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What’s New on MLA Handbook Plus ?

What is mla handbook plus .

MLA Handbook Plus is a new, subscription-based digital product providing online access to the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. To learn more about MLA Handbook… Read More

What’s New in the Ninth Edition of the MLA Handbook (Spring 2021)

Published in April 2021, the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook works as both a textbook and a reference guide. You can order a copy… Read More

MLA Guide to Digital Literacy , 2nd Edition: An Interview with the Author

by Ellen C. Carillo

Ellen C. Carillo talks to the MLA about the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy , second edition. Read More

Their , There , and They’re : Learn the Difference

by Laura Kiernan

Learn the difference between their , there , and they're . Read More

Teaching Resources

A Century of Queer Korean Fiction : An Interview with Samuel Perry

Toward Educational Justice: An Interview with the Editors of Teaching Literature and Writing in Prisons

Henrique Maximiano Coelho Neto’s Sphinx: A Neo-Gothic Novel from Brazil : An Interview with M. Elizabeth Ginway

A Reflection on Disability Studies: Enabling the Humanities on Its Twentieth Anniversary

Teaching Claire de Duras’s Ourika

Teaching Nineteenth-Century Activist Rhetorics Today: An Interview

How and Why to Teach Late-Twentieth-Century Mexicana and Chicana Writers: An Interview

Advice from the Editors

Attributive Nouns; or, Why There Is Sometimes No Apostrophe in Terms Such As Teachers Union

Terms for Key Concepts

Laying versus Lying

Getting to the Bottom of Principle and Principal

Does It Really Go without Saying? On Needless Phrases

Giving Thanks

Citation Generators and MLA Style

Ask the MLA

How do i cite one person’s testimony in a congressional hearing.

Your source for congressional testimony may be a transcript, audio recording, or video recording of all or part of a hearing. Style each source using… Read More

How do I cite a video game?

To cite a video game, follow the template of core elements, as you would for any other source. Below we provide in-depth explanations for each… Read More

In a quotation from a play, how do I show that material has been omitted?

The answer depends on the nature of the quotation. If you quote dialogue from more than one speaker in a play, set the material as… Read More

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Purdue Writing Lab/Purdue OWL

Since 1976, the Writing Lab has supported writers on the West Lafayette campus through a variety of services and community engagement initiatives using student-centered best practices. The Online Writing Lab (OWL) has been an extension of the Writing Lab since 1993, and offers global support through online reference materials and services. The Writing Lab and OWL, both part of the Department of English, are informed by and engage in research within the discipline of Composition and Rhetoric, including the subfields of writing center studies, writing program administration, second language studies, and professional writing.

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Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

Author/Editor (By:)

Contributor, corporate author, related organizations, citation type.

  • Academic Writing Templates and Checklists
  • Choosing and Developing an Essay Topic
  • Citing with Purdue OWL
  • Eliminating Wordiness
  • Lab Reports
  • Providing Writing Assistance
  • Quotation Integration
  • Revising and Proofreading
  • Scholarship Applications
  • Thesis Statements
  • University-Level Writing Expectations
  • Writing Motivation

Citing Correctly Using Purdue OWL

Access Purdue Online Writing Lab’s citation guides from their website ( https://owl.purdue.edu ):

  • Select the Online Writing Lab
  • From the menu on the left, select “Research and Citation”
  • This opens a drop-down menu with commonly used citation styles (APA 6 th  and 7 th  Editions, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, AMA, and ASA)

The three most common citation styles are MLA , APA , and Chicago. Select the style you’re using from the drop-down menu, then click the “Formatting and Style Guide” tab. All three include:

  • “General Format” tab, showing how to format a title page/header, and sections/headings where applicable. Note: APA has a separate headings tab. 
  • Books—author-specific issues, ex. a text has no known author or multiple authors, citing multiple texts by the same author, etc.
  • Periodicals— citing newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals 
  • Electronic/Web Sources—citing websites, e-books, emails, social media, etc. 
  • Sample Papers with notes on formatting, especially helpful for visual learners

MLA and APA use in-text citations and have separate tabs for these from the Works Cited tabs (MLA) and Reference List tabs (APA). Chicago uses endnotes or footnotes and includes these rules with the bibliographic entry rules in each source tab listed above. 

Where to find how to cite…

Speeches, Lectures, Presentations

  • MLA—Other Common Sources
  • APA—Other Non-Print Sources
  • Chicago—Miscellaneous Sources

Television, Movies, Music

  • APA—Audiovisual Media
  • Chicago—Audiovisual Recordings and Other Multimedia

Improve your writing and study skills! Book an appointment with a writing advisor and/or academic coach on OSCARplus.  Questions? Email  [email protected]

Purdue Online Writing Lab . Purdue University,  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html . 

