How Do You Cite A Dissertation In MLA: Useful Tips And Tricks

There are multiple standards regarding citation style of dissertations and each standard specifies different requirements. Some of the main citation styles are APA, Harvard, and MLA. Among these styles, MLA is considered to be the most challenging because it requires the writer to specify the page number of each source citation within the text. Since a dissertation includes a large number of sources due to comprehensive literature review, it can be very difficult for the writer to keep track of all the page numbers in all the sources that are used by the writer. Following are some of the tips and tricks that can help you cite your dissertation in MLA perfectly:

Organize Your Research

One of the ways to ensure perfect MLA citation is to organize all your research to make all the sources accessible at all times. You can do this by dividing your research in accordance with different themes, and keep the sources pertaining to each theme in a separate folder. This way, you can easily access any source at a later stage.

Keep Track of Your Sources

You should keep track of all your sources by maintaining a file which includes the identifying characteristics of your sources, such as the names of the authors, the titles of journal articles, years of publishing, and page numbers. It may be recommended to maintain this information in a spreadsheet so that you may easily search the information you need.

Maintain Record of Page Numbers

In MLA citation style, page numbers hold high importance therefore it is essential that you maintain a record of page numbers of the information you extract from the sources that cited in your dissertation.

Perform Annotated Bibliography

Another way to ensure high level of accuracy in your citation is to maintain an annotated bibliography before starting to work on the draft. This will help in including the information with the right citation details and the right page number.

Cross Verify the Cited Sources and Page Numbers

One last step that you must do is proofread the dissertation and cross-verify all the cited sources with their source material and the page numbers. This way, you will be able to incorporate the perfect MLA citation style in your draft.

Following these tips and tricks can help you develop a draft that complies accurately with the requirements of the MLA citation style.