MLA Documentation Guide
Contents
What is MLA Style? ....................................................................................................................................... 3
When and What to Cite ................................................................................................................................ 3
How to Create In-Text Citations.................................................................................................................... 5
Variations on the Standard In-Text Citation ............................................................................................. 5
How to Create a Works Cited Page ............................................................................................................... 9
In-Text Citations/Works Cited by Source .................................................................................................... 11
Books ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
Book With Single Author ..................................................................................................................... 12
Book With Two or Three Authors (or Editors) .................................................................................... 12
Book With Four or More Authors ....................................................................................................... 13
Book With Editor or Translator ........................................................................................................... 13
Book With Group or Corporate Author .............................................................................................. 15
Book With No Given Author ............................................................................................................... 15
Sections of Books .................................................................................................................................... 17
One Part of a Book With a Single Author ............................................................................................ 17
Article or Chapter in Edited Book in Which There Are Articles by a Number of Writers ................... 17
Reference Book (including Encyclopedia) Article or Dictionary Entry ................................................ 18
Work in an Anthology ......................................................................................................................... 19
Introduction, Preface, Foreword, Afterword ...................................................................................... 20
Periodicals (in Print and Online) ............................................................................................................. 21
Journal Article in a Journal with Volume Number .............................................................................. 21
Journal Article in a Journal with Volume and Issue Number .............................................................. 22
Article in a Scholarly Journal That Exists Only in Electronic Form ...................................................... 23
Magazine Article ................................................................................................................................. 24
Newspaper Article............................................................................................................................... 25
Editorial or Letter to Editor ................................................................................................................. 26
Documentation Guide: MLA
2
Review (Book, Film Performance) ....................................................................................................... 28
Electronic Sources ................................................................................................................................... 30
Page or Document found on a Website (Nonperiodical Work Cited only on the Web) ..................... 30
Entire Website .................................................................................................................................... 31
eBook .................................................................................................................................................. 33
A PDF or Other Digital File .................................................................................................................. 34
Online Encyclopedia ............................................................................................................................ 35
Other Sources (including non-print and on web) ................................................................................... 36
Lecture, Address or Reading ............................................................................................................... 36
Work of Art ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Film...................................................................................................................................................... 39
Television Program ............................................................................................................................. 40
Sound Recording ................................................................................................................................. 41
Article, Story, Poem etc. Found in a Coursepack ................................................................................ 42
General MLA Formatting Guidelines........................................................................................................... 43
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What is MLA Style?
MLA is a documentation method based on the guidelines set by the Modern Language
Association and laid out in detail in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, seventh
edition, and in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, third edition.
MLA documentation style is commonly used in the humanities, especially in English literature,
and in literatures of other languages, and in cultural studies, native studies, women’s studies,
and Canadian studies, for example, when the focus is similar to literature. In interdisciplinary
courses, ask your instructor which style is preferred.
Writing the English Essay: Substance and Style provides help with the essay-writing process
specifically for English essays.
When and What to Cite
In MLA, the citation is composed of parentheses that contain source information.
It is not always easy to know what needs to be cited: try to keep in mind the following
guidelines.
Cite the following:
 Someone else’s words (a word-for-word quotation)
 Facts (statistics, findings) you learned from primary and secondary sources
 Someone else’s ideas or opinions
The facts and ideas you come across in your research you may directly quote, but more often
you will summarize; remember even summary needs to be cited if you found the content
elsewhere.
Citing in Close-Reading-Based Essays
Many MLA essays are based on close readings of texts, for example, an English essay on a poem
by Wordsworth. The primary source would be the poem, the work in question, and secondary
sources are those other sources you might use for information or insight about the poem
(books, articles, etc.).
For close readings, quote the primary source as evidence for the claims or points you are
making. Your supporting evidence may be directly quoted words, phrases, sentences,
occasionally several sentences, showing details about character, plot, diction, imagery etc.
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You may end up with an essay with more quotations than other kinds of essays. Don’t worry;
the quoted words from the text are the support for the arguments you are making, and they
show that your ideas came from somewhere.
Try to keep your quotations as short and pertinent as possible, using the quoted words to
support points you are making yourself, not letting the quotations speak for you.
Don't cite the following:
 Your ideas or opinion.
 Common knowledge in the discipline: it takes a while to get the feel for this. Often the
original source of “common knowledge” is either unknown, widely known, or
inconsequential. Common knowledge in English might be that Shakespeare wrote
comedies, tragedies, and histories. If you are not sure if something qualifies as common
knowledge in the discipline, go ahead and cite.
When in doubt, cite.
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How to Create In-Text Citations
In the body of your essay, you acknowledge your summarized or quoted material, in
parentheses, with the author’s last name and the page number where the information was
found in the source. The parenthetical citation is inserted next to the item needing
documentation, most often at the end of the sentence or at a comma.
Venus and Adonis are a “cosmological allegory” (Ellrodt 78).
If the author’s name is already mentioned in the text, only the page number is required in the
parenthetical citation.
Miller concedes, in The Poem’s Two Bodies, that “human beings are…living organisms,
whose apprehension of themselves and their world is mediated by the body” (215).
Variations on the Standard In-Text Citation
Source with Two or Three Authors
Include all the authors’ names.
(Boyne and Gamache 10)
(Boyne, Gamache, and Taylor 15)
Source with Four or More Authors
Use the first author’s name and “et al.”, which means “and others.”
(Armstrong et al. 5)
Two or More Works in One Citation
Separate the works with a semi-colon.
