MLA Citation Guide
Note: These reference guides do not take the place of assignment guidelines
Paper Format Basics
(pp. 116-118, 133 in MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.)
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Use 12-point size of a standard, readable typeface such as Times New Roman.
Double space everything.
Select 1-inch margins all around.
In the top right corner of the header, put your last name and the page number.
Type your heading (your name, instructor’s name, course number, and the date) on the first four lines of the
paper.
Center the paper’s title beneath the heading. In both titles and any subtitles, capitalize the first, last, and all
principle words (i.e. everything but prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, and articles).
If you use sources, your very last page should have the title “Works Cited” centered at the top of the page. If
you only use one source, it should be called “Work Cited.”
Your sources should be listed in alphabetical order. If no author, alphabetize by title (ignoring “A,” “An,” and
“The”). For each source, every line but the first should be indented ½-inch (or five spaces). This is called a
hanging indent.
1”
Hanging
Indent
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MLA Citation Guide
Note: These reference guides do not take the place of assignment guidelines
In-text Citations
(pp. 216-232 in MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. See pp. 240-47 for more information on abbreviating or shortening words.)
Use in-text citations whenever you borrow words, ideas, data, interpretations—intellectual property in general—from a
source. The citation should give enough information for readers to locate the source easily in your Works Cited. They
should also indicate where, exactly, a source is being used in your paper, and where in the original source this
borrowed information can be found. Usually, all of this is accomplished by providing an author name and page
numbers, but there are many exceptions.
NOTE: If it is clear that you are continuing a discussion of a particular source (and this discussion isn’t interrupted by a
discussion of another source), you only need to provide the author name (or the equivalent) for the first in-text
citation of the series but must still give page numbers when applicable. Once this series is interrupted, you must
provide the author name (or equivalent) until another uninterrupted series occurs.
One Author
When not mentioned in the sentence, put the writer’s last name in the parenthesis. Note how the sentence’s end
punctuation comes after the parenthesis, but (if applicable) the quotation ends before the parenthesis.
EX: According to Leone, “Ice cream is twice as popular as broccoli” (108).
EX: According to one expert, the popularity of ice cream doubles that of broccoli (Leone 108).
Two or Three Authors
Give all of the writers’ last names. Join two authors with ‘and.’ Join three with commas and an ‘and’ before the last
name.
EX: Kumar and Oslin believe that “the Miami Dolphins are vastly superior to the New York Jets” (66).
EX: But, other scholar’s often disagree, citing Jimmy Buffet’s opening of the new stadium as strong
evidence of a vacuous franchise (Farrell, Millner, and Carmello 23).
More than Four Authors
List all the writers’ last names or follow the first writer’s last name with ‘et al.’ (an abbreviation of the Latin for “and
others”).
EX: In their landmark work, Peterson et al. found that children were 75% more likely to become lifelong
readers when predominantly exposed to contemporary literature during their primary and secondary
education (710).
Two Sources in the Same Sentence
If using more than one source in the same sentence, give parenthetical references for all sources. A semicolon
separates references in the same parenthetical.
Ex: Franklin (123) and Double (167) have argued that horror is the most robust genre for speculative
fiction.
EX: Hamlet and The Duchess of Malfi are both heavily influenced by Burton’s writings on melancholy
(Bubba 757; “Sad” 32).
Organization/Government/Corporate Author
Note the organization, corporation, or governmental department like you would an individual author. Longer names
can be shortened.
EX: Buzz Soda’s study found that its products are more hydrating than water and healthier than kale (V).
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MLA Citation Guide
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Multiple Sources by the Same Author
If using more than one source by the same author, provide the title of the work you are citing in the sentence or in the
parenthesis. If the title is brief, provide the entire title. If it is long, shorten it to a few main words (excluding
articles like a, an, and the). Note that the title is italicized because it is a book title and, if in the parenthesis, follows
a comma.
EX: Mitchell once said, “Balloons are cool I guess” (Clowns 187).
EX: The rivalry between clowns and mimes can be traced back to the 1400s, where legend has it that a
heavily make-upped baker threw a pie in the face of a mute and imaginative confectionary protester
(Mitchell, Clowns 284).
Unknown Author
If a source doesn’t name an individual or organizational author or editor, use a shortened version of the title as
described above.
