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How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA

Citing a thesis or dissertation.

Thesis – A document submitted to earn a degree at a university.

Dissertation – A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university.

The formatting for thesis and dissertation citations is largely the same. However, you should be sure to include the type of degree after the publication year as supplemental information. For instance, state if the source you are citing is an undergraduate thesis or a PhD dissertation.

MLA Thesis and Dissertation Citation Structure (print)

Last, First M.  Title of the Thesis/Dissertation. Year Published. Name of University, type of degree.

MLA Thesis and Dissertation Citation Structure (online)

Last, First M.  Title of the Thesis/Dissertation. Year Published. Name of University, type of degree.  Website Name , URL.

ThesisDissertationImage

Wilson, Peggy Lynn. Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County . 2011. University of Maryland, PhD dissertation.

In-text Citation Structure

(Author Last Name page #)

In-text Citation Example

(Wilson 14)

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How do I cite a dissertation in MLA style?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

A dissertation is a unique type of source. It is a finished, stand-alone work written under the auspices of an institution. In a change from the previous edition of the MLA Handbook ,    we do not distinguish between published and unpublished dissertations. To cite a dissertation, include in the entry the author, title, and date of publication as core elements. As an optional element, list the institution granting the degree and a description of the work.

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation.

If you accessed the dissertation through an online repository, include this fact as the title of the second container:

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation.  ProQuest , search.proquest.com/docview/305212264?accountid=7432.

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Mla 8th ed. style guide: dissertations, theses.

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Essential Elements

Citations for dissertations/master's theses should include the following:

1. Name of Author 

2. Title of dissertation/thesis (italicized)

3. Date of Publication

5. Institution granting the degree (optional)

6. Description of the work (optional)

7. Database and URL if accessed through a database or repository

Sample Citation - Dissertations

Dissertations

The institution granting the degree and description of the work are optional. If you accessed the work online, include that information. 

Miller, Ryan. Understanding the Process of Multisensory Integration. 2016. Wake Forest U,  	PhD dissertation. WakeSpace, wakespace.lib.wfu.edu/handle/10339/59318.

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MLA Overview

MLA (Modern Language Association) is the style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources in arts and humanities disciplines.

Citation guides and websites

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In-text Citations

In order to avoid plagiarism, all information which you gather from someone else’s research or knowledge needs to be both cited in a Works Cited page as well as through in-text citations (also called parenthetical citation). In-text citations are inserted directly into an essay using parentheses. In-text citations must be used to give credit to the original author for paraphrases, summaries, as well as direct quotes. Generally, they are placed at the end of a sentence. 

In-text citations:  

  • allows your reader to know which source each idea/fact came from
  • gives you credibility as a writer
  • protects you from plagiarism
  • points your reader to the proper entry in your Works Cited.

Examples of In-text Citations

The  format for creating an in-text citation  in MLA Style is to include the  last name of the author  of the work,  followed by the page number  of the content used.

Direct Quote:

"In the Caribbean the successful planting of new varieties of crops owed much to the Amerindian, who carefully nurtured each newly introduced food source." (Mackie 42)

Lead-in Reference with quote:

Christine Mackie notes that  "in the Caribbean the successful planting of new varieties of crops owed much to the Amerindian, who carefully nurtured each newly introduced food source."  (42)

Paraphrase:

The success of new varieties of crops planted in the Caribbean was due in part to the careful tending by the Amerindians. (Mackie 42)

Works Cited

MLA style requires a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text, in other words -- your in-text citations.

Basic Rules

  • Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
  • Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.
  • Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
  • Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.

MLA Works Cited Example

In the Works Cited:

The Works Cited for the source above will look like:

Mackie, Christine.  Life and Food in the Caribbean . New Amsterdam Books, 1992.
  • Purdue OWL: MLA Sample Works Cited Page
  • Basic Principles
  • Textual Works (Books, Articles, Conference Presentations, Dissertations)
  • Archival Materials and Collections
  • Audiovisual Content (Art, Film, Television, Podcasts)
  • Online Content (Social Media, Webpages, Websites)

Each entry in a MLA works cited contains facts common to most works these include:

  • Author : who is responsible for the work?
  • Title : what is the work called?
  • Container : where can I retrieve the work?

