Crafting research papers upholding excellent academic integrity principles while showcasing original insights gleaned from sustained literary investigations represents coveted hallmarks of scholarly success at advanced collegiate levels and beyond capably. However, adequately acquainting submission compositions structuring with institutional formatting styles brandy marks distinguishing leading work equally.
Specifically, the widely utilized MLA referencing style requires the inclusion of formal title pages, initiating overall presentation optics positively when assigned for assignments ultimately. Let’s examine proper MLA title page generation techniques for stellar manuscript launch impressions straightaway!
When to Use an MLA Title Page
While MLA style proofreading ensures uniform citations/bibliographies coherence after content bodies directing readers conveniently towards referenced research materials utilized supporting stated theses succinctly, preceding title pages inclusion expectations depend upon variables scope situations specifically, including:
- Explicit instructor submission requirements requesting title pages formally
- University departmental style policies mandating full manuscript preparations
- The author intentions submitting compositions for future publications
- Personal preference desiring polished presentation optics aesthetically
Consult guiding parties directly, such as professors, journal editors, or grading committees, determining necessary title page inclusions beyond personal motivations alone, unless independent undertakings. Knowledge disciplines like humanities typically expect in-depth manuscript structuring as publishing norms, including title pages.
What Goes in an MLA Format Title Page
Properly formatted MLA-style title pages contain the following elements:
Author’s name
Professor/instructor’s name
Course name
Title of the paper
Date of submission
This standardized front matter furnishing allows audiences to target key details exactly as needed, comprehending paper scopes, contexts, and assessor awareness straightaway before directly engaging the presented content itself critically.
MLA Title Page Formatting Guidelines
When structuring MLA style title pages, adhere to these best practice formatting guidelines firmly:
- 1-inch page margins all-around sides uniformly
- Double-spaced lines throughout sections
- 12-point accessibility font like Times New Roman
- Title centered & subtitle left-aligned if included
- Student/author information upper-left aligned
- Institution particulars underneath authors centered
- Assignment identifiers and submission dates conclude pages bottom-centered
- Do not include a page number heading on your cover page
Follow such disciplined conventions demonstrating attentiveness meeting expected publishable style standards similar to eventual career documentation submissions someday.
Title Page vs. MLA Heading on the First Page of Your Paper
The current MLA formatting guidelines provided in the MLA Handbook do not strictly mandate that research papers have a separate title page. However, some instructors, professors, or publishers to whom a student may submit their paper may specifically ask for or prefer papers to include a title page before the body content.
In those situations where a title page is requested or could make a good impression, understanding the proper formatting is important.
Title Page
A title page is a standalone page that precedes the actual content of the paper. It includes important identifying information like the full title, student name, submission date, course code, and professor name. It does not contain any actual body text or content from the paper itself. Consider it an introductory cover page.
First Page Header
The MLA style also allows for a header to be used at the top of the very first page of the paper instead of a full title page. This first page header contains similar information as a title page, including the title, name, date, class details, etc. The difference is it is part of the same page on which the paper’s content itself begins.
Unless explicitly instructed to include a separate cover page, using the first-page header is typically sufficient for most basic MLA formatting needs and expectations. However, other citation styles like APA handle title pages a bit differently in their own formatting rules.
The key takeaway is that while the MLA Handbook does not absolutely require a title page as mandatory, it is still beneficial to understand what content is included in one, how to properly format it, and when its use may prove applicable or preferential to support readers’ needs evaluating submissions. Knowing the conventions can aid writing clarity and positive document first impressions.
Here are the key differences between an MLA-style title page and a first-page header in MLA format:
| Title Page | First Page Header |
| It is a standalone, separate page prepended before the first page of the paper’s content | Incorporated as header text on top of the actual first content page of the paper |
| Contains title/author/date/course details but no actual text from the paper itself | Contains the same information identifying paper details (title, name, etc.) |
| Formatted vertically with title centered, author details left-aligned, identifiers bottom centered | Formatted horizontally after a 1-inch margin space from the page top |
| Serves as an introductory cover overview of paper details upfront | Follows a specific order template: Author. Title. Course. Date. |
| The filename would be different than the main paper document | Contents reside on the same page/file as the paper’s body text |
How to Create an MLA Title Page on MS Word
Students today can use word processing programs like Google Docs and Microsoft Word to help automatically format their papers properly. These programs have built-in MLA templates that format documents to match MLA-style rules. This makes creating an MLA title page and full paper much easier.
Here is how to make an MLA cover page using Microsoft Word’s template:
- Open Microsoft Word to a blank document
- Click on the “File” menu and select “New”
- In the search box, type “MLA style”
- Pick the MLA template for your type of paper (research paper, essay, etc.)
- Check if the template matches your school’s style rules
- Replace the filler text with your real paper title, name, dates, etc.
- Double check the final title page matches all MLA rules
- Save just the finished title page on its own
Using the built-in MLA template saves time since the proper formatting gets done automatically. You just plug in your actual information to make the title page compliantly in minutes!
MLA Header and Title Page Examples
Here are two examples of properly formatted header and title pages in MLA:
MLA Header Example
Here is a summary of the key points for formatting the first page with an MLA header:
- Top left corner: Full name on the first line, instructor name on the second line, course details on the third line, the due date on the fourth line
- Switch to centered alignment
- About 1/3 down: Include the research paper title and optional subtitle using title case formatting
- No italics, underlines, or quotation marks around the title
- Double space, then start the paper content
- Header: Last name and page number right starting on page 2 (sometimes the instructor specifies no header on page 1)
- All pages are numbered, including the first content page
The MLA first page header style positions the author/instructor/course details to the top left, the centered title in the middle, then on the next line starts the actual paper content with last name and page number headers on top of later pages. Following the guidelines by your instructor matters most.
MLA Title Page Example
Here is a summary of the key points for creating an MLA title page:
- Near the top of the page, include the name of your academic institution
- About one-third down, center your research paper’s full title in the title case
- On the next line, include an optional subtitle if you have one
- Nearer the bottom third, left, align your first and last name
- On the lines following, left align (if applicable for your paper):
- The course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- The due date in the “day month year” format
MLA title pages should include basic identifying information like the institution, paper title, author name, course details, instructor name, and due date positioned meaningfully across the page. Centering and left-aligning elements position them cleanly. Remember to include the running head.
Should I include a title in an MLA format paper?
Yes, in MLA formatted papers, a title page proves necessary specifically when explicitly requested by instructors/submission guidelines provided or intentionally aimed at supporting future publication attempts.
Should the MLA title page be double-spaced?
Yes, the MLA format styling guidelines require double-spaced text throughout the dedicated title page, sequencing content cohesively from top-to-bottom page continuity.
Should the MLA Style title page be numbered?
No, dedicated MLA-style title pages remain unnumbered initially. Page numerations apply thereafter on the first body content page succeeding separately.
Where should the MLA cover page be placed within the paper?
As cover pages are not physical “pages, proper MLA papers place generated title pages preceding the Number “1” labeled first body content page, essentially serving as “page zero” document initiations when saved individually as own files additionally.
What goes in the MLA title page?
Formal MLA title pages include research paper titles, author names/institutional affiliations, submission dates, course codes, professor names, and container document identifiers, relaying key indexing metadata concisely upfront through scholarly publishing best practices.