EX: In one study, primary school teachers reported a drastic increase in disruptive classroom behavior
after recess was exchanged for a study hall (“Classroom” 17).
Literary
Because literary works have many different editions, additional information is given so that any reader of any edition
can find the reference.
Novels: Page and chapter number. Use a semicolon to separate the page number and chapter in the parenthetical
reference
EX: Here, Hank observes, “There never was such a country for wandering liars” (136; ch. 11).
Verse Play: Act, scene, and line numbers separated by periods.
EX: The classic excuse can be traced all the way back to Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well where
Lafeu, an emissary of the King of France, blames his tears on the bulb (5.3.370).
Poems: If the poem is divided into parts, give the part and line numbers. Separate the part and line numbers with a
period. If there are only line numbers, write “line” before the first line number to prevent it from being confused with
a page number.
EX: Here, the narrator locates “the shimmer of evil” on “the shell’s iridescence / And the wild bird’s
wing” (3.37-9).
EX: In Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool,” “Jazz June” refers to both music and youth (line 7). So, why
do these narrators claim, “We / Die soon” (7-8)?
No Page Numbers/Entire Work
Cite as normal except omit the page (or other reference) number. If the source provides paragraph or section
numbers, use them after a comma with the following abbreviations: (“Yo-Yo Yeti,” par. 11) or (“Yo-Yo Yeti,” sec. 11).
EX: While no peer reviewed research has been conducted on the Youngstown Yeti, the fan club of the
creature boast “over 10000 documented sightings” (“Yo-Yo Yeti”)
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Encyclopedia/Dictionary
If provided, give the author’s name. If no author is given, use the entry’s title in parenthesis. If the entries are
organized alphabetically, no page numbers are necessary.
EX: The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a saccade as “[a] rapid intermittent eye
movement” (“Saccade”).
Legal
Indicate the case name or act in the sentence or parenthesis. Legal case names are italicized.
EX: In Harry v. Carey, the Supreme Court found that not purchasing a company’s goods and services
because of their treatment of their workers was a hate crime.
Historical Documents
Do not italicize laws, acts, or well-known historical documents. Provide relevant article and section information in the
parenthesis. Abbreviate well-known titles as well as the word “article” (“art.”) and “section” (“sec.”).
EX: The protection against “corruption of blood” in this country’s most important document still exists in
the legal realm, but the loved ones of villains are punished in other ways (US Const., art. 3, sec. 3).
Religious Text
Be clear about the edition being used in the sentence. In the parenthesis, give the equivalent of the book, chapter,
and verse. If the name of the books are long, they can be abbreviated.
EX: In The New International Bible, Elisha cursed some boys, and “two bears came out of the woods” (2
Kings 2.24).
Multivolume
If citing multiple volumes of a work, give the volume number and page numbers (separated by a colon) in the
parenthesis.
EX: Dodd’s statement is particularly odd when the literary criticism on Wordsworth has been called “the
Manifesto of the English romantic movement” (Wellek 2: 130).
Indirect Source
When quoting something that you found quoted in another source, start the parenthetical reference with “qtd. in”
EX: One of Hemingway’s future wives said that he would refer to himself in letters as her “sweet
feathered kitten” (qtd. in Budd 17).
Block Quotes
Quotations longer than four lines are set
apart from the other text in a block. If the
quote is introduce with a complete sentence,
end the sentence with a colon. If the quote
is introduce with a phrase, end the phrase
with a comma. Like the rest of the
document, the block quote is double spaced,
but the entire block is indented 1-inch from
the margin. Do not use quotation marks,
and the end punctuation comes before the
parenthesis.
1” or 10
spaces
from
the
margin
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MLA Citation Guide
Note: These reference guides do not take the place of assignment guidelines
Works Cited
The works cited page provides the bibliographic information for the sources you use in your writing. Citations for the
most common sources are listed below. For source types not listed below—or for a more comprehensive list in
general—please see Ch. 5 of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. NOTE: Some sources are hard to
classify, so use the example that best fits as a guide.
Print Sources
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If the author has a middle name or initial, include it after the first name. If more than one author, list them in
the order they appear on the title page.
