MLA Citation Style

• MLA Citation Style
• Citing Sources in the Text
• Works Cited list
• Other documentation styles

MLA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the Modern Language Association for acknowledging sources used in a research paper. MLA citation style uses a simple two-part parenthetical documentation system for citing sources: Citations in the Text of a paper are used to point to an alphabetical Works Cited list that appears at the end of the paper. Together, these references identify and credit the sources used in the paper and allow others to access and retrieve this material.

Note: A parenthetical reference to a familiar historical document -- i.e., the United States Constitution -- no longer requires a corresponding entry in the Works Cited list.

Citing sources in the text

In MLA style, references to sources are placed in the text of the paper to briefly identify sources for readers and enable them to locate the source of the cited information in the Works Cited list. These parenthetical references should be kept as brief and as clear as possible.

• Give only the information needed to identify a source. Usually the author's last name and a page reference are all that is needed.
• Place the parenthetical reference as close as possible to the material being documented and where a pause would naturally occur, preferably at the end of a sentence.
• Parenthetical material should complement, not repeat, information given in the text. If you include an author's name in a sentence, you do not need to repeat it in your parenthetical statement.
• The parenthetical reference should precede the punctuation mark that concludes the sentence, clause, or phrase that contains the cited material.
• Electronic and online sources are cited just like print resources in references cited in the text. If an online source lacks numbering, omit numbers from the parenthetical references. If a source includes fixed page numbers or section numbering, such as numbering of paragraphs (pars.), cite the relevant numbers.

Examples:

For more detailed information about citing references in the text, please refer to the MLA resources listed below.

Works Cited list

Examples

References cited in the text of a research paper must appear at the end of the paper in a Works Cited list or bibliography. This list provides the information necessary to identify and retrieve each source that specifically supports your research.

• Arrange entries in alphabetical order by authors' last names (surnames), or by title for sources without authors.
• Capitalize the first word and all other principal words of the titles and subtitles of cited works listed. (Do not capitalize articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, or the "to" in infinitives.)
• Shorten the publisher's name.
• When multiple publishers are listed, include all of them, placing a semicolon between each.
• When more than one city is listed for the same publisher, use only the first city.
• Use the conjunction "and," not an ampersand [&], when listing multiple authors of a single work.
• Pagination: Do not use the abbreviations p. or pp. to designate page numbers.
• Indentation: Align the first line of the entry flush with the left margin, and indent all subsequent lines (5 to 7 spaces) to form a "hanging indent."
• Underlining vs. italics: In printed material submitted for grading or editing, words that would be italicized in a publication are sometimes underlined to avoid ambiguity. If you wish to use italics rather than underlining, check your instructor's or editor's preferences.

Examples:

• Books
• Articles in encyclopedias or entries in dictionaries
• Articles in journals, magazines and newspapers
• Government documents
• Videos and sound recordings
• CD-ROMs

Citing Materials from Online Sources

• Web page
• Personal web site
• Article from an online encyclopedia
• Article in an online periodical
• Article in a full-text journal accessed from a database
  
• Online book with print information

Books:

References to an entire book should include the following elements:

• author(s) or editor(s)
• the complete title
• edition, if indicated
• place of publication
• the shortened name of the publisher
• date of publication
• medium of publication

No author or editor:

One author:

Another work, same author:

Two authors:

Three authors:

More than three authors:

Corporate author:

Multivolume work:

Essay or Chapter in Edited Books or Anthologies: References to an essay or chapter in an edited book or compilation must include the following elements:

• essay or chapter author(s)
• essay or chapter title
• book title
• book editor(s) or compilers
• place of publication
• the shortened name of the publisher
• date of publication
• inclusive page numbers of the cited piece
• medium of publication

Article in a book:

Reprinted article:

Articles or entries from reference books:
If the article or entry is signed, place the author's name first; if it is unsigned, give the title first. For well-known reference works, it is not necessary to include full publication information. Include only the title of the reference source, edition, and date of publication.

Dictionary entry:

Encyclopedia entry:

Article from a less familiar reference book:
For articles from less familiar reference sources, include the full publication information.

Article in Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers:
References to periodical articles must include the following elements:

• author(s)
• article title
• publication title (journal, magazine, etc.)
• volume number
• publication date (abbreviate months, if used)
• the inclusive page numbers
• medium of publication

Issue numbers should be stated as decimals to a given volume number. In the example below, the number 25.4 reads as Volume 25, issue 4. When citing newspapers, it is important to specify the edition used (e.g. late ed.) because different editions of a newspaper may contain different material.

Journal article, one author:

Journal article, two authors:

Magazine article:

Newspaper article, no author:

Newspaper article, one author, discontinuous pages:

Government Documents:
References to government documents vary in their required elements. In general, if you do not know the writer of the document, cite the government agency that issued the document as author.

State document:

Federal document:

International document:

Audio Visual

Film or video recording:

Sound recording:

Sound recording, specific song:

CD-ROM
Citations should include the medium of the electronic publication (CD-ROM), the name of the vendor that made the material available on CD-ROM, and publications dates for the version used, if relevant.

Citing Materials from Online Sources

• Web page
• Personal web site
• Article from an online encyclopedia
• Article in an online periodical
• Article in a full-text journal accessed from a database
  
• Online book with print information

Online Sources:
Citations for online sources, like those for print sources, should provide information that both identifies a source and allows that source to be located and retrieved again. All citations should include the medium of publication (Web) and the date the content was accessed. If the source is difficult to locate or your instructor requires a URL, list the complete address within angle brackets after the date. In many cases, it is also necessary to identify the website or database that has made the material available online.

Because there are currently few standards that govern the organization and presentation of online publications, the information that is available to fulfill these objectives can vary widely from resource to resource. In general, references to online works require more information than references to print sources.

See sections 5.6.1-4 in the MLA Handbook for more complete information on creating citations for online sources.

Web page:

This example includes the optional URL. All other examples below use the shorter citation format.

Personal web site:

If a work is untitled, you may use a genre label such as Home page, Introduction, etc.

Article from an online encyclopedia:

Article in an online periodical:

If pagination is unavailable or is not continuous, use n. pag. in place of the page numbers.

Article in a full-text journal accessed from a database:

Online book with print information:

For more detailed information about Works Cited references, please refer to the MLA resources listed below.

The examples of MLA style and format listed on this page include many of the most common types of sources used in academic research. For additional examples and more detailed information about MLA citation style, refer to the following resources:

MLA Hanbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print.

This book is designed for high school and undergraduate students. You can find it at the following locations: Olin Library Reference LB2369 .G53 2009; ILR Library Reference LB2369 .G53 2009

MLA STYLE Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2008. Print.

This book is designed for graduate students and professional writers. You can find this publication at the following locations: Olin Library Reference PN147 .G444 2008; Uris Library Reference PN147 .G444 2008; Law Library Reserve PN147 .G444x 2008; Music Library Reference PN147 .G444 2008

"Frequently Asked Questions about the MLA Style Manual." Modern Language Association. Modern Language Association, 2008. Web. 30 June 2009.

Other documentation styles

• Chicago Manual of Style
• APA Citation Style