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Issue For January 30, 2009

Writing Question of the Week

This is a question submitted by an OWL user to the OWL Tutors. If you need to have a question answered quickly, contact our OWL Tutors here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/owlmailtutors. Or you may call the Grammar Hotline at 765-494-3723 . And remember, both services are free for everyone!

Using Tables and Graphics in MLA and APA

Dear OWL:

I'm in two classes where we will have to use tables and graphics in our papers. One class uses MLA, and the other class uses APA. How do I use graphics in my papers and cite them in the paper for MLA and APA?

Thanks!

Kristen

Hi Kristen,

For MLA, you should place the visual as close as possible to the text that explains it, and you should reference the visual like this: (e.g. see fig. 1). You should label your visuals Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc., beneath the visual, flush-left. Tables are handled the same way (see table 1.), and they are labeled Table 1, Table 2, etc.

For more information on this, please go to the OWL's resource on using figures and tables in MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/16/.

For APA, label a figure with an Arabic numeral and provide a title. The label and the title appear on the same line below the figure, flush-left. You might also provide an additional title centered above the figure. For tables in APA, provide a label with an Arabic numeral and provide a title. The label and title appear on seperate lines above the table, flush-left and single-spaced.

For more information on this, please go to the OWL's PowerPoint presentation on APA here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/17/.

Purdue OWL

News from the Purdue Writing Lab

News from our in-person Writing Lab, located on Purdue University's campus in Heav. 226.

Spring 2009 Events

The Purdue Writing Lab is hosting the 2009 East Central Writing Centers Association (ECWCA) conference on the West Lafayette, Indiana campus on April 3-4. The deadline for submitting presentation proposals has passed, but we encourage you to register to attend this dynamic scholarly conference. You may register to attend the ECWCA conference at this Website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ecwca/.

The Writing Lab will be celebrating International Writing Centers week February 8-14. Check back for details on the events.

The Writing Lab is sponsoring a number of writing and research workshops, as well as conversation groups this spring:

  • February 2 from 7:00-8:00 PM in the Hicks Undergraduate Library, room G959 (iLab) - Research Boot Camp: The Purdue Libraries and the Purdue Writing Lab present the spring 2009 Research Boot Camp. Attend this boot camp to learn how to conduct research like the pros! Contact Morgan Reitmeyer: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/writinglabworkshopcoordinator.
  • Every Tuesday from 4:00-5:00 PM in the Writing Lab - Creative Writing Group: Creative writers can learn about revision methods, publishing, poetry, memoir, and fiction, as well as local readings and MFA programs in a relaxed, comfortable setting with other writers. Contact Dana Bisignani: dbisigna@purdue.edu.
  • ESL Conversation Group every week day in the Writing Lab: If English is not your native language, and you need listening and speaking practice in English in an informal atmosphere, you are welcome to join an ESL conversation group at any or all of the times below. Contact John Hitz: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/writinglabeslcoordinator.
    Monday - 11:00-12:00
    Tuesday - 12:00-1:00
    Wednesday - 12:00-1:00
    Thursday - 3:00-4:00
    Friday - 11:00-12:00
  • Spring In-lab Workshops
    MLA Workshop: January 1 from 12:00-1:00
    APA Workshop: February 20 from 12:00-1:00
    Resume and Cover Letter Workshop: March 6 from 12:00-1:00
    Editing Workshop: March 27 from 12:00-1:00
  • English 106/108 Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) Brown Bag Lunch Series second and fourth Mondays of each month from 2:30-3:30 in the Writing Lab: Due to their success in the fall semester, the Writing Lab will continue to host its English 106/108 instructor brown bag series this spring. Topics for this semester include addressing common grammar errors, creating and responding to multimedia assignments, designing presentations for students, and writing
    effective teaching philosophies. Contact Danielle Cordaro: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/englwritinglabliason.

The Writing Lab also offers in-class workshops on a number of writing and research topics. Please contact the Writing Lab Workshop Coordinator, Morgan Reitmeyer, for more information: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/writinglabworkshopcoordinator.

News from the Purdue OWL

News, updates, and information from the Purdue OWL. 

New and Updated OWL Resources

We are pleased to announce that a number of new OWL resources have been added during the winter break. Some old OWL resources were also updated. These resources include the following:

  • MLA Tables, Figures, and Examples: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/16/
  • Journalism and Journalistic Writing: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/01/
  • Verb Tenses: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/01/
  • OWL Research and Scholarship Bibliography: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/research/usabilityreports
  • Argumentative Writing - Improprieties: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/06/
  • Metaphors in Creative Writing - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/687/05/

New Professional Writing-Online Writing Lab Intern

The OWL staff is happy to welcome the spring 2009 PW-OWL intern, Kate Bouwens. Kate came to us from the Purdue undergraduate Professional Writing program and has already helped revise and post three OWL resources (improprieties, coherence, and metaphors in creative writing). Kate will also be working on job search material this semester. In addition, she will be producing the OWL's MLA and APA classroom posters for her capstone project. Look for those two OWL resources in the early part of the summer.

A New Way to Interact with the OWL

For many years, OWL users have been able to respond to questions through our Question of the Week and the OWL Help Nest. This dialogue between OWL users and between users and OWL staff has formed an important part of the discourse about writing and writing rules. To this end, we are excited to announce that the OWL will be continuing this dialogue through the new OWL Wiki: The OWL Help Nest Wiki.

During the spring semester, OWL staff will be investigating the best types of software to run our Wiki and the best methods of continuing the dialogue between OWL users and staff. Please stay tuned! We will announce the launching of the OWL Help Nest Wiki in the Purdue OWL News. Until we launch the OWL Help Nest Wiki, we will continue our dialogue about writing through the Purdue OWL News.

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