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MLA Citation (7th edition)

  • Citing a book
  • Citing the Parts of a Books
  • Citing a journal or magazine article
  • Citing a newspaper article

In Text Citations

Basic website citation, article from a website, work from the web also published in print.

  • MLA Resources

Writing Center

Visit the Writing Center for help with brainstorming, organization, revising, citations, and other writing assistance! 

  • Every Monday: Saurwein 232
  • Tuesday-Sunday in Campus Center 313: The Owen Center

Regular Writing Center Hours:

  • Monday-Friday 12:00PM-7:00PM
  • Sundays 12:00PM-5:00PM

Book an appointment  with a Writing Center consultant. 

For an overview of the ways to cite electronic information in text in MLA style, see the Purdue OWL , which provides an overview of the basic in text citation formats.

To cite items found on the open Internet, provide as much of the following information as possible. For more specific information, please see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.) .

Author's last name, Author's first name.   "Title of the Work."   Title of  Overall Website.   Publisher of the website or N.p. if

          no  publisher is indicated, date of publication or n.d. if no date is indicated.   Medium of  publication.  Day Month

          Year page was accessed.

Valdes, Robert.   "How Autopsies Work."   How Stuff Works .   Discovery  Communications, n.d.  Web.  18 June 2009.

"Africa Top 10 Internet Countries."   Table.  Internet World Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group, March 2009.  Web.  18 June 2009.

Bell, Alexander Graham.   The Multiple Telegraph, Invented by A.  Graham Bell.   Boston: Rand, 1876.  Google Book

          Search.   Web.  18 June 2009.

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Citation Guide

  • What is a Citation?
  • Citation Generator

Overview: MLA Citation Syle

Mla book citation, mla academic journal and periodical (magazine & newspaper) citation, mla website citation, mla in-text citations.

  • Chicago/Turabian Style
  • Paraphrasing and Quoting
  • Examples of Plagiarism
  • What is a Bibliography?
  • Writing Center
  • Writer's Reference Center
  • Helpful Tutorials

Ninth Edition

The Modern Language Association (MLA) Manual of Style is commonly used in the Arts and Humanities. The Ninth Edition replaced the Eighth edition in 2021. The Ninth edition did not make many changes to the formatting requirements of bibliographic citations or in-text citations. 

  • MLA 9th Edition Formatting & Style Guide (Purdue OWL) MLA video by Purdue OWL
  • MLA Handbook Plus 9th Edition Book Contents: Formatting Your Research Project, Margins and Text Formatting, Running Head and Page Numbers, and more. more... less... Free web access.
  • MLA Style 101 Course Explore the MLA template of core elements with this introductory course. Each of the nine videos highlight one of the elements—like author, version, or publisher—and provides guidance on how to find publication information in various types of sources. more... less... Must be on Campus to access and view.

Explore MLA Handbook Plus from Modern Language Association on Vimeo .

Book Citation Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName.  Book Title.  Publisher, Year.

  • Note on Capitalization of the Title:  Most words of the title are capitalized, including all nouns, pronouns (e.g., Our and That), adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (e.g., Because and After). Do not capitalize articles (e.g., a, and, the), prepositions (e.g., of, in, and for), coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or) and the infinitive "to" (e.g., to Move). The first word of the title and subtitle (if present) are capitalized. 
  • Subtitle:  Use a colon (:) to separate the main title from the subtitle. For example:  Charles Dickens: The Definitive Collection. If the title contains a question mark or exclamation point, do not include a colon. For example: The Greatest Adventurer? Sir Ernest Shackleton's Doomed Voyage.
  • Note on the Publisher: In most cases, MLA8 does require the city of publication. Only include the city if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in multiple countries, or if the publisher is likely to be unknown to a North American Readership. See the McMillan example below (an unknown publisher in this case). Use this format when including the city of publication: City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
  • Hanging Indent: Every line after the first line should be indented, called a hanging indent. (Found under "paragraph" > "indent" in Word.)

McMillan, Montague.  A History of Limestone University: 1845-1970.  Columbia, SC, R. L. Bryan Company, 1970,

Turabian, Kate.  Student's Guide to Writing College Papers . The University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Example with a subtitle: 

  • The subtitle always follows a colon.

Levitin, Daniel.  A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age.  Dutton, 2016.

Example of a book in translation: 

Mathiez, Albert.  The French Revolution. Translated by Catherine Phillips, Grosset & Dunlap, 1964.

Example of a book in an edition other than the first: 

Jones, Doug.  A Handbook of Photography . 5th ed., Rogers, 2008.

I. Journal Article Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, Pages.

B. Electronic:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, Pages.  Database,  DOI/URL

  • Italicize the  Journal Title,  and  Database .
  • DOI: Always include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), when available. Not all articles have a DOI. Use this formula: https://doi.org/xxxxx
  • Include a permanent link (permalink) for an electronic article only if the article does not have a DOI.
  • Page Numbers: "pp."=pages and "p."=page. Include the full range of pages on your bibliography. Cite individual pages in-text.

