MLA Style Guide
Citing Sources in the Text
Provide an in-text citation when quoting/paraphrasing someone else’s work
In-text citations should direct the reader to the entry on the Works Cited
Avoiding Plagiarism
Checklist
Is each use of someone
Examples
else’s material noted in
your assignment?
Author not named in text
Did you reference your
Macbeth is socially inept because of Lady Macbeth’s controlling
nature (Magnusson 25).
Author named in text
According to Magnusson, Macbeth is socially inept because of Lady
Macbeth’s controlling nature (25).
Two or three authors
sources for graphs, statistics
and other borrowed data?
Are quotations from
another persons’ work
exact. Did you use
quotation marks?
If you paraphrased or
Macbeth is socially inept because of Lady Macbeth’s controlling
nature (Magnusson and Willard 25).
Tips
If a source has more than three authors, you may state the first author’s
name followed by “et al.” (Example: Smith et al. argue…)
summarized someone else’s
material did you use your
own words and sentence
structure?
Does your works
cited
include all the sources you
referred to in your
assignment?
Anonymous works are referred to by full or shortened title.
Example: “One article notes that young offenders generally benefit more from
personal counseling and vocational training” (“Alberta” 36).
This citation refers to an unsigned article titled “Alberta Surplus Funds Education.”
When an information source contains no page numbers just include the author’s
name in the in-text citation.
Example: One website describes the side effects associated with this drug (King).
Preparing the Works Cited
Your “Works Cited” list should include all the sources you quoted, paraphrased, or summarized in your
assignment. This listing appears at the end of your assignment. When formatting your “Works Cited,” follow
these standards:
1.
2.
3.
Arrange your sources in alphabetical order by the last name of the author or title if no author is noted
Double space the entire list(both within and between entries)
Indent the second and subsequent lines of each entry fives spaces from the left
You have free access to an online tool that automatically generates citations.
It’s called RefWorks. For more information please see library.mcmaster.ca.
Electronic Sources
Print Sources
Book
Magnusson, Lynne. Shakespeare’s Social Dialogue.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
2 or 3 Authors
Walton, Priscilla and Manina Jones. Title. Place:
Publisher, Date.
4 or more authors
Logan, John B., et al. Title. Place: Publisher, Date.
Book with an Editor
Natoli, Joseph, ed. Title. Place: Publisher, Date.
Essay or Chapter in a Book
Bewley, Marius. “The True Heir of the American Dream.”
Readings on the Great Gatsby. Ed. Katie Koster. San
Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.
Academic Journal Article
Dacey, June. “Management Participation in Corporate
Buy-Outs.” Management Perspectives 7.4 (1994): 20-31.
Signed Article Daily Newspaper
Christie, James. “All-Star Game Marries Glitz and Ghosts.”
Globe and Mail 5 Feb 2000: S1
Custom Courseware
Ford, Sarah. “Doctor-Patient Interactions in Oncology.”
Health Studies 4C03. Ed. Chris Sinding. Hamilton, ON:
McMaster University, 2004. 125-133
Other Sources
Lecture
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Presentation.”
Class/Meeting/Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date.
Example
Dietrich, James. “Next Generation Video Chat.” Bytes and
Bites e-learning café session. MDCL 3118. Hamilton:
McMaster University, 22 Nov. 2007.
Interview
Graaf, Vera. Personal Interview. 19 Dec. 1993
Television Program
“Swift Kick in the Year End.” With Bob Robertson and
Linda Cullen. Double Exposure. CBC, Vancouver. 31 Dec.
1995.
Magazine Ad
Miller Genuine Draft. Advertisement. GQ. 4 May 2003:
112.
Website
Author (if given). “Title of Document” (if given). Title of
Site. Date of publication or date of latest update. Name
of associated institution (if given). Date of access <URL>
Example
Rubio, Mary. “Montgomery, Lucy Maude.” The Canadian
Encyclopedia. 2005. Historical Foundation of Canada. 13
July 2005 <www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com>.
Online Book
Hardy, Thomas (1887). The Woodlanders. [Online book].
Ed. Michael Moncur. The Literature Page. 25 July 2006
<URL>.
Online Journal
Mitra, Siddharta. “The Powerful are Powerless.” The Online
Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution. 6.1 (2004): 81-85.
13 June 2005 <URL>.
Online Newspaper
Lister, Sam. “Basic Hygiene is Failing in a Third of NHS
Hospitals.” TimesOnline. 22 Mar. 2006. 24 July 2006 <URL>.
Blogs and Wikis
Byford, Phil “Networking.” Phil Byford’s website. 26 July 2006.
28 Nov. 2008 <URL>.
Podcast
Fink, Sheri. “Aids in Papua New Guinea.” BBC World News:
Health/HIV Aids. 29 May 2006. 1 Aug. 2006 <URL>.
Video Weblog Post (YouTube)
“Skateboarding Dog.” YouTube. 28 June 2007. 9 Feb. 2008
<URL>.
Online Music Video
Stefani, Gwen. “Wind It Up.” The Sweet Escape. Interscope,
2006. Music Video. Dir. Joseph Kahn. MSN InMusic. 6 Sept.
2007 <URL>.
Course Website/WebCT
Reynolds, Walter. SOC 1A06 Sociology. Lecture 1: Sociology
and Statistics. WebCT. 14 Sept. 2008 <URL>.
Online Government Source
Alberta Environment, Water Sciences Branch. Evaluation of
Recent Trends in Water Quality. 1999. 23 Aug. 2007 <URL>.
Other Resources
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. LB 2369 .G53 2003 Mills: 5th Floor
Fowler, Ramsey., et al. The Little Brown Handbook. 3rd Ed.
PE 1112 . F685 2008 Mills: 2nd Floor (Research Help Desk)
Neville, Colin. The Complete Guide to Referencing and
Avoiding Plagiarism. PN 171 .F56N48 2007 Mills: 5th Floor
http://library.mcmaster.ca/justask
http://www.ifla.org/I/training/citation/citing.html
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html
http://library.queensu.ca/help/cite-sources
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html