(Paglia 175; Miller 28)
An Internet Document That Does Not Have Numbered Pages
With no pages, directing the reader to a particular section is made more difficult. Depending on
what you are working with, you can use a paragraph number or a section heading. However, if
paragraphs are not numbered and there are no headings, sometimes you cannot direct the
reader to a specific section in the parenthetical citation.
Denise Vultee et al. think that it is likely that Blake engraved many of the sketches
himself (par. 9).
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An online biography of William Blake claims that "Blake express[ed] contempt for [the]
emphasis on color among painters of the Venetian school" (Vultee et al., "Artist and
Engraver, 1779-1788").
Vultee et al. think that it is likely that Blake engraved many of the sketches himself.
Works of Literature
When referring to works of literature, it is often preferable to specify location by some
designation other than page number – for example, act, scene, and line for drama, or stanza,
canto or book, for long poems. For many short poems, line designation alone is used.
Use Arabic numerals (unless your instructor prefers Roman numerals).
In the following example, the citation indicates that the passage quoted appears in act 1, scene
1, line 79 of the play.
How am I glutted with conceit of this!
Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please,
Resolve me of all ambiguities,
Perform what desperate enterprise I will? (Marlowe 1.1.79-82)
Citing one text throughout the essay
In some literary or philosophy essays, you may only be citing from one text throughout. In that
case, for your first citation, include the author’s name.
Marlowe (1.1.79-82)
In subsequent citations, you don’t need to include the author’s name again:
(1.1.79-82)
Citing Two or More Works by One Author
For the first reference to each work, in the citation, include the author's name, the name of the
work (a shortened form is acceptable), and location information. So, in an essay that refers to
two plays by Shakespeare, the first reference to each play would be as follows. Notice that a
comma separates the writer's name from the work.
(Shakespeare, JC 1.2.4-5) refers to Julius Caesar
(Shakespeare, Ant. 2.3.5-9) refers to Antony and Cleopatra
If the essay only refers to these two plays, in subsequent references, the author's name would
not be necessary.
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(JC 1.2 4-5) refers to Julius Caesar
(Ant. 2.3. 5-9) refers to Antony and Cleopatra
See the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Paper Seventh Edition 250-256 for examples of
short forms of major works of literature, philosophy and other disciplines.
Referring to the Work as a Whole
Sometimes, the citing of page numbers is not necessary if you are referring to or summarizing a
work and not particular pages or sections of it. In such cases, include the author’s name in your
essay text, and you will not need a parenthetical citation at all.
As Elkin has shown in The Augustan Defence of Satire, satire and satirists were subject to much
contemporary attack on their artistic practices.
Citing a Source You Found in Another Source
When possible, take material from its original source; however, at times you may need to cite a
source indirectly.
The Christian tradition emphasizes the Logos, the Word of God: “the model, according
to which the creature is fashioned, is in the word of God” (Augustine qtd. in Kane 91).
The quotation is of Augustine, found in a source by Kane, on page 91. It is the work by Kane
that appears in the Works Cited list.
Block or Set Off Quotations
If a quotation takes up more than four lines in your essay, it is set off from the text. Start the
quotation by beginning a new line, and indent one inch (2.3 cm) from the left margin by
pressing the Tab key once. No quotation marks are necessary.
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Don't change your spacing; if you have been double-spacing or using 1.5, continue with it
throughout the block quotation. At the end of the quotation, put a period, one space and then
the parenthetical citation.
The seminal principles derive from God:
For these, which give birth to all the rest, have derived, together with their own origin,
seminal principles from the Planter God, even as the female does after impregnation.
God, who is greatest and best, and the fulness of all things, contained all in Himself (that
we may observe due order), before he had diffused them abroad. (Colet qtd. in
Nohrnberg 554)
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How to Create a Works Cited Page
In addition to the parenthetical citations, information about your sources is acknowledged at
the end of the essay, in a Works Cited list. Every source you cited in your essay text must
appear in the Works Cited. Sources that you have consulted but not cited are not included.
Follow these guidelines for your Works Cited list.
1. The Works Cited list should be on its own page. This page is numbered in sequence with
the pages of the essay. (Occasionally, if your list is short, your professor may allow you
to put the Works Cited list on the last page of your essay, four to six spaces down from
your last paragraph. This only works if the entire list will fit on the last page. Get your
instructor's permission before doing this.)
2. The title, Works Cited, or occasionally, Work Cited, is centred. The title does not have to
put in bold, italics, or underlined.
3. The entire list is double-spaced (or in 1.5, if that is what you are using throughout the
essay).
4. Each entry is in a format called a "hanging-indent." This means the first line of each
entry is flush with the left margin but any subsequent lines are indented five-seven
spaces or one Tab.
5. Arrange the entries in alphabetical order by the author's last name. If the author is
unknown, alphabetize by the title, ignoring the articles, "A"," An", and "The".
6. If two or more works by the same author are to be listed, alphabetize the works by title,
then give the author's name in the first entry. For additional entries, type three
unspaced hyphens and a period instead of the author's name; leave one space and type
the title.
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed.
Alfred Harbage. Baltimore: Penguin, 1969. 930-76. Print.
---. Julius Caesar. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 1000-1051.
7. Note that in the above example, both plays were from the same anthology. To avoid
unnecessary repetition in the Works Cited, the first entry is complete, but the second
one cross-references the first. In the second entry, enough information (the title of the
anthology) is given so it is clear Julius Caesar came from the same anthology as Antony
and Cleopatra. The rest of the information can then be skipped in the second entry, with
only the page range of Julius Caesar added.
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8. Publishers' names are shortened. Only the important, identifying words are necessary.
