For my English 110 Significant Writing Project, I addressed the issue of social media’s effects on mental health and the development of resilience. Through the course of this project, I have worked to apply MLA citation guidelines correctly, both in-text and in my Works Cited page, to give proper credit where due and to enhance the academic integrity of my work. One specific example of my MLA application involved the integration of direct quotes from articles. For example, quoting from a study on the psychological effects of social media use, I followed the MLA format for in-text citations-accurately placing in parentheses the author’s last name and the page number after the quote: (Smith 45). I also made sure that the punctuation came after the citation, not before, as was required by MLA style. I have also learned and applied the correct MLA style for a Works Cited page for different types of sources-books, articles, web pages. The works include an author’s name, work’s title, date of publishing, and if it was retrieved online, its URL. Example: Online Article-when citing an online article. Smith, John. *The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health*. Social Health Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, 2023, pp. 30-50. www.socialhealthjournal.com/impact-social-media. I refrained from plagiarism and give proper credit to researchers and authors of the works from which I built my argument by formatting the citations correctly. I have grown in confidence to apply MLA style in future academic writing.
