1. automotive and vehicles
2. motorcycles

332
MLA Documentation
27c
Sample Research Paper-MLA
Nelson Rivera, a first-year student ar rhe University of South Carolina, wrore
"Taking a Closer Look at [he Mororcycle Boom" in March 2005 while a sru­
dent in "English 101 : Rhetoric and Composirion. " The assignment sheer for
rhe paper asked students to wrire a casual argument, rhar is, a paper rhat tries
to explain a phenomenon-in rhis case, rhe growing popularity of motorcy­
cles. The paper appears here subsrantially as Rivera wro re ir, though wirh some
modificarions to highlighr specific features ofMLA style. It is accompanied by annorarions and checklisrs designed to help yo u ser up a paper correctly.
Sample MLA Paper
Checklist 27.2
Formatting the Title Page-MLA
MLA does not require a separate cover sheet or title page-instead, at the
top of the first page list each of the following items on a separate line. All
these items are double spaced. In particular, do not insert extra spaces
above or below the title.
a. List your full name on the first lineofthefirst page,aligned to the left.
b. List your instructor's name with appropriate title, aligned to the
left. When uncertain about academic rank, use Mr., Ms. , or Prof. Better,
look up the title in a campus directory or simply ask your instructor. c. List the course title, aligned to the left.
Ch ecklist 27.1
Formatting the Paper-MLA
Use the following general settings in your word processor for an MLA
paper, but adjust them to match any special preferences set by your
instructor. (Note: If using a typewriter or fixed-width font, you can insert
five spaces in place of each half-inch of indentation.) Subsequent checklists
provide details for the title page, special items (quotations, tables, and fig­
ures), and the Works Cited page.
a. Use white, 8'h-by-"-inch paper. For a traditional academic assign­
ment, never use color or lined paper. Handwrite a paper only with an
instructor's permission .
b. Insert your last name and page number one-half inch from the top of
every page, aligned with the right-hand margin. The best way to achieve
this is to insert a running page header. (See the View or Insert menus.)
c. Use the same readable font face throughout your paper. Avoid fonts
with too much decoration, since they can be hard on the eyes. Also be sure
to use a moderate text size, 10 to 12 points depending on the font face.
d. Double-space the entire document. This includes the Works Cited
page and title page. Use your word processor's Format or Paragraph
menus to select line spacing.
e. Left-align the body of the paper and do not hyphenate words at the
end of the line. You may need to turn off your word processor's auto­
matic hyphenation tool.
f. Indent the first word of each paragraph one-half inch. Most word
processors have a way to auto set an indent for the first line of paragraphs.
333
d. List the date you submit
the assignment, aligned to
the left.
e. Give the title of your
paper, capitalized and cen­
tered. Capitalize the first
and last words of the title,
and all words in between
except articles (a, an , and
the), prepositions (including
to when part of an infinitive),
and coordinating conjunc­
tions. Do not end the title
with a period, but use a
question mark when appro­
priate. Do not bold, under­
line, italicize, or specially for­
mat you r title except for
specific words and phrases
that generally require spe­
cial formatting.
Takjng:t Clos!..'r Loo k;l t th e MOTO l'cy.:: k- Boom Nelson Ri ve ra M s.
Mdi ~\.• J .1IJ 11
En glish 101: RhclO ri c and Co mposilion
25 M"ch 2005
Note: If your instructor does ask for a title page, ce nter the title of yo ur paper and
your name in the upper third of the paper. Center the course title, your instructor's
name, and the date on the lower third of the sheet, double-spacing each item. (See
sam ple above.)
Checklist 27.3
Quotations, Tables, and Figures-MLA
1inch
Nelson Rivera
a. Format quotations correctly. MLA requires that you present long quo­
tations-more than four lines-in block format. Block quotations are not
enclosed by quotation marks. The entire quotation is indented 1 inch
from the left margin. Use the same double spacing as the rest of the
document.
b. Label and number tables, placing them as close as possible to
related text. Before the table, provide the label Table, an identifying
number, and a caption, capitalized according to the standard rules for
titles. Double-space the table (assuming you're not using an image of a
table, as student writer Nelson Rivera does), citing the source (if you didn't
create it yourself) in a caption at the bottom. The caption should use the
same 1-inch margin as the rest of the paper.
c. Label and number illustrations and other visual material. Place the
335
Sample MLA Paper
MLA Documentation
-001: - - - -- - ,
Ms. Melissa Jantz
(enter {he
title and use
same lont/
font size as in
the paper:
no boldface,
underscore,
or display
fonts.