The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole (e.g. an article in a journal), the larger whole can be thought of the container that holds the source (the journal).

See the figure below to see the reference elements a MLA works cited citation.

owl purdue mla dissertation

Modern Language Association. A Work in One Container. https://style.mla.org/works-cited/works-cited-a-quick-guide/article

Below are sample references for textual works. Additional reference examples for other formats is available on PurdueOWL.edu

Article Durham, Aisha. “‘Check on It’: Beyoncé, Southern Booty, and Black Femininities in Music Video.” Feminist Media Studies , vol. 12, no. 1, 2012, pp. 35–49, https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2011.558346 .

Book Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science . Penguin, 1987.

Book Chapter

Green, David. "Supporting the Academic Success of Hispanic Students." College Libraries and Student Culture: What We Now Know , edited by Andrew D. Asher and Lynda M. Duke, ALA Editions, 2011.

Conference Presentation

Stein, Bob. “Reading and Writing in the Digital Era.” Discovering Digital Dimensions, Computers and Writing Conference, 23 May 2003, Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette, IN. Keynote Address.

Dissertation

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation.  ProQuest ,  search.proquest.com/docview/305212264?accountid=7432 .

Below are sample references for textual works. Additional reference examples for other formats is available on Style.MLA.org

Collection database (no specific item)  Lime Kiln Digital Collection.  11 April 2006. North Bay Digital Collections, Sonoma State University Library Archives & Special Collections, Rohnert Park, CA. https://northbaydigital.sonoma.edu/digital/collection/limekiln .

Digitized correspondence or document  Correspondence, 21 May 1994, from George  Greeott . 11 April 2006. Gaye LeBaron Digital Collection, North Bay Digital Collections, Sonoma State University Library Archives & Special Collections, Rohnert Park, CA. https://northbaydigital.sonoma.edu/digital/collection/Lebaron/id/212/rec/1

Digitized photograph  Gravestone, Rupert B. Churchill . 11 April 2006. Earthquake of 1906 Digital Collection, North Bay Digital Collections, Sonoma State University Library Archives & Special Collections, Rohnert Park, CA. https://northbaydigital.sonoma.edu/digital/collection/quake/id/172/rec/1

Below are sample references for common art works. Additional reference examples for other formats is availa ble on OWL.Purdue.edu

Example : Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Example: Lucas, George, director. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.

Episode of a TV Show

Example: “94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, season 2, episode 21, NBC, 29 Apr. 2010. 

Podcast Episode

Example: “Best of Not My Job Musicians.” Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! from NPR, 4 June 2016, www.npr.org/podcasts/344098539/wait-wait-don-t-tell-me .

Online Image

Example: Goya, Francisco.  The Family of Charles IV . 1800 . Museo del Prado,   museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74 .

Below are sample references for online works. Additional reference examples for other formats is available on OWL.Purdue.edu

Social Media Post

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

Webpage on a Website

Example: “ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview .

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Citation Guide

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Introduction to MLA Style

Creating mla citations: examples, paper formatting guidelines & sample papers, in-text citations & the list of works cited, examples of works cited & in-text citations, software tools for mla style, works cited for this page.

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What is MLA Style?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. MLA Style is an established style for formatting your paper and giving credit to your sources. 

This page provides resources for all the elements of a preparing a paper in MLA Style, including formatting, in-text citations, and the works cited list.

Disciplines at Caldwell that use MLA Style include English, history, theology, philosophy, and others.

