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MLA Citation: A Brief Guide


MLA Basic Formatting

  • 1. URLS ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY TO INCLUDE IN CITATION. If your teacher requires a URL it must be placed after the date of access. Enclose the URL in angle brackets (< >) and end with a period.
  • 2. All components must be double spaced with hanging indentation(in MS Word Format > Paragraph > Indentation > Hanging).
  • 3. All dates are formatted Day Month Year (29 Sept. 2009).
  • 4. If no author is given, start the citation with the title.
  • 5. Abbreviate the names of all months except May, June, and July.
  • 6. Use shortened forms of publishers' names. Leave out articles (A, An, The) and words like Co., Inc., Books, House, Press, Publishers. When citing a university press, add the abbreviations U and P (Ohio State UP). If the publisher includes a person's name, cite the surname alone (instead of John Wiley, use Wiley). If the publisher's name includes the names of more than one person, cite the first surname only.
  • 7. Titles of newspapers, magazines, and journals are not followed by punctuation.
  • 8. Use italics to indicate titles.
  • 9. All formal papers for English classes are required to conform to these guidelines.

  • For more information see: Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 2009. Print.

Books
Components:

  • 1. Author, Editor, Compiler, Translator Last Name, First.
  • 2. Title of Work.
  • 3. Edition.
  • 4. Number(s) of the volume(s) used.
  • 5. City of publication:
  • 6. Name of publisher,
  • 7. Year of publication.
  • 8. Medium of publication (Print).

Examples:

Book with one author

  • English, Carol. The Cliffs Won't Do: Read the Book. Philadelphia: McGraw Hill, 2004. Print.

Two or More Books by the Same Author

  • Small, Chris. Please, Help Me Carry My Keys! Topeka: Rand, 2002. Print.

  • --- . Don't Measure a Chemist by Her Size. New York: Feminist, 2004. Print.

Book by Two or Three Authors

  • Drucker, Darla, and Amy Jones. How to Survive Your Wedding. New York: Simon, 2003. Print.

Book by a Corporate Author

  • Springfield Township Family and Consumer Science Department. Cooking with Spice. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Book with an Editor

  • Valenza, Joyce, ed. Bagels and Books: An Anthology. Brooklyn, NY: Random House, 2001. Print.

Work in an Anthology

  • Smith, James. "The Physics of Sushi." The Fabulous Physics Paper. Ed. Samuel Klein. Rome: Cambridge UP, 2004. 46-59. Print.

An Edition Other Than the First

  • Peters, Michael. Keeping Your Classroom Neat and Clean. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lysol, 2005. Print.

A Signed Article in a Reference Book

  • Allen, Anita L. "Privacy in Health Care." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen G. Post. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Macmillan, 2004. Print.

An Unsigned Article in a Reference Book

  • "Best Beards of All Time." Encyclopedia of Anatomy and Hair. 15th ed. 2003. Print.

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Periodicals in Print
Components:

  • 1. Author Last Name, First.
  • 2. "Title of Article."
  • 3. Name of Periodical
  • 4. Series number or name.
  • 5. Volume number.
  • 6. Issue number
  • 7. Date of publication - if only year is known put it in parentheses:
  • 8. Page numbers.
  • 9. Medium of publication (Print).

Examples:

An Article in a Scholarly Journal

  • Piper, Andrew. "Rethinking the Print Object: Goethe and the Book of Everything." PMLA 121.1 (2006): 124-38. Print.

An Article in a Newspaper

  • Alaton, Salem. "So, Did They Live Happily Ever After?" Globe and Mail [Toronto] 27 Dec. 1997: D1+. Print.

  • Goldberg, Grace. "The Inside Track: Alumni Life." Trojan Times 10 Oct. 2004: 17. Print.

  • Jeromack, Paul. "This Once, a David of the Art World Does Goliath a Favor." New York Times 13 July 2002, late ed.:B7+. Print.

  • McKay, Peter A. "Stocks Feel the Dollar's Weight." Wall Street Journal 4 Dec. 2006: C1+. Print.

  • Smith, Bob. "Schools Losing Ground." USA Today 5 May 2001: 5D. Print.

  • "Striking a Pose with Sally Miles." New York Times 15 Oct. 1997, late ed. sec.6: 35+. Print.