Eliminate words like "limited," "company," etc. For example, RR. Bowker Co. becomes
Bowker. The University of Toronto Press becomes U of Toronto P. University Press is
designated UP.
9. MLA is now calling for the medium of publication to follow the publication information.
See sample entries below.
Sample Entry: Book
Lem, Winnie. Cultivating Dissent: Work, Identity and Praxis in Rural Languedoc. Albany: State U
of New York P, 1999. Print.
Sample Entry: Article in a Journal
Chivers, Sally. "'Move! You're in the Way!' Disability and Age Meet on Screen." Canadian
Journal of Film Studies: Revue Canadienne D'Etudes Cinematographique 17.1 (2008): 3043. Print.
Sample Entry: Online Encyclopedia
"Erasmus." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Eds. James Fiesser and Bradley Dowden. n.d.
Web. 5 Feb. 2010.
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In-Text Citations/Works Cited by Source
Books
Sections of Books
Periodicals (in Print and Online)
Electronic Sources
Other Sources (including non-print and on web)
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Books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Book with single author
Book with 2 or 3 authors
Book with 4 or more authors
Book with editor or translator
Book with group/corporate author
Book with no given author
1. Book With Single Author
In-Text Citation
(Lem 212)
Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. Title of Book. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Lem, Winnie. Cultivating Dissent: Work, Identity and Praxis in Rural Languedoc. Albany: State U
of New York P, 1999. Print.
2. Book With Two or Three Authors (or Editors)
In-Text citations
Include all the authors' names. Precede the last name with "and." (Arp and Johnson 67)
Works Cited
Key:
Authors' Names: Last Name First for First Author Only. Title of Book. Number of edition. City
Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Arp, Thomas R., and Greg Johnson. Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. 10th
ed. Boston: Heinle, 2002. Print.
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3. Book With Four or More Authors
In-Text Citation
(Messenger et al. 416)
Works Cited
Key:
First Author's Name, Last Name First and et al. Title of Book. Number of ed. City Where
Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Messenger, William E., et al. The Canadian Writer's Handbook. 4th ed. Toronto: Oxford UP,
2005. Print.
Or
Key:
Authors' names: Last Name First for First Author Only. Title of Book. Number of ed. City Where
Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Messenger, William E., Jan de Bruyn, Judy Brown, and Ramona Montagnes. The Canadian
Writer's Handbook. 4th ed. Toronto: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.
Notice: MLA gives you two options for the works cited list. You may name only the first
author plus "et al." or you may give all names in full in the order they appear on the title
page. For the second option, note that only for the first author's name, does the last name
come first. The names of the subsequent authors are in the usual order. For the in-text
citations, for the sake of ease and readability, use only the first author's name plus "et al."
4. Book With Editor or Translator
In-Text Citation
(Gilman 19)
(Cervantes 302)
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Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name, Last Name First. Title of Book. Editor's Name. City Where Published: Publisher,
Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Herland and Selected Stories. Ed. Barbara H. Solomon. New York:
Signet Classics, 1992. Print.
Or
Key:
Author's Name, Last Name First. Title of Book. Translator's Name. Editor's Name. City Where
Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote.
Trans. Tobias Smollett. Ed. Robin Chapman. London: The Folio Society, 1995. Print.
Notice: The names of the editor or translator are put in the usual order, first name
followed by surname. The second example shows a book with both a translator and an
editor. The translator comes before the editor.
Reference to Editor or Translator
Sometimes you may wish to refer to the edited material of a book, or to the comments of the
translator. In such cases, follow the examples given below.
In-Text Citation
(Solomon, xv)
(Smollet xxxix)
(Chapman xv)
Works Cited
Solomon, Barbara. H., ed. Herland and Selected Stories. By Charlotte Perkins Gilman. New York:
Signet Classics, 1992. Print.
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Smollet, T., trans. The History and Adventures of the Renowned Don Quixote. By Miguel do
Cervantes Saavedra. Ed. Robin Chapman. London: The Folio Society, 1995. Print.
5. Book With Group or Corporate Author
In-Text Citation
(Modern Language Association 212)
Works Cited
Key:
Group or Corporate Name. Title of Book. Number of ed. City Where Published: Publisher, Year
of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Modern Language Association of America. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing.
3rd ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2008. Print.
Notice: The group or corporate name is used in the in-text parenthetical citation. It
might be better to include a long name in your essay text, so the parentheses need only
contain the page number: "The Modern Language Association is no longer
recommending including URL addresses in the works cited list entries" (212).
6. Book With No Given Author
In-Text Citation
(Holy Bible, Gen. 1.31)
Works Cited
Key:
Title of Book. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. Bible
Edition.
Example:
The Holy Bible. New York: Penguin, 1974. Print. King James Version.
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Notice: The full title, if brief, or an abbreviated version goes in the parenthetical in-text
citation, followed by page or paragraph number or other identification. As the example
is from the Bible, the book (title abbreviated), chapter and verse are given. When
abbreviating, start with the word under which the title is alphabetized in the works cited
list, in this example: "Holy." The full title name goes in the works cited list; however,
alphabetize excluding "a" "an" or "the." The example would go under "H" not "T."
Editions of the Bible are based on named versions of the text. The name of the version,
in this example, the King James Version, is recorded at the end of the works cited entry.
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Sections of Books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
One part of a book by single author
Article or chapter in edited book
Reference book article (including encyclopedia) or dictionary entry
Work in an anthology
Introduction, preface, foreward, afterword
1. One Part of a Book With a Single Author
In-Text Citation
(Garrett-Petts 63)
Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article or Chapter Title." Title of Book. City Where Published:
Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Garrett-Petts, W.F. "Writing the Critical Essay: Form and the Critical Process." Writing about
Literature: A Guide for the Student Critic. Peterborough, ON: Broadview, 2000. 57-86.