MLA Quick Links

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  • Quoting and Paraphrasing in MLA Format This video course is all about quoting and paraphrasing sources in your paper! Learn rules of quoting and paraphrasing responsibly, and see examples of in-text citations in MLA format.
  • Purdue OWL Guide to MLA Style Purdue OWL has resources about many citation styles. Here is their section on MLA

owl purdue mla dissertation

An Article from a Journal Found in a Library Database (a source in two containers)

from MLA Handbook chapter 5.100-103, The Three Most Common Types of Entries

owl purdue mla dissertation

A Chapter or Section of a Book Accessed through an Online Repository (a source with two containers)

owl purdue mla dissertation

An Episode of a TV Show Watched on an Online Platform (a source in two containers)

owl purdue mla dissertation

A Chapter or Section of a Print Book (a source in one container)

owl purdue mla dissertation

A Print Book (a source that is self-contained)

  • Sample MLA Papers These sample student papers show MLA formatting for all details of a research paper. Look a the structure of the page, how quotes are incorporated, and how works are cited.
  • Formatting Your Research Project (MLA Handbook, Ch. 1) Instructions for formatting your paper in MLA style, including margins, title, headers and footers, headings and subheadings, etc.
  • The Writing Process Purdue OWL's Guide to academic writing in MLA Style, including grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
  • Mechanics of Prose (MLA Handbook, Ch. 2) Guidance on all the details of writing, such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, how format titles and names in your paper.

In-Text Citations

  • In-Text Citations: The Basics Basic instructions from Purdue OWL about how to format in-text citations in MLA Style. This is how you credit your sources when you mention them in the text of your paper.
  • Citing Sources in the Text (MLA Handbook, Ch. 6) This chapter starts with the basics of citing your sources in the text of your paper. It covers many situations you might encounter.

Works Cited Page

  • MLA Style 101 This video course goes through each "element" of the MLA works cited page entry (like author, title, publisher) and shows how to identify what belongs in each element. This will help you create works cited page entries and know how to edit citations that a database generates!
  • Interactive Practice Template Learn how to create citations for your Works Cited page!
  • How to Cite Books This page from Purdue OWL covers the basics of citing books as well as what to do in a variety of situations. This page has guidance on multiple authors, an organization as author, translations, anthologies, and more.
  • How to Cite Electronic Resources (aka things you found online) This page from Purdue OWL covers works cited page entries for most kinds of online sources, including scholarly journal articles in a library database, ebooks, government agency websites, online news, a YouTube video, personal email correspondence, and more.
  • Citation Examples from the MLA Handbook This is a regularly updated list of citations for a wide variety of sources. It's organized by source, so scroll down or use ctrl-F to search the page for the kind of source you want to see, like "translated book" or "YouTube Video".

Journal Article Found in a Library Database

Works cited page entry.

Lorensen, Jutta. “Between Image and Word, Color, and Time: Jacob Lawrence’s The Migration Series.”  African American Review , vol. 40, no. 3, 2006, pp. 571-86. Academic Search Premier, each.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? Drect=true&db=f5h&AN=24093790&site=eho st-live.

In-text citation

(Lorensen 577)

Newspaper Article Found in a Library Database 

Fessenden, Ford, et al. "The Battle for New York's Key Voting Blocs in the Primaries."  New York Times , 19 Apr. 2016, p. A 14.  ProQuest Central , ezproxy.caldwell.edu:2048/login?url=http:// search.proquest.com/ docview/1781721245?accountid=26523.

(Fessenden et al. A14)

Article from an Online News Source

Chang, Kenneth. “NASA Will Send More Helicopters to Mars.” The New York Times , 27 July 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/science/mars-sample-mission-nasa.html.

Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdrich.  The Crown of Columbus . HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. 

(Dorris and Erdrich 110-12)

Article or Specific Chapter from a Book 

Copeland, Edward. “Money.”  The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen , edited by Copeland and Juliet McMaster, Cambridge UP, 1997, pp. 131-48. 

