A Complete Guide to MLA Citation
The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities and liberal arts. MLA Style provides guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing. MLA Style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.
This guide covers the basics of MLA citation, including in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
Basic Principles of MLA Citation
MLA citation follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear in your Works Cited list.
The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence.
Example:
- Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
- Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
In-Text Citations
Author-Page Style
The basic MLA in-text citation style includes the author's last name and the specific page number where the referenced information appears. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.
Example:
Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
When the author's name does not appear in the sentence, the author's last name and the page number of the source should appear in parentheses after the quote.
Example:
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3).
Citing Sources with No Author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (such as books or entire websites).
Example:
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has "more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change..." ("Impact of Global Warming").
Citing Multiple Authors
For a source with two authors, list both last names in the in-text citation:
Example:
...best strategies for recovery after a disaster (Smith and Johnson 105).
For a source with three or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by "et al.":
Example:
...recent studies have shown promising results (Miller et al. 45).
Citing Indirect Sources
When citing a source that is quoted or paraphrased in another source, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you are consulting:
Example:
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as "social service centers, and they don't do that well" (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one work by the same author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others:
Example:
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children ("Too Soon" 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year ("Hand-Eye Development" 17).
Works Cited Page
The Works Cited page appears at the end of your research paper. It lists all the sources you used in your paper, formatted according to MLA guidelines. Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
Basic Format
All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text. Begin the entry with the author's last name, followed by a comma and the first name. Then list the title of the work in italics, followed by publication information.
Example:
Author Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Books
Example - Single Author:
Smith, John. The History of Modern Art. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Example - Multiple Authors:
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. 2nd ed., Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
Example - Book with an Editor:
Palmer, William J., editor. Fifty Years of the English Novel, 1900 to 1950. Little, Brown, 1950.
Periodicals
Example - Article in a Magazine:
Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping, Mar. 2006, pp. 143-48.
Example - Article in a Newspaper:
Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients." The Washington Post, 24 May 2007, p. LZ01.
Example - Scholarly Journal Article:
Duvall, John N. "The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's White Noise." Arizona Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 3, 1994, pp. 127-53.
Electronic Sources
Example - Page on a Website:
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2022.
Example - Article from a Database:
Landis, Beth. "Fighting for Our Lives." The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2001, pp. 58-69. ProQuest, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/233308423?accountid=7434. Accessed 12 June 2022.
Example - E-Book:
Damodaran, Aswath. Investment Valuation: Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset. 3rd ed., Wiley, 2002. Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=5s5AAAAAMAAJ. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.
Additional MLA Rules
Formatting Guidelines
- Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
- Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g., Times New Roman).
- Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.
- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin.
- Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner.
- Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, for emphasis.
Abbreviations
In MLA style, there are certain abbreviations that you should only use inside parentheses or in the Works Cited list. For example:
- Use "p." and "pp." for page numbers
- Use "vol." for volume and "no." for number
- Use "ed." for editor and "trans." for translator
- Use "rev." for revised edition
Using Notes
In MLA style, you may use endnotes or footnotes for bibliographic notes that provide information on sources or content notes that offer commentary relevant to the text. Number note entries consecutively using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) and place them in the order you create them.
Example - Content Note:
1. See Blackmur, especially chapters three and four, for an insightful analysis of this trend.
Example - Bibliographic Note:
3. On the problems related to repressed memory recovery, see Wollens 120-35; for a contrasting view, see Pyle 43; Johnson, Kellerman, and Rogers 280-85.
Common Issues and Exceptions
When citing sources that have no page numbers, use a paragraph number or a section heading. Use the abbreviation "par." or "pars." for paragraphs, or the actual section heading in quotation marks.
Examples:
Websites don't have page numbers, so use the name of the creator or sponsor:
"According to the National Weather Service, temperatures have been rising at an unprecedented rate" ("Climate Change").
If no author is named, use the title of the work:
"The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world" ("Global Warming: Causes and Effects").
For electronic sources, you may use paragraph numbers:
"Digital literacy is the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate and create information using a range of digital technologies" (New Media Consortium par. 2).
Remember that the specific requirements for MLA citation may change with each new edition. Always consult the most recent MLA Handbook or ask your instructor about the specific guidelines for your assignment.
Modern Language Association (MLA) Citing Rules and Reference File Download Link
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