Examples of Journal Articles from a database:

Bauer, Christine, and Christine Strauss. “Educating Artists in Management - An Analysis of Art Education Programmes in DACH Region.”  Cogent Education , vol. 2, no. 1, Cogent, Dec. 2015, https://doi:10.1080/2331186X.2015.1045217.

Cazé, Antoine. “Emily Dickinson and the Question of ‘Giving Death.’”  Textual Practice: Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Philosophical , vol. 33, no. 10, Routledge, Nov. 2019, pp. 1787–800, https://doi:10.1080/0950236X.2019.1665928.

Green, Lucy. “Popular Music Education in and for Itself, and for ‘other’ Music: Current Research in the Classroom.”  International Journal of Music Education , vol. 24, no. 2, SAGE Publications, 2016, pp. 101–18, https://doi:10.1177/0255761406065471.

II. Magazine Article Basic Format:

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Volume, Issue, Date, Pages.

AuthorLastName, FirstName. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Volume, Issue, Date, Pages.  Database,  DOI/URL

  • A published magazine article follows a similar format as an academic journal.
  • Include the month, year and day, when available (see below examples). Shorten months to three letters and use the day, month, year format.
  • If you are citing a magazine article that you read on the magazine's website, include the URL. Sometimes, online-only editions will not include a volume, issue number, or page numbers.
  • Access dates are not required for stable sources, but they may be optionally given for any online source. Access dates are required for sources that are likely to change.

Berry, Barnett. “Teaching, Learning, and Caring in the Post-COVID Era.”  Phi Delta Kappan , vol. 102, no. 1, Sept. 2020, pp. 14–17.  EBSCOhost , https://doi:10.1177/0031721720956840.

Har'el, Alma. "Why Women's History Should Be Everyone's History."  Time,  5 Mar. 2020. https://time.com/5795675/documenting-100-women-of-the-year/ 

Raine, Michael. “Demystifying Streaming Playlists.”  Canadian Musician , vol. 42, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 38–41.  EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,ip,cookie,uid&db=a9h&AN=141371924&scope=site.

III. Newspaper Article Basic Format:

In general, follow the same format as the magazine. Include the city of publication in [brackets] for local newspapers that do not otherwise include the city of publication in the title. Note: Online editions of newspapers may not include the original page numbers. If you are citing a newspaper article that you read on the newspaper's website, include the URL. Sometimes, online-only editions will not include a volume, issue number, or page numbers.

Shain, Andy. "Fire Ravages the Historic Babcock Building in the Bull Street District."  Post and Courier [Charleston, SC] , 16 Sep. 2020, p. A16.

Lustgarten, Abrahm. "How Climate Migration Will Reshape America: Millions Will Be Displaced. Where Will They Go?"  New York Times.15 Sep. 2020. 

For web-based materials that are potentially unstable in format, provide as much information as possible. Note that if you access a stable,  published source online, like a magazine or newspaper article, cite it according to the rules for periodicals above. A source like a blog or a Wikipedia article is not a stable source. It may either change overtime or be moved to a new location. In general, it is best to avoid citing sources that do not include an author and date information.

  • Include an accessed date that indicated when you used the source
  • Include the title and author information, as available
  • Include a date when possible Since many web sources are not formally published, you may need to include a copyright date located at the bottom of the website
  • Include a URL

Basic Format

AuthorLast, First. "Page/Article Title."  Website Title,  Date of Publication, URL, Date Accessed [Day Month Year].

Treilhard, John B. "Chaucer the Love Poet: A Study in Historical Criticism."  Medievalists.net , 1 Apr. 2017, https://www.medievalists.net/2015/01/chaucer-love-poet-study-historical-criticism/, Accessed 15 Aug. 2018.

Ferlazzo, Larry, "Tuesday's Must-Read Articles About School Reopening."  Larry Ferlazzo's Website of the Day.  14 Sep. 2020. https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/09/14/tuesdays-must-read-articles-about-school-reopening/, Accessed 15 Sep. 2020.

Basic In-Text Citation Format

(AuthorLast Page #)

  • When referencing a source, provide the last name(s) of the author(s) and page number (or page number range) of the reference in parentheses. The reference must be included as an item on the Works Cited page. 
  • Place the citation after the sentence, but before any period or other punctuation mark. If the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, only include the page number in the parentheses.
  • * If you include a block quotation in your paper, place the in-text citation after the final period of the quotation.

Sentence text referring to the source (Smith 62).

OR: According to Smith, . . . (62). 

The above reference is to a work included in the Works Cited page by an author named Smith. If there happened to be two authors named Smith on the Works Cited page, for this example, provide an additional initial or name. Thus, (A. Smith 51) and (N. Smith 62) would separate an Allison Smith from a Nelson Smith.

Classic Works:

When citing a classic work for which many various editions exist, provide a chapter reference in addition to the page number.