Double-space all
elements on the
....~------I title page. No
25 March 2005
~
special spacing
Taking a Closer Look at the Motorcycle Boom
or enlarged or
English !OI: Rhetoric and Composition
...
1/2 inch - . In 1969 the film Easy Rider revolutionized the motorcycle
enhanced fonts
III
world by creating the bad boy biker image that is familiar to most
people today (see fig. I). Bikers were renegades, counterculture
Use a note to
connect text
and images.
•
item as close as possible to the related text, providing underneath the
label Fig. (or Figure),an identifying number, and the title (or a descriptive
label or caption). For more on figures and tables, see Section 21 b-2.
Label,
--~ Fig.
~~o~~~~and
I. Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper growling down the
highway in Easy Rider (1969), representing bikers as rebels.
caption for
figures below
road warriors who, according to scholars Jeremy Packer and Mary
the item,
USing "Fig." K. Coffey, were "violent, heteronormative, and (for the most part)
or"Figure."
masculine as they may be" (641). Though they weren't typical
I....
.. heroes, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper portrayed life on the road
1inch as life on their own terms, and after the release of this movie, the
motorcycle industry experienced a 98% increase in sales between
,•
1970 and 1980. This increase diminished, however, soon after it
. 1 inch
~~
1 inch
Author's last name
. . . - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - appears 00 eyery pagl~
Rivera 3
Rivera 2
peaked. It wasn't until 1992 that the industry experienced a rebirth
with increases in motorcycle sales "not seen since the 1970's"
Thissource
does nOl
u~e page
numbers.
337
Sample MLA Paper
MLA Documentation
336
This, states
responsibilities of work and family in the vein of Easy Rider's free­
the lhesi~ of
the causal
argument.
several interrelated social and economic causes, especially
living protagonists. Instead, this sales increase is likely due to
("Annual"). Today the industry has reached the one million mark
~
in motorcycle sales. Up from just 278,000 motorcycles sold in 1992,
Boom generation. Generally speaking, the counterculture biker
these sales numbers represent an increase of over 270%. as seen in
image appeals to this group of aging activists, and the biker
Table I.
lifestyle is now much more accessible to those with the social
including the rise in expendable income now enjoyed by the Baby
responsibilities of work and family.
label, ----- Table I
number,and
Estimated New Motorcycle Sales: 1992-2004
provide a
caption for
1..200,000
tables above
the item
, ."..000
Indeed, the stereotyped image of the average biker has
ArnQI Mmo,c;rli 5.uIi
im.
218,000
1933-193,i)OO
t
~
19'1A -8OII.ooo
1998 33(1 000
1997-lS$ OOO
1898 - ,m 'OOO
600.000
I
""" 850.tJIJ()
?OO<! 936.000
2003 - 996,000
2OG4 - 1,OflO,OOO
2002 zoo.c
List source . . Source: 2003 Motorcycle Statistical Annual Report. Free Student
infomlation
beneath the
table.
.,11
!II
motorcycle enthusiasts do not have a box office hit movie to fuel
their interest, and they do not dream of giving up the social
J running fast and loud on the early morning freeway,
low in the saddle, nobody smiles, jamming crazy through
traffic and ninety miles an hour down the center stripe,
-.J
missing by inches.
t.like Genghis Khan on an iron horse,
a monster steed [ ... Jlong hair in the wind, beards and
bandanas flapping, earrings, armpits, chain whips [ ... J
and stripped-down Harleys flashing chrome as traffic on
_t
I
i
'\'W
.lH
!II
consecutive year of record-breaking motorcycle sales. Unlike those
involved in the first motorcycle craze in the 1970s. today's
~[ ...
