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Mla quick citation guide 8th edition.

  • In-text Citation
  • Citing Web Pages and Social Media
  • Citing Articles
  • Citing Books
  • Other formats
  • MLA Style Quiz

Using In-text Citation

Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.

MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).

Example paragraph with in-text citation

A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al. 246; Thomas 15). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing and others conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program (258).

Works Cited List

Derwing, Tracey M., et al. "Teaching Native Speakers to Listen to Foreign-accented Speech." Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 23, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-259.

Thomas, Holly K.  Training Strategies for Improving Listeners' Comprehension of Foreign-accented Speech. University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004.

Citing Web Pages In Text

Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is not known, use the title as the in-text citation.

Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list. Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.

Entire website with author: In-text citation Parents play an important role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraizer).

Works cited entry Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.

Web page with no author: In-text citation The term Nittany Lion was coined by Penn State football player Joe Mason in 1904 ("All Things Nittany").

Works cited entry "All Things Nittany." About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.

General Guidelines

In MLA style the author's name can be included either in the narrative text of your paper, or in parentheses following the reference to the source.

Author's name part of narrative:

Gass and Varonis found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (163).

Author's name in parentheses:

One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass and Varonis 163).

Group as author: (American Psychological Association 123)

Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)

Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass and Varonis 143; Thomas 24).

Direct quote:

One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass and Varonis 85).

Gass and Varonis found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (85).

Note: For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, display quotations as an indented block of text (one inch from left margin) and omit quotation marks. Place your parenthetical citation at the end of the block of text, after the final punctuation mark.

In addition to awareness-raising, practicing listening to accented speech has been shown to improve listening comprehension. This article recommends developing listening training programs for library faculty and staff, based on research from the linguistics and language teaching fields. Even brief exposure to accented speech can help listeners improve their comprehension, thereby improving the level of service to international patrons. (O'Malley 19)

Works by Multiple Authors

When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word "and." When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by et al.

One author: (Field 399)

Works Cited entry: Field, John. "Intelligibility and the Listener: The Role of Lexical Stress." TESOL Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 3, 2005, pp. 399-423.

Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)

Works Cited entry: Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. "The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech." Language Learning , vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.

Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)

Works Cited entry: Munro, Murray J., et al. "Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers." Prospect , vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.

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citation in mla 8 format

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Citation Guides: MLA Style 8th edition

  • Tools and Styles
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  • Articles- Print
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  • Articles- Online
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Media, Websites, Film, Blogs, etc.
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About this guide

This guide is based on the MLA Handbook, 8th ed . For more details and examples, consult the MLA Handbook . This is a print reference volume which is available in the Ely Library Reference Collection ( REF LB 2369 .M53 2016 ).

Additional MLA Style Guide Websites

  • Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting & Style Guide ...updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.)
  • Government & Legal Documents MLA Style (8th/9th Edition) Citation Guide (Portland State)
  • Seneca Libraries - MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th Ed.) Quote vs paraphrase, plagiarism tutorials, ask a citation expert, and more
  • The MLA Handbook 8th Edition (2016) This is a print reference volume which is available in the Ely Library Reference Collection (REF LB 2369 .M53 2016).

How To Document Information: Creating a Works Cited Page

MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here    |   Books    |    A Work in an Anthology or Collection

An Article in a Reference Book      |     Gale Series Literary Criticism     |    Government & Legal Documents

Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Articles - From Library Databases

Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Articles - Print Versions    |     Web Pages

Parenthetical Citations in Text

Format rules.

  • Place the list of works cited at the end of the paper.
  • Center the title, "Works Cited", one inch from the top of the page.
  • Double space between the title and the first entry.
  • Double space both within and between entries .
  • Begin each entry flush with the left margin.
  • Indent subsequent lines one-half inch (five spaces).
  • Alphabetize by the author's (or editor's) last name.
  • Entries without an author are alphabetized by title.

citation in mla 8 format

Basic Format

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book . Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.

Books by a Single Author

Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution . New York: Farrar, 2002. Print.

Books by Two or More Authors

If the book has two or three authors, list all of the authors. If the book has more than three authors, list the first one, followed by et al. The same rule applies when listing editors of a book.

Block, Holly, et al. Art Cuba: The New Generation . New York: Abrams, 2001. Print. Salzman, Jack, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West, eds. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and  History . 5 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1996. Print.

A work in an anthology or collection

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Work." Title of the Anthology or Collection . Ed. Editor First Name Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Number Range. Medium of Publication.

Walker, Timothy. "Sign of the Times." The Transcendentalists: an Anthology . Ed. Perry Miller. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1950. 560-563. Print.

An Article or Entry in a Reference Book

Author's Last Name, First Name (if available). "Title of the Article or Entry." Title of the Reference Book . Vol. Volume Number. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

Signed Examples (have an author)

Bolz, Frank A., Jr. "Lindbergh Law." Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement . Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2005. Print.

Piccarella, John. "Hendrix, Jimi." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians . 2nd ed. Vol. 11. New York: Grove's Dictionaries, 2001. Print.

Unsigned Example (no author)

"Northern Right Whale." Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America . Ed. Walton Beacham, et al. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Print.

Gale Series Literary Criticism

Articles featured in the Gale series of literary criticism come from two different kinds of sources, books and periodicals, and the citations will differ depending on which type of source the article was originally published in. Citations must include information for the original book or periodical and the Gale series volume in which it is found.

Originally published in a book

Freibert, Lucy M. "Control and Creativity: The Politics of Risk in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale ." Critical Essays on Margaret Atwood . Ed. Judith McCombs and G.K. Hall, 1988. 280-91. Print. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism . Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter, et al. Vol. 135. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 13-18. Print.

Originally published in a journal

Malmgren, Carl D. " On the Road Reconsidered: Kerouac and the Modernist Tradition." Ball State University Forum 30 (1989): 59-67. Print. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism . Ed. Linda Pavloski and Scott Darga. Vol. 117. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 204-9. Print.

Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Articles- From a Library Database

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Periodical Title Volume number.Issue number (Date of publication): Page number range. Database Name . Medium of Publication. Date of Access. <URL>.

Journal Article

Cummings, Scott T. "Interactive Shakespeare." Theatre Topics 8.1 (1998): 93-112. Project Muse . Web. 14 Aug. 2003. <http://www.press.jhu.edu>.

Magazine or Newspaper Article

Danto, Arthur C. "Paint It Black." Nation 18-25 Aug. 2003: 46-48. Academic Search Premier . Web. 14 Aug. 2003. <http://www.ebsco.com>.

Note: The URL is an optional element in the latest edition of the MLA Handbook and may or may not be required by your instructor.

Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Articles- Print Versions

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Periodical Title Volume number.Issue number (Date of publication): Page number range. Medium of Publication.

Article in a Journal Carter, Nancy Carol. "The Special Case of Alaska: Native Law and Research." Legal Reference Services Quarterly 22.4 (2003): 11-46. Print.

Note: if page numbers are continuous throughout a volume, the issue number is not necessary.

Dusinberre, Juliet. "Pancakes and a Date for As You Like It ." Shakespeare Quarterly 54 (2003): 371-405. Print.

Article in a Magazine

For most magazine articles, you only need to cite the magazine's date of publication (no volume or issue number).

Goodell, Jeff. "The Plunder of Wyoming." Rolling Stone 21 Aug. 2003: 64-69. Print.

Article in a Newspaper

Gladstone, Valerie. "Shiva Meets Martha Graham, at a Very High Speed." New York Times 10 Aug. 2003, New England ed., sec. 2: 3. Print.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page/Document." Title of the Web Site . Sponsoring Organization, Publication/Updated Date. Medium of Publication. Date of Access. <URL>.

"Argonne Researchers Create Powerful Stem Cells From Blood." Argonne National Laboratory, 24 Feb. 2003. Web. 10 Jan. 2004. <http://www.anl.gov/ Media_Center/News/2003/news030224.htm>.

Bromwich, Michael R. "Criminal Calls: A Review of the Bureau of Prisons' Management of Inmate Telephone Privileges." United States Department of Justice, Aug. 1999. Web. 10 Jan. 2004. <http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/9908/exec.htm>.

Weart, Spencer. "Aerosols: Effects of Haze and Cloud." American Institute of Physics. Web. 3 Jun. 2005. <http://www.aip.org/history/climate/aerosol.htm>.

Citing Web Pages in Text

You should cite your use of "another's words, facts, or ideas." Citations in the text must clearly point to specific sources in the list of works cited.

  • Citations include the author's name and the page numbers if available.
  • If an author isn't available, use the first one or two words of the title enclosed in quotation marks.
  • When a web page lacks numbering, omit page numbers from your parenthetical citations. Do not use page numbers generated on a printout of a web document. PDF documents found on the web will have page numbers that can be used.

Basic Format (Author's Last Name Page Number) or ("Partial Title")

Web Page with an Author (Bromwich)

Web Page without an Author ("Argonne Researchers")

(Author's Last Name Page Number) or (Page Number Only)

Work by One Author

(Dodge 114)

Work by Three or Fewer Authors

(Jackson, Follers, and Bettancourt 203)

Work by Four or More Authors

(Fitzwilly, et al. 26)

Citing Volume and Page Numbers of a Multivolume Work

"In the year 1824, some 13,000 black Americans emigrated to Haiti..." (Salzman, Smith, and West 3: 1348).

Citing a Work Listed by Title (no author)

This led to a rule requiring avoidance measures within 500 yards of the whales ("Northern Right Whale" 105).

Two or More Works by the Same Author

... an article about W.P.A. writers (Brinkley, "Unmasking" A15).

"From 1897 to 1917, Storyville...became the world's most famous red-light district" (Brinkley, "American Heritage" 382).

Note: if the author's name is included in a sentence, only the page number need be cited.

Direct Quotes

The author's analysis of occupations reveals that "virtually all female convicts were poor or working-class" (Dodge 114).

Watts and Bahill conclude that "outlawing aluminum bats would produce faster batted-ball speeds" (144).

