Welcome to The Source, your guide to the MLA Style Center’s latest resources on writing, research, and documentation! Tell us what you want to know!
Resources for Using and Citing AI
The MLA and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) have formed a joint task force to develop resources, guidelines, and professional standards around the use of AI. Help inform the work of the task force by taking this survey about the challenges and opportunities posed by AI. And if you need to cite an AI tool, check out our editors’ preliminary guidance.
Replacing Titles with Descriptions
When you use a short description instead of a person’s formal title, the word the should precede the description, an MLA editor explains.
How to Use—and Type—Dashes
Dashes are special characters that can be inserted using shortcuts in Microsoft Word. Learn how with an MLA editor’s help.
Pick the Right Words to End With
Sometimes ending a sentence with a preposition is the right choice. Follow an MLA editor’s advice to know when to let prepositions dangle.
When Should I Write “I?”
While some fields discourage the use of “I” in academic writing, “I” can be an effective tool to achieve certain effects. Learn more.
Lost in (Multiple) Translations
When writing about a book that has been translated into multiple languages, your citations should include each translation’s title, the MLA editors explain.
Time to Cite a Time Line
How you cite a time line depends on where it was published. Avoid mistakes by reviewing the examples provided by the MLA editors.
When to Include “Jr.” in a Citation
The inclusion of “Jr.” in an in-text citation is determined by whether other cited authors share the same surname. Find out more.
Join the MLA and request your free copy of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. The definitive guide to MLA style now includes hundreds of sample works-cited-list entries arranged by publication format.
