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MLA Format Citation Guide

MLA Format Citation Guide

MLA is a common academic formatting style developed by the Modern Language Association. It is widely used in academic papers in humanities and as a guideline for referencing original sources. In this article, we have prepared a complete guide to cite sources according to the MLA 8th edition, published in 2016.

Core Components

Depending on the type of the source, its specific characteristics (e.g. unknown author’s name), and other factors, citations in MLA style may differ by their form. Further into this MLA 8 citation guide, we are going to go over all the types of sources and cases, and provide clear examples of proper referencing. But first, let’s look at core elements that are typically included in every MLA style citation:

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Author’s Name

  • Always put the surname first, then separate it by a comma and list the first name and any initials (for example, Black, Jacob K.)
  • If the author is unknown, you can use the name of the organization responsible or start with the title of the source (for example, The Modern Language Association. “Works Cited: A Quick Guide”… or “Works Cited: A Quick Guide”…)
  • When there are 2 authors, put the first author’s name in inverted form, and follow it with the other author’s name in regular form (for example, Black, Jacob K., and Chris Thorn)
  • If there are 3 or more authors, put the first author’s name in inverted form and follow it with “et al” (for example, Black, Jacob K., et al)
  • You are allowed to mention online usernames or pseudonyms instead of real names (for example, Pewresearch or Digiday)
  • You can also include the names of translators or editors here, but their names should be followed by their relevant titles – “editor” or “translator” (for example, Black, Jacob K., editor or Thorn, Chris, translator)

Title of the Source

  • Put the title in quotation marks when the source is part of a short work (for example, a short article)
  • Larger works such as books, television shows, and websites should be italicized
  • If the source’s title is unknown, replace it in your citation with a brief description, without quotation marks and not italicized (for example, Website Home Page, Review Covering Multiple Books, etc.)

Title of Container

  • Italicized
  • Can include multiple container titles when necessary

Contributors

  • Only list the most relevant contributors to your work
  • Before the name of each contributor, specify his/her role (for example, produced by Jacob Black)

Version

  • Refers to a specific edition, version, or revision of the source
  • This part of the citation should all be in lower case

Numbers

  • This element refers to sources that appear in a sequence, for example, TV seasons or episodes, issues, and volumes

Publisher

  • When there are multiple publishers, they all need to be listed in the citation and separated with a slash (/)

MLA Referencing: In-Text Citations

An in-text citation refers to the use of a direct quote or a paraphrase of information taken from another source in the body of the text. In-text citations are used to add value to your work and support your ideas.

General rules for each MLA in-text citation:

  • It should correspond to its relevant reference from the works cited page.
  • Every citation should contain the author’s last name and the page (or range of pages) where the specific quote or information is found in the original source.
  • The author’s name can either be a part of the sentence or included in parentheses directly after the quote.
  • The page number or numbers should be included in parentheses after the quote, either alone or following the author’s last name.

         More than One Author

  • When there are 2-3 authors, you can list all the names, followed by the page number in parentheses.

 

No Author

If the author of the source is unknown, instead of stating his last name in parentheses after the quote: make the entire title italicized, put the article or webpage in quotation marks, or the shortened title within quotation marks.

Authors With Multiple Cited Works

If you refer to multiple works of the same author, include the author’s name and a shortened title of the particular source, along with the page number.

No Page Number

When you are making a citation and don’t know the exact page number, use other metrics such as chapters or paragraphs.

Citing a Quote or Parenthetical

In this scenario, type “qtd. in” before the author’s name.

How to Cite Different Source Types

While the MLA Works Cited page might have highly variable entries based on their source types, in-text citations mostly look similar. The biggest change applies when the author is not known, or if the cited source is not printed. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to cite sources in MLA based on their type.

How to Cite Books in MLA Format

General rules:

  • Authors’ names — when there are 2 authors, only the first one’s name needs to be inverted. The next one should be introduced by the word “and” and be in standard form. When there are more than 3 authors, you only need to indicate the first one (last and then first name) and put “et al” after it.
  • Title — all words (except for small words) should start with capitalized letters, and the whole title needs to be italicized.
  • Title of containers, contributors, versions, and numbers are optional elements. This information should be provided if it is valuable and relevant to the reader.

The standard MLA book citation format is as follows:

Author’s last name, first name. Title. Title of container, Contributors, Version, Numbers, Publisher, Year of Publication.

How to Cite Edited and Translated Books in MLA Format

If you refer to a book that was edited or translated, there are two ways to indicate this in your citation:

  • List the translator or editor in the author’s name section and specify their role (e.g. “editor” or “translator”). Choose this method if your work focuses on translation or editing.
  • Add the names of translators or editors in the contributors’ section of the citation.

·         How to Cite E-Books in MLA Format

  • To cite an e-book, you should use the standard format for book citations and specify the e-book identity in the version section

How to Cite Articles in MLA Format

Use the following format to cite articles from different sources, including journals, magazines, and newspapers:

Name of Author(s). “Article Title”. Title of Container, contributors, version, numbers, date of publication, location, Title of database, DOI or URL

Things to keep in mind:

  • Title — the title of the article is put in quotation marks and does not need to be italicized.
  • Title of container – here, you need to provide the name of the source (e.g. newspaper, magazine, or journal) where the article was published. It has to be italicized.
  • Version — this section refers to types within each section of the publication.
  • Numbers — in this section, you need to specify the issue number (no.) or volume number (vo.).
  • Date of publication — for newspapers and magazines, specify the day, month, and year (e.g. 9 December 2012). And for journals, mention only the season and year (e.g. June 2018).
  • Location — this section is devoted to the article’s page number(s).
  • Title of database, DOI or URL — only included for online articles.

         How to Cite Non-Print Material

  • While most of your references will probably be printed sources like books, articles, and others, in some cases you may also need to cite alternative non-print materials. In this part of our guide, we will focus on the general rules of citing different non-print sources and will provide a clear MLA citation example for each.

         Image in MLA Format

  • Standard structure:
    Author’s last name, other names. “Title of Image”. Website Title, contributors, reproduction, number, date, URL.

        Film in MLA Format

  • Standard structure:
    Director’s name, director. “Title of film”. Contributors, Distributor, year of release. Medium
  • Please note:although this standard structure typically works, in some cases you may swap the title and name of the director in the case that your work focuses more on the film rather than on its director:
    “Title of film”. Directed by director name, contributors, Distributor, year of release. Medium
  • Also, notethat mentioning the medium is not required in MLA 8, but you are allowed to mention it since it is useful information for the reader. If the film is taken from the Web, replace the medium with its relevant URL.

         TV Series in MLA Format

  • Standard structure:
    “Episode Title”. Program Title, created by Name, contributors, season number, episode number. Network, Year of Publication.

·         Music in MLA Format

  • Standard structure:
    Author’s name(s). “Title of the Track”. Title of the Album, other contributors, version, Record Label, Year of Publication

         How to Cite a Web Page in MLA Format

  • Standard structure:
    Author’s last name, first name or organization title. “Title of page/document”. Title of overall webpage, date, URL.

 

 

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