Paraphrasing or reference to a source

The themes and context of the novel draw on French feminist theory (Freibert 16).

...in his painting of Fidel Castro greet the Pope (Block, et al. 140).

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MLA Guide (8th edition)

The following examples are intended to introduce you to the basics of citing sources using the MLA Handbook (eighth edition). For resources not covered by this guide, please refer to the Handbook or contact a librarian for assistance. For help with layout, margins, spacing, and page numbers, see The MLA Style Center . Consider using RefWorks to help you track your research and automatically create a bibliography in MLA style.

If you need help with the previous version of MLA, please see the guide for MLA (7 th edition, 2009) . If you are unsure which version of MLA to use, please consult with your professor.

Table of Contents:

Using MLA 8th Edition

Citing Books & Book Chapters

  • Citing Periodical Articles

Citing Film and Television

Citing Online Content

In-Text Citations

For More Help

While earlier editions of the MLA Handbook provided specific rules for each format type, the current edition asks the same questions for all formats, identifying core elements for each source. The MLA Practice Template , which is available online and in the print style manual, can help you organize the core elements.

  • Title of source.
  • Title of container,
  • Other contributors,
  • Publication date,

Often a particular work such as a journal article or book is found within a larger source, which MLA8 refers to as a container. Elements 3-9 all describe the container for a specific work (elements 1-2). A work may have one container (e.g., a printed collection of essays) or multiple containers (e.g., a journal article within an online journal within a database). When source has more than one container, you will answer questions 3-9 for each container.

To see examples of how to use the containers, see “Works Cited: A Quick Guide” at the MLA Style Center .

Works Cited List

The following section illustrates how to cite commonly used source types. This is not an exhaustive list. Use the containers and core elements describe above to create citations for other resources. For more specific examples, please refer to the Handbook (LAU Ref Stacks LB2369 .G53 2016 ) or contact a librarian for assistance.

Dickens, Charles. “To Miss Burdett Coutts, 3 November 1847.” The Letters of Charles Dickens , edited by Graham Storey and K.J. Fielding, Pilgrim ed., vol. 5, Clarendon Press / Oxford UP, 1989, pp. 181-188.

Dove, Rita. “The Breathing, the Endless News.” Collected Poems, 1974-2004 . W.W. Norton, 2016, p. 193.

Khalaf, Farida, and Andrea C. Hoffmann. The Girl Who Escaped ISIS: This is My Story . Translated by Jamie Bulloch, Simon and Schuster, 2016.

Marder, Tod A., and Mark Wilson Jones, editors. The Pantheon: From Antiquity to the Present . Cambridge UP, 2015.

Nesselrath, Arnold. “Impressions of the Pantheon in the Renaissance.” The Pantheon: From Antiquity to the Present , edited by Tod A. Marder and Mark Wilson Jones, Cambridge UP, 2015, pp. 255-295.

Wilken, Robert Louis. The Christians as the Romans Saw Them . 2nd ed. Yale UP, 2003. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt32bdb2.

Citing Periodical Articles (including scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers)

Meichtry, Stacy, and Anton Troianovski. “Terror Roils Continental Leaders.” Wall Street Journal , Europe edition, 28 July 2016, A1+.

Ratcliffe, Sophie. “The Episodic Trollope and An Editor’s Tales .” Victorian Studies , vol. 58, no. 1, Autumn 2015, pp. 57-83.

Ratcliffe, Sophie. “The Episodic Trollope and An Editor’s Tales .” Victorian Studies , vol. 58, no. 1, Autumn 2015, pp. 57-83. Project Muse , muse.jhu.edu/article/613211/pdf.

Wood, Graeme. “What ISIS Really Wants.” The Atlantic , Mar. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980 .

Wood, Graeme. “What ISIS Really Wants.” The Atlantic , Mar. 2015, pp. 78-94.  Academic Search Premier , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=100848076&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

“Blame Canada.” Madam Secretary , season 1, episode 5, CBS Television Studios, 19 Oct. 2014. Netflix , www.netflix.com/title/80024232 .

Desire for Beauty . Directed by Miguel Gaudêncio, KinoNation, 2013. Snag Films , www.snagfilms.com/films/title/desire_for_beauty .

Suffragette . Directed by Sarah Gavron, performance by Carey Mulligan, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2016.

@BenjaminHarvey. “At least 59,644: # of people detained, removed from their jobs or stripped of professional licenses so far #TurkeyCoup #TurkeyPurge.” Twitter , 19 July 2016, 8:08 a.m., twitter.com/BenjaminHarvey/status/755418986096058369.

Hume, Tim, et al. “Pope on Priest Killing: World is at War, but It’s Not a Religious One.”  CNN , 27 July 2016, 7:46 p.m., www.cnn.com/2016/07/27/europe/france-church-attack-aftermath.

Linjanco. Comment on “Theresa May Arrives in Berlin for Talks with Angela Merkel.” The Guardian , 20 July 2016, 7:29 p.m., discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/79490863.

Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible . Folger Shakespeare Library / Bodleian Libraries, U of Oxford / Harry Ransom Center, U of Texas, Austin, www.manifoldgreatness.org.

Roudman, Sam. “Can the Green Party Capitalize on Sanders’ Disillusioned Fans?” Vocativ , 26 July 2016, 5:30 p.m., www.vocativ.com/345196/can-the-green-party-capitalize-on-sanders-disillusioned-fans.

In-text citations should include the author’s last name and the page number(s) to which you refer. If you mention the author in the sentence, then you should only mention the page number in the parenthetical reference. If you cite more than one work by the same author, then include the title of the work in your notation. For example: (Dove, “Breathing” 193).

Trollope uses editing metaphors to represent “a range of complex matters relating to ethical judgment and ideas of selfhood in time” (Ratcliffe 59).

Ratcliffe argues that Trollope uses editing metaphors to represent “a range of complex matters relating to ethical judgment and ideas of selfhood in time” (59).

Following are links to sites that have additional information and further examples:

  • MLA Style Guide : Provides additional resources for citation from the Modern Language Association.
  • RefWorks : Once you have created an account, go to Tools/Preview Output Style to see examples of MLA style.
  • Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) : Excellent source for research, writing and citation tips.
  • Citing Electronic Primary Sources : From the Library of Congress. Provides MLA and Turabian examples of citing formats such as films, photographs, maps and recorded sound that are accessed electronically.

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th Edition): In-Text Citation

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  • When Creating Digital Assignments
  • When Information Is Missing
  • Works Quoted in Another Source
  • In-Text Citation
  • Works Cited List & Sample Paper
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Please Note : all links on this page will take you to Seneca College Libraries  LibGuide  pages. All content in this guide is courtesy of Seneca College Libraries.  This guide is used/adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries. For information please contact  [email protected] .

On This Page

  • About In-text Citation

Paraphrasing

Quoting directly, long quotations, signal phrases, repeated use of sources.

  • In-Text Citation for Two or More Authors/Editors

Unknown Author

  • In-Text Citation for More Than One Source

In-Text Citation For Two or More Authors/Editors

Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

In-Text Citation For More Than One Source

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.

(Smith 42; Bennett 71). 

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

 Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.

About In-Text Citation

In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the works cited list at the end of the paper.

  • In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
  • If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the works cited list, such as quotation marks. This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

  Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number:

Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).

No Page Numbers

When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only.

"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).

What Is a Long Quotation?

If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

  • The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
  • The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
  • There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
  • The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after , as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)

When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.

Paraphrasing from One Page

Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages

If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:

Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).

If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20). 

 Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

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citation in mla 8 format

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How to cite in MLA format

MLA handbook 9th edition

MLA is one of the most common citation styles used by students and academics. This quick guide explains how to cite sources according to the 9th edition (the most recent) of the MLA Handbook . You can also use Scribbr’s free  citation generator to automatically generate references and in-text citations.

An MLA citation has two components:

  • In-text citation : Every time you quote or paraphrase a source, you cite the author and the page number in parentheses.
  • Works Cited : At the end of your paper, you give a full reference for every source you cited, alphabetized by the author’s last name.

MLA Works Cited list

The list of Works Cited (also known as the bibliography or reference page) gives full details of every source you cited in your text. Each entry is built from nine core elements:

Following this format, you can create a citation for any type of source—for example, a book , journal article , website , or movie . You only include information that’s relevant to the type of source you’re citing.

Missing information in MLA citations

Regardless of the source type, the most important elements of any MLA citation are the author , the source title , and the publication date. If any of these are missing from the source, the Works Cited entry will look slightly different.

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MLA in-text citations

MLA in-text citations are brief references that direct your reader to the full source entry. You include them every time you quote , block quote , paraphrase or summarize a source.

The in-text citation must match the first word of the Works Cited entry—usually the author’s last name . It also includes a page number or range to help the reader locate the relevant passage.

If you already named the author in your sentence, include only the page number in parentheses:

Sources with no page numbers

If the source has no page numbers, you either use an alternative locator, or leave the page number out of the citation:

Tools and resources

Besides the MLA Citation Generator, Scribbr provides many more helpful tools and resources;

  • Citation generator : Generate flawless APA , MLA , and Harvard citations in seconds
  • Free plagiarism checker : Detect and correct plagiarism with the most accurate plagiarism checker for students
  • AI Proofreader : Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
  • Paraphrasing tool: Avoid accidental plagiarism and make your text sound better.
  • Grammar checker : Eliminate pesky spelling and grammar mistakes.
  • Summarizer: Read more in less time. Distill lengthy and complex texts down to their key points.
  • AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
  • Proofreading services : Hire a professional editor to improve your writing
  • Citation checker : Check your work for citation errors and missing citations.
  • Guides and videos : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.

University Libraries

Citation formats: mla 8 and 9.

  • Citation Basics
  • Chicago/Turabian
  • MLA 8 and 9

The New MLA

The MLA Handbook,  8th edition, has abandoned the "print" v. "web" designations, and now uses a universal set of guidelines for all sources focusing on "containers" of information. The 9th edition of the handbook continues the same format and provides additional examples.

