Knapp

English 1A

April 7, 2013



                  My experience with using MLA format is pre-pubescent at best, but I have acquired more knowledge this semester in my English 1A class. It boils down to structure and format, and then the appropriate use of attribution (to avoid plagiarism). There are also little things like proper punctuation that become more fine tuned as you continue practicing MLA style writing. For me, it seemed complicating at first, having to learn an entirely new structure for writing. As I continue practicing MLA though, it becomes more easy.

                  I was given an assignment in my English 1A class that asked me to research a specific topic, and be sure to attribute sources, and cite them properly. My assignment was to summarize and article given to me by my instructor, that talked about the relationship between Iraq and America. My source of research fell solely on this printed article, and when it came to creating a work sited all I had to do was go to easybib.com and type in the URL link at the bottom of the printed article.

                  When it came to attributing my source, it was key for me to find key points in the article that supported my essay. It helped me convey to my audience what my essay was about, but I could not just take the information from the article and not cite the source. In Stacy Knapp's personal blog she states, "So I cut and paste the information onto my blog. If I don't attribute this source correctly, I have just plagiarized. For a writer, plagiarism is the equivalent of stealing."  In the world of academia I am responsible for cultivating my own information, but that doesn't mean I can't use other peoples research and ideas to support my own. Attribution is the proper way to use someones work to support your own, while properly accrediting the original source of the information. 

                    When it came to using attribution in my personal writing it enhanced my ability to create a text that  had a clear message. When attribution became a part of my writing it inevitably enhanced my ability to research a topic I was writing about. In my Library 10 class  (a co-requisite for English 1A) I learned to use the libraries database of texts of all kinds. This new-found tool has given me the ability to research at length a specific topic and use its sources to support my own writing. 


                                                          Works Cited

"Instructorknapp." : Using Quotations, Paraphrasing and Summary. N.p., n.d. Web. 08
               Apr. 2013.