An Article in a Magazine

  • Henry, Mary Ann. "Announcing Bus Changes With Flair." Time 4 July 2001: 17-76. Print.

  • Ramsey, Pamela. "Where's My Smiley Face?" MacWorld Sept. 1997: 86-94. Print.

  • Skater, Andrew. "High School Rollerblading." Secondary Education 54(1990): 113-25. Print.

A Review

  • Bordewich, Fergus M. Rev. of Once They Moved like the Wind: Cochise, Geronimo, and the Apache Wars, by David

          Roberts, and Brave Are My People: Indian Heroes Not Forgotten, by Frank Waters. Smithsonian Mar. 1994: 125-31. Print.

  • Mendelsohn, Daniel. "September 11 at the Movies." Rev. of United 93, dir. Paul Greengrass, and World Trade Center,

          dir. Oliver Stone. New York Review of Books 21 Sept. 2006: 43-46. Print.

  • Rev. of Oxford Bible Atlas, 4th ed., by Adrian Curtis. Kirkus Reviews 1 Sept. 2007: 4. Print.

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General Websites
Components:

  • 1. Author, Editor, Compiler, Narrator, Translator Last Name, First.
  • 2. "Title of Page or Document."
  • 3. Title of Web Site.
  • 4. Version or edition used.
  • 5. Publisher/sponsor of site (N.p.= no publisher found),
  • 6. Date of publication (n.d.= no date found).
  • 7. Medium of publication (Web).
  • 8. Date of access.

Examples:

  • "de Kooning, Willem." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • Eaves, Morris, Robert Essick, and Joseph Viscomi, eds. The William Blake Archive.Lib. of Cong. 8 May 2008. Web. 15 May 2009.

  • Garcia, Landa, Jose Angel, comp. A Bibliography of Literary Theory, Criticism and Philology. 13th ed.U de Zaragoza, 2008. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • Green, Joshua. "The Rove Presidency." The Atlantic.com. Atlantic Monthly Group, Sept. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • "Hourly News Summary." National Public Radio. Natl. Public Radio, 20 July 2007. Web. 20 July 2007.

  • Lessig, Lawrence. "Free Debates: More Republicans Call on RNC." Lessing 2.0. N.p., 4 May 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • Liu, Alan, ed. Home page. Voice of the Shuttle. Dept. of English, U of California, Santa Barbara, n.d. Web. 15 May 2009.

  • Nelson, Sonia. "McShain Library". St. Joseph's Prep. St. Joseph's Prep, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 24 Sept. 2009.

  • Quade, Alex. "Elite Team Rescues Troops behind Enemy Lines." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 19 Mar. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • Salda, Michael N., ed. The Cinderella Project. Vers. 1.2. U of Southern Mississippi, Oct. 2005. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • "The Scientist Speak." Editorial. New York Times. New York Times, 20 Nov. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • "Six Charged in Alleged N.J. Terror Plot." WNBC.com. WNBC, 8 May 2007. Web. 9 May 2007.

  • Smith, Jane. "Who Really Invented the Internet?" Web Weekly. N.p., 26 Feb 2001. Web. 4 May 2001.

  • Tyre, Peg. "Standardized Test in College?" Newsweek. Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2007. Web. 15 May 2008.

  • "Utah Mine Rescue Funeral." CNN.com.Cable News Network, 21 Aug. 2007. Web. 21 Aug. 2007.

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Periodicals in Databases
Components:

  • 1. Author Last Name, First.
  • 2. "Article Title."
  • 3. Periodical Title
  • 4. Series number.
  • 5. Volume number.
  • 6. Issue.
  • 7. Date of publication - if only year is known put it in parentheses:
  • 8. Pages(If no pagination use n. pag.).
  • 9.Title of database.
  • 10. Medium of publication (Web).
  • 11. Date of access.

Examples:

  • Adler, Amy. "Inverting the First Amendment". University of Pennsylvania Law Review 149.4. Apr 2001: 921-1002.JSTOR. Web. 6 Sep 07.

  • Billitteri, Thomas J. "Financial Literacy." CQ Researcher 19.30 (2009): 717-740. CQ Researcher. Web. 23 Sept. 2009.