  • A useful practice template for creating source citations is linked in the Help Resources in the right column below.
  • For experienced users of MLA, check out the link to "What's New in the Eighth Edition" for a summary of changes.

Journal Article examples

Journal article with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier):

Kincaid, Jamaica. "In History."  Callaloo,  vol. 24, no. 2, Spring 2001, pp. 620-26. Project Muse , doi:10.1353/cal.2001.0097.

Journal article from a database:

Capperdoni, Alessandra. "Why the Avant-Garde? The Function of the Letter in Canadian Avant-Garde Poetics."  Canadian Literature , no. 210/211, Autumn/Winter 2011, pp. 97-114.  Academic Search Complete , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=73785263&site=ehost-live

Journal article in print (more than 2 authors):

Cooper, Stewart E., et al. "Professional Preparation and Continuing Education for Beginning, Entry, Midlevel, and Senior Consulting Psychologists." Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research , vol. 59, no. 1, 2007, pp. 1-16.

Journal article reprinted in a book series:

Bergmann, Harrier F. "‘A Piercing Virtue': Emily Dickinson in Margaret Drabble's The Waterfall ." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by,  Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 129, Gale, 2000, pp. 124-29. Originally published in  Modern Fiction Studies , vol. 36, no. 2, Summer 1990, pp. 181-93.

Journal article from an online repository or other open access site:

Shehan, Constance L., and Amanda B. Moras. “Deconstructing Laundry: Gendered Technologies and the Reluctant Redesign of Household Labor.” Michigan Family Review , vol. 11, no. 1, 2006, pp. 39-54. hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.4919087.0011.104.

Articles from Magazines, Newspapers, Encyclopedias, and the Web

Print magazine article:

Kates, Robert W. “Population and Consumption: What We Know, What We Need to Know.” Environment , Apr. 2000, pp. 10-19.

Online magazine article:

Deresiewicz, William. “The Death of the Artist—and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur.” The Atlantic , 28 Dec.2014,  www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/01/the-death-of-the-artist-and-the-birth-of-the-creative-entrepreneur/383497/.

Print newspaper article:

Ruhe, Pierre. "Pouring it On: Heat Churns in a Vicious Cycle." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , main edition, 8 Aug. 2008, p. A1.

Online newspaper article (no author):

“The Scientists Speak.” New York Times , 20 Nov. 2007, nyti.ms/25n2Pf9.

Newspaper article from a library database:

Jeromack, Paul. “This Once, A David of the Art World Does Goliath a Favor.” New York Times,  late edition, 13 July 2002, p. B7. LexisNexis Academic , www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=468H-Y5C0-01CN-H2CR&csi=270944,270077,11059,8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true.

Article in multi-volume encyclopedia:

Schroth, Gwen. "Scheduling." Encyclopedia of Education , edited by James W. Guthrie, 2nd ed., vol. 6, Macmillan Reference USA, 2003, pp. 2095-99.

Blog post or web article:

Hollmichel, Stefanie. "The Reading Brain: Differences between Digital and Print."  So Many Books , 25 Apr. 2013, somanybooksblog.com/2013/04/25/the-reading-brain-differences-between-digital-and-print/.

Book and Anthology examples

Books in print:

Wieder, Alan. Teacher and Comrade: Richard Dudley and the Fight for Democracy in South Africa . State U of New York P, 2008.

Eggins, Suzanne, and Diana Slade.  Analyzing Casual Conversation . Cassell, 1997.

Quirk, Randolph, et al.  A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language . Longman,1985.

Ebook from a library database:

Coutinho, Steve. An Introduction to Daoist Philosophies . Columbia UP, 2014. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=658170&site=ehost-live.

Book chapter in an edited volume:

Bordo, Susan. “The Moral Content of Nabokov’s Lolita .” Aesthetic Subjects , edited by Pamela R. Matthews and David McWhirter, U of Minnesota P, 2003, pp. 125-52.

Stand-alone work (e.g., a play) in an anthology:

Euripides. The Trojan Women .  Ten Plays , translated by Paul Roche, New American Library, 1998, pp. 457-512.

Dissertations And Theses

Dissertation from ProQuest database:

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation. ProQuest, search.proquest.com/docview/305212264?accountid=13965.

Print master's thesis:

Remedios, Richard E. Defining My Process: My Journey Through the MFA Acting Program at the University of South Carolina . 2007. U of South Carolina, Master's thesis.

Social Media and Non-Textual Sources

@USC. "GO GAMECOCKS." Twitter , 13 Mar. 2022, 7:52 p.m., twitter.com/USC/status/1503157124217675780.

YouTube video:

"This is How Social Media is Destroying Your Life - The Fake Reality." YouTube , uploaded by MotivationGrid, 16 Jul. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Tq2gvGt80.

Online image with URL and access date:

Van Gogh, Vincent. The Potato Eaters . 1885. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Van Gogh Museum , artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-potato-eaters-vincent-van-gogh/7gFcKarE9QeaXw. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.

Streaming film:

The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till , directed by Keith Beauchamp, Shout Factory, 2005, Kanopy . sc.kanopy.com/video/untold-story-emmett-louis-till. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.

MLA Handbook

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Help resources

  • MLA Practice Template
  • Using MLA Format Comprehensive help from the MLA Style Center, including quick guides to works cited and in-text citations, help formatting your research paper, and "Ask the MLA" questions and answers about unusual situations.

Printable style sheet

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Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

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😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

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Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

  • Plagiarism and grammar
  • Citation guides

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The complete guide to mla & citations, what you’ll find in this guide.

This page provides an in-depth overview of MLA format. It includes information related to MLA citations, plagiarism, proper formatting for in-text and regular citations, and examples of citations for many different types of sources.

Looking for APA? Check out the Citation Machine’s guide on APA format . We also have resources for Chicago citation style as well.

How to be a responsible researcher or scholar

Putting together a research project involves searching for information, disseminating and analyzing information, collecting information, and repurposing information. Being a responsible researcher requires keeping track of the sources that were used to help develop your research project, sharing the information you borrowed in an ethical way, and giving credit to the authors of the sources you used. Doing all of these things prevents plagiarism.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the act of using others’ information without giving credit or acknowledging them. There are many examples of plagiarism. Completely copying another individual’s work without providing credit to the original author is a very blatant example of plagiarism. Plagiarism also occurs when another individual’s idea or concept is passed off as your own. Changing or modifying quotes, text, or any work of another individual is also plagiarism. Believe it or not, you can even plagiarize yourself! Reusing a project or paper from another class or time and saying that it’s new is plagiarism. One way to prevent plagiarism is to add citations in your project where appropriate.

What is a Citation?

A citation shows the reader of your project where you found your information. Citations are included in the body of a project when you add a quote to your project. Citations are also included in the body when you’re paraphrasing another individual’s information. These citations in the body of a research paper are called in-text citations. They are found directly next to the information that was borrowed and are very brief to avoid causing distraction while reading a project. These brief citations include the last name of the author and a page number. Scroll down for an in-depth explanation and examples of MLA in-text citations.

In-text citations provide us with a brief idea as to where you found your information, though they usually don't include the title and other components. Look on the last page of a research project to find complete citations.

Complete citations are found on what MLA calls a works-cited list, which is sometimes called an MLA bibliography. All sources that were used to develop a research project are found on the works-cited list. Complete citations are also created for any quotes or paraphrased information used in the text. Complete citations include the author’s name, the title, publisher, year published, page numbers, URLs, and a few other pieces of information.

Looking to create your citations in just a few clicks? Need an MLA format website or book citation? Visit Citation Machine.net! Our Citation Machine MLA generator, which is an MLA citation website, will create all of your citations in just a few clicks. Click here to see more styles .

Why Does it Matter?

Citing your sources is an extremely important component of your research project. It shows that you’re a responsible researcher and that you located appropriate and reputable sources that support your thesis or claim. In addition, if your work ends up being posted online or in print, there is a chance that others will use your research project in their own work!

Scroll down to find directions on how to create citations.

How the Modern Language Association Helps You Become a Responsible Researcher

What is mla format.

The Modern Language Association is an organization that was created to develop guidelines on everything language and literature related. They have guidelines on proper grammar usage and research paper layouts. In addition, they have English and foreign language committees, numerous books and journal publications, and an annual conference. They are not connected with this guide, but the information here reflects the association’s rules for formatting papers and citations.

What are citations?

The Modern Language Association is responsible for creating standards and guidelines on how to properly cite sources to prevent plagiarism. Their style is most often used when writing papers and citing sources in the liberal arts and humanities fields. “Liberal arts” is a broad term used to describe a range of subjects including the humanities, formal sciences such as mathematics and statistics, natural sciences such as biology and astronomy, and social sciences such as geography, economics, history, and others. The humanities focuses specifically on subjects related to languages, art, philosophy, religion, music, theater, literature, and ethics.

Believe it or not, there are thousands of other types of citation styles. While this citation style is most often used for the liberal arts and humanities fields, many other subjects, professors, and schools prefer citations and papers to be styled in MLA format.

What’s the difference between a bibliography and a works-cited list?

Great question. The two terms cause a lot of confusion and are consistently misused not only by students but educators as well! Let’s start with what the two words mean.

A bibliography displays the sources the writer used to gain background knowledge on the topic and also research it in-depth. Before starting a research project, you might read up on the topic in websites, books, and other sources. You might even dive a bit deeper to find more information elsewhere. All of these sources you used to help you learn about the topic would go in an MLA format bibliography. You might even include other sources that relate to the topic.

A works-cited list displays all of the sources that were mentioned in the writing of the actual paper or project. If a quote was taken from a source and placed into a research paper, then the full citation goes on the works-cited list.

Both the works-cited list and bibliography go at the end of a paper. Most teachers do not expect students to hand in both a bibliography AND a works-cited list. Teachers generally expect to see a works-cited list, but sometimes erroneously call it a bibliography. If you’re not sure what your teacher expects, a page in MLA bibliography format, a works-cited list, or both, ask for guidance.