1inch
This ellipsis
mar~ actually
appears in
Thompson's
original,1.
Kit. Motorcycle Industry CounciL 2004. Web. 16 Mar. 2008.
This trend has continued into what is now a twelfth
Hell's Angels, as described in 1966 by Hunter S. Thompson:
quote,
1i'99- 54 a.ooo
!'OOO 710,00II
2000
hand margin
and double­
space iL Omit
ON around
1 9'J5- ~,tlll
800.000
Indent block ­ I dramatically changed over the last 20 years. Today's bikers are a
quote 1 Inch
new breed. No longer are they simply leather-clad, beer-drinking
from left·
_
101 moves over, nervous, to let the formation pass like a
The in-text
burst of dirty thunder. (3)
note (omes
:------:----:--:--7"'' '
Even though much of this rebellious style remains, today's biker
afterthe
puth°ctualdi.on lifestyle does not necessarily exclude the demands of a more
al e en 0f
ablo<kquote. traditional lifestyle. In facl, many of today's bikers are law firm
partners, accountants, and doctors--a lifestyle still frowned upon
in the early 1980s, when for example a cycle-riding metropolitan
338
339
Sample MLA Paper
MLA Documentation
Rivera 4
court judge from New Mexico admitted in the American Bar
"G5" is a
section/page
Association fournal that "people think you're crazy riding a
number in a
newspaper.
motorcycle, period" (Winter 527). Now, however, the biker you see
"
Rivera 5
up in executives' garages" (Hopkins G5). This attention by the
media has lured names such as Jay Leno, Dennis Rodman, and
Shaquille O'Neal to join the biker lifestyle. And the increase in
growling down the highway might even be your boss. This change
media coverage has in turn sparked the interest of a wider range
in image has made the biker lifestyle seem more accessible to
of Americans, creating a greater market field and expanding the
professionals who might have otherwise felt too mainstream to
buyer segments.
Perhaps it is not that surprising, then, that women make up a
take part in a counterculture.
significant new addition to the motorcycle market. In fact , women
Even cable TV networks now spotlight the biker world with
programs such as World Biker Build-off, American Steel, and
~
are the fastest-growing segment in the market and, as Steve
Italicize
televIsion
American Choppers, and so "the bikes that once invoked images of sfrleslitles.
Pilkington succinctly notes, they "are no longer taking a back seat
to men" (9). According to the Motorcycle Industry CounciL female
greasy leathers and snarling gangs are now just as likely to turn
ridership in creased from 2% in 1985 to 10% in 2003. An article in
Bradlels
-.l
indicate
that
the
"I" was
originally a
Working Woman reports that
~loday lout of every II American
'IS a woman, compare d Wit
. h I out 0 f 100'III 1960"
motorcycI
e owners
(Aronson 18). The overall increase in motorcycle sales can be
capital letter.
attributed, in part. to this increase in female riders. Because many
women have experienced a growth in disposable income, they can
now make motorcycle purchases on their own, without the help of
their male partners. The biker image now seems more accessible
and acceptable, and women can more comfortably fit into this
lifestyle.
This new gentler image is in large part created by a return to
the saddle by the Baby Boomers who had previously abandoned
their riding days in exchange for families and careers. During the
Fig. 2. Biking goes mainstream with Paul TeutuL Sr., and Paul
last motorcycle boom. the average rate of increase in motorcycle
TeutuL Jr., of American Chopper.
sales matched that of the annual increase in the number of Baby
340
341
Sample MLA Paper
MLA Documentation
Rivera 7
Rivera 6
Boom males reaching their 18th birthdays. Ken Kurson, who points
Table 2
out these facts in "Motorcycles for Grown-ups," adds that "30 years
Owner Profile by Age, Marital Status, Education, Occupation,
later, much of this round of expansion comes from the fact that
and Income: 1985-2003
,.. Of TOTAL OWNERS
Baby Boomers are rediscovering their love of motorcycles" (112). In
-"
....
2003
1188
37'.,
.,.
,....
AD<
the last 12 years the motorcycling lifestyle has attracted wealthier
~ 0...