(Author Page #; Chapter #)

Smith, Adam.  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.  London: Harriman House, 2007.

For the above entry on the Works Cited page, provide an in-text citation referencing the chapter and page number:

(Smith 45; ch. 1).

The  Purdue OWL  is an excellent source for MLA Citation Style information. The Purdue University's Online Writing Lab offers comprehensive information, guidelines and examples.

MLA Research Paper Example

  • View a sample MLA paper from Purdue OWL
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Fresno State Library

Citation Help

  • About Citing and Citation Styles

MLA Style Online Resources

Mla style books.

  • Other Citation Styles
  • Citing Artificial Intelligence Tools
  • Citation Managers

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is most commonly used for papers in the liberal arts and humanities.

QUICK LINKS:  *Links to Purdue OWL MLA 9th Edition*

MLA General Format

In-text Citations

Footnotes & Endnotes

Works Cited Page

Sample Works Cited Page

Sample Paper

QUICK GUIDE:

Fresno State library MLA Citation Guide (4-page pdf)   *MLA 8th Edition - update pending*

F resno State Library’s MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site.  TUTORIALS:

MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper in Word)

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

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Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

In this section

Subsections.

  • Free Tools for Students
  • MLA Citation Generator

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.

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MLA citation guides online

Mla citation guides in the library, webster university's writing center, citing chatgpt and other generative ai applications in mla.

Ask A Librarian  for help finding sources, narrowing or expanding your topic, and more!​

  • Research Desk: 314-246-6950
  • Toll-free: 800-985-4279
  • Visit us:  Library hours
  • Search our FAQs or email us 
  • Purdue OWL: MLA formatting and style MLA citation help from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (9th edition)
  • MLA Style Center MLA's own online citation help for the 9th edition
  • Webster University Libraries: MLA style guide

MLA 9 th  edition came out in April 2021. Check with your instructor to see which version you should use.

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Whether you are an experienced academic writer or this is your first paper, Webster University's Writing Center offers writing support for students. Find help with all kinds of research projects, including "reports; résumés and cover letters; admission essays and personal statements; summaries, critical analyses, and literature reviews; research and term papers; theses and dissertations; and more." Writing Center coaches are available at all stages of the writing process from brainstorming to draft revision and everything in-between.

Visit Writing Support to: 

  • Schedule an appointment with a writing coach
  • Submit a paper online to the Writing Center for review
  • Select Writing Resources to find help with citation, grammar, avoiding plagiarism, and more

ChatGPT and similar tools are not credible sources of information; however, if your instructor allows other uses of AI applications in your course, you will still need to cite the output of those applications as you would any other source you use in your academic work. Citing the output of generative AI, for example large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, is a unique challenge in that these applications are not "authors," and the output itself is irretrievable by others even when referenced. Therefore, you may need to provide additional documentation when submitting your work, for example, the full prompts you used to generate the output along with transcriptions or screenshots of the output. Style guides differ greatly on how and when to cite AI-generated content, so it's important to read the style guidelines for full details . Below are examples from the MLA Style Center for how to cite generative AI in MLA style.

  • How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? (MLA Style Center) Full explanation of how to cite generative AI in MLA.

Works-cited list:

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT , 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

Paraphrased in your prose:

While the green light in The Great Gatsby might be said to chiefly symbolize four main things: optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness (“Describe the symbolism”), arguably the most important—the one that ties all four themes together—is greed.
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ENGL 104: English Composition

  • A Quick Guide to Resources
  • Finding Articles
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  • Interlibrary Loan
  • Video Tutorials
  • Helpful Websites

Subject Guide

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The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers additional guidelines on MLA style rules. There may be some inaccuracies on the PurdueOWL so check your course syllabus and the  MLA Manual  for more information.

View the PurdueOWL's resources on MLA  here .

MLA Citation Manual

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Syracuse University Libraries

Citation Styles: MLA: Modern Language Association (9th edition)

  • APA Books and eBooks
  • APA Articles
  • APA Other Resources
  • MLA Books and eBooks
  • MLA Articles
  • MLA Other Resources
  • CMS Books and eBooks: Notes and Bibliography Style
  • CMS Articles: Notes and Bibliography Style
  • CMS Other Resources: Notes and Bibliography Style
  • CMS Books and eBooks: Author-Date
  • CMS Articles: Author-Date
  • CMS Other Resources: Author-Date
  • MSSE Citation Style
  • Additional Styles
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • How to Avoid Plagiarism

Citation Help

The mla style, mla: modern language association.

MLA style for documentation is widely used in the  humanities , especially in writing on language and literature. For questions about the MLA Style, please continue exploring this guide or visit the following webpages:

From the MLA Website:

  • What is MLA Style?
  • This webpage will help answer any question you have about MLA Style. It covers paper formatting, in-text citations, and provides examples for Works Cited pages and unique example of in-text citations.
  • This is MLA's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page! Check here to see if they answer your specific question.