(Copeland 135)

Webpage on a Website 

“Infographic: Benefits of Language Learning.” Modern Language Association , 2022, www.mla.org/Resources/Advocacy/Infographics/Infographic-Benefits-of-Language-Learning.

("Inforgraphic: Benefits of Language Learning")

Film on an App 

Mamma Mia . Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, Universal Pictures, 2008. Netflix app. 

( Mamma Mia ) or ( Mamma Mia  59:03-61:23) - cite a specific scene with timestamps in the page number spot

There are many tools that can help you create, manage, and organize your citations and your references page. Here are some that the library provides or recommends for students and faculty. 

  • NoodleTools This link opens in a new window NoodleTools is an online tool that helps you take notes and correctly format citations. MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian citation styles are included. Use throughout your research project to track sources, take notes, create outlines, collaborate with classmates, and format bibliographies. Use this link to create an account.
  • ZoteroBib ZoteroBib is a free service that helps you build a bibliography from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software. It's from the team behind the open source citation management app Zotero. ZBib can create a draft citation from a link or ISBN and has helpful templates for you to use to manually create citations. You can use it for MLA, APA, or Chicago Style.

The information on this page comes from the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition. This book can be cited in MLA style like this:

MLA Handbook.  9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021. 

The elements used here are: [2. Title of source]  MLA Handbook.  [5. Version]  9th ed., [7. Publisher]  Modern Language Association of America, [8. Publication date]  2021. Because the publisher is an organization who is also the author, this organization - the Modern Language Association - is only listed once, as the publisher. 

An in-text citation for this handbook could be ( MLA Handbook  45) to refer specifically to something on page 45. 

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Citation Support Guide: MLA Style

  • Citing Art & Visual Sources

MLA Style is a style from the Modern Language Association used to format research papers. It is generally used by the humanities, writing, languages, other related subjects. MLA style includes in-text citations, a Works Cited page or reference list, headings, and more.

In-Text Citations

The following examples for in-text citations are from Purdue OWL: MLA In-Text Citations.  All citations will ideally have an author and a page number, though there are many examples to follow for different scenarios.  

Example 1:  Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). Example 2: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). Example 3:  The authors claim that surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible, apprehensible in texts” (Best and Marcus 9).

Works Cited (Reference List)

The following examples for reference list citations are from  Purdue OWL: MLA Works Cited . While these examples cover popular resources including journal articles, books, and websites, Purdue OWL provides examples on many other types of materials for a number of scenarios (multiple authors, no author, no page number, etc.)

Journal Articles:

Format:  Author(s). "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, pages.

Example:  Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's  Bashai Tudu ."  Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature,  vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.

Format:  Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

Example:  Gleick, James.  Chaos: Making a New Science . Penguin, 1987.

Format:  Author. "Title."  Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink).  2 nd  container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Example:   The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Note: MLA style also requires that references be listed in alphabetical order by the author's last name and follow specific formatting, including indenting. Please consult the links below for more information.

Paper Format

Your professor may require your entire research paper to be formatted in MLA format. Please consult Purdue OWL's resources on  MLA general formatting , as well as  a sample of a paper formatted in MLA style . The worksheet to the right of this page can also assist you.

Popular Subjects

The following subjects may use MLA Style:

  • Creative Writing
  • English Language and Literature

Helpful Resources

owl purdue mla dissertation

MLA Worksheet

  • MLA Worksheet This worksheet will help you understand creating documents using MLA format.

Students have many questions about citing sources, and FDU librarians are happy to provide guidance. We can assist by helping you to determine the type of source to be cited, providing a guide to the citation style, and indicating the most relevant section/example. Because citations are often graded, we cannot create or format the citation for you, nor can we correct a list of citations. Please contact the Academic Support Center or the Metro Writing Studio for help creating and formatting citations.

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Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

Author/Editor (By:)

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This guide is based on the MLA Handbook , 8th edition (Modern Language Association, 2016). MLA style is most commonly used in English and other humanities disciplines.

