MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition

My copy of the handbook is well-worn and probably older than most of the people on-line trying to buy this book right now, but I still remember how useful it was to me.

We were forced to purchase this book in high school in the early 90s. It was the format in which all papers were required to be written. While at first tedious, learning this system eventually made writing any paper really, really easy.

When I got to college, I was leaps and bounds ahead of the other students who had not learned this format. There were several occasions in which my essays were copied by the professors to use as an example of "the right way to write a paper." Because writing papers did not intimidate me, I took 4 times the required writing component courses in college.

Absolutely buy this book and refer to it often. Very rarely does it not have the answer you're looking for (that was really awesome, because nothing is more frustrating than looking at a manual for an answer it doesn't have).

It's the MLA Handbook. It claims to give MLA styles for writing research papers and that's exactly what it does.

This book is pretty easy to read. It has a very complete listing of where to find everything in the book. It's very dry but a requirement for anyone who is writing a research paper.

High school students and college kids alike can really put this dandy guide to source citations and research papers to good use. MLA rules are constantly changing--not even English professors can keep up with all the nitpicky rules, so it's nice to have concrete examples of various sources to help you out. The book offers a comprehensive guide to different citations, some common and some not, as well as general tips for writing papers, from choosing a topic to fine tuning your final draft. Whether you're the English major working on the thesis or just struggling to get through English 101, this book can really help you out. I keep this on my desk throughout the year and consult it on every paper. A must have.

(Sorry, media and science geeks: AP and APA styles not included, but you've got your own books!)

This is a must have for students. I have really used this in my English classes.