- The MLA Style Manual
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MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd ed. (2008)Author(s) Modern Language Association of America (MLA); Domna C. Stanton (Fwd.), David G. Nicholls (Pref.) Original title MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing Country United States Language English Subject(s) Style guide Publisher Modern Language Association of America Publication date 2008 Published in
EnglishMay 2008 Media type print; large print; also listed as available as Audio book Pages xxiv & 336 ISBN 9780873522977 OCLC Number 191090459 Dewey Decimal 808/.027 22 LC Classification PN147 .G444 2008 Preceded by MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2nd ed., by Joseph Gibaldi) Further information: The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research PapersThe MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2008) is the third edition of The MLA Style Manual, first published by the Modern Language Association of America in 1985. It is an academic style guide widely used in the United States, Canada, and other countries, providing guidelines for writing and documentation of research in the humanities, especially in English studies; the study of other modern languages and literatures, including comparative literature; literary criticism; media studies; cultural studies; and related disciplines.
According to the MLA book catalogue description, since first being published in 1985, the MLA Style Manual has been "the standard guide for graduate students, scholars, and professional writers." MLA style "has been widely adopted by schools, academic departments, and instructors for over half a century"; the MLA's "guidelines are also used by over 1,100 scholarly and literary journals, newsletters, and magazines and by many university and commercial presses," and they are "followed throughout North America and in Brazil, China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and other countries around the world" ("What Is MLA Style?").[citation needed]
Contents
Background
The MLA Style Manual is one of two official publications of the MLA presenting MLA documentation style written by Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Director of Book Acquisitions and Development ("Book Publications Program: General Information"), co-author with Walter S. Achtert of the first edition. The audience is primarily graduate students, academic scholars, professors, professional writers, and editors.
The other publication is The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, whose primary audience is secondary-school and undergraduate students and their teachers.
The most recently-published editions of both works have been updated and adapted to accommodate advancements in computer-generated word processing, electronic publishing, and related digital-publishing practices.
The third edition of the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing was published in May 2008. According to the MLA's Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 Publications catalogue, "Only guides from the MLA are certain to present MLA Style accurately." According to the MLA book catalogue description, "Reorganized and revised, this new edition of the MLA Style Manual offers complete, up-to-date guidance to writing and documenting scholarly texts, preparing them for publication, submitting them to publishers, and dealing with complex legal issues. Previous editions sold more than 140,000 copies." It includes the following "new and notable" features:
- A significant revision of MLA documentation style
- Simplified citation formats for electronic sources
- Detailed advice on the review process used by scholarly journals and presses
- A fully updIf you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition). The MLA Handbook is available in most writing centers and reference libraries; it is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this handout for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA style.
Purpose
The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd ed. (2008), by the Modern Language Association of America (based on the work of Joseph Gibaldi with co-author Walter S. Achtert for The MLA Style Manual [1985], revised in the 2nd ed. in 1998), is addressed primarily to academic scholars, professors, graduate students, and other advanced-level writers of scholarly books and articles in humanities disciplines such as English and other modern languages and literatures. Many journals and presses in these disciplines require that manuscripts be submitted following MLA style.
See also
References
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- Achtert, Walter S., and Joseph Gibaldi. The MLA Style Manual. New York: Modern Language Association (MLA), 1985. Print.
- Modern Language Association of America. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: MLA, 1977. 7th ed. New York: MLA, 2009. ISBN 1603290249 (10). ISBN 9781603290241 (13). ISBN 1603290257 (10). ISBN 9781603290258 (13). Print.
- –––. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New York: MLA, 2008. ISBN 9780873522977 [S182C] (cloth). ISBN 9780873522984 (paper). Print. [Also available in a large-print ed.]
- "What Is MLA Style?" MLA.org. Modern Language Association, 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
External links
- "Frequently Asked Questions about the MLA Style Manual" – "MLA Style Manual FAQs" (official MLA Webpage)
- "MLA Formatting and Style Guide" — The OWL at Purdue University. (Use information from 2009 updates for the most up to date information.)
- UC Berkeley guide on MLA citation style
- Long Island University MLA Citation Site
Categories:- Style guides
- Style guides for American English
- Academic style guides
- 2008 books
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