Digital Guides

Below are PDF versions of the citation handouts we keep at the Information Desk:

  • MLA In-Text Citation Guide, 9th ed.
  • MLA Reference Guide, 9th ed.

Purdue OWL is a great website for getting help on MLA 9th edition citations. You can access their " MLA Formatting and Style Guide " to find help with citations for all types of resources.

owl purdue mla citation website

MLA Handbook 9th Edition

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MLA Sample Paper

Unsure how to format your paper in MLA Style?

The following sample paper will help you! Click the PDF link below.

MLA Sample Paper

  • MLA 9th Edition Sample Paper This sample paper is provided by the official MLA webpage. When Purdue OWL updates their MLA guide, we will post their sample paper with explanations.
  • MLA Format Template

Introduction to MLA Citation Style

This series of videos and tutorials will help you learn about the importance of citing sources and how to cite a variety of sources using MLA style.

  • Plagiarism (Video 3:32)
  • Why Citations Matter (Tutorial)
  • Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing (Tutorial)
  • MLA 9th Edition Citation Style (Video 1:54)
  • MLA 9th Edition Citation Style (Tutorial)

https://researchguides.library.syr.edu/c.php?g=1115506&p=9441791#s-lg-box-29867469

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  • Plagiarism and grammar
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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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Note: Some bibliography and citation examples in Purdue OWL have been found to have errors. Excelsior OWL is noted as a more accurate option for help related to citation.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides online access to, most popularly, citation style assistance for MLA, APA, and Chicago style. Some information is also provided for IEEE, AMA, and ASA styles.

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  • Purdue OWL: APA Style (7th ed) This OWL resources will help you learn how to use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style. Contains resources on in-text citation and the References page, as well as APA sample papers, slide presentations, and the APA classroom poster.
  • Purdue OWL: MLA Style These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style. This section contains resources on in-text citation and the Works Cited page, as well as MLA sample papers, slide presentations, and the MLA classroom poster.
  • Purdue OWL: Chicago Style This OWL resources will help you learn how to use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). Contains resources on both Author-Date and Notes-Bibliography systems. Also includes a sample paper and formats for the classroom posters and PowerPoint presentations.
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  • Publication manual of the American Psychological Association - APA "The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process-from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make a impact with their work."
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  • APA Formatting and Style Guide, 7th Ed. (Purdue Univ) APA Formatting and Style Guide - via Purdue Owl - These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style. This section contains resources on in-text citation and the References page, as well as APA sample papers, slide presentations, and the APA classroom poster.
  • MLA handbook Formatting your research project -- Mechanics of prose -- Principles of inclusive language -- Documenting sources : an overview -- The list of works cited -- Citing sources in the text -- Notes -- Abbreviations -- Works-cited-list entries by publication format. "The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook is a textbook and reference guide that offers student writers and writing instructors guidance on creating works-cited-list entries in MLA style using the template of core elements. It features advice on punctuation, grammar, inclusive language, formatting research papers, and in-text citations. Includes an appendix of sample works-cited-list entries, illustrations, and an index."
  • MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Univ) MLA Formatting Guide via Purdue Owl - The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA 9th 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. See also our MLA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel.

Chicago Manual of Style

  • Chicago Manual of Style Online The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format.
  • Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition (Purdue Univ) Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition - via Purdue Owl - Please note that although these resources reflect the most recent updates in the The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) concerning documentation practices, you can review a full list of updates concerning usage, technology, professional practice, etc. at The Chicago Manual of Style Online.
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Scribbr MLA Citation Generator

Accurate MLA citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions.

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Stop wasting hours figuring out the correct citation format. With Scribbr's citation generator , you can search for your source by title, URL, ISBN, or DOI and generate accurate MLA citations in seconds. No experience needed.

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Rely on accurate citations, verified by experts.

You don’t want points taken off for incorrect citations. That’s why our MLA citation experts have invested countless hours perfecting our algorithms. As a result, we’re proud to be recommended by teachers worldwide.

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Staying focused is already challenging enough. You don’t need video pop-ups and flickering banner ads slowing you down. At Scribbr, we keep distractions to a minimum while also keeping the citation generator free for everyone.

Features you'll love

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

Easily export in BibTeX format and continue working in your favorite LaTeX editor.

Export to Word

Reference list finished? Export to Word with perfect indentation and spacing set up for you.

Sorting, grouping, and filtering

Organize the reference list the way you want: from A to Z, new to old, or grouped by source type.

Save multiple lists

Stay organized by creating a separate reference list for each of your assignments.

Choose between Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and more options to match your style.

Industry-standard technology

Scribbr's citation generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.

Annotations

Create perfectly formatted MLA Style annotated bibliographies with just a few clicks.

Explanatory tips help you get the details right to ensure accurate citations.