Print.
2. Article or Chapter in Edited Book in Which There Are Articles by a Number of Writers
In-Text Citation
(Lacombe 126)
Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article or Chapter Title." Title of Book. Editor's Names. City
Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Lacombe, Michele. "The Cybor Identities of Oryx and Crake." Margaret Atwood: The Open Eye.
Ed. John Moss and Tobi Kozakewich. Ottawa: U of Ottawa P, 2006. 117-36. Print.
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Notice: In the works cited entry, "Ed." is used for one or more than one editor.
3. Reference Book (including Encyclopedia) Article or Dictionary Entry
3a. In-Text Citation for Reference Book Article
("Chile")
(Popham)
Works Cited for Reference Book Article
No Authors Given for Articles
Key:
"Reference Book Article." Title of Reference Book. Year of edition. Medium of Publication.
Example:
"Chile." The Encyclopedia Americana. 2004 ed. Print.
Authors Given for Articles
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article." Title of Reference Book. Editor's Name. Number of
edition. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Range. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Popham, Elizabeth. "Arcadian Fiction." The Spenser Encyclopedia. Ed. A.C. Hamilton. 2nd ed.
Toronto: U of Toronto P, 2006. Print.
3b. In-Text Citation for Dictionary Entry
("Sickle")
Works Cited for Dictionary Entry
Key:
"Dictionary Entry." Title of Dictionary. Number of edition. Year of Publication. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
"Sickle." The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. Print.
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Key:
"Dictionary Entry." Title of Dictionary. Editor's Name. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
"Sickle." The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Ed. Katherine Barber. Toronto: Oxford UP, 2001.
Print.
Notice: When citing widely used encyclopedias, dictionaries or other reference books
that frequently appear in new editions, you do not need to give full publication
information, as shown in the first works cited examples. For more specialized reference
books, full publication information is given in the works cited list. Page numbers in both
the parenthetical citations and works cited entry are omitted when the reference book
is arranged alphabetically.
4. Work in an Anthology
4a. In-Text Citation for Short Work in an Anthology
(Dickinson 6)
Works Cited for Short Work in an Anthology
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Short Work (Poem) Title." Title of Anthology. Editor's Name.
City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page or Page Range. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Dickinson, Emily. "You Cannot Make Remembrance Grow." The Poems of Emily Dickinson:
Reading Edition. Ed. R.W. Franklin. Cambridge: Belknapp P of Harvard U, 1999. 1536.
Print.
Notice: Because this in-text citation is for a poem, 6 refers to a line instead of a page
number, which would be appropriate for a short story or an article. In the works cited
example, 1536 is the page on which the poem is found, not a date. As this example
shows, titles of short poems, short stories, essays or other works that have probably not
been previously published on their own are enclosed in quotation marks.
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4b. In-Text Citation for Longer Work in an Anthology
(Shakespeare 1.2.26-30)
Works Cited for Longer Work in an Anthology
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. Title of Short Work Previously Published on Its Own (Play).
Title of Anthology. Editor's Name City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed.
Alfred Harbage. Baltimore: Penguin, 1969. 930-76. Print.
Notice: Because this in-text citation is for a play, 1.2.26-30 refers to act, scene and line
numbers. In the works cited example, the work in the anthology is a play, which like a
novel or a long poem has probably been previously published on its own. Therefore, the
title of this work, as well as the title of the anthology, is put in italics. When in doubt,
use quotation marks.
5. Introduction, Preface, Foreword, Afterword
In-Text Citation
(McGlinn viii)
Works Cited
Key:
Name of the Author of the Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword: Last Name First.
Introduction. Title of Book. Author's Name. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
McGlinn, Margeurite. Introduction. The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and
Rhetoric. By Sister Miriam Joseph. Philadelphia: Paul Dry Books, 2002. vii-xi. Print.
Notice: The name of the part being cited, Introduction, Preface, Foreword, Afterword,
etc. is in capitals, but not put in italics or enclosed in quotation marks. Sometimes, an
Introduction is paginated in Roman Numerals. If so, use the Roman Numerals to indicate
the page range of the Introduction, as is done here.
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Periodicals (in Print and Online)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Journal article in journal with volume number
Journal article in journal with volume and issue number
Article in scholarly journal that exists only in electronic form
Magazine article
Newspaper article
Editorial or letter to editor
Review (book, film, performance)
1. Journal Article in a Journal with Volume Number
In-Text Citation
Print Journal
(Bailey 96)
Journal found Online (article may be also available in print)
(Jones, 100)
If the page numbers are not given, use paragraph numbers in place of page numbers if the
paragraphs are numbered in the text: (Jones, par. 9)
If the paragraph numbers are not numbered in the text, do not use paragraph numbers.
If the article has headings, you may use the headings in place of page numbers, but many
articles do not have headings. Therefore, you may sometimes only be able to use the author's
name in the in-text citation: (Jones)
Works Cited
1a. Print Journal
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume Number (Year of
Publication): Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Bailey, Suzanne. "'His Centre is not in the Middle': Reading Browning, Genius, and ADHD."
Studies in Browning and his Circle 27 (2006):91-110. Print.
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1b. Journal Found Online (article may be also available in print)
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume Number (Year of
Publication): Page Range. Name of Database. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed.
Example:
Jones, Steven Swann. "On Analyzing Fairy Tales: 'Little Red Riding Hood' Revisited." Western
Folklore 46 (1987): 97-114. Web. 30 May 2013.
