Many of your professors expect you to produce your papers in MLA format. Produced by the Modern Language Association, this format and style guide is now in its 9th edition. The newest version is very similar to MLA 8, with most of the changes being around use of inclusive language and expanded guidance for citations, formatting, and especially avoiding plagiarism. 

Please remember that keeping up with writing and style guides is generally the work of academics and librarians. Many professors are creatures of habit, and most are very busy, so your professor may not have noticed this shift to MLA 9 or simply may not like the new system. With that in mind, you should consider checking in with your professor to make sure they want you to use MLA 9 as opposed to an older (now defunct) MLA.

Major Changes in the 9th Edition

This list from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (the Owl) shows the biggest changes for the 9th edition:

• SAMPLE PAPER to show how your paper should look including in-text citations and Works Cited page.

• More guidance on how to use MLA core elements to create a Works Cited list by explaining the definition of each element in different types of documents (it will not always be literal), where to find each element, and how to style it. The MLA 9 was designed so that the core element strategy will become even more accessible through more examples and explanations, such as how to use notes, websites, interviews, and YouTube videos. 
• A deeper dive into in-text citations, a category many users expressed struggles with.
• Reintroduction of MLA guidance on research papers, absent in MLA 8, with expanded instructions.
• A new chapter on inclusive language.
• Expanded guidelines on grammar mechanics.

• ASK THE MLA: How do I cite generative A.I. in MLA style?