18 , ~"
and older owners, both male and female, and this is largely due to
"-l9
'" "
"'-30
the fact that the Baby Boom generation is now entering into a
.....
"'"
NoI"'' '
stage of financial stability with no dependents. The result s of a
-'"
-'"
2003 consume r research report show the average age of bikers to
...."",
....
..,0""
' O"~
219"
2!a..1'
"''''
HOUSEtIOLO INCOME
fOR PRIOR YEAR
be 41 with a median household income of $55,850 annually (see
l - * $2O,OXl
12Q,0Q0-SJ.( 939
m.OOO4<''''
$50 ,000-414 ge9
table 2).
$1~ .QQ)..$S9m
u_
,100,tm-lfoW.999
$IM . mil Qq­
Because of the Baby Boomers' large numbers and their
/..,JIS(.,)!Id
inclination toward free spending, it was just a matter of time
' SIIlJJlflO_o­
,ft.
~31 '"
la l ~
"311
....
....
I~'"
'"''
sss.""
''''
,....
t~3"
I ....
11"
n5~
1&".....
1&0'\:
",It,,,...
'.'"
""'"
381",
....
,".......
10"
z""
320",
)31),.
....
....
,
lU'
327'
. ,.
.~".
I.'"
• :no,
""
,...
, ,,-
S·u 2~
'
.".
13' ....
117'
Sl3 100
".5
,,"
'.'"
,.",
.'.",...."
" A
'>1'<
'tl1m
?t,SJ'ft
l ' I'
,."
f " ....
.." .
""'­
~OQO
" 15O..ODO_0...
before the tourist industry jumped onto the motorcycle boom
MAAIUl SToI.TUS
bandwagon (" Baby Boomers"). This, in turn, prompted some
....... S",.
"""'''''
major cities to sponsor weeklong celebrations geared toward
HIGHEST LEVEl OF
EDUCATION
..... ""'"
welcoming motorcycle enthusiasts and creating a $774 million a
­
SMIIIHf,llIScMM
....
.......
.... ..­
...,SC:hOOIG.....
~
year tourist industry in Daytona Beach alone. A 2001 study
conducted by the University of Central Florida shows that "this is
significantly more than the $561 million genera ted b y the Da ytona
"*
500 [ . .. J or the $196 million from spring break" (Schneider 14). Not
only is the motorcycle industry now more accessible to indi viduals
who might have been reluctant or unable to take part before, but it
is also more lucrative for the tourist industry, which now has a
financial incentive to sponsor biker events.
Wriler~may
bracket
ellipses to
show that
they were not
In the original
quotation.
Such brackets
are optional,
_SUIee!
.41 ,,.
,...
M.M<
.
,."
31'
""
J02'<
..
IU",
ID,!!'
~
., ...
......
,,.,
....""
.....
"....
...
,"0"
17'
.....
.t l l"\
,,~
.........
,.,..
./6
501J''
''',
7-3'
1~
,-..
J9.t'
lOS"
,'''\,
216"
."
....
OCCUf'ATION Of OWNER
,,-'"
'"
II"
~.omar
11~
31.3'
,111'
1.5.)....
,."
.....
f.~,""iIIaI"
J27t.
2·. ."
ll,..
­
....-.",,­
..
'--"-"...
""'
~
r~'"".,..""La!JOf.
...aoy
--""'
"
"'St"",
........
....
,"'"
,....
""
,,,
Ii 4 " .
"..
..?I"
'",
zS' ,
..,..
135'
.'.."
13. 1'\
u_'
',""
131 \
'"
1!11"
.O'
....,
...
51'"
'"
.~
n ..
Source: 2004 Motorcycle Statistical Annual Report. free Student
Kit. Mot orcycle Industry CounciL 2005. Web. 16 Mar. 2008.
342
MLA Documentation
343
Sample MLA Paper
Rivera 9
Rivera 8
Though the Baby Boomers are known for their capacity for
the economic and environmentally responsible elements of the
free spending, some research suggests that sales are up in part
biker lifestyle also appeal to the Baby Boomer.
because motorcycles provide the rider with an economical and
environmentally friendly method of transportation. At a time when
gas prices are soaring, more people are becoming aware of the
economic benefits of owning a motorcycle. According to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, the average cost of self-serve
gasoline has risen from $1.12 in 1992 to $2.20 per gallon in 2004
~
"Table 3-8" i.l
atitJe in the
Works Cited
list. not a link
to a table
shown in the
paper.