Why do we use this MLA style?

These specific guidelines and standards for creating citations were developed for numerous reasons. When scholars and researchers in literature, language, and numerous other fields all cite their sources in the same manner, it makes it easier for readers to look at a citation and understand the different components of a source. By looking at an MLA citation, we can see who the author is, the title of the source, when it was published, and other identifiable pieces of information.

Imagine how difficult it would be to understand the various components of a source if we didn’t all follow the same guidelines! Not only would it make it difficult to understand the source that was used, but it would also make it difficult for readers to locate it themselves. This streamlined process aides us in understanding a researcher’s sources.

How is the new version different than previous versions?

This citation style has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition.

The new version expands upon standards previously set in the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook, including the core elements. The structure of citations remains the same, but some formatting guidance and terminology have changed.

  • DOI numbers are now formatted as https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx
  • Seasons in publishing daters are lowercased: spring 2020
  • The term “optional elements” is now “supplemental elements”
  • “Narrative in-text citations” are called “citations in prose”

In addition, new information was added on the following:

  • Hundreds of works-cited-list entries
  • MLA formatting for papers
  • Punctuation, spelling, and other mechanics of prose
  • Chapter on inclusive language
  • Notes (bibliographic and content)

For more information on MLA 9, click here .

A Deeper Look at Citations

What do they look like.

There are two types of citations. The first is a full, or complete, citation. These are found at the end of research projects. These citations are usually listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last names and include all of the information necessary for readers to be able to locate the source themselves.

Full citations are generally placed in this MLA citation format:

%%Last name of the author, First name of the author. “Source’s Title.” Container’s Title, roles and names of any other individuals who helped contribute to the source, the version of the source, any numbers associated with the source, the name of the publisher, the date the source was published, the location where individuals can find the source themselves (usually a DOI, URL, or page range).

There are times when additional information is added into the full citation.

Not sure how to transfer the information from your source into your citation? Confused about the term, “containers”? See below for information and complete explanations of each citation component.

The second type of citation, called an “in-text citation,” is included in the main part, or body, of a project when a researcher uses a quote or paraphrases information from another source. See the next section to find out how to create in-text citations.

What are in-text citations?

As stated above, in-text citations are included in the main part of a project when using a quote or paraphrasing a piece of information from another source. We include these types of citations in the body of a project for readers to quickly gain an idea as to where we found the information.

These in-text citations are found directly next to the quote or paraphrased information. They contain a small tidbit of the information found in the regular MLA citation. The regular, or complete, citation is located at the end of a project, on the works-cited list.

Here’s what a typical in-text citation looks like:

In the book The Joy Luck Club, the mother uses a vast amount of Chinese wisdom to explain the world and people’s temperaments. She states, “Each person is made of five elements…. Too much fire and you have a bad temper...too little wood and you bent too quickly...too much water and you flowed in too many directions” (Tan 31).

This specific in text citation, (Tan 31), is called an MLA parenthetical citation because the author’s name is in parentheses. It’s included so the reader sees that we are quoting something from page 31 in Tan’s book. The complete, regular citation isn’t included in the main part of the project because it would be too distracting for the reader. We want the reader to focus on our work and research, not get caught up on our sources.

Here’s another way to cite in the text:

In Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, the mother uses a vast amount of Chinese wisdom to explain the world and people’s temperaments. She states, “Each person is made of five elements... Too much fire and you have a bad temper... too little wood and you bent too quickly... too much water and you flowed in too many directions" (31).

If the reader would like to see the source’s full information, and possibly locate the source themselves, they can refer to the last part of the project to find the regular citation.

The regular citation, at the end of the project looks like this:

%%Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Penguin, 1989, p. 31.

Notice that the first word in the full citation (Tan) matches the “Tan” used in the body of the project. It’s important to have the first word of the full citation match the term used in the text. Why? It allows readers to easily find the full citation on the works-cited list.

If your direct quote or paraphrase comes from a source that does not have page numbers, it is acceptable to place a line number (use line or lines), paragraph number (use the abbreviation par. or pars.), sections (sec. or secs.), or chapters (ch. or chs.). Only use these other terms if they are actually labeled on the source. If it specifically says on the source, “Section 1,” for example, then it is acceptable to use “sec. 1” in the in-text citation.

If there are no numbers to help readers locate the exact point in the source, only include the author’s last name.

To determine how to create in-text citations for more than one author, no authors, or corporate authors, refer to the “Authors” section below.

More about quotations and how to cite a quote:

  • Use quotes from outside sources to help illustrate and expand on your own points. The majority of your paper should be your own writing and ideas.
  • Include the quote exactly as you found it. It is okay to use only certain words or phrases from the quote, but keep the words (spelling and capitalization) and punctuation the same.
  • It is acceptable to break up a direct quote with your own writing.

Example from a movie:

Dorothy stated, "Toto," then looked up and took in her surroundings, "I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore" ( Wizard of Oz ).
  • The entire paper should be double-spaced, including quotes.
  • If the quote is longer than four lines, it is necessary to make a block quote. Block quotes show the reader that they are about to read a lengthy amount of text from another source.
  • Start the quote on the next line, half an inch from the left margin.
  • Do not use any indents at the beginning of the block quote.
  • Only use quotation marks if there are quotation marks present in the source.
  • If there is more than one paragraph in the block quote, indent the beginning of the paragraphs after the first one an additional half an inch from the left margin.
  • Add your in-text citation after the final period of the block quote. Do not add an additional period after the parenthetical citation.

While his parents sat there in surprise, Colton went onto say:

“Cause I could see you,” Colon said matter-of-factly. “I went up and out of my body and I was looking down and I could see the doctor working on my body. And I saw you and Mommy. You were in a little room by yourself, praying; and Mommy was in a different room, and she was praying and talking on the phone.” (Burpo xxi)

How to create a paraphrase:

As stated above, the majority of your paper should be your own writing and ideas. It’s acceptable to include quotes, but they shouldn’t crowd your paper. If you’re finding that you’re using too many quotes in your paper, consider adding paraphrases. When you reiterate a piece of information from an outside source in your own words, you create a paraphrase.

Here’s an example:

Readers discover in the very first sentence of Peter Pan that he doesn’t grow up (Barrie 1).

What paraphrases are:

  • Recycled information in the paper writer’s own words and writing style.
  • They’re still references! Include an in-text citation next to the paraphrased information.

What paraphrases are not:

  • A copy and pasted sentence with a few words substituted for synonyms.

Confused about whether footnotes and endnotes should be used?

Footnotes and endnotes are completely acceptable to use in this style. Use a footnote or endnote if:

  • Adding additional information will help the reader understand the content. This is called a content note .
  • You need to cite numerous sources in one small section of your writing. Instead of clogging up a small paragraph with in-text citations (which could cause confusion for the reader), include a footnote or endnote. This is called a bibliographic note .

Keep in mind that whether you choose to include in-text citations or footnotes/endnotes, you need to also include a full reference on the MLA format works-cited list.

Content note example:

Even Maurice Sendak’s work (the mastermind behind Where the Wild Things Are and numerous other popular children’s picture books) can be found on the banned books list. It seems as though nobody is granted immunity. 1

  • In the Night Kitchen ’s main character is nude on numerous pages. Problematic for most is not the nudity of the behind, but the frontal nudity.

Work Cited:

%%Sendak, Maurice. In The Night Kitchen. Harper Collins, 1996.

Bibliographic note example:

Dahl had a difficult childhood. Both his father and sister passed away when he was a toddler. He was then sent away by his mother to boarding school (de Castella). 1

  • Numerous books, such as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG, all feature characters with absent or difficult parents.

MLA Works Cited:

Include 4 full citations for: de Castella’s article, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG .

Don’t forget to create full, or regular citations, and place them at the end of your project.

If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!

Common Knowledge: What Is It and How Will It Affect My Writing?

Footnotes, endnotes, references, proper structuring. We know it’s a lot. Thankfully, you don’t have to include a reference for EVERY piece of information you add to your paper. You can forget about including a reference when you share a piece of common knowledge.

Common knowledge is information that most people know. For example, these are a few facts that are considered common knowledge:

  • The Statue of Liberty is located in New York City
  • Tokyo is the capital of Japan
  • Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare
  • English is the language most people speak in England
  • An elephant is an animal

We could go on and on. When you include common knowledge in your paper, omit a reference. One less thing to worry about, right?

Before you start adding tons of common knowledge occurrences to your paper to ease the burden of creating references, we need to stop you right there. Remember, the goal of a research paper is to develop new information or knowledge. You’re expected to seek out information from outside sources and analyze and distribute the information from those sources to form new ideas. Using only common knowledge facts in your writing involves absolutely zero research. It’s okay to include some common knowledge facts here and there, but do not make it the core of your paper.

If you’re unsure if the fact you’re including is common knowledge or not, it doesn’t hurt to include a reference. There is no such thing as being overly responsible when it comes to writing and citing.

Wikipedia - Yay or Nay?

If you’re wondering whether it’s okay to use Wikipedia in your project, the answer is, it depends.

If Wikipedia is your go-to source for quick information on a topic, you’re not alone. Chances are, it’s one of the first websites to appear on your results page. It’s used by tons of people, it’s easily accessible, and it contains millions of concise articles. So, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the problem?”

The issue with Wikipedia is that it’s a user-generated site, meaning information is constantly added and modified by registered users. Who these users are and their expertise is somewhat of a mystery. The truth is anyone can register on the site and make changes to articles.

Knowing this makes some cringe, especially educators and librarians, since the validity of the information is questionable. However, some people argue that because Wikipedia is a user-generated site, the community of registered users serve as “watchdogs,” ensuring that information is valid. In addition, references are included at the bottom of each article and serve as proof of credibility. Furthermore, Wikipedia lets readers know when there’s a problem with an article. Warnings such as “this article needs clarification,” or “this article needs references to prove its validity” are shared with the reader, thus promoting transparency.