Citation guides

Getting to grips with citation is simple with the help of our highly rated MLA citation guides and videos .

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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.

MLA Citation Generator

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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
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  • 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.

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ENG199 - Imagining Other Minds: MLA 8th Citations

Welcome to the MLA 8th Guidelines Page for your iLab course. 

Please refer to the formulas below for formatting a proper citation. Take note that this is an abbreviated guide. 

For more information, navigate to the Purdue Online Writing Lab .

If you have any questions, please contact the librarian associated with your iLab section.

Website      Newspaper or Magazine     Scholarly Journal      Book      ebook     Image     Other Common Sources

More than One Author in a Citation

Two Authors (applies to both books and articles)

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name.

ex) Smith, John, and Carly Morrison.

Three or more Authors (applies to both books and articles)

Last Name, First Name, et al. You will put  et al.  to indicate after the first author's last name to indicate  and others .

ex) Pearson, Joshua, et al.

MLA 8th In Text Citations

If a page number is provided, follow the formats below:

In-Text Citation

(Jones 378).

In-Text Citation, Two Authors

​List the two author's last names.

(Jones and Miller 378).

In-Text Citation, Three or More Authors

You will put et al. to indicate after the first author's last name to indicate  and others .

(Jones et al. 378).

When no page number is provided, please follow the formats below:

In-Text Citation, No Page Number Provided

In-Text Citation, Two Authors, No Page Number Provided

List the two author's last names.

(Jones and Miller).

In-Text Citation, Three or More Authors, No Page Number Provided

You will put et al. to indicate after the first author's last name to indicate  and others ​.

(Jones et al.).

If no author is provided, please follow the format below:

In-Text Citation, No Author. ("Use Title Instead").

If the source is titled "Clay Pot Snowman Tutorial", your in-text citation will be (“Clay Pot Snowman Tutorial”).

Month Abbreviations

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For more information...

Please visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab if you have any other questions regarding MLA 8th citation.

Visit the Purdue OWL Site for Chicago Style if you wish to use that.

A Full Website:

The Buffalo History Museum. The Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society , 2018, www.buffalohistory.org/ . 

A Page on a Website with an Author:

Fong, Jonathan. "Clay Pot Snowman Tutorial." eHow , 7 Nov. 2017, www.ehow.com/13661861/clay-pot-snowman-tutorial . 

A Page on a Website without an Author:

"Allergies: Basic Info You Need to Know." WebMD , 12 Aug. 2016,  www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy basics . 

a News or Magazine Article from a Database

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the Article.”  Title of the Newspaper , Version (if applicable), Numbers (if applicable), Publication date, Page numbers (if available).  Title of the Database , URL.

Dewey, Caitlin. "London Plans to Ban Fast-Food Outlets Near Schools."  Washington Post , 1 Dec. 2017.  Infotrac Newsstand , link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A516769322/STND?u=sunybuff_main&sid=STND&xid=8551bb81 .

a Physical Book from the Library

Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.​

Jones, Marlo.  An Age of Inquiry , Penguin Books, 2015.

an eBook from the Library

Last Name, First Name. Title of eBook . Publisher, Publication Date. Database Name , URL.

Nicholas, Lorraine, and Geraldine Morris. Rethinking Dance History: A Reader . Taylor & Francis, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central , ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/buffalo/detail.action?docID=1487145# .  

Scholarly Journal Article Citations

Journal Article from a Database with DOI available:

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Name of Journal , vol., no., date, page numbers. Database Name , DOI.

Landes, Thomas. "Fresh Water Fisheries in the Great Lakes."  Great Lakes Studies , vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Mar. 2010, pp. 90-105. Academic Search Complete , doi:10.1002/tox.20155. 

Journal Article from a Database with no DOI available:

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Name of Journal , vol., no., date, page numbers. Database Name , URL.

Landes, Thomas. "Fresh Water Fisheries in the Great Lakes."  Great Lakes Studies , vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Mar. 2010, pp. 90-105. Academic Search Complete , search.ebscohost.com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/login.aspx?direct=true=ehost-live&scope=site .  

an Image from a Website

Last Name, First Name (or username). "Title of Image." Name of Website , date, URL.

Jose and Roxeanne. "Flowers." Flickr , 31 Dec. 2017, flic.kr/p/8bD3aP . 

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The MLA Handbook is available at the Information desk, along with copies of many other style guides.  Other guides to MLA are available online, such as:

  • MLA 9th Edition Formatting and Style Guide This is from the OWL at Purdue University; includes examples.
  • EasyBib guide to MLA Citation info for a variety of sources.
  • MLA Documentation Good site with examples, most current version of MLA

A note on electronic (internet/web) sources: Most of your sources will probably be from the internet! Generally, cite the electronic version like you would the print version - ie, cite an e-book like a book, an e-journal article like a print journal article. Always include the link!   

