When writing a paper in MLA format, you should begin by typing your paper on a computer and printing the final draft on standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper with 1-inch margins on all sides. The paper should use a legible typeface (Times New Roman is preferred) and be double-spaced throughout, with no extra spaces between paragraphs. There is no title page in MLA; the title is centered on the first page in plain text. Other information necessary for the paper (your name, your instructor's name, the name of the class and the date) goes in the upper-left corner of the first page, flush left. Page numbers are located in the upper right-hand corner, 1/2 inch from the top and flush right, with the last name of the author appearing one space before the page number. In MLA, there is one space after periods or other concluding punctuation (as opposed to APA style, which requires two spaces).
MLA format does not give specific guidelines for using section headings and leaves it up to the writer to determine if section headings will improve readability; however, MLA does have recommendations. There can be more than one level of headings used throughout a paper; you may use any format for the headings, as long as it is consistent throughout the paper. MLA recommends that when you use section headings, you should start each one with a number and a period, followed by a space and the section name (for example, "1. Introduction"). If employing more than one level, it is recommended that you to add a period and a number after the main section number (e.g., "1.2 Introductory Sentence").
You must cite any resources you used when writing your paper. MLA guidelines require that any direct quotations, paraphrasing or summarizing used from any external sources be documented in parentheses at the end of a sentence unless considered general knowledge. These parenthetical citations direct the readers to the entire document citation located in the "works cited" page at the end of the paper. Most parenthetical citations include the author's name and the specific page number for the information that is cited. If the author's name is already mentioned within the sentence, the citation will only include the page number, such as (7). If there is no author's name, the citation will include a short version of the title.
The works cited page at the end of a research paper will list only sources that you actually used. The entire page should be double-spaced, and each entry should have a left-aligned margin, with the second and any subsequent lines indented five spaces. The basic format for a works cited entry includes the author's last name first, followed by a comma and the first name; end this with a period. All publication titles are italicized (no underlining) and end with a period. A document or article name goes in quotes, followed by a period. Use a comma to separate the publisher and year of publication, then end it with a period. List the complete title of the article, essay or book that was used, and alphabetize the list by authors' last names or the first main word in a title. Online sources no longer require URLs, unless the title of the website does not easily lead the reader to find the source, but the publication medium (print or electronic) is required within the citation.