If you choose to reference a Wikipedia article in your research project, and your teacher or professor says it’s okay, then you must reference it in your project. You would treat it just as you would with any other web source.

However, you may want to instead consider locating the original source of the information. This should be fairly easy to do thanks to the references at the bottom of each article.

Specific Components of a Citation

This section explains each individual component of the citation, with examples for each section for full citations and in-text citations.

Name of the author

The author’s name is usually the first item listed in the MLA citation. Author names start with the last name, then a comma is added, and then the author’s first name (and middle name if applicable) is at the end. A period closes this information.

Here are two examples of how an author’s name can be listed in a full citation:

Twain, Mark.

Poe, Edgar Allan.

For in-text:

(Author’s Last name page number) or Author’s Last name... (page).

Wondering how to format the author’s name when there are two authors working jointly on a source? When there are two authors that work together on a source, the author names are placed in the order in which they appear on the source. Place their names in this format:

Author 1’s Last Name, First name, and Author 2’s First Name Last Name.

Here are two examples of how to cite two authors:

Clifton, Mark, and Frank Riley.

Paxton, Roberta J., and Michael Jacob Fox.

(Author 1’s Last name and Author 2’s Last name page number) or Author 1’s Last name and Author 2’s Last name... (page).

There are many times when three or more authors work together on a source. This often happens with journal articles, edited books, and textbooks.

To cite a source with three or more authors, place the information in this format:

Author 1’s Last name, First name, et al.

As you can see, only include the first author’s name. The other authors are accounted for by using “et al.” In Latin, et al. is translated to “and others.” If using the Citation Machine citation generator, this abbreviation is automatically added for you.

Here’s an example of a citation for three or more authors:

%%Warner, Ralph, et al. How to Buy a House in California. Edited by Alayna Schroeder, 12th ed., Nolo, 2009.

(Author 1’s Last name et al. page number)

Is there no author listed on your source? If so, exclude the author’s information from the citation and begin the citation with the title of the source.

For in-text: Use the title of the source in parentheses. Place the title in italics if the source stands alone. Books and films stand alone. If it’s part of a larger whole, such as a chapter in an edited book or an article on a website, place the title in quotation marks without italics.

( Back to the Future )

(“Citing And Writing”)

Other in-text structures:

Authors with the same last name in your paper? MLA essay format requires the use of first initials in-text in this scenario.

Ex: (J. Silver 45)

Are you citing more than one source by the same author? For example, two books by Ernest Hemingway? Include the title in-text.

Example: (Hemingway, For Whom The Bell Tolls 12).

Are you citing a film or song? Include a timestamp in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. ( Back to the Future 00:23:86)

Was the source found on social media, such as a tweet, Reddit, or Instagram post? If this is the case, in an MLA format paper, you are allowed to start the citation with the author’s handle, username, or screen name.

Here is an example of how to cite a tweet:

%%@CarlaHayden. “I’m so honored to talk about digital access at @UMBCHumanities. We want to share the @libraryofcongress collection.” Twitter , 13 Apr. 2017, 6:04 p.m., twitter.com/LibnOfCongress/status/852643691802091521.

While most citations begin with the name of the author, they do not necessarily have to. Quite often, sources are compiled by editors. Or, your source may be done by a performer or composer. If your project focuses on someone other than the author, it is acceptable to place that person’s name first in the citation. If you’re using the MLA works cited generator at Citation Machine.net, you can choose the individual’s role from a drop-down box.

For example, let’s say that in your research project, you focus on Leonardo DiCaprio’s performances as an actor. You’re quoting a line from the movie Titanic in your project, and you’re creating a complete citation for it in the works-cited list.

It is acceptable to show the reader that you’re focusing on Leonardo DiCaprio’s work by citing it like this in the MLA works-cited list:

%%DiCaprio, Leonardo, performer. Titanic . Directed by James Cameron. Paramount, 1997.

Notice that when citing an individual other than the author, place the individual’s role after their name. In this case, Leonardo DiCaprio is the performer.

This is often done with edited books, too. Place the editor’s name first (in reverse order), add a comma, and then add the word editor.

If you’re still confused about how to place the authors together in a citation, the tools at CitationMachine.net can help! Our website is easy to use and will create your citations in just a few clicks!

Titles and containers

The titles are written as they are found on the source and in title form, meaning the important words start with a capital.

Here’s an example of a properly written title:

Practical Digital Libraries: Books, Bytes, and Bucks.

Wondering whether to place your title in italics or quotation marks? It depends on whether the source sits by itself or not. If the source stands alone, meaning that it is an independent source, place the title in italics. If the title is part of a larger whole, place the title of the source in quotation marks and the source it is from in italics.

When citing full books, movies, websites, or albums in their entirety, these titles are written in italics.

However, when citing part of a source, such as an article on a website, a chapter in a book, a song on an album, or an article in a scholarly journal, the part is written with quotation marks and then the titles of the sources that they are found in are written in italics.

Here are some examples to help you understand how to format titles and their containers.

To cite Pink Floyd’s entire album, The Wall , cite it as:

%%Pink Floyd. The Wall. Columbia, 1979.

To cite one of the songs on Pink Floyd’s album in MLA formatting, cite it as:

%%Pink Floyd. “Another Brick in the Wall (Part I).” The Wall, Columbia, 1979, track 3.

To cite a fairy tale book in its entirety, cite it as:

%%Colfer, Chris. The Land of Stories. Little Brown, 2016.

To cite a specific story or chapter in the book, cite it as:

%%Colfer, Chris. “Little Red Riding Hood.” The Land of Stories, Little Brown, 2016, pp. 58-65.

More about containers

From the section above, you can see that titles can stand alone, or they can sit in a container. Many times, sources can sit in more than one container. Wondering how? When citing an article in a scholarly journal, the first container is the journal. The second container? It’s the database that the scholarly journal is found in. It is important to account for all containers, so readers are able to locate the exact source themselves.

When citing a television episode, the first container is the name of the show and the second container is the name of the service that it could be streaming on, such as Netflix .

If your source sits in more than one container, the information about the second container is found at the end of the citation.

Use the following format to cite your source with multiple containers :

%%Last name of the author, First name of the author. “Source’s Title.” Container’s Title, roles and names of any other individuals who helped contribute to the source, the version of the source, any numbers associated with the source, the name of the publisher, the date the source was published, the location where individuals can find the source themselves (usually a URL or page range). Title of Second Container, roles and names of any other contributors, the version of the second container, any numbers associated with the second container, the name of the second container’s publisher, the date the second container was published, location.

If the source has more than two containers, add on another full section at the end for each container.

Not all of the fields in the citation format above need to be included in your citation. In fact, many of these fields will most likely be omitted from your citations. Only include the elements that will help your readers locate the source themselves.

Here is an example of a citation for a scholarly journal article found in a database. This source has two containers: the journal itself is one container, and the site it sits on is the other.

%%Zanetti, Francois. “Curing with Machine: Medical Electricity in Eighteenth-Century Paris.” Technology and Culture, vol. 54, no. 3, July 2013, pp. 503-530. Project Muse, muse.jhu.edu/article/520280.

If you’re still confused about containers, the Citation Machine MLA cite generator can help! MLA citing is easier when using the tools at CitationMachine.net.

Other contributors

Many sources have people besides the author who contribute to the source. If your research project focuses on an additional individual besides the author, or you feel as though including other contributors will help the reader locate the source themselves, include their names in the citation.

To include another individual in the citation, after the title, place the role of the individual, the word “by,” and then their name in standard order.

If the name of the contributor comes after a period, capitalize the first letter in the role of the individual. If it comes after a comma, the first letter in the role of the individual is lowercased.

Here’s an example of a citation for a children’s book with the name of the illustrator included:

%%Rubin, Adam. Dragons Love Tacos. Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, Penguin, 2012.

The names of editors, directors, performers, translators, illustrators, and narrators can often be found in this part of the citation.

If the source that you’re citing states that it is a specific version or edition, this information is placed in the “versions” section of the citation.

When including a numbered edition, do not type out the number, use the numeral. Also, abbreviate the word “edition” to “ed.”

Here is an example of a citation with a specific edition:

%%Koger, Gregory. “Filibustering and Parties in the Modern State.” Congress Reconsidered, edited by Lawrence C. Dodd and Bruce I. Oppenheimer, 10th ed., CQ Press, 2013, pp. 221-236. Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=b7gkLlSEeqwC&lpg=PP1&dq=10th%20edition&pg=PR6#v=onepage&q=10th%20edition&f=false.

Many sources have numbers associated with them. If you see a number different than the date, page numbers, or editions, include this information in the “numbers” section of the citation. For MLA citing, this includes volume and/or issue numbers (use the abbreviations vol. and no.), episode numbers, track numbers, or any other numbers that will help readers identify the specific source that you used. Do not include ISBN (International Standard Book Numbers) in the citation.

It is important to include the name of the publisher (the organization that created or published the source), so that readers can locate the exact source themselves.

Include publishers for all sources except periodicals. Also, for websites, exclude this information when the name of the publisher matches the name of the website. Furthermore, the name of the publisher is often excluded from the citation for second containers, since the publisher of the second container is not necessarily responsible for the creation or production of the source’s content.

Publication dates

Publication dates are extremely important to include in citations. They allow the reader to understand when sources were published. They are also used when readers are attempting to locate the source themselves.

Dates can be written in MLA in one of two ways. Researchers can write dates as:

Day Mo. Year

Mo. Day, Year

Whichever format you decide to use, use the same format for all of your citations. If using the Citation Machine citation generator, the date will be formatted in the same way for each citation.

While it isn’t necessary to include the full date for all source citations, use the amount of information that makes the most sense to help your readers understand and locate the source themselves.

Wondering what to do when your source has more than one date? Use the date that is most applicable to your research.

The location generally refers to the place where the readers can find the source. This includes page ranges, URLs, DOI numbers, track numbers, disc numbers, or even cities and towns.

You can usually leave out http:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them. For DOIs, use http:// or https:// before the DOI: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx .

For page numbers, when citing a source found on only one page, use p.

Example: p. 6.

When citing a source that has a page range, use pp. and then add the page numbers.

Example: pp. 24-38.

Since the location is the final piece of the citation, place a period at the end. When it comes to URLs, many students wonder if the links in citations should be live or not. If the paper is being shared electronically with a teacher and other readers, it may be helpful to include live links. If you’re not sure whether to include live links or not, ask your teacher or professor for guidance.

Looking for an online tool to do the work for you? Citation Machine citing tools could help! Our site is simple (and fun!) to use.

Need some more help? There is further good information here .

Common Citation Examples

ALL sources use this format:

%%Last name of the author, First name of the author. “Source’s Title.” Container’s Title, roles and names of any other individuals who helped contribute to the source, the version of the source, any numbers associated with the source, the name of the publisher, the date the source was published, the location where individuals can find the source themselves (usually a URL or page range). *Title of Second Container, roles and names of any other contributors, the version of the second container, any numbers associated with the second container, the name of the second container’s publisher, the date the second container was published, location.

*If the source does not have a second container, omit this last part of the citation.

Remember, the Citation Machine MLA formatter can help you save time and energy when creating your citations. Check out our MLA Citation Machine pages to learn more.

  • Journal Articles

How to Format a Paper

When it comes to formatting your paper or essay for academic purposes, there are specific MLA paper format guidelines to follow.

  • Use paper that is 8½-by-11 inch in size. This is the standard size for copier and printer paper.
  • Use high quality paper.
  • Your research paper or essay should have a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the paper.
  • While most word processors automatically format your paper to have one-inch margins, you can check or modify the margins of your paper by going to the “Page setup” section of your word processor.

Which font is acceptable to use?

  • Use an easily readable font, specifically one that allows readers to see the difference between regular and italicized letters.
  • Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica are recommended options.
  • Use 12-point size font.

Should I double-space the paper, including citations?

  • Double-space the entire paper.
  • There should be a double space between each piece of information in the heading.
  • Place a double space between the heading and the title.
  • Place a double space between the title and the beginning of the essay.
  • The works-cited list should be double-spaced as well. All citations are double-spaced.

Justification & Punctuation

  • Text should be left-justified, meaning that the text is aligned, or flush, against the left margin.
  • Indents signal to the reader that a new concept or idea is about to begin.
  • Use the “tab” button on your keyboard to create an indent.
  • Add one space after all punctuation marks.

Heading & Title

  • Include a proper heading and title
  • The heading should include the following, on separate lines, starting one inch from the top and left margins:
  • Your full name
  • Your teacher or professor’s name
  • The course number
  • Dates in the heading and the body of your essay should be consistent. Use the same format, either Day Month Year or Month Day, Year throughout the entire paper
  • Examples: 27 July 2017 or July 27, 2017
  • The title should be underneath the heading, centered in the middle of the page, without bold, underlined, italicized, or all capital letters.

Page numbers

  • Number all pages, including the very first page and the works-cited list.
  • Place page numbers in the top right corner, half an inch from the top margin and one inch from the right margin.
  • Include your last name to the left of the page number. Example: Jacobson 4

Here’s an example to provide you with a visual:

The image shows an example of the first page of an MLA paper that is formatted using guidelines described above under the heading How to Format a Paper.

If you need help with sentence structure or grammar, check out our paper checker. The paper checker will help to check every noun , verb , and adjective . If there are words that are misspelled or out of place, the paper checker will suggest edits and provide recommendations.

  • If a citation flows onto the second line, indent it in half an inch from the left margin (called a “hanging indent”).
  • For more information on the works-cited list, refer to “How to Make a Works Cited Page,” which is found below.

How to Create a Title Page

According to the Modern Language Association’s official guidelines for formatting a research paper, it is unnecessary to create or include an individual title page, or MLA cover page, at the beginning of a research project. Instead, follow the directions above, under “Heading & Title,” to create a proper heading. This heading is featured at the top of the first page of the research paper or research assignment.

If your instructor or professor does in fact require or ask for an MLA title page, follow the directions that you are given. They should provide you with the information needed to create a separate, individual title page. If they do not provide you with instructions, and you are left to create it at your own discretion, use the header information above to help you develop your research paper title page. You may want to include other information, such as the name of your school or university.

How to Make a Works Cited Page

The MLA Works Cited page is generally found at the end of a research paper or project. It contains a list of all the citations of sources used for the research project. Follow these directions to format the works-cited list to match the Modern Language Association’s guidelines.

  • The “Works Cited” page has its own page at the end of a research project.
  • Include the same running head as the rest of the project (Your last name and then the page number). The “Works Cited” page has the final page number for the project.
  • Name the page “Works Cited,” unless your list only includes one citation. In that case, title it in MLA “Work Cited.”
  • The title of the page (either “Works Cited” or “Work Cited”) is placed one inch from the top of the page, centered in the middle of the document.
  • Double space the entire document, even between the title of the page and the first citation.
  • Citations are listed in alphabetical order by the first word in the citation (usually the last name of the author or the first word in the title if the citation does not include the author’s name. Ignore “A,” “An,” and “The” if the title begins with these words.)
  • If there are multiple citations by the same author, place them in chronological order by the date published.
  • Also, instead of writing the author’s name twice in both citations, use three hyphens.

%%Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 2009.

%%---. Gather Together in My Name. Random House, 1974.

  • All citations begin flush against the left margin. If the citation is long and rolls onto a second or third line, indent the lines below the first line half an inch from the left margin. This is called a “hanging indent.” The purpose of a hanging indent is to make the citations easier to read. If you’re using our MLA citation machine, we’ll format each of your references with a hanging indent for you.

%%Wai-Chung, Ho. “Political Influences on Curriculum Content and Musical Meaning: Hong Kong Secondary Music Education, 1949-1997.” Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, vol. 22, no. 1, 1 Oct. 2000, pp. 5-25. Periodicals Index Online, search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/pio/docview/1297849364/citation/6B70D633F50C4EA0PQ/78?accountid=35635.

  • MLA “Works Cited” pages can be longer than one page. Use as many pages as necessary. If you have only one source to cite, do not place the one citation below the text of your paper. In MLA, a “Work Cited” page is still created for that individual citation.

Here’s a sample paper to give you an idea of what an MLA paper could look like. Included at the end is an MLA “Works Cited” page example.

The image shows the first page of an example MLA paper that is formatted using guidelines described under the heading How to Format a Paper.

Looking to add a relevant image, figure, table, or musical score to your paper? Here’s the easy way to do it, while following guidelines set forth by the Modern Language Association:

  • Place the image, figure, table, or music close to where it’s mentioned in the text.
  • Provide source information and any additional notes directly below the image, figure, table, or music.

For tables:

  • Label the table as “Table” followed by an arabic numeral such as “1.” Table 1 is the table closest to the beginning of the paper. The next table mentioned in the text would be Table 2, and so on.
  • Create a title for the table and place it below the label. Capitalize all important words.
  • The label (Table 1) and the title should be flush against the left margin.
  • Double-space everything.

Example of formatting a table in MLA format.

  • A figure can be a map, photograph, painting, pie chart, or any other type of image.
  • Create a label and place it below the figure. The figure first mentioned in the text of the project is either “Figure 1” or “Fig 1.” Though figures are usually abbreviated to “Fig.” Choose one style and use it consistently. The next mentioned figure is “Figure 2” or “Fig. 2.”, and so on.
  • Place a caption next to the label. If all of the source information is included in the caption, there isn’t a need to replicate that information in the works-cited list.

Example of formatting a figure in MLA format.

MLA Final Checklist

Think you’re through? We know this guide covered a LOT of information, so before you hand in that assignment, here’s a checklist to help you determine if you have everything you need:

_ Are both in-text and full citations included in the project? Remember, for every piece of outside information included in the text, there should be a corresponding in-text citation next to it. Include the full citation at the end, on the “Works Cited” page.

_ Are all citations, both in-text and full, properly formatted in MLA style? If you’re unsure, try out our citation generator!

_ Is your paper double-spaced in its entirety with one inch margins?

_ Do you have a running header on each page? (Your last name followed by the page number)

_ Did you use a font that is easy to read?

_ Are all citations on the MLA format works-cited list in alphabetical order?

Our plagiarism checker scans for any accidental instances of plagiarism. It scans for grammar and spelling errors, too. If you have an adverb , preposition , or conjunction that needs a slight adjustment, we may be able to suggest an edit.

Common Ways Students Accidentally Plagiarize

We spoke a bit about plagiarism at the beginning of this guide. Since you’re a responsible researcher, we’re sure you didn’t purposely plagiarize any portions of your paper. Did you know students and scholars sometimes accidentally plagiarize? Unfortunately, it happens more often than you probably realize. Luckily, there are ways to prevent accidental plagiarism and even some online tools to help!

Here are some common ways students accidentally plagiarize in their research papers and assignments:

1. Poor Paraphrasing

In the “How to create a paraphrase” section towards the top of this page, we share that paraphrases are “recycled information, in the paper writer’s own words and writing style.” If you attempt to paraphrase a few lines of text and it ends up looking and sounding too close to the original author’s words, it’s a poor paraphrase and considered plagiarism.

2. Incorrect Citations

If you cite something incorrectly, even if it’s done accidentally, it’s plagiarism. Any incorrect information in a reference, such as the wrong author name or the incorrect title, results in plagiarism.

3. Forgetting to include quotation marks

When you include a quote in your paper, you must place quotation marks around it. Failing to do so results in plagiarism.

If you’re worried about accidental plagiarism, try our Citation Machine Plus essay tool. It scans for grammar, but it also checks for any instances of accidental plagiarism. It’s simple and user-friendly, making it a great choice for stress-free paper editing and publishing.

Updated June 15, 2021

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Wendy Ikemoto. Michele Kirschenbaum has been an awesome school librarian since 2006 and is an expert in citing sources. Wendy Ikemoto has a master’s degree in library and information science and has been working for Citation Machine since 2012.