Cite the version you used!  For example, a source could be available as a print book; but if you looked at the pdf online, you must cite it as an electronic source.

And if the source is from a website (a news site, a blog, YouTube, an organization's webpage) be sure to include the date you looked at it. Websites are constantly being updated and changing, so you need to mark which version you used. Put the date you viewed the source (" Accessed 11 Nov. 2021. ") at the end. This is not necessary for e-books and e-journals - they are stable, unchanging versions of the texts.

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The z otero Citation Manager is a free, easy to use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources.

Follow these steps to start building your own Zotero Library:

  • Download Zotero Download both 1) the Zotero program (left side of the page) and 2) the connector/extension for your browser you are using
  • Register for a free Zotero account Registering a user account lets you sync your library so you can access it on different computers You can also collaborate and share Zotero libraries with others
  • Add items to your Zotero Library Save articles, books, websites, and more with just one click
  • Zotero video training Step-by-step instruction videos on how to set up Zotero
  • For more detailed information, check out our Zotero Research Guide

Elon's Writing Center will help you with understanding an assignment, brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, &  documenting sources.

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MLA Citation Handouts and Links

  • MLA 9th ed. Introduction Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  • MLA Work Cited Sample 9th ed. Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  • MLA In -Text Citation 9th ed. Information about how to do In-Text citation using MLA style 8th edition.
  • MLA Title Page & General Paper Format 9th ed. Title page information is found under the MLA General Format section. Learn how to set up an MLA title page.
  • MLA 9th ed. Handout MLA 9th ed handout with examples.
  • Citation Styles (APA, MLA, Chicago) Handout One guide for MLA 9th, APA 7th and Chicago/Turabian 17th

Annotated Bibliography

If you have questions about the annotated bibliography, try the following sources:

Annotated Bibliographies (Purdue OWL)

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  • Boston University Libraries

Deconstructing Narratives: Race and Racism Stories in American Culture. (WR151)

Citing your sources.

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  • Argument & Method

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

Apa (american psychological association) style, chicago style, purdue owl (online writing lab).

owl purdue mla citation website

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.

Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship. Citing properly allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information. Failure to acknowledge sources of information properly may constitute plagiarism.  For an explicit definition of plagiarism, see the  Boston University Academic Conduct Code .

For detailed instructions on how to cite sources in your paper or project, please consult a style manual listed below. See our Citing Sources guide for additional style manuals.

owl purdue mla citation website

  • MLA Formatting and Style Guide at Purdue OWL

owl purdue mla citation website

  • APA Formatting and Style Guide at Purdue OWL

owl purdue mla citation website

  • Chicago Style guide at Purdue OWL

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  • Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 2:16 PM
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IMAGES

  1. Walk-Through of OWL Purdue's Works Cited, In-text Citation, and MLA guide

    owl purdue mla citation website

  2. 10 Easy Steps: Master How to Cite an Online Article Purdue Owl

    owl purdue mla citation website

  3. MLA In-text Citations OWL

    owl purdue mla citation website

  4. Purdue Owl Mla Book Citation

    owl purdue mla citation website

  5. 46+ Owl Purdue How To Cite Today

    owl purdue mla citation website

  6. owl and purdue mla works cited

    owl purdue mla citation website

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COMMENTS

  1. MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

    Note: The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application.These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

  2. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    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. Resources on writing an MLA style works cited page, including citation formats. Basic Format

  3. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    In-text citations: Author-page style. 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. The author's name may appear either in the ...

  4. MLA 9th Edition Changes

    In-Text Citations. While the guidance regarding in-text citation has not changed, the MLA 9's adjusted approach seeks to reduce the confusion about in-text citations. This chapter explains the need for unambiguous, consistent references to the Works Cited. It also expands on how to style parenthetical citations with quotation marks.

  5. Research and Citation Resources

    MLA Style. These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style. This section contains resources on in-text citation and the Works Cited page, as well as MLA sample papers, slide presentations, and the MLA classroom poster. Chicago Manual of Style

  6. MLA Style Center

    MLA Style Center, the only authorized Web site on MLA style, provides free resources on research, writing, and documentation. MLA Style Center, the only authorized Web site on MLA style, provides free resources on research, writing, and documentation. ... To cite a video game, follow the template of core elements, as you would for any other ...

  7. Purdue Writing Lab/Purdue OWL

    The Online Writing Lab (OWL) has been an extension of the Writing Lab since 1993, and offers global support through online reference materials and services. The Writing Lab and OWL, both part of the Department of English, are informed by and engage in research within the discipline of Composition and Rhetoric, including the subfields of writing ...

  8. Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

    Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

  9. Basic MLA

    Changes in 9th edition. The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook was published in 2021. In this update, the format for both in-text and Works Cited citations is the same as the 8th edition. The 9th edition also includes this clarification on citing a film/DVD. Blade Runner. 1982. Directed by Ridley Scott, director's cut, Warner Bros., 1992.