  • Brown, Susan. "Writing the Perfect Paper." High School Weekly 12 Sept. 2004: 22. EBSCOhost. Web. 25 Nov. 2004.

  • Morra,Samantha. "Words in a cloud." Learning & Leading with Technology 37.1 August 2009:28+. Student Resource Center.

          Web. 23 Sept. 2009.

  • Richardson, Lynda. "Minority Students Languish in Special Education System." New York Times6 Apr. 1994, late ed.:A1+.

         Pt. 1 of a series, A Class Apart: Special Education in New York City. LexisNexis. Web. 15 Aug. 2007.

  • Sample, Ian. "Satellite reveals rapid thinning of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica". The Guardian Home Page. 23 Sept. 2009: 13.

         LexisNexis. Web. 24 Sept. 2009.

  • "They're Watching You". Foreign Policy 124. May 2001: 88-89. JSTOR. Web. 6 Sep 2007.

JSTOR


  • To save citations, click the "SAVE CITATIONS" link. You will need to create a free account.
  • To view your Saved Citations List, click the "VIEW SAVED CITATIONS" link.
  • To export your citations choose either "Email Citations" or "View and Save Citations".
  • Make sure you have chosen the "printer-friendly" option.
  • Then follow directions for "Periodicals in Databases".

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Other Common Sources


Television or Radio Broadcast
Components:

  • 1. "Title of episode or segment".
  • 2. Title of program or series.
  • 3. Name of network.
  • 4. Call letters,
  • 5. City of the local station,
  • 6. Broadcast date.
  • 7. Medium of reception (e.g., Radio, Television).
  • For television or radio broadcasts found online follow components 1-6. Conclude the entry with the following components:
  • 7. Title of the database or Web site.
  • 8. Medium of publication (Web).
  • 9. Date of access.

Examples:

  • "Death and Society". Narr. Joanne Silberner. Weekend Edition Sunday.; Natl. Public Radio. WHYY, Philadelphia, 25 Jan. 1998. Radio.

  • "Food Labels." All Things Considered. National Public Radio. WHYY, Philadelphia, 11 July 2003. Radio.

  • "The Phantom of Corleone." Narr. Steve Kroft. Sixty Minutes. CBS. KYW, Philadelphia, 10 Dec. 2006. Television.

A Film or a Video Recording
Components:

  • 1. Title of film.
  • 2. Director.
  • 3. Distributor,
  • 4. Year of Release.
  • 5. Medium of Publication (Film, DVD, VHS, Laser Disc, Slide program).
  • For films or video found online follow components 1-4. Conclude the entry with the following components:
  • 5. Title of the database or Web site.
  • 6. Medium of publication (Web).
  • 7. Date of access.

Examples:

  • It's a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Perf. James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell. RKO, 1946. Film.

  • If you are citing the contribution of a particular individual, begin with that person's name.

  • Capra, Frank, dir. It's a Wonderful Life. Perf. James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell. RKO, 1946. Film.


Maps and Charts
Follow Book components. Add the descriptive label (Map, Chart).

Examples:

  • "Israel and Neighboring States." Map. 1990. Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection. U Texas. 8 May 2004. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.

  • Japanese Fundamentals. Chart. Hauppauge: Barron, 1992. Print.

  • Michagan. Map. Chicago: Rand, 2000. Print.

  • "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Map. Google Maps. Google, 15 May 2008. Web. 15 May 2008.

Sound Recording
Components:

  • 1. Composer, conductor, ensemble or performer Last Name, First.
  • 2. Title of recording or titles of works included.
  • 3. Artist when distinct from a first-listed person or group.
  • 4. Manufacturer,
  • 5. Year of issue.
  • 6. Type of medium (CD, LP, Audiocassette, etc.).
  • For sound recordings found online follow components 1-5. Conclude the entry with the following components:
  • 6. Title of the database or Web site.
  • 7. Medium of publication (Web).
  • 8. Date of access.

Examples:

  • Ellington, Duke, cond. First Carnegie Hall Concert. Duke Ellington Orch. Rec. 23 Jan. 1943. Prestige, 1977. LP.

  • Holiday, Billie. The Essence of Billie Holiday. Columbia, 1991. CD.

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