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What Is a Citation?

In academic writing, you're asked to recognize those who've helped build your knowledge and ideas. This is done in the form of a citation and it tells your reader (usually your instructor) where you got your information.

It’s important to cite your sources every time you’re using ideas or information from someone else. This includes when you  summarize  information,  paraphrase  (put things into your own words), or use a  direct quote .

Paraphrasing  means you restate what an author said in your own words;  summarizing  is when you talk about the main concepts or points. A  direct quote  is when another person's exact words into your own writing.

Why You Must Cite Your Sources

Citing sources  adds credibility  to your argument. Citing is proof that you did research and that your conclusions are based on reliable information.

It helps you  avoid plagiarism  by giving credit to the people whose ideas and research you used to make your argument.

Citing  shares the sources you discovered  by presenting information about your sources in a standardized format that any scholar can use to track down the very same sources you consulted.

This resource offers advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your work.

Learn about when and how to cite, and how to avoid accidental plagiarism. From the UCLA Library.

TUJ's policy on plagiarism

MLA Handbook

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When to Cite

You will always cite your sources twice. The first time is in the body of the paper with a short note called an in-text citation . In MLA style, it's the author’s last name and the page number of where you found the information.  

Then you cite a second time at the end of your paper with a list of works cited . These citations have all the details your reader would need to get back to the original source like author name(s), article or book titles, dates, and a few other key elements. 

Citing Sources

MLA Citation Style

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Citing an Entire Book or Ebook (Print or Electronic)

Format: Author(s). Title of Book in Italics . Edition, Publisher, Year. Database Name in Italics  (if electronic), URL.

*Note: if using a print book, skip the database name.

Print Book:

Example: Smith, John. Social Media Basics . Revised ed., Smithfield Publisher, 2015.

Example: McEvoy, Sean. Shakespeare: The Basics . 2nd ed., Routledge, 2006. eBook Collection,  search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=170965&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s9007306.

*Note : You can usually omit the http:// unless needed to hyperlink.

*Note: For URLs longer than 3 lines, you can shorten the URL. Always retain the host (main website) of the URL.

Example:  Thomas, Angie.  The Hate U Give . Narrated by Bahni Turpin, audiobook ed., Audible, 2017. www.audible.com/pd/The-Hate-U-Give-Audiobook/B01NAGD7TV.

*Note: If you have multiple narrators for an audiobook, list the first narrators name, then et al. (Example: narrated by Clare Danes et al.).

*Note: For your in-text citation, instead of a page number, include a timestamp (Example: Thomas 02:14:12-02:15:12).

Translated Book:

Example:  Homer.  The Odyssey: Translated into English Blank Verse . Translated by William Cowper, First Avenue ed., 2014.

Illustrated Book:

Example: Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon . Illustrated by Clement Hurd, Revised Edition, Harper Collins Publishers, 2005.

Helpful Resources

  • How to Cite a Book in MLA Format This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a book in MLA format.
  • Online MLA Handbook Information on Citing a Book This links you to the section in the MLA Handbook on citing a book.
  • Where to Find Citation Information in a Book This guide will walk you through where to find citation information for a book source.
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  • Citing Social Media
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  • MLA - Getting Started (Basic Tutorial)
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Apa vs. mla understanding citation styles for academic writing.

In the world of academic writing, mastering the art of citation is not just a requirement; it’s a skill that underscores the credibility and integrity of your work. Whether you’re penning a research paper, thesis, or any scholarly article, knowing when and how to use APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) format is crucial. An essay writing service can help ensure that your work adheres to these essential standard

But why is proper citation so important? It not only gives credit where it’s due but also allows readers to trace the genesis of ideas, fostering a transparent and interconnected academic dialogue.

APA vs. MLA: A Comparative Overview

  • Origin and Application

APA and MLA stand as the two colossi in the field of academic citation, each with distinct origins and applications. APA, predominantly used in the social sciences, emphasizes the date of publication, reflecting the importance of recent research in these fields. MLA, on the other hand, is favored in the humanities, particularly for its more flexible approach to authorship and source integration.

  • General Formatting Guidelines

Before diving into specifics, understanding the general layout each style adheres to can illuminate the broader differences. APA champions a more structured format, with precise headings and subheadings, while MLA offers a bit more freedom, focusing on the fluid integration of sources into the text.

Understanding APA Format

  • In-text Citation

APA format requires the author’s last name and the year of publication within the text, catering to the style’s emphasis on the timeliness of research.

  • Reference List

The reference list is a staple of APA, offering a comprehensive overview of every source cited in the paper. This list not only includes books and journal articles but extends to audiovisual and electronic sources, reflecting the modern landscape of research.

Navigating MLA Format

MLA’s in-text citation style is more reader-friendly, often incorporating the author’s name into the narrative of the paper, which can enhance the flow of arguments.

  • Works Cited Page

Unlike APA’s reference list, MLA uses a works cited page, emphasizing the work over the publication date. This approach caters to the humanities’ focus on the evolution of ideas over time.

Key Differences Between APA and MLA

  • Citation in Text

The most noticeable difference lies in how each style approaches in-text citations. APA’s author-date format contrasts sharply with MLA’s author-page method, reflecting their differing emphases on timeliness and narrative flow, respectively.

  • Reference List vs. Works Cited

The terminology and structure of the final list of sources also differ, with APA focusing on a comprehensive reference list and MLA on a more selective works cited page.

When to Use APA and MLA

  • Subject Matter Consideration

Choosing between APA and MLA often comes down to the subject matter of your paper. Social sciences, education, and psychology lean towards APA, while literature, arts, and humanities prefer MLA.

  • Journal or Publisher Requirements

Always consider the requirements of the journal or publisher. Some are strict about citation styles, so knowing the expected format is essential.

Practical Tips for Effective Citation

  • Use Software

Modern citation and reference management software can automate much of the formatting process, allowing scholars to focus more on content than citation styles.

  • Stay Updated on Style Guidelines

Both APA and MLA periodically update their guidelines. Staying abreast of these changes ensures your citations remain current and accurate.

  • Keep a Detailed Research Log

As you gather sources, maintain a detailed log that includes all necessary citation information. This practice saves time and ensures accuracy when you’re ready to cite. Include notes on key points from each source to help integrate quotes and ideas seamlessly into your writing.

  • Understand the Purpose of Each Citation

Each citation style serves a different academic purpose. APA’s focus on dates highlights the timeliness of research, while MLA’s emphasis on page numbers facilitates reader engagement with primary sources. Recognizing this can help you choose the most effective way to incorporate and highlight your research.

  • Consistency is Key

Ensure that every citation follows the same format throughout your document. Inconsistencies can distract readers and undermine your work’s professionalism. Pay special attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.

  • Use Direct Quotes Sparingly

While direct quotes can strengthen your argument, relying too heavily on them can disrupt the flow of your paper. Summarize or paraphrase where appropriate, and use direct quotes to highlight particularly impactful or unique phrases. Remember to always cite the original source, even when paraphrasing.

  • Cross-Check Your Citations

Before submitting your work, double-check your citations against the latest version of the citation style guide. Small errors, such as misplaced commas or incorrect publication years, can compromise your paper’s credibility.

  • Cite as You Write

Instead of leaving citations as the last step, cite sources as you incorporate them into your paper. This approach prevents accidental plagiarism and ensures you don’t overlook any sources.

  • Seek Feedback

Have peers, mentors, or writing centers review your citations. Fresh eyes can catch mistakes you might have overlooked and provide suggestions for improvement.

The choice between APA and MLA formatting styles is not merely a matter of preference but a strategic decision that reflects the nature of your work, its audience, and the norms of your academic discipline. By understanding the key differences and applications of each style, you can navigate the complex landscape of academic writing with greater ease and precision.

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MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th  ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text.

Basic rules

  • 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.
  • Only the title should be centered. The citation entries themselves should be aligned with the left margin.
  • Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
  • Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
  • List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as pp. 225-50 (Note: MLA style dictates that you should omit the first sets of repeated digits. In our example, the digit in the hundreds place is repeated between 2 25 and 2 50, so you omit the 2 from 250 in the citation: pp. 225-50). If the excerpt spans multiple pages, use “pp.”   Note that MLA style uses a hyphen in a span of pages.
  • If only one page of a print source is used, mark it with the abbreviation “p.” before the page number (e.g., p. 157). If a span of pages is used, mark it with the abbreviation “pp.” before the page number (e.g., pp. 157-68).
  • If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved from an online database, you should type the online database name in italics. You do not need to provide subscription information in addition to the database name.
  • For online sources, you should include a location to show readers where you found the source. Many scholarly databases use a DOI (digital object identifier). Use a DOI in your citation if you can; otherwise use a URL. Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation and should be followed by a period.
  • All works cited entries end with a period.

Additional basic rules new to MLA 2021

New to MLA 2021:

  • Apps and databases should be cited only when they are containers of the particular works you are citing, such as when they are the platforms of publication of the works in their entirety, and not an intermediary that redirects your access to a source published somewhere else, such as another platform. For example, the Philosophy Books app should be cited as a container when you use one of its many works, since the app contains them in their entirety. However, a PDF article saved to the Dropbox app is published somewhere else, and so the app should not be cited as a container.
  • If it is important that your readers know an author’s/person’s pseudonym, stage-name, or various other names,  then you should generally cite the better-known form of author’s/person’s name. For example, since the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is better-known by his pseudonym, cite Lewis Carroll opposed to Charles Dodgson (real name).
  • For annotated bibliographies , annotations should be appended at the end of a source/entry with one-inch indentations from where the entry begins. Annotations may be written as concise phrases or complete sentences, generally not exceeding one paragraph in length.

Capitalization and punctuation

  • Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, There Is Nothing Left to Lose .
  • Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) and quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)

Listing author names

Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written with the last name first, then the first name, and then the middle name or middle initial when needed:

Do not  list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A book listing an author named "John Bigbrain, PhD" appears simply as "Bigbrain, John." Do, however, include suffixes like "Jr." or "II." Putting it all together, a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be cited as "King, Martin Luther, Jr." Here the suffix following the first or middle name and a comma.

