Concepts
The core ideas behind citing sources well: in-text citations, hanging indents, annotated bibliographies, the difference between a works-cited list and a bibliography, and how to avoid plagiarism.
- Annotated Bibliography: Format, Examples, and How to Write One What an annotated bibliography is, the three types of annotation (descriptive, evaluative, reflective), and how to format one in APA, MLA, and Chicago. With a worked example showing the same source annotated three different ways. Written and reviewed by the MLA Generator Editorial Team.
- Avoiding Plagiarism: The Bright Lines, the Gray Areas, and Prevention Habits A practical guide to avoiding plagiarism in academic writing. The bright lines (what is never okay), the gray areas (paraphrasing too closely, self-plagiarism, AI assistance, secondary citation), the prevention habits that prevent both the act and the accusation, and what to do if you are wrongly accused. Written and reviewed by the MLA Generator Editorial Team.
- Hanging Indents: What They Are and How to Make Them in Word, Google Docs, Pages, and LaTeX Hanging indents are the standard reference-list format in every major citation style. This guide explains what they are, why they exist, and how to apply them in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages, and LaTeX — without the manual tab work that breaks them. Written and reviewed by the MLA Generator Editorial Team.
- In-Text Citations: Format, Rules, and How They Differ Across Styles How in-text citations work across the seven major academic styles. Author–date versus numeric systems, the exact format for each style, page-number rules, and the et al. thresholds that students get wrong most often. Written and reviewed by the MLA Generator Editorial Team.
- Works Cited vs. Bibliography vs. References: What to Call Your Source List The difference between a Works Cited, References, and Bibliography section — what each name means, what goes in each, and which one your style requires. Includes a per-style table mapping the right heading. Written and reviewed by the MLA Generator Editorial Team.