("Table 3-8"). These figures reflect an increase of 96%. With
motorcycles averaging 50 miles per gallon of gasoline versus
22 miles per gallon of gasoline for cars and small trucks (U.S.
Department of Transportation, "Table 4-11''). one can either ride
back and forth to work all week or go joy riding for an entire
This lengthy
note sends
readers to the
co rtect Wo rks
Cited entry .
attributed the sharp increase in motorcycle sales to the higher cost
of fuel. claiming that when faced with higher prices at the pump
~
transportation versus the mode it is usually in and that is
recreation" {Kenny IDJ. Though it might seem odd that the very
Baby Boomers who can now enter the biker life because of their
expendable income are also attracted by the cost-saving elements
of owning a bike, the two causes are not contradictory. According
to the Strategic Edge, a market research company that predicts the
buying patterns of various target groups, many Baby Boomers
were concerned with environmental issues when they came of age
("Baby Boomers"). In addition to the promise of the open road, then,
certainly wouldn't have returned to the office after a weekend ride.
But today's easy riders do not have to trade in their conventional
lives for the chance to live and ride free. The new, more accessible
weekend on just $20 worth of fuel. Some motorcycle dealers have
"traditionally [ . . . J people put motorcycles into the mode of
Concluding ~ For both social and economic reasons, motorcycling is now
summarizes
enjoying a greater role in mainstream American culture. Of
causes for
growth in
course, Peter Fonda's and Dennis Hopper's characters would never
motorcyde
have considered the cost of fuel as they took to the road, and they
sales.
BracKets here
are optional.
and acceptable biker lifestyle has afforded them a taste of the
open road, even if only for the weekend.
MLA Documentation
Sample MLA Paper
1 inch
. 112 lOch
Rivera 10
Rivera II
Works Cited
"Owner Profile by Age, Marital Status, Education, Occupation, and
"Annual Motorcycle Sales Roar through the One Million Mark: In Inch
..
I Source (omp\
----.. Upward Trend Continues for 12th Consecutive Year~ from~librMY
subscription
service
Business Wire 21 Jan. 2005. We"f.17 Mar. 2005.
Aron son. Amy. "A Vroom of One's Own: Women Riders Are
~l Fueling a Motorcycling Boom." Working Woman June 1999:
18. Print.
"Baby Boomers Grow Up." The Strategic Solution . The
•
Strategic Edge. Fall 1996. Web. 15 Mar. 2005.
1inch Easy Rider. Dir. Dennis Hopper. Perf. Peter Fonda and Dennis
Hopper. ColumbialTri-Star Studios, 1969. DVD.
Easy Rider. Image. 40 Years of Easy Rider. N.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2005.
"Estimated New Units Retail Sales." 2003 Motorcycle Statistical
Annual Report. free Student Kit. Motorcycle Industry
I
Thl' 5rmreglc
SIl/Ii/illn Is
italicil~d
because it is
the title of ~
newsletter
The Strategic
Edge is the
I
. Easy Rirler is
Hopkins, Brent. "Mid-Life Executives Help Alter Bike Rider's Image." lilted by its
title since
Emotional Journal 24 Dec. 2004: GS. LexisNexis. Web. 15 Mar. that is how it
Kenny , Megan. "Husbands: Another Reason to Get a Bike. Some
Say Rising Prices at the Pump Are Leading to a Spike in
Motorcycle Sales." Charleston Daily Mail 20 Sept.
is referred to
in Ihe papel.
Secondary
dcknowledq·
menBgive
credit 10 ill
direr/or and
sl~rs
2004: !D. Print.
Kurson, Ken. "Motorcycles for Grown-ups: Bikes Aren't Just for
Teenagers and Hell's Angels Anymore." Money May 2001:
112-13. Print.
J.
.. 1inch
available at
the site. It
must be
~~~~:.ed
Web. 16 Mar. 2008.