Notice: The volume number, in these examples, 27 and 46, are put in regular font, not in
italics. If you accessed the journal article from the web, include the date you accessed
the article. If you used Google, Google Scholar or another search engine to find the
journal article simply follow the page range with Web and the date the article was
accessed. If you used a scholarly research database such as EBSCOhost or JSTOR to find
the article, put the name of the database you used, in italics, between the page range
and Web. (97-114. JSTOR. Web. 30 May 2013. )
2. Journal Article in a Journal with Volume and Issue Number
In-Text Citation
Print Journal
(Chivers 31)
Journal Found Online (article may be also available in print)
(Thickstun 172)
If the page numbers are not given, use paragraph numbers in place of page numbers if the
paragraphs are numbered in the text: (Thickstun, par. 9)
If the paragraph numbers are not numbered in the text, do not use paragraph numbers. If the
article has headings, you may use the headings in place of page numbers, but many articles do
not have headings. Therefore, you may sometimes only be able to use the author's name in the
in-text citation: (Thickstun)
Works Cited
2a. Print Journal
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue Number
(Year of Publication): Page Range. Medium of Publication.
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Example:
Chivers, Sally. "'Move! You're in the Way!' Disability and Age Meet on Screen. Canadian Journal
of Film Studies: Revue Canadienne D'Etudes Cinematographique 17.1 (2008): 300-43.
Print.
2b. Journal found Online (article may be also available in print)
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue Number
(Year of Publication): Page Range. Name of Database. Medium of Publication. Date
Accessed.
Example:
Thickstun, Margaret. "Resisting Patience in Milton's Sonnet 19." Milton Quarterly 44.3 (2010):
168-80. EBSCOhost. Web. 19 October 2012.
Notice: The volume and issue number, in these examples 17.1 and 44.3 are in regular
font, not put in italics. For journal articles found on the Web, if you used a scholarly
research database to find your periodical (as opposed to Google), include (in italics) the
name of the database you used (in this case, EBSCOhost). Include the date you accessed
the article from the web.
3. Article in a Scholarly Journal That Exists Only in Electronic Form
Some scholarly journals only exist in electronic form; they are published on the Web and do not
exist in print form.
In-Text Citation
(Buckland, par. 9)
"Par." means paragraph.
Page numbers or headings may be used to identify the specific part of the article being referred
to, depending on what you are given.
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Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume Number (Year of
Publication): Page Range or no pagination Indication. Medium of Publication. Date
Accessed.
Example:
Buckland, Adelene. "'Pictures in the Fire': The Dickensian Hearth and the Concept of History."
Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net 53 (2009): n. pag. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
Notice: Like print scholarly journals, electronic scholarly journals may have both a
volume and an issue number, for example, 6.1, or just a volume number, as above, 53.
The year of publication, in parentheses, follows the volume/issue number(s). If the
electronic journal does not provide continuous page numbers for the article, use
"n.pag." after the year. If you accessed the periodical from a library research database,
you should also include the name of the database (in italics) just before the medium of
publication: (JSTOR Web). The date at the end is your date of access.
4. Magazine Article
In-Text Citation
(Steyn 70)
(Johnson 64)
(Johnson n.pag.)
Works Cited
4a. For a magazine published every week or two, give the complete date:
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Magazine Complete Date of Publication: Page
Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Steyn, Mark. "The People vs. Ex-Generalissimo Blair." Maclean's 15 Feb. 2010: 70-71. Print.
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4b. For a magazine published every month or every two months, give the month, or the months
(Nov.-Dec.), and the year:
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Magazine Month and Year of Publication: Page
Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Johnson, Jessica. "Dances with Werewolves." The Walrus Dec. 2009: 62-65. Print.
4c. For a magazine accessed online:
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Magazine Month and Year of Publication: Page
Range or no pagination Indication. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Johnson, Brian D. "Paul Quarrington Embraced Life and Art to the End." Maclean's.ca 21 Jan.
2010: n. pag. Wed. 12 Feb. 2011.
Notice: The complete date is given as day month year, and the names of months can be
abbreviated, except for May, June and July. For a magazine accessed online, follow the
guidelines for print magazines. If there are no page numbers included, put n. pag.
following the date of publication. The last date is the date you accessed the magazine
article.
5. Newspaper Article
In-Text Citation
(Murphy D6) (El Akkad A5) ("Toddler's Death" A4)
Works Cited
5a. Newspaper Accessed Online:
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Newspaper Complete Date of Publication: Page
or Page Range. Name of Database. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Murphy, Rex. "Paglia's Poetry Primer Pure Pleasure." Globe and Mail 15 Apr. 2005: D6.
ProQuest. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.
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5b. Print Newspaper
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article Title." Newspaper Complete Date of Publication: Page
or Page Range. Medium of Publication.
Example:
El Akkad Omar. "Woman Shocked by Portrayal as Hard-Line Islamist." Globe and Mail 5 Mar.
2010: A5. Print.
5c. No Author Given
Key:
"Article Title." Newspaper Complete Date of Publication: Page or Page Range. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
"Toddler's Death Ruled a Homicide." Globe and Mail 5 Mar. 2010: A4. Print.
Notice: Use the name as it appears on the masthead, excluding introductory articles
such as"A" "An" and "The" (for example Globe and Mail, not The Globe and Mail). If an
article has no author given, as in the last example, begin the works cited entry with the
article title. Include "A" "An" and "The" but ignore them when putting in alphabetical
order. Use the article title in the in-text citation in place of the author's last name. Give
the full title if it is short, but you may shorten longer ones. Make sure the short form
starts with the same word that starts the works cited list entry, excluding "A" "An" or
"The."
