Links to Library resources specific to History will be included in this research guide.
The library has many resources directly related to History. These resources include physical books, eBooks, videos, and databases.
History
History Resources
Research
History Specific Databases:
Alabama Virtual Library
Research Databases:
ProQuest Searches:
Cherokees and the Trail of Tears
Associates Programs Source Plus
History eBooks:
MLA 9th Edition Formatting
General Formatting Guidelines:
Students should follow the 9th Edition Publication of the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines when writing academic papers.
Perdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a great resources to aid in citing different materials and understanding general layout and citation requirements.
The MLA Style Center also offers a variety of resources for formatting your research.
1. General Paper Format:
- Font: Use a legible font like Times New Roman with a size of 12-point.
- Margins: Set 1-inch margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, right).
- Spacing: The entire paper, including any works cited page, should be double-spaced.
- Indentation: Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches (usually one tab).
- Page Numbers: Include page numbers in the top right corner of each page, aligned with the margin, with your last name before the number (e.g., "Smith 1").
- Alignment: Left-align the text and do not justify the lines (text should have a ragged right edge).
2. Header:
- In the upper left corner of the first page, include your:
- Your Name
- Instructor’s Name
- Course Name
- Date (in day-month-year format, e.g., 14 October 2024)
- This information should be double-spaced.
3. Title:
- After the header, on a new line, center the title of your paper.
- The title should be in regular font (no bold, underline, or italics unless referring to another work).
- Use Title Case (capitalize major words, not prepositions, conjunctions, or articles unless they are the first word).
4. In-text Citations:
- Parenthetical citations should include the author’s last name and the page number (e.g., (Smith 23)).
- If you mention the author's name in the sentence, only include the page number in parentheses (e.g., Smith argues that… (23).).
5. Works Cited Page:
- Begin the Works Cited list on a new page.
- Center the title "Works Cited" at the top (no bold or underline).
- Use a hanging indent for each entry (the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches).
- The list should be alphabetized by the authors' last names.
6. Quotations:
- For short quotations (fewer than four lines of prose or three lines of poetry), enclose them in quotation marks within the text.
- For long quotations (more than four lines of prose), format as a block quote:
- Begin on a new line.
- Indent the entire quote 1 inch from the left margin.
- Do not use quotation marks.
7. Capitalization and Italics:
- Capitalize all major words in titles of works (books, articles, etc.).
- Use italics for titles of longer works (books, plays, films).
- Use quotation marks for shorter works (poems, short stories, articles).
Works Cited Examples:
1. Book (One Author):
Format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing Fiction. Penguin, 2018.
2. Book (Multiple Authors):
Format:
Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example:
Johnson, Susan, and Robert Lee. Modern Literature Studies. Oxford University Press, 2020.
Note: If there are more than two authors, list only the first author followed by et al.
Example:
Brown, Laura, et al. Advanced Writing Techniques. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
3. Journal Article (Print):
Format:
Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of the Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages.
Example:
Lee, Margaret. "Exploring Narrative Styles in Modern Fiction." Journal of Literary Studies, vol. 24, no. 2, 2019, pp. 134-150.
4. Journal Article (From an Online Database):
Format:
Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of the Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages. Name of Database, DOI or URL.
Example:
Jackson, Emily. "Women’s Rights in the 21st Century." Feminist Studies Review, vol. 45, no. 1, 2023, pp. 101-123. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1234/jst012345.
5. Website:
Format:
Last Name, First Name (if available). "Title of the Webpage." Title of the Website, Publisher (if different from the website title), Date of publication, URL.
Example:
Davis, Michael. "Shakespeare's Influence on Modern Drama." Literary Insight, 12 June 2022, www.literaryinsight.com/shakespeare-modern-drama.
6. YouTube Video:
Format:
Author or Creator. "Title of the Video." YouTube, uploaded by Uploader (if different from the author), Date, URL.
Example:
TEDx Talks. "The Future of Innovation." YouTube, uploaded by TED, 5 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234
Accessing Databases Off Campus