Works Cited  items are listed alphabetically at the end of the research paper and should be double-spaced.  A fter the first line, citations should be indented 1/2 inch on the Works Cited  list.  Parenthetical  references are items referred to in the body of the paper.

Please Note: Because the MLA Handbook was recently updated, some Internet resources still utilize the guidelines of the 7th edition. Always double-check your citations using this guide, the Handbook , or the Purdue OWL Style Guide.

owl purdue mla dissertation

  • Print Articles
  • Electronic Resources

Scholarly Journal Article, Print (One Author)

Works Cited:

Myerson, Joel. "A Calendar of Transcendental Club Meetings."  American Literature , vol. 44, no. 2, 1972, pp. 197-207.

Parenthetical:

(Myerson 1972)

Scholarly Journal Article, Print (Two Authors)

Brown, Cecelia M., and Lina Ortega. "Information-seeking Behavior of Physical Science Librarians: Research and Practice."  College & Research Libraries , vol. 66, no. 3, 2005, pp. 231-247.

(Brown and Ortega 237)

Magazine Article (One Author)

Cook, Mariana. "Cousin Kay."  Victoria , Nov. 2001, pp. 27-28.

Newspaper Article

Works Cited: Johnston, David Cay. "Got Game? Got Old Game?"  New York Times , 11 July 2003, late ed., F1+.

(Johnston F1)

Encyclopedia Article

"Glossitis."  The New Encyclo pædia Britannica.  15th ed., vol. 5, 2010, p. 306.

("Glossitis" 306)

Barth Melissa E. Review of The Summons , by John Grisham.  Magill Book Reviews  1 Nov. 2002, p. 221.

(Barth 221)

Book (One Author)

Johnson, Charles Richard.  Middle Passage.  Atheneum, 1990.

(Johnson 176)

Book (Two to Three Authors)

Gilbert, Sandra, and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination . Yale UP, 1979.

(Gilbert and Gubar 42)

Chapter in a Book (Two to Three Authors)

Gilbert, Sandra, and Susan Gubar. “Infection in the Sentence: The Woman Writer and the Anxiety of Authorship.” The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination . Yale UP, 1979, pp. 45-92.

(Gilbert and Gubar 51)

Book (Corporate Author)

Land Use: West Central Ohio, Dayton Power and Light Company.  Batelle Institute, 1960.

*As this source is published by the same organization that authored it, the author is not included. If the author and publisher are different, include both in the full citation.

( Land Use 78)

Book (Anthology)

McNally, John, editor.  Humor Me: An Anthology of Humor by Writers of Color.  U of Iowa P, 2002.

(McNally xv)

Book (Works in an Anthology)

James, Henry. "The Friends of Friends."  The Norton Book of Ghost Stories , edited by Brad Leithauser, Norton, 1994, pp. 40-60.

Electronic Book

Hartog, Hendrik.  Man and Wife in America: A History.  Harvard UP, 2002. ACLS Humanities e - book, hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.04365.0001.001 .

(Hartog 137)

Scholarly Electronic Journal Article from a Library Database

Scott, Jonathan. "Advanced, Repressed, and Popular: Langston Hughes During the Cold War."  College Literature , vol. 33, no. 2, 2006, pp. 30-51. Electronic Journal Center , http://rave.ohiolink.edu/ejournals/ article/ 322964651.

Item from a Library Database

Clark, Zsuzsanna. "From Saturday-Night Poetry to Big Brother."  New Statesman , vol. 132, no. 4647, 21 July 2003, p. 32.  Academic Search Complete . proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost. com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=10311624&site=ehost-live.

Thesis or Dissertation (Digital)

Heimtun, Bente.  Mobile Identities of Gender and Tourism: The Value of Social Capital.  2007. U of West England, Bristol, PhD dissertation. DART-Europe E-theses Portal , idtjeneste.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-bibsys_brage_10136.

