critical essay

If you have access to the latest Microsoft Word software, the following steps take most of the guesswork out of creating accurate internal citations and work(s) cited entries on a work(s) cited page using both MLA style formats.

How to Create Internal Citations inside your Paper:

Step 1: Choose Location for Source in your Paper

Left click in the exact spot where you want the internal citation to appear in your document.

Note: Your internal citation first appears wherever your mouse cursor is when you start. You can always cut, copy, paste and “move” citations from one spot to another anywhere on the page—at any time.

Step 2: Choose Format

From the Home Ribbon tab, left click on the “References” tab.

Note: Check that the “STYLE” option is set to the format type (MLA, APA, etc.) you are using. Format styles can be re-set (from one format to another) at any time simply by left clicking the arrow on the edge of the style window dialogue box. Scroll down the menu list and click on the new style format that you want.

Step 3: Add New Source or Create Placeholder

Left click on “Insert Citation” and then on “Add New Source” to create a new citation.

Note: Clicking “Add New Source” opens a new window for you to begin adding all of the required information for creating internal citations but sometimes all you know is that you need to cite but are not quite ready to create the internal citation entry. When this happens, use the placeholder feature to mark the spot where an internal citation will be placed by left clicking on “New Place Holder” and then on “OK” to create a “space holder” for where the internal citation will eventually be placed.

To edit (create citations where you have) “placeholders,” left click on the arrow at the edge of the window and from the drop down menu that appears, select “edit source” and follow Steps 4-6 below.

Step 4: Choose the Category that Best (Most Closely) Fits your Source Type

Left click on the arrow located at the right edge of the “Type of Source” drop down menu and choose a category for the type of source you want to internally cite in your paper.

Note: If there is no exact category for your source type, choose the one “closest” to it.

Step 5: Complete All Required “Bibliography Fields” Information Fields

Note: Required Bibliographic Fields are those that are marked with an asterisk (*) which denotes information that must be added. Required information varies from source-to-source. To see the other optional fields for a source, left click on “Show All Bibliographic Fields” box, located in lower left hand corner of window. If there is other information, not required by the source to be listed, but you think would be helpful for your reader in trying to locate or know something about your particular source, left click on the show all fields tab and fill in as much of the additional information as you think necessary.

Step 6: Click OK to Apply (Insert or Place Your Internal Citation)

Note: The internal citation you just created appears immediately inside your paper, in the exact spot where your mouse cursor was when you started the process in Step 1. You can always, however, cut, copy, paste and “move” citations from one spot to another anywhere on the page.

How to Insert the Work Cited Page Entry at the end (bottom) of your Paper

Step 1: From the Home Ribbon tab, left click on the References tab

Note: Make sure your cursor is exactly where you want to place your Work Cited information before you start the process below because, like internal citations, your Work Cited entry appears wherever your cursor is when you start.

Step 2: Left click “Manage Sources” and the Source Manager Window Opens.

Note: in the “Source Manager” window, you will see a “Left” and “Right” window pane: The Right Pane: contains your Master List (every source created by the user on a computer using the Microsoft Word References tab. This list remains indefinitely but only appears on the computer where you are using the Microsoft Word Reference tab feature.

The Left Pane contains the current list of sources. Make sure that every source used in the current document is in the current list window pane because whatever is in the Current List appears on your reference page. This list also remains indefinitely but only appears on the computer you are using.

· To move source entries from the Master Pane to your Current List pane, left click on the source you want to move and then on the > arrow to move it.

· Always click on and check Manage Sources to be sure that every source appearing on the work(s) cited page has actually been used in your paper.

Step 3: Left click on “Close” to exit from inspecting sources on your “Current List”

Step 4: Left click on “References” tab, then left click “Bibliography” and then on Work Cited to use the MLA to source list format.

Note: The Work(s) Cited page appears wherever your cursor was when you started the process. The words Works Cited(s) needs to be centered at the top of the page. To do this: move your cursor in front of the word(s) and click on “Center” to move the text to the center of the page.

How to Edit an Existing Internal Citation From Inside Your Paper:

Step 1: Place your Mouse after the source you want to edit

Left click the mouse to edit to open the edit menu.

Step 2: Hover over the citation to chow the citation link

Edit (make whatever changes you want to make) then left click on OK to apply changes.

How to Edit an Existing Internal Citation from the Master List

Step 1: Open the Source List

From the Reference tab, left click on Manage Sources

Step 2: Select the Source You Want to Edit

From the Master List, (left window pane) left click on the source to be edited and then on and then left click on edit.

Step 3: Make the desired changes then left click to apply

Note: If you make any changes to an existing (already created) source, a new dialogue box opens with the following message: This source exists in both your Master List and in the Current Document. (Click “yes” to make whatever changes you are making take effect in both places).

Step 4: Left click on “Close” to complete the editing process

Note: Repeat Steps 2-3 above to edit another source.

Conclusion:

I hope you find these steps helpful in creating and inserting MLA format internal citations and MLA work cited page entries. You may want to keep this document as a reference point for use in creating APA and other types of sources in other classes. If you need more help with Internal Citations and Work Cited pages in this course, try using the other reference materials referred to in the assignment document.