An outline is a crucial part of the writing process, as it helps writers organize their thoughts and structure their ideas in a logical and coherent manner. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is a widely used citation style for academic writing, particularly in the fields of literature, language, and the humanities. In this style, an outline is typically formatted with Roman numerals for the main headings, followed by capital letters for subheadings, and lowercase letters for sub-subheadings.
To create an MLA style outline, follow these steps:
Determine the main topic or thesis of your essay. This will be the main heading of your outline, and should be formatted with a Roman numeral (e.g., I. Introduction).
Break down the main topic into subtopics. These subtopics will be the capital letters in your outline (e.g., A. History of the topic, B. Current state of research on the topic).
Further break down the subtopics into smaller, more specific ideas. These will be the lowercase letters in your outline (e.g., a. Early research on the topic, b. Recent developments in the field).
Add details and specific examples under each subheading. This will help you flesh out your essay and ensure that you have enough content to fully develop each point.
Here is an example of an MLA style outline for an essay on the topic of "The Impact of Social Media on Society":
I. Introduction
Definition of social media
Thesis statement: Social media has had a significant impact on society, both positive and negative.
A. Positive impacts of social media
Connecting people across distances
Facilitating communication and information sharing
Promoting social and political activism
B. Negative impacts of social media
Spread of misinformation and fake news
Addiction and negative effects on mental health
Invasion of privacy and security concerns
C. Conclusion
Overall assessment of the impact of social media on society
Suggestions for minimizing negative impacts and maximizing positive ones
This outline template is just a suggestion, and you may choose to organize your outline in a different way depending on the specific requirements of your essay. However, using an outline can help you stay focused and organized as you write, and ensure that your essay has a clear and logical structure.
Does the MLA offer guidance for outlines?
Most researchers, students, and scholars, in general, pull out of research due to the setbacks and obstacles that rear their ugly heads. If there is no DOI, look for a stable URL or permalink instead. Hence, the shorter the MLA heading or subheading, the better for the literary piece. However, MLA format is used mainly by students and researchers in…. Apart from this, students also form the target audience for the MLA outline template. The answer is yes but with caution.
In light of this, most students find headings and subheadings confusing. One of them is that it allows the paper to be presented in a readable format. How to Write A Research Paper Outline In MLA Format MLA stands for Modern Language Association and assumes a specific writing style. Headings should be capitalized like the titles of works. This organization lays claim to the MLA format of literature writing which has been largely adopted all over the world.
The titles of self-contained sources e. In essence, if there is a level 1 heading or H1, there needs to be a second H1 heading as this is what gives the structure of the literary piece balance. Thesis: There are four steps in the process of sending care packages to deployed soldiers who never receive any mail and are serving overseas without signs of support from friends and family back home: selecting the items, selecting the boxes, packing the inside of the boxes, and addressing the outside of the boxes. The first step is selecting the best items to send to the deployed soldiers. Also, no internal level should have only one level. Smith, John, et al.
Therefore, academic writers also form its target audience. Excellent tool that helps me cope with my business workflow faster and easier. You may also want to read Chicago Headings and Subheadings! Additionally, for students using research paper templates will allow students to obtain better grades. Constitutional Freedom Alliance, n. Founded in 1883, the objective of this association lies with strengthening the teaching and study of language and literature and it has over 25,000 members in over a hundred countries. From all this we can only conclude that the MLA outline template is a very useful tool in the field of academic writing and for all academia. When no author is listed for a source, the Works Cited entry instead begins with the source title.
See Multiple sources by the same author s If your Works Cited list includes more than one work by a particular author, arrange these sources alphabetically by title. As expected, MLA headings in a paper or an essay should be styled in descending order of prominence. The course name and the date of instruction fields are also present two thirds of the way downwards. Punctuation marks like commas, parentheses, can be used between the words if the grammar requires. The same applies to works by the same group of authors; replace the author element with three em dashes for subsequent sources.
Your mission is to get this package to the Post Office. Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr Formatting the Works Cited page The Works Cited appears at the end of your paper. If a title begins with a number, alphabetize it as you would if the number was spelled out. These are free supplies; postage must be affixed. Your outline has to flow in line with the modern times. But then a friend of mine introduced me to PDFLiner, and oh my God, my life has changed since then. Writers who make use of MLA properly not just enhance the readability of their book, manuscript, thesis, journal, or any literary piece, they consequently enhance their credibility as writers due to this display of accountability to their source material.
Using the MLA outline template helps students of research get better grades. Now, let me ask how many of you know a soldier serving in the military overseas? Sharp or dangerous items d. This implies that if the title heading is the most prominent, what follows it should be of a reduced font size until the end of the work. In other words, all those who are doing academic writing in one form or the other form the target audience for this template. From in-text citations to the bibliography, there is a structured and laid out style in MLA which is designed to upgrade the readability and conciseness of any literary piece.
United States Postal Service, n. For your outline to be branded credible by all means then you have to be conscious of your content. Because of the number of levels, identifying which subheading belongs to which level can be a hassle. Thesis: There are four steps in the process of sending care packages to deployed soldiers who never receive any mail and are serving overseas without signs of support from friends and family back home: selecting the items, selecting the boxes, packing the inside of the boxes, and addressing the outside of the boxes. Priority Mail address labels. Smith, John, and David Wilson.
Smith, John, and Emma Jones. The purpose of the MLA outline template google docs is to help one to present his research in a proper and professional way. In fact, shorter headings give more concise meanings and enhance readability. The kit contains: i. Thanks to the research outline MLA format, work has been made a lot easier, fun and enjoyable. Although both are mostly misconstrued to be the same thing, they have different purposes. If there are other contributors such as editors or translators , or if you consulted a particular volume or edition of a book, these elements should also be included in the citation.
