How to make MLA format in Word Online

When it comes to research papers the formatting tends to get on our nerves. There are so many rules to follow and things to keep in mind. But, did u know that Microsoft with an aim to help with this has introduced templates for research papers. Popular formats like APA and MLA are available. This article takes you through how to make MLA format in online word

How to make MLA format in online word? To start editing and formatting your research paper using the MLA format opt for the pre-created templates. For this, all you need to do is create a new document in Word online, search online for MLA in the template section. once you have the options in front of you, click on the one you would like to use.

How to use MLA format in Word Online

When it comes to writing and formatting research papers there are various formats including APA, MLA Chicago, and many more.

Among these, the MLA is the most common as it is used as a standard research format for most humanities-related fields.

Let’s have a look at simple steps to format a document in Word online using MLA.

• You can start by opening an existing document and then migrating to a new one. This can be done by clicking on File and going down to new and selecting the MLA template. Another option is to start a new document altogether. You can then use the search option to look for MLA templates.
• Once you have the template open you can start editing the document.

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MLA cover page in word online

The overall formatting using MLA includes elements like one-inch margins a header. It also includes other minor details that you can lose sight of when stressing about getting the content right.

The MLA template starts with the cover page. All the formatting of the page is already done. The researcher only needs to substitute the instructions on the page for actual content.

• Start by entering your name, the course code and professor’s / instructor’s name on the left side.
• You will then need to edit the header with your lastname and number or anything else you gave been asked to use as a header
• The date section in this template is a calender extension and hence its easy to pick the date you would like to use on the document.
• After you have filled in identification details you can start fillin in the title and subtitle
• Once the basics are done it is important to read throught the instructions. This will give you a fair idea of what you need to look for.

After filling in the basic information you can read the instructions in the first paragraph. especially when it comes to the capitalization of letters.

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Inserting tables using the MLA format in word online

Tables play an important role in research work. The best part about using the template is that you can substitute data in pre-created tables.

The formatting is already done for you just plug in the data. if you need more than one table just copy the existing one and paste it. You can then enter the required text.

• To edit the table start by specifying the table number at the top
• Add a title to the table
• Insert the column headings
• Add the numberical and non numerical data
• specify the source of the table if you have copied it from somewhere to avoid plagerism.

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Including charts using the MLA format in word online

Charts like tables are an integral part of any research. These charts generally help illustrate the data on tables. In the MLA format other than the basic data your chart needs to have the source and title.

Here is how to create a chart using the MLA format in word online.

• Start with the title of the chart. It is better to put in this information before you start working on the chart to reduce confusion.
• Indicate the figure number at the bottom.
• You can now edit the chart variables
• Chart types can be easily changed using the formatting tools (this however is an option available on the desktop version of word)

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Adding citations in MLA format

Citations are important to judge the authenticity of a paper and to negate plagiarism. there are two places where you will need to use the citation format. First while using it within the text in the form of in-text citation and at the end under the references section

• The template gives you the exact format in which you can cite your text.
• substitute the text already present with names of authors, the journal,book or other source name, the date and other relevant data.

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MLA citation in word

If you do not want to download the template and only need the citation using MLA it can be done from the Microsoft word desktop application. Here is how it is done

Hope this tutorial article provided answers on MLA and formatting. We attempted at taking you through

• Open the research document or a new document to record all the references
• Click on References in the top ribbon of the page
• Change the citation style to MLA by by clicking on the arrow near style.
• You can now add citations by using the Insert citation option.
• users can click on Manage Sources to look at the sources used in the document.
• A bibliography can also be added to the paper from the same section.

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How to set up MLA format on mac?

MLA is a common format used in most high schools and universities. While using Apple pages you can easily format your document to meet the MLA standards. Here is how it is done

• Set up the margins of the document. According MLA the page needs to have a one-inch margin throughout the paper.
• Click on Inspector in the toolbar then click on Document. You can change the values in corresponding boxes to change all the values to 1.00.
• Select the entire document and change the font size to 12. This can be done by changing the ‘Font Size’ in the dropdown menu.
• You can also change the Font to something simple. Most schools will specify the font if not you can opt for Times New Roman to be on the safe side.
• Increase the overall line spacing of the document to 2.0. you can do this from Line spacing option in the formatting toolbar.
• The left indent of the document will need to be increased to half an inch. Do this by clicking on the Down arrow on the ruler and dragging the indent markers across the ruler. You can alternatively use the tab key to indent paragraphs.
• Don’t forget to use the citation section for in-text as well as on the reference page.

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