Capitalize the first, last, and main words (excluding articles like ‘a,’ ‘an,’ and ‘the’; coordinating conjunctions
like ‘and,’ ‘but,’ and ‘or’; and prepositions like ‘to,’ ‘by,’ and ‘for’) in titles.
If more than one city is given as a place of publication, only use the first city.
Shorten the publisher’s name. (EX: ‘Harper’ for ‘Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.’) If the title page provides
both the publisher and an imprint, give the imprint, followed by a dash, and finally followed by the publisher.
(EX: Spiegel—Random)
If multiple dates are given for the date of publication, only use the most recent. Abbreviate months (Jan.,
Feb., Mar., etc.) except for May, June, and July. See pp. 240-47 for more information on abbreviations.
Sources will not always include all the information asked for in the examples below. The correct procedure is
often to leave out information you can’t provide, but always check the MLA Handbook in case there are special
procedures.
Book—Single Author
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
St. John, Warren. Outcasts United. New York: Spiegel—Random, 2009. Print.
Book—Two or Three Authors
First Author’s Last Name, First Name, Second Author’s First Name and Last Name and Final Author’s First Name and
Last Name. Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
King, Stephen and Peter Straub. Talisman. New York: Simon, 1984. Print.
Book—More than Four Authors
Last Name, First Name, et al. Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
Frampton, Peter, et al. I’ll Never Go Bald! Tampa: Random, 1981. Print.
No Author/Editor
Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
Art Codex. New York: Calamari, 2012. Print.
Scholarly Journal Article
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume.Issue (Publication Year): Pages. Publication Type.
Holmberg, David. “‘In a Time Before Nomenclature was and each was all’: Blood Meridian’s Neomythic
West and the Heterotopian Zone.” Western American Literature 44.2 (2009): 141-56. Print.
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Organization/Government/Corporate Author
Unless otherwise specified, government documents are published by the Government Publishing Office (GPO).
Organization/Corporation/Government Name. Department/Agency (if applicable). Title. Publication Place:
Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
United States. Dept. of Justice. FBI. Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook. Washington: GPO, 2004. Print.
Newspaper Article
If it has an edition (like late ed., natl. ed.), include it between the year of publication and page numbers. If the paper
is divided into lettered sections, provide the section letter before the page number. Finally, include a plus sign (+)
after the page number if the article is continued on later pages.
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title Publication Day Month and Year, Edition (like late ed. Or natl
ed. if applicable): Pages. Publication Type.
Pickett, William. “Burritos: The New Dessert.” New York Times 20 March 2011: late ed.: D1+. Print.
Magazine Article
If the magazine is a monthly or bimonthly magazine (and doesn’t list a publication day), only provide the publication
month and year.
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Magazine Title Publication Day Month and Year: Pages. Publication Type.
Pickett, William. “Burritos: No Longer Dessert.” New Yorker 19 Apr. 2011: 56-77. Print.
Anthology
Editor’s Last Name, First Name, ed. Title of the Anthology. Edition ed. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year.
Publication Type.
Cornelius, Lori, et al., eds. The Gulf Coast Reader. 2nd ed. Pearson: Boston, 2012. Print.
Work in an Anthology
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Work.” Title of the Anthology. Ed. Editor’s First and Last Names.
Edition ed. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Pages. Publication Type.
Baudrillard, Jean. “Simulacra and Simulations.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. Eds. Julie Rivkin and
Michael Ryan. 2nd ed. Malden: Blackwell, 2004. 366-76. Print.
If citing multiple works in a single anthology, cite the anthology as itself and provide shortened citations of the work.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Work.” Editor’s Last Name. Pages.
Baudrillard, Jean. “Simulacra and Simulations.” Rivkin and Ryan. 366-76.
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Author and Editor/Translator
If the writer’s work is being referenced/emphasized:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title. Ed./Trans. Editor’s/Translator’s First and Last Names. Publication Place:
Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
Xue, Can. The Last Lover. Trans. Annelise Finegan Wasmoen. New Haven: Yale UP, 2014. Print.
If the editor’s contribution is being referenced/emphasized:
Editor’s/Translator’s Last Name, First Name, ed./trans Title. By Author’s First and Last Names. Publication Place:
Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type.
Wasmoen, Annelise Finegan, trans. The Last Lover. By Can Xue. New Haven: Yale UP, 2014. Print.