(Heimtun 86)

Zalta, Edward N., editor. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford U, 1995-2017, plato.stanford.edu.

Television Program

“Dunder Mifflin Infinity.” The Office , performance by Steve Carell, season 4, episode 10, NBC, 4 Oct. 2007.

("Dunder Mifflin Infinity")

“Reunion.”  Alias , created by J. J. Abrams, performance by Jennifer Garner, season 3, episode 3, ABC, 12 Oct. 2003.  Hulu , www.hulu.com/watch/701284.

(“Reunion”)

Sound Recording

Copland, Aaron.  Long Time Ago: American Songs.  Performance by Thomas Hampson, Dawn Upshaw, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Teldec, 1994.

@OSUPrezDrake (Michael V. Drake): “To our graduates receiving a record 11,734 degrees today: be proud of your accomplishments and dream BIG! #osugrad #buckeyeforlife.” Twitter , 7 May 2017, 3:04 p.m., twitter.com/OSUPrezDrake/status/861295780883288064.

Parenthetical :

(@OSUPrezDrake)

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Thesis & Dissertation Overview 

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When writing a long document such as a thesis or dissertation over a sustained time period, writers may find it difficult to stay motivated and make progress. Some institutions offer “dissertation retreats” or camps for helping writers make progress. An Intensive Writing Experience (IWE) is a similar event in which a writer makes a concerted effort both to make progress on a document and to become a better writer. The writer sets aside a predetermined amount of time in order to make progress on a particular writing project, such as a dissertation.  The material here is meant to be used to conduct a Personal IWE that a writer can use when a group event such as a retreat or camp is not available.  

This section contains detailed directions for setting up a Personal IWE.  We've included vidcasts and handouts useful for a potential three-day event covering a variety of writing-related topics. Writers can view the vidcasts and read through the handouts and then apply what they have learned to their own writing. We suggest starting with the handout entitled “Conducting a Personal Intensive Writing Experience (IWE)”; this will provide details for structuring time and offers a schedule for the order of topics across a multi-day event.

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owl purdue mla dissertation

  • MLA Handbook Chapter 1: Introduction to Formatting Your Research Project Free introductory chapter to formatting a research paper. Includes sections 1.0-1.16 of the MLA Handbook's first chapter. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1632/SNGR8997
  • MLA Style Sample Papers Does your research or term paper require MLA style? Use these examples to help you follow the proper guidelines.
  • MLA Handbook Chapter 4.2–4.11: Avoiding Plagiarism A free chapter from the MLA style manual regarding how to avoid plagiarism in your work. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1632/IRIL1204
  • OWL Purdue: MLA Formatting and Style Guide Purdue University's Online Writing Lab provides a general introduction to the MLA formatting and style guide. Excellent resource for referencing MLA style. more... less... Navigate sections of the style guide in the left column of the screen. Sections are also accessible by search.

Introducing the Elements

The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers, and anyone citing sources, from business writers, technical writers, and freelance writers and editors to student writers and the teachers and librarians working with them. 

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Open Access Theses

This series contains theses that students have wished to make openly available. The full content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a thesis is no longer embargoed. To browse a fuller listing of theses from Purdue please visit the Theses and Dissertations Available from ProQuest series.

Open Access Dissertations

This series contains open access dissertations that students have wished to make openly available. The full-text content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a dissertation is no longer embargoed. To browse a fuller listing of dissertations from Purdue please visit the Theses and Dissertations Available from ProQuest series.

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COMMENTS

  1. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  2. Thesis and Dissertation

    Thesis and Dissertation - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University. Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises. Purdue OWL. Graduate Writing. Thesis & Dissertation.

  3. Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

    Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started. The resources in this section are designed to provide guidance for the first steps of the thesis or dissertation writing process. They offer tools to support the planning and managing of your project, including writing out your weekly schedule, outlining your goals, and organzing the various working ...

  4. Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips

    Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement. 1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing: An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.; An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.; An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies ...