More than one work by an author

If you have cited more than one work by a particular author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author's name for every entry after the first:

Burke, Kenneth. A Grammar of Motives . [...]

---. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...]

When an author or collection editor appears both as the sole author of a text and as the first author of a group, list solo-author entries first:

Heller, Steven, ed. The Education of an E-Designer .

Heller, Steven, and Karen Pomeroy. Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design.

Work with no known author

Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. In this case, Boring Postcards USA has no known author:

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulations.  [...]

Boring Postcards USA  [...]

Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...] 

Work by an author using a pseudonym or stage-name

New to MLA 9th edition, there are now steps to take for citing works by an author or authors using a pseudonym, stage-name, or different name. 

If the person you wish to cite is well-known, cite the better-known form of the name of the author. For example, since Lewis Carroll is  not only a pseudonym of Charles Dodgson , but also the better-known form of the author’s name, cite the former name opposed to the latter. 

If the real name of the author is less well-known than their pseudonym, cite the author’s pseudonym in square brackets following the citation of their real name: “Christie, Agatha [Mary Westmacott].”

Authors who published various works under many names may be cited under a single form of the author’s name. When the form of the name you wish to cite differs from that which appears on the author’s work, include the latter in square brackets following an italicized published as : “Irving, Washington [ published as Knickerbocker, Diedrich].”.

Another acceptable option, in cases where there are only two forms of the author’s name, is to cite both forms of the author’s names as separate entries along with cross-references in square brackets: “Eliot, George [ see also Evans, Mary Anne].”.

  • Plagiarism and grammar
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Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper

Consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

  • Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
  • Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
  • Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
  • Book: What have reviews said about it?
  • What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
  • Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
  • Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
  • Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
  • Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
  • Are there ads?
  • When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
  • Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
  • Does the source even have a date?
  • Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
  • If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?

What You Need to Know About MLA Formatting

Writing a paper soon? If your assignment requires the use of Modern Language Association (MLA) style, then you're in luck! EasyBib® has tools to help you create citations for over 50 source types in this style, as well as a guide to show you how an MLA paper should be formatted. Review the guide to learn how to format a paper's title page, paragraphs, margins, quotations, abbreviations, numbers, tables, and more! There are even tips on editing, as well as on the type of paper you choose to print your paper on—yes, it's that comprehensive!

A Handy Guide for Using APA Format

Ever wonder how to cite a book with no author in APA style? Do you know how graphics should be formatted in a paper? Thanks to our EasyBib® guide on citing and formatting in American Psychological Association (APA) style, you don't have to guess anymore! We break down the guidelines for you into separate, digestible chunks of information that range from the ways to present headers, to use of abbreviations, to how to format titles for citations. There are also several helpful citation examples for you to review. Read up and start learning today!

Chicago Style Simplified

Jump start your knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style (or Turabian style) with our structured EasyBib® guides. Each one will teach you the structure of a Chicago-style citation, followed by a real-life citation example for you to examine. Begin with our "“"Quick Guide" on citing common source types (books, magazines, newspapers, and websites). Then, discover why we have footnotes and how they work, or choose a "How to Cite" guide based on the source type you're using (e.g. photo, film, tweet, journal, blog, video on YouTube, conference paper, etc.). You're in charge of your own learning path!

Student & Teacher Blog for Better Papers

Keep your citing skills current and your writing skills fresh by reading our weekly EasyBib® Blog. You'll find articles about citing interesting source types (know how to cite a meme?), the latest updates to our tools and services, writing tips and tricks, and more! Aside from content that students (or any writer) could benefit from, we also feature posts written by educators, for educators! They discuss writing and information literacy pedagogy, present resource recommendation lists, and generally share their experience and knowledge.

Discover the EasyBib® Writing Center

Visit our writing center and explore our library of engaging guides, articles, videos, lesson plans, infographics, and other informative resources on citing, writing, and the research process. Best of all, it's free, and you can visit it anytime you need assistance. Need it now? Simply go to our homepage and input keywords based on your topic into the search bar. From there, any relevant guides will be listed with a brief description, allowing you to make an educated selection. Click on a result that fits your needs and begin reading! Easy peasy.

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  1. MLA: In-Text Citations 2/3

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  6. MLA Citation Works Cited and In-Text

COMMENTS

  1. MLA 8th Edition Changes

    Therefore, the eighth edition offers a new model for entries in a works cited list, so that rather than consulting the handbook for the proper way to document a specific type of source, the writer creates entries by consulting MLA's list of core elements and compiling them in the recommended order.

  2. Citation Machine®: MLA8 Format & MLA8 Citation Generator

    MLA8 Citation Generator. Citation Machine® helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Cite sources in APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and Harvard for free.

  3. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    MLA format 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 on your Works Cited page.

  4. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    MLA Formatting and Style Guide MLA Formatting and Style Guide MLA Formatting and Style Guide The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA 9 th edition, including how to format the Works Cited page and in-text citations. Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in MLA.

  5. A Complete Guide to MLA 8th Edition

    A Complete Guide to MLA 8th Edition | EasyBib Certain features require a modern browser to function. Please use a different browser, like Firefox, Chrome, or Safari Citation Generator APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator Harvard Referencing Generator Writing Resources Grammar Guides Plagiarism Guide Writing a Paper Videos & Infographics

  6. MLA Format

    The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time. Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document: Times New Roman 12 1″ page margins Double line spacing ½" indent for new paragraphs

  7. MLA 8: A Complete Guide to MLA 8 Updates

    In MLA 8, it is highly recommended to include a URL in the citation. Even if it becomes outdated, it is still possible to trace the information online from an older URL. Omit "https://" or "https://" from the URL when including it in a MLA 8th edition citation. 6. Omitting the publisher from some source types.

  8. In-text Citation

    Using In-text Citation. Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list. MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is ...

  9. MLA Style 8th edition

    Format Rules. Place the list of works cited at the end of the paper. Center the title, "Works Cited", one inch from the top of the page. Double space between the title and the first entry. Double space both within and between entries. Begin each entry flush with the left margin.

  10. MLA Guide (8th edition)

    Using MLA 8th Edition. While earlier editions of the MLA Handbook provided specific rules for each format type, the current edition asks the same questions for all formats, identifying core elements for each source. The MLA Practice Template, which is available online and in the print style manual, can help you organize the core elements. Author.

  11. A Complete Guide to MLA 8

    MLA 8 was designed to simplify the process, helping writers accurately and intuitively cite sources more easily, requiring that every source type follow the same format. This means that books, websites, periodicals, videos, photographs, and all other types of sources now use this same standard format.

  12. MLA Citation Examples

    What's an MLA citation? A Standard Formula 2 authors 3 or more authors Organization authors Using the EasyBib MLA Citation Generator MLA Citation Examples Print book Edited book Chapter in an edited book E-book from the Internet Website Online journal article Print journal article Online magazine Print magazine Online newspaper Print newspaper

  13. MLA8 Citation Samples

    MLA8 Citation Samples MLA 8 Citation Samples This handout explains core elements of MLA 8 citations and how to format a Works Cited page; and provides full citation examples of commonly cited sources. List of Core Elements

  14. MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

    Formatting the Header in MLA. To create a header for your first page, follow these steps: Begin one inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin. Type your name, your instructor's name, the course name and number, and the date on separate lines, using double spaces between each.

  15. MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th Edition): In-Text Citation

    In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the works cited list at the end of the paper. In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in ...

  16. Free MLA Citation Generator

    Autocite Search for your source by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, and more to retrieve the relevant information automatically. MLA 8th & 9th edition Scribbr's Citation Generator supports both MLA 8 and MLA 9 (as well as APA and Harvard ). No matter what edition you're using, we've got you covered! Export to Bib (La)TeX

  17. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    Start Here General Format Guidelines on writing an MLA style paper MLA Formatting and Style Guide Overview of how to create MLA in-text citations and reference lists In-Text Citations Resources on using in-text citations in MLA style The Basics General guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay Works Cited Page

  18. Citation Formats: MLA 8 and 9

    The MLA Handbook, 8th edition, has abandoned the "print" v. "web" designations, and now uses a universal set of guidelines for all sources focusing on "containers" of information. The 9th edition of the handbook continues the same format and provides additional examples. A useful practice template for creating source citations is linked in the Help Resources in the right column below.

  19. Free MLA Citation Generator [Updated for 2024]

    Updated for 2024 Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib! 😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator? An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format.

  20. Citation Machine®: MLA Format & MLA Citation Generator

    Check out the Citation Machine's guide on APA format. We also have resources for Chicago citation style as well. How to be a responsible researcher or scholar Putting together a research project involves searching for information, disseminating and analyzing information, collecting information, and repurposing information.

  21. Cite Sources

    MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and ...

  22. MLA In-Text Citations

    An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information. This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text citations, such ...

  23. MLA Works Cited Page: Books

    The basic form for a book citation is: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date. * Note: the City of Publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country, or if the publisher is unknown in North America. Book with One Author

  24. SCC Research Guides: MLA Guide: Citing a Book or Ebook

    This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a book in MLA format. This links you to the section in the MLA Handbook on citing a book. This guide will walk you through where to find citation information for a book source. This session isn't available. It may have been deleted.

  25. APA vs. MLA Understanding Citation Styles for Academic Writing

    Include notes on key points from each source to help integrate quotes and ideas seamlessly into your writing. Each citation style serves a different academic purpose. APA's focus on dates highlights the timeliness of research, while MLA's emphasis on page numbers facilitates reader engagement with primary sources.

  26. MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

    MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  27. EasyBib®: Free MLA8 Citation & Bibliography Generator

    EasyBib® has tools to help you create citations for over 50 source types in this style, as well as a guide to show you how an MLA paper should be formatted. Review the guide to learn how to format a paper's title page, paragraphs, margins, quotations, abbreviations, numbers, tables, and more! There are even tips on editing, as well as on the ...