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View Full Version : No sure how to indent, analytical bibliograpy MLA format.


ohsohappy
Apr 13, 2010, 10:16 AM
Okay, so here's what I have, I know how to write it, I'm just not sure how to indent.
It's in MLA format, the citation is first, then the summary, and then I have to put my analysis. My trouble is figuring out where to indent. I don't know if the first line of the citation is indented then the second one not, and then for beginning the summary, I don't know where to indent either. I'm all mixed up, I have six of these to do and I just need help knowing where to indent.

Here's what I have so far.

MLA (MY NAME)
Should smoking be banned on (my) campus?

Tobacco Use Disorder: Nicotine Addiction; Smoking Addiction By: McCoy, Krisha, MS, Conditions & Procedures InBrief, February 2010 Consumer Health Complete
This report covers many different topics related to Tobacco Use Disorder. It explains the causes of Tobacco Use Disorder in addition to the risk factors and symptoms. The article also discusses how a person is diagnosed, treated, and what kinds of therapy there is. There is also information included regarding how secondhand smoke can affect people who are non-smokers. Also included is a section about how to prevent tobacco Use disorder.

It's not showing what I've already done to try to indent on my preview, the blue is the citation, the purple the summary. I have two lines for mycitation and 5 lines for my summary. HELP?! :confused:

hheath541
Apr 13, 2010, 10:25 AM
Just indent them like regular paragraphs. The only time you indent more than that is when you have a quote that is more than 4-6 (I can't remember the exact number) lines long. Since you aren't deal with a quote, then you don't have to worry about special indentations.

ohsohappy
Apr 13, 2010, 10:32 AM
Well I was told to indent the second line of the citation so that it kind of "hangs off of the first line" but I'm not sure how to indent the summary because on the example we have in our packet, it has the first line indented. ANd then he said that he example was wrong, but I don't remember how. I just think that If I were to indent the second line of the citation, and then the first line of the summary it would look goofy. =/

Aurora_Bell
Apr 13, 2010, 10:38 AM
I'll have a look at this tonight when I get home, see if I can provide some assistance.

slapshot_oi
Apr 13, 2010, 10:39 AM
Well, you could try Easy Bib (http://www.easybib.com) and have it generate it for you, that's what I used in college.

ohsohappy
Apr 13, 2010, 10:55 AM
Well, you could try Easy Bib (http://www.easybib.com) and have it generate it for you, that's what I used in college.

Oh that's not the problem, I have CitationMachine that does my bibliography for me. I just need to write a summary and analysis for it and I don't know how to indent those. That's what's confusing me.

slapshot_oi
Apr 13, 2010, 11:18 AM
Okay, I didn't read your question I just assumed it was about MLA bibliographies because they make sense to none. Anyway, citing the source in the actual paper is weird, it's usually in an appendix, but they do change the MLA format every six months it seems so I don't know. Anyway, I would assume you indent the first paragraph of actual writing.

ohsohappy
Apr 13, 2010, 05:07 PM
Where's Wondergirl when you need her eh?