  5. University Thesis and Dissertation Templates

    University Thesis and Dissertation Templates. Theses and dissertations are already intensive, long-term projects that require a lot of effort and time from their authors. Formatting for submission to the university is often the last thing that graduate students do, and may delay earning the relevant degree if done incorrectly.

  6. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA

    Citing a Thesis or Dissertation. Thesis - A document submitted to earn a degree at a university.. Dissertation - A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university.. The formatting for thesis and dissertation citations is largely the same. However, you should be sure to include the type of degree after the publication year as supplemental information.

  7. How do I cite a dissertation in MLA style?

    A dissertation is a unique type of source. It is a finished, stand-alone work written under the auspices of an institution. In a change from the previous edition of the MLA Handbook, we do not distinguish between published and unpublished dissertations. To cite a dissertation, include in the entry the author, title, and date of publication as core …

  8. MLA 8th ed. Style Guide: Dissertations, Theses

    Citations for dissertations/master's theses should include the following: 1. Name of Author . 2. Title of dissertation/thesis (italicized) 3. Date of Publication. 5. Institution granting the degree (optional) 6. Description of the work (optional) 7. Database and URL if accessed through a database or repository

  9. MLA

    ISBN: 9781603293518. Publication Date: 2021-04-22. The MLA Style Center. A companion guide to the MLA Handbook, this site provides an excellent guide to MLA style. Purdue Online Writing Lab: MLA Formatting & Style Guide. This comprehensive resource from the Online Writing Lab at Purdue is very popular for good reason.

  10. Research Guides: Citation Guide: MLA Style

    Formatting Your Research Project (MLA Handbook, Ch. 1) Instructions for formatting your paper in MLA style, including margins, title, headers and footers, headings and subheadings, etc. The Writing Process. Purdue OWL's Guide to academic writing in MLA Style, including grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.

  11. FDU LibGuides: Citation Support Guide: MLA Style

    The following examples for in-text citations are from Purdue OWL: MLA In-Text Citations. All citations will ideally have an author and a page number, though there are many examples to follow for different scenarios. ... e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With ...

  12. Thesis and Dissertation Office

    The Thesis and Dissertation Office assists graduate students in the formatting, editing, and depositing of their theses. Our staff will consult with you to ensure that your thesis is ready for defense. Our website provides many resources for students, such as templates, copyright information, official policies, deadlines, and more.

  13. Purdue Online Writing Lab

    Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, 765-494-4600 Purdue University Libraries is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government information. Access to the government information collection is open to the public.

  14. Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

    Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  15. MLA: 8th Edition

    MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version.

  16. Home

    The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date--that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more.

  17. Thesis & Dissertation Overview

    Thesis & Dissertation Overview. When writing a long document such as a thesis or dissertation over a sustained time period, writers may find it difficult to stay motivated and make progress. Some institutions offer "dissertation retreats" or camps for helping writers make progress. An Intensive Writing Experience (IWE) is a similar event in ...

  18. Thesis Statements: Tips and Examples (OWL-Purdue)

    Linda Bawcom. TEACHER SUPPLEMENTAL FILES. WRITING 4. THE WRITING PROCESS:ORGANIZATION & VOCABULARY. THESIS STATEMENTS. Thesis Statements: Tips and Examples (OWL-Purdue)

  19. Theses & Dissertations

    Theses & Dissertations. 9th Edition 8th Edition. If you have a hard copy of the thesis or dissertation, you will need just one container. However, since you are likely accessing the work via a database, you will most likely need two containers.

  20. Purdue OWL

    Please note that according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition, "A thesis statement is a single sentence that formulates both your topic and your point of view" (Gibaldi 56). However, if your paper is more complex and requires a thesis statement, your thesis may require a combination of sentences.

  21. MLA Style

    The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date--that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more.

  22. Theses and Dissertations

    This series contains open access dissertations that students have wished to make openly available. The full-text content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a dissertation is no longer embargoed.