How To Do MLA Format On Word Online

The formatting of research papers tends to get on our nerves. There are so many rules to follow and things to keep in mind. But did you know that Microsoft has introduced templates for research papers to help with this? Popular formats like APA and MLA are available. This article shows you how to set up MLA format on Microsoft Word Online.

How To Do MLA Format On Word Online

Let us discuss each case, like Pc and Mac Os, individually.

Case-1: On a PC

Writing and formatting research papers use various formats, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and more.

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

Let’s look at the 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, 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.

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

After filling in the basic information, you can read the instructions in the first paragraph, especially regarding 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 numerical and nonnumerical data
• specify the source of the table if you have copied it from somewhere to avoid plagiarism.

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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, besides the basic data, your chart must have the source and title.

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

• Start with the chart’s title. It is better to include 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 essential 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 citations and at the end under the references section

• The template gives you the exact format to cite your text.
• Substitute the text already present with authors’ names, the journal, book, or other source names, 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 to take 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 clicking on the arrow near the 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 from the same section can also be added to the paper.

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Case-2: On mac

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

• Set up the document’s margins. According to MLA, each page needs a one-inch margin throughout the paper.
• Click on Inspector in the toolbar, then click on Document. To change all the values to 1.00, you can change the values in the corresponding boxes.
• 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 using the 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 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 and reference pages.

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