6. Editorial or Letter to Editor
6a. In-Text Citation for an Editorial
("O Canada," A18)
(Dhillon A19)
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Works Cited for an Editorial
If editorial is unsigned, begin with the headline instead and then add description, "Editorial."
Key:
"Editorial Headline." Description. Newspaper Complete Date of Publication: Page. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
"O Canada: Opening a Can of Worms." Editorial. Globe and Mail 5 Mar. 2010: A18. Print.
If editorial is signed, begin with author's name.
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Editorial Headline." Description. Newspaper Complete Date of
Publication: Page. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Dhillon, Jasteena. "The West Builds Institutions. Afghans Want Informal Justice." Editorial.
Globe and Mail 5 Mar. 2010: A18. Print.
Notice: The descriptions, "Editorial" above, and "Letter" below, are neither italicized nor
enclosed in quotation marks.
6b. In-Text Citation for a Letter to the Editor
(Russell A18)
Works Cited for a Letter (or Email) to the Editor
Key:
Letter (or Email) Writer's Name: Last Name First. Description. Newspaper Complete Date of
Publication: Page. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Russell, James. Letter. Globe and Mail 5 Mar. 2010: A18. Print.
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7. Review (Book, Film Performance)
7a. In-Text Citation for Book Review
(Bethune 65)
Works Cited for Book Review
Key:
Reviewer's Name, Last Name First. "Review Title." Title of Book Being Reviewed. Book Author's
Name. Publication in which Review Appears. Complete Date of Publication: Page.
Medium of Publication.
Example:
Bethune, Brian. "How to Liven up a Dinner Party." Rev. of A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of
Conversation, by Daniel Menaker. Maclean's 18 Jan. 2010: 65. Print.
Notice: The reviewer's name is followed by the title of the review. If the review has no
title, the author's name is simply followed by "Rev. of and the title of the reviewed work
in italics.
7b. In-Text Citation for Film Review
(Knight PM4)
Works Cited for Film Review
Key:
Reviewer's Name, Last Name First. "Review Title." Title of Film Being Reviewed. Film Director's
Name. Publication in which Review Appears. Complete Date of Publication: Page.
Medium of Publication.
Example:
Knight, Chris. "The Bourne Simulacrum." Rev. of Green Zone, dir. Paul Greengrass. National
Post. 12 Mar. 2010: PM4. Print.
Notice: Dir. stands for director.
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7c. In-Text Citation for Performance Review
(Considine R16)
Works Cited for Performance Review
For a review of a performance, add relevant information about the performance, for example,
venue, at your discretion.
Key:
Reviewer's Name, Last Name First. "Review Title." Title of Performance or Name of Performer
Being Reviewed. Venue and Location. Publication in which Review Appears. Complete
Date of Publication: Page. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Considine, J.D. "The Standout Moment." Rev. of Alicia Keys. The Air Canada Centre, Toronto.
Globe and Mail. 12 Mar. 2010: R16. Print.
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Electronic Sources
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Page or document found on a website
Entire website
eBook
PDF or other digital file
Online encyclopedia
1. Page or Document found on a Website (Nonperiodical Work Cited only on the Web)
In-Text Citation
When you are citing or quoting part of a web page or document, it is often necessary to give
considerable information in the text to identify where the citation or quotation can be found. If
you are lucky, your document will have numbered pages, but often it will not.
If your source gives clear paragraph numbers, use these. If the paragraphs are not clearly
numbered, don't count them.
(Jones, par. 3) or (Jones, pars. 3-9)
Note that a comma comes after the author's name. If your source has no page, paragraph or
other clear reference numbers, just put the author's name in the parentheses: (Jones)
If you are doing this, try to indicate in your paper's sentences, where in the document this
information is coming from:
A list of protocols for learning Native American Dance is provided, and several of these
emphasize the idea that song and dance are inseparable (Jones).
Or you could use the author's name in your sentence as well, and have no parenthetical
citation:
Jones provides a list of protocols for learning Native American Dance, and several of
these emphasize the idea that song and dance are inseparable.
Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Title of Part of Website." Title of Website, Publication Date If
Available or n.d. If Not Available. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed.
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Example:
Jones, Rosalie/Daystar. "Native American Dance Guidelines." Daystar Dance, n.d. Web. 5 Feb.
2010.
Notice: The sample entry is for a personal website, but many kinds of sources fall under
this type. This kind of entry usually contains the following sections, although, depending on
what you are working with, you may not have all sections:
1. Author, corporate author, sponsor. In this case, Rosalie Jones, who also goes by the
name Daystar, is the author.
2. If you are citing only a part of the website with its own title, this title comes next in
quotation marks. In this case, the title is "Native American Dance Guidelines."
3. Title of the website if different than number two. This title is in italics. In this case, the
website is called Daystar Dance.
4. Version or edition used, if applicable.
5. Publisher or sponsor of the site if different than number one. If not available, use N.p.
6. Publication date if available. Use the following order: day, month, year: 21 Aug. 2007. If
no date is available, put n.d. See example above.
7. Medium of access, in this case: Web.
8. Date you accessed the site. Use the same order for date as given in number six.
2. Entire Website
In-Text Citation
When you are citing an entire website or page, it is usually unnecessary to identify a page,
paragraph or heading. (Djwa, Keith and Pollock)
You may, in fact, choose to use the authors' names or site name in your sentences and not use
a parenthetical citation at all:
"On their site, Djwa, Keith and Pollock offer not only all of the texts of the poems that
appear in Selected Poems, but also annotations and a timeline."