Work in a Reference Book
Skip the author’s name if not provided. If the works are listed in alphabetical order, skip the page and volume
numbers.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Work.” Title of the Reference Book. Ed. Editor’s First and Last Names.
Edition ed. Vol Volume Number. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Pages. Publication Type.
“Environment.” The New American Rogert’s College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form. Rev. ed. 1985. Print.
Religious Text
Title of the Edition of the Text. Ed./Trans. First Name and Last Name. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year.
Publication Type. Version Name.
The Holy Bible. Colorado Spring: Intl. Bible Soc., 1984. Print. New Intl Vers.
Online
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Format authors, editors, translators, and titles as you would in print sources.
If the sponsoring organization is not available, use N.p.
Abbreviate month names as you would in print sources. If the publication or most recent update dates are not
available, use n.d.
If the citation calls for page numbers and they are unavailable, please use n. pag.
Only include the URL if the source could not be found with the identifying information given in the citation. If
this is the case, give the URL in angular brackets at the end of the citation. If the URL won’t fit on one line,
separate it after a slash only. Or, consider giving the URL for the website’s homepage.
Website
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Website Title. Sponsor, Publication or Most Recent Update Date. Publication Type.
Accessed Day Month Year.
Writing Center at Florida Gulf Coast University. Florida Gulf Coast U, 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
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Work from a Website/Blog Entry
If the work on the website doesn’t have a title, use an italicized, descriptive title like Homepage, Blog Entry, etc.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Work Title.” Website Title. Sponsor, Publication or Most Recent Update Date.
Publication Type. Accessed Day Month Year.
Youngblood, R.J. “What to Expect at the Writing Center.” The Writing Center. Florida Gulf Coast U, 3
Nov. 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
eBook/Online Book
Cite as you would a print book except add the name of the website or database before the publication type and give
the access date after the publication type.
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. Publication Type. Accessed Day
Month Year.
Kemp, Larry. My Name Rhymes with Hemp. Boston: Bedford, 2003. Web. 2 Sept. 2005.
If the ebook was downloaded for a Kindle, iPad, etc., cite as you would a print source but replace the publication type
with the ebook format. Also, since this document was not accessed like a webpage, you do not need an access date.
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publication Place: Publisher, Publication Year. eBook Format.
McCarthy, Cormac. Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West. New York: Vintage, 1992. Kindle.
Article Accessed through a Database
Cite as you would a print article except indicate the database before and the access date after the publication type.
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume.Issue (Publication Year): Pages. Database. Publication
Type. Accessed Day Month Year.
Arnold, Edwin T. "Mosaic of McCarthy's Fiction." Sacred Violence: Cormac McCarthy's Western Novels 2.1
(2012): 211-250. El Paso, TX: Texas Western, 2002. MLA Intl. Bibliog. Web. 3 May 2014.
Online Scholarly Journal Article
Cite as you would a print journal article except indicate the access date after the publication type. If the journal does
not have page numbers.
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume.Issue (Publication Year): Pages. Publication Type.
Accessed Day Month Year.
Mundik, Petra. “‘Striking the Fire Out of the Rock’: Gnostic Theology in Cormac McCarthy’s Blood
Meridian.” South Central Rev. 26.3 (2009): 72-97. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
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Online Newspaper Article
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title. Publisher, Publication Day Month and Year. Publication
Type. Accessed Day Month Year.
Lee, Murphy. “Potatoes Causes Cancer.” New York Times. New York Times, 14 Aug. 2007. Web. 15 Aug.
2007.
Online Magazine Article
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Magazine Title. Publisher, Publication Date. Publication Type. Accessed Day
Month Year.
Tater, Bill. “Murphy Lee Lies!” Slate. Slate Group, 16 Jan. 2008. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
Online Reference Entry
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Entry Title.” Reference Title. Sponsor, Publication or Most Recent Update Date.
Publication Type. Accessed Day Month Year.
“Manbearpig.” Urban Dictionary. Urban Dictionary, 27 Apr. 2006. Web. 22 May 2014.
Wiki Entry
“Entry Title.” Wiki Title. Sponsor, Publication or Most Recent Update Date. Publication Type. Accessed Day Month
Year.
“Private Investigator.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
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