  10. McMaster LibGuides: Writing: Citing with Purdue OWL

    Access Purdue Online Writing Lab's citation guides from their website (https://owl.purdue.edu): Select the Online Writing Lab; From the menu on the left, select "Research and Citation" This opens a drop-down menu with commonly used citation styles (APA 6 th and 7 th Editions, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, AMA, and ASA) The three most common ...

  11. Research Guides: MLA Citation (7th edition): Citing a Website

    To cite items found on the open Internet, provide as much of the following information as possible. For more specific information, please see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.). Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the Work." Title of Overall Website.

  12. How to Cite a Website in MLA

    Revised on January 17, 2024. An MLA website citation includes the author's name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date, and the URL (without "https://"). If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead. If the publication date is unknown, or if the content ...

  13. MLA Style

    The Modern Language Association (MLA) Manual of Style is commonly used in the Arts and Humanities. The Ninth Edition replaced the Eighth edition in 2021. The Ninth edition did not make many changes to the formatting requirements of bibliographic citations or in-text citations. MLA 9th Edition Formatting & Style Guide (Purdue OWL)

  14. MLA

    Fresno State Library's MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site. TUTORIALS: MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper ...

  15. MLA

    To see a sample paper in MLA format, visit the Purdue OWL's MLA page. ... MLA uses Core Elements to cite all types of sources. Use the punctuation shown after each element unless it is the final element, which should always end with a period. If an element does not apply to your source, leave it out. Image source, MLA.org.

  16. MLA Style

    MLA Formatting and Style Guide. MLA General Format MLA Formatting and Style Guide; MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics; MLA Formatting Lists MLA Formatting Quotations; MLA Endnotes and Footnotes; MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format; MLA Works Cited Page: Books; MLA Works Cited Page: Periodicals; MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

  17. Free MLA Citation Generator [Updated for 2024]

    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 ...

  18. Home

    MLA citation guides in the library. MLA 9 th edition came out in April 2021. Check with your instructor to see which version you should use. MLA Handbook (9th ed.) Call Number: LB2369 .M52 2021. Copies of this can be found both in Reference on the 2nd floor and in Webster Books on the 3rd floor. MLA Handbook (8th ed.)

  19. MLA Citation Help

    MLA Citation Manual. MLA Handbook. Call Number: Stacks: LB2369 .G53 2016. ISBN: 9781603292627. Publication Date: 2016. The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats.

  20. Citation Styles: MLA: Modern Language Association (9th edition)

    Purdue OWL is a great website for getting help on MLA 9th edition citations. ... and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of ...

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

    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.".

  22. Purdue OWL

    The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides online access to, most popularly, citation style assistance for MLA, APA, and Chicago style. Some information is also provided for IEEE, AMA, and ASA styles. Purdue OWL also provides general information about good writing, as well as subject-specific writing and job search writing. This OWL resources ...

  23. Citation Style Guides

    MLA Formatting Guide via Purdue Owl - The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA 9th 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. See also our MLA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube ...

  24. Free MLA Citation Generator

    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. Scribbr's free MLA Citation Generator lets you generate perfect MLA Style citations in seconds. Now even easier with a Chrome extension.

  25. Citation Style Guides

    » Excelsior OWL MLA Style - MLA Works Cited - MLA In-Text Citations - MLA Style Demo: Videos » Purdue OWL MLA Style - MLA Sample Works Cited Page - MLA Sample Paper » Works Cited: A Quick Guide (MLA) » ZoteroBib: Citation Generator. MLA Handbook, 8th Edition. Ask librarian at Reference Desk <<

  26. ENG199

    Welcome to the MLA 8th Guidelines Page for your iLab course. Please refer to the formulas below for formatting a proper citation. Take note that this is an abbreviated guide. For more information, navigate to the Purdue Online Writing Lab. If you have any questions, please contact the librarian associated with your iLab section.

  27. Citations

    MLA 9th Edition Formatting and Style Guide. This is from the OWL at Purdue University; includes examples. EasyBib guide to MLA. ... sources: Most of your sources will probably be from the internet! Generally, cite the electronic version like you would the print version - ie, cite an e-book like a book, an e-journal article like a print journal ...

  28. MLA Citation, 9th. ed.

    This page describes how to cite your career sources using MLA style, 8th edition. Skip to Main Content. Library Research Guides. MyEPCC | Contact. ... Purdue Online Writing Lab. MLA Work Cited Sample 9th ed. Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab. ... (Purdue OWL) << Previous: APA Citation Style; Next: Writing Help >>

  29. Citing Your Sources

    "The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook is a textbook and reference guide that offers student writers and writing instructors guidance on creating works-cited-list entries in MLA style using the template of core elements. It features advice on punctuation, grammar, inclusive language, formatting research papers, and in-text citations."