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Works Cited
Key:
Author(s)' Names, Last Name First for First Author Listed Only. Title of Website. Publisher or
Sponsor of Site: If Several, Separate with Semi-Colons, Publication Date If Available or
n.d. If Not Available. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed.
Example:
Djwa, Sandra, W.J. Keith, and Zailig Pollock. The Selected Poems of E.J. Pratt: A Hypertext
Edition. E.J. Pratt Publications Project; Victoria University Library (University of Toronto);
University of Toronto Press, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
Notice: Many kinds of web sources fall under this type. This kind of entry usually contains
the following sections, although, depending on what you are working with, you may not
have all sections. :
1. Author, corporate author, sponsor. In this case, Sandra Djwa, W.J. Keith and Zailig
Pollock are the authors.
2. If you were citing only a part of the website with its own title, this title would come next
in quotation marks. In the example given above, the entire website is being referenced.
3. Title of the website if different than number two. This title is in italics. In this case, the
website is called. The Selected Poems of E.J. Pratt: A Hypertext Edition.
4. Version or edition used, if applicable. Not applicable in this example.
5. Publisher or sponsor of the site if different than number one. If not available, use N.p.
(in italics). In this example, there are three sponsors of the site; they are listed in order,
separated by semi-colons.
6. Publication date if available. Use the following order: day, month, year: 21 Aug. 2007. If
no date is available, put n.d. See example above.
7. Medium of access, in this case: Web.
8. Date you accessed the site. Use the same order for date as given in number six.
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3. eBook
In-Text Citation
Electronic book readers such as Kindle use locations as opposed to page numbers: (Austen
chap. 2, location 17, par. 2)
If the page numbers are given, use them: (Austen 45)
If neither page numbers nor locations are given, you can indicate that there is no pagination:
(Austen n.pag.)
However, your professor may want some indication of location, so you can also use chapter
number and paragraph number, instead: (Austen chap. 9, par. 2)
Works Cited
3a. Downloadable Books Read on an EBook Reader such as Kindle, Kobe, and iPad
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. Title of Book. Year Of Original Publication If Book Republished.
City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813. New York: W.W. Norton, 2000. Kindle ebook file.
Notice: As the example is a republished book, the date of the original publication is put
before the publication information. For medium of publication, Kindle digital file is also
correct.
3b. Ebook Accessed through Databases such as ebrary, NetLibrary and Project Gutenberg and
Read Online
Key:
Author's Name, Last Name First. Title of Book. Year of Original Publication. City Where
Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Source of Ebook. Medium of Publication. Date
Accessed.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813. New York: W.W.Norton, 2000. netLibrary. Web. 12
June 2013.
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Some ebooks do not contain publication information, especially books like Pride and Prejudice,
that were published many years ago and whose copyright is no longer in effect (books in the
public domain):
Key:
Author's Name, Last Name First. Title of Book. Indication that no publisher has been provided.
Indication that no publication date has been provided. Source of Ebook. Medium of
Publication. Date Accessed.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. n.p. n.d. Project Gutenberg. Web. 12 June 2013.
4. A PDF or Other Digital File
First you need to determine what kind of work you are citing. The example is a PDF file of a
manual. For some kinds of files, you will not have a page or paragraph number, or you may not
have an author's name. Work with what you have.
In-Text Citation
(Rice 40)
Works Cited
Key:
Author's Name, Last Name First. Title of File. City Where Published (If Applicable): Publisher or
Sponsor (If Applicable), Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Rice, Carla. Talking about Body Image, Identity, Disability, and Difference: A Facilitator's
Manual. Toronto: Building Bridges Collaborative Project/About Face International, 2003.
PDF file.
Notice: MLA no longer calls for including URL addresses. Instead, it advises including the
medium of publication. For digital files, put the file type. In this case, the file type is PDF,
but there are many other digital file types: a Microsoft Word file, JPEG file, MP3 file, etc.
If you are not sure of the file type, put Digital file. Medium of publication/file type is in
regular font.
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5. Online Encyclopedia
In-Text Citation
("Humanism")
If a page or paragraph number were available, it would follow the title, preceded by a comma:
("Humanism," 12)
Works Cited
Key:
Reference Book Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Editor's Name. Year of Edition or Indication that
No Date Available. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed.
Example:
"Humanism." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. James Fiesser and Bradley Dawden. n.d.
Web. 10 Feb. 2010.
Notice: As no author is available for the in-text citation, the full title of the entry is
given, as it is brief. You may shorten a longer title. When no author is given for the
encyclopedia entry, the title of the entry begins the Works Cited list entry. Do not use
Anonymous or Anon. Alphabetize the entry using the title. If no date is available, use
“n.d.” If a date is available, it is formatted by day month year: 10 Feb. 2010. The date at
the end indicates your date of access to the site.
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Other Sources (including non-print and on web)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lecture, address or reading
Work of art
Film
Television program
Sound recording
Article, story, poem found in coursepack
1. Lecture, Address or Reading
In-Text Citation
(Bode)
(Heyes)
Works Cited
Key:
Lecturer's Name, Last Name First. Name of the Course. University. Date of Lecture. Descriptive
Label.
Example:
Bode, Rita. English 1005H. Trent U. 18 Mar. 2010. Lecture.
Notice: After the speaker's name, the title of the presentation (if known or if there is
one) is given in quotation marks. For the first example, the lecture has no title, so it is
not given. In some university courses, the lectures are titled. Check your course outline
for this information.
Key:
Speaker's Name, Last Name First. "Title of Address." Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date of
Address. Descriptive Label.
Example:
Heyes, Scott. "Healing with the Ancestors: A Vision for Protected Areas and Visitor Centres in
Arctic Quebec, Canada." Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies.
