MLA Style Citation Guide
Modern Language Association(MLA) Style is commonly used for academic writing in a wide range of subjects and disciplines, particularly in the arts and humanities.
Most citations include 3 key elements: (1) author's name, (2) title or source, and (3) publication information.
Underline or italicize titles: italics are preferred for bibliographies published on the Web.
Follow elements with a period and one space.
Additional elements such as number of volumes, edition numbers, or Web address and date of access may be required.
List each source separately: arrange alphabetically by author's last name or title if there is no author.
Consult the MLA Handbook or the MLA Home page for more examples and explanation and for information on citing sources in the text.
Follow the examples in this guide to format citations according to the type of information you are citing.
BOOK:
FORM:
Author's Last Name,(comma)
Author's First Name.(period)
Title(italicized).
(period)
Place of
Publication:(colon)
Publisher,
(comma)
Copyright Date.
(period)
Sample:
By a single author:
Evans, Bergen. Dictionary of Mythology; Mainly
Classical. Lincoln, NE: Centennial
Press, 1970.
Two authors:
Watt, Fiona and Francis Wilson. Weather and
Climate. London: Usborne, 1992.
Unknown author:
The Bible: A New Translation. New York: Harper and
Row, 1954.
**Rules to follow:
1. Use the
information on the title page.
2. List all
sources in alphabetical order by the author's last name.
3. If an
author is not given, alphabetize by the title.
ENCYCLOPEDIA
ARTICLE:
FORM:
Author of Article's Last Name,
(comma)
Author of Article's First Name.
(period)
"Title of Article."
(period) (in quotes)
Encyclopedia's Title
( italicized). (period)
Copyright Date,
(comma)
Volume,
(comma)
Pages.
(period)
Sample:
Littleton, C.Scott.
"Mythology." World Book Encyclopedia. 2000, Volume 13,
pp. 973-990.
**Rules to follow:
1. The author of
the article is usually given at the end of the article.
2. If an author is
not given, use the title of the article to alphabetize.
ENCYCLOPEDIA
ARTICLE - ONLINE VERSION:
FORM:
Author of Article's Last Name,
(comma) Author of Article's First Name.
(period)
"Title of Article." (period) (in
quotes) Encyclopedia's Title.(italicized)
(period)
Date of Access.(period)
<http://___________________________>.
(period)
Sample:
Lesko, Leonard H. "Egypt, Ancient."
World Book Online Reference Center. 2005.
World Book, Inc. Feb. 9, 2005. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/>.
Student
Resource Center - Reference Book
Form:
Last name of author,
(comma) First name of author,
(period) "Title of Article." (in
quotes) (period)
Title of book where first published,
(period) Volume.
(comma) Date, (comma)
Pages.
Student Resource Center. (period)
Date of Access. (period)
<http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SRC>.
(period)
Sample:
"Ancient Egyptian Civilization, 3500 B.C. - 950 B.C."
DISCovering World history.
Online Edition. Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center. Thomson
Gale. Feb. 9 2005.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SRC.
Newspaper and
Magazine Articles:
Form:
Author of Article's Last Name,
(comma)
Author of Article's First Name.
(period)
"Title of Article."
(period) (in quotes)
Name of the Magazine
(underlined), (comma)
Date of Magazine,
(comma)
Pages.
(period)
Journal
Articles:
Form:
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal.
Volume(year): pages
Ex:
Wang, Victor. "Sarcasm in Rhetoric." English
Journal. 26 (2003): 99-100.
Website and
Articles on the Internet
Form:
Author. "Article Title." Name of Website.
Date of Posting/revision. Name of organization/institution
affiliated with site Date of access <electronic address>.
Ex:
Lynch, Tim. "DSN Trials and Tribble-ations
Review." Psi Phi: Bradley's Science Fiction Club. 1996.
Bradley University. 8 Oct. 1997
<http://www.bradley.edu/campusorg/psiphi/DS9/ep/503r.html.
No Author
If author's name is not available, use the
article title title as the the first part of the citation.
Ex:
"Revealing Jeremy Mizraji's Tamagachis. "Inappropriate
Behavior in Study Hall. 2 March 2005.
Clifton. BOE. 4 March 2005.
http://www.awaitingtheendofthetimester.com