Packer, Jeremy, and Mary K. Coffey. "Hogging the Road: Cultural
Governance and the Citizen Cyclist." Cultural Studies 18
(2004): 641-74. Print.
Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul. Jr. Photograph. The Discovery
Channel: American Chopper. N.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2005.
Pilkington, Steve. "Women Roll into House of Harley." Alaska
Business Monthly Feb. 2005: 9. Print.
Thompson, Hunter S. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga.
New York: Ballantine, 1966. Print.
name of~
company.
Council. 2004. Web. 14 Mar. 2008.
2005.
The data ciled ~ Income: 1985-2003." 2004 Motorcycle Statistical Annual
here is not
.
.
actually
Report. free Studen t Kit. Motorcycle Industry CouncIl. 2005.
United States. Dept. of Transportation. "Table 3-8: Sales Price of
Transportation Fuel to End-Users." NTS Report 2004. Bureau
of Trans poration Statistics. 17 Nov. 2004. Web. 15 Mar. 2005.
---. "Table 4-11: Passenger Car and Motorcycle Fuel Consumption
and Travel." NTS Report 2004. Bureau of Transportation
Statistics. 17 Nov. 2004. Web. IS Mar. 2005.
Winter, Bill. "Biker-Judges and Lawyers Rev Up Their Image."
American Bar Association Journal 68 (1982): 527-28. Print.
345
347
Sample MLA Paper
Checklist 27.4
Formatting the Works Cited Page-MLA
Works Cited pages use the same double spacing, l-inch margins, and run­
ning headers (including your last name and page number) as all other sec­
tions of an MLA document, so you can easily insert this page at the end of
the electronic file you use to store your paper. But use these additional
guidelines:
a. Insert a page break before your Works Cited page. The works-cited list
should start at the top of the first full page following the body of the paper.
b. Center the title "Works Cited" on the first line. If the list of works-cited
entries overflows this page, do not repeat this title on subsequent pages.
c. Provide works-cited entries for every source you mention in the
paper. Do not list materials you examined but do not cite in the body of
the paper. (If you do include such items, the list can be retitled Works
Consulted.)
d. Arrange the entries alphabetically. Use the first words of each entry
(excluding A An, and The) to alphabetize the list.
e. Use a hanging indentation of one-half inch for each entry. Unlike
paragraphs in the body of the paper, the first line of each works-cited
entry is not indented, but subsequent lines are. To adjust the indenta­
tion, use your word processor's paragraph formatting feature or, if pro­
vided, its indentation and tabbing ruler.
f. When more than one entry begins with the same person's name,
replace the repeated information with three hyphens followed by a
period. This helps readers see easily that the same person is responsible
for more than one source on your list:
van der Plas, Rob. The Mountain Bike Book: Choosing, Riding and Maintaining the Off-Road Bicycle. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Bicycle, 1993. Print. ---. Mountain Bike Magic. Mill Valley: Bicycle, 1991. Print.
g. Use cross-references to shorten entries. If Citing multiple selections
from the same book, you don't need to repeat all information about the
book for each works-cited entry. Instead, create a separate, full entry for
(Continued)
348
MLA Documentation
•
Formatting the Works Cited Page-MLA
(Continued)
the book itself, referring to this entry as you create entries for individual
se lec tions. In sert the cross -reference after the selection's title, w here you
wo uld normally put the book 's title and publication detail s, using the
same guidelines for identifying sources here th at you do for identifyi ng
th em with in-text notes. (See Section 27a- l .)
Behrens, Laurence, and Leonard J. Rosen . Writing and Reading across
the Curriculum. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2003. Print.
Kaplan, Jeffrey P., and William H. Die tz. "Caloric Imba lance and
Public Health Policy." Be hre n s and Rosen 440-47.
Morrison, Toni. "Cinderella's Stepsisters." Behrens and Rosen 590-92.
UsingcMS
~u.mentation
U$ing CMS Footnotes
and.Endnotes
Formatting CMS
FOotnotes and Endnotes
FO~tting CMS
Bibliographies
'Sample.Uterary
Analysis CMS