Champlain College Lecture Hall, Trent U. 3 Mar. 2010. Address.
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Notice: The title of the presentation, if there is one, or the presenter's name if there is
no title, is followed by the sponsoring organization (if applicable), the location, the date,
and the descriptive label: lecture (in a course), address, reading, keynote speech, etc.
For a lecture given in a course, the sponsoring organization and the location would
simply be the name of the course and the university in which the course is taught.
2. Work of Art
In-Text Citation
In many cases, parenthetical citations for works of art would not be necessary. It would be
easier to simply refer to the author and work in the essay text:
"The Mary of Michelangelo's Pieta is younger looking than other Marys in other
sculptures and paintings of this subject."
However, if parenthetical citations are used, the artist's name goes in the parenthesis.
(Michelangelo)
(Osgood)
Works Cited
2a. When the work has been reproduced on the Web
Key:
Artist's Name, Last Name First. Work of Art. Date of Composition. Medium of Composition If
Known. Institution Where Work Is Shown, City Where Institution Is Located. Title of
Website. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed.
Examples:
Michelangelo. Pieta. 1499. Marble. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. RomaViva.com. Web. 19
Mar. 2010.
Osgood, Charles. Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1840. 1840. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA.
Ibiblio. Web. 19 Mar. 2010.
Notice: For images of art works found on the Web, after city, add title of the Website or
database, medium of publication (Web), and date of access.
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2b. When the work of art is viewed in its original form or found in an unpublished source
Key:
Artist's Name, Last Name First. Work of Art. Date of Composition. Medium of Composition If
Known. Institution Where Work Is Shown, City Where Institution Is Located.
Examples:
Michelangelo. Pieta. 1499. Marble. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Osgood, Charles. Nathaniel
Hawsthorne in 1840. 1840. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA.
Notice: The artist's name is followed by the name of the work in italics, the date of
composition (if unknown, put n.d.), the medium of composition, the institution where
the work is shown, and the city where institution is located. For works found in private
collection, "Collection of..." would go in place of the institution.
2c. When the work has been reproduced in a book
Key:
Artist's Name, Last Name First. Work of Art. Date of Composition. Medium of Composition If
Known. Institution Where Work Is Shown, City Where Institution Is Located. Title of
Book. Number of edition If Applicable. Editor's Name(s) If Applicable. City Where
Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Reproduction Medium. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Osgood, Charles. Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1840. 1840. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. The
American Tradition in Literature Vol. I. 9th ed. Ed. George Perkins and Barbara Perkins.
Boston: McGraw-Hill College, 1999. Plate. Print.
Notice: Include the way in which the work is reproduced in the book. In the example, the
painting is reproduced on special shiny paper in the book, called a plate. Other reproduction
media could be slide, figure, or page. Sometimes these are numbered, for example: Plate 5,
Slide 2, Page 188. Print refers to the fact that the reproduction appears in a printed work, a
book.
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3. Film
In-Text Citation
(Vertigo)
(Hitchcock)
Works Cited
Key:
Title of Film. Director. Performers. Distributor, Year of Release. Medium.
Examples:
Vertigo. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes.
Paramount, 1959. Film.
Hitchcock, Alfred, dir. Vertigo. Perf. James Stewart and Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes.
Paramount, 1959. Film.
Notice: Between director and distributor, you may include other information if you
refer to it in your essay, for example performers, producers, screenwriters etc. In the
example, three performers are added. In the second example, as the contribution of the
director is of interest in the essay, the entry begins with that person's name. You may do
this for other contributors as well.
DVD Release (or Other Media)
Key:
Title of Film. Director. Performers. Distributor, Year of Release. Releasing Company, Year of
DVD Release. Type of Medium.
Example:
Vertigo. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes.
Paramount 1959. Universal, 1998. DVD.
Notice: When medium consulted is DVD, videocassette, or other media, after the film's
original release date, put the releasing company, date of release, and type: in this
example, Universal, 1998. DVD.
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4. Television Program
In-Text Citation
The in-text citation matches the first component of the works cited entry. The different in-text
citation examples given match the different Works Cited examples given.
("Jane Eyre")
(Welch)
(Jane Eyre)
("Jane Eyre. Episode 1 Clip")
Works Cited
4a. Reference to Program itself
Key:
"Title of Episode." number of episodes in total. Title of Program. Name of Network. Local
Station Name and City. Date Aired. Medium.
Example:
"Jane Eyre." 2 episodes. Masterpiece Theatre. PBS. WNED, Buffalo. 30 Dec. 2007 and 6 Jan.
2008. Television.
4b. Reference to Particular Individuals
Key:
Writer/Adaptor. "Title of Episode." Performers. number of episodes in total. Title of Program.
Name Network. Local Station Name and City. Date Aired. Medium.
Example:
Welch, Sandy, adapt. "Jane Eyre." Perf. Ruth Wilson, Toby Stephens, and Tara Fitzgerald. 2
episodes. Masterpiece Theatre. PBS. WNED, Buffalo. 30 Dec. 2007 and 6 Jan 2008.
Television.
4c. Television Program Released on DVD
Key:
Title of Episodes (Program, Year Program First Aired). DVD Distributor, Year of Release.
Medium.
Example:
Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre, 2006). WGBH, 2007. DVD.
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Notice: For a television program released on DVD, the distributor, year of release and
medium replaces broadcast information.
4d. Television Program or Clip from Television Program found on Web
Key:
"Title of Program/Clip." Name of Network that Originally Produced Program, Year Originally
Aired. Website. Medium. Date of Access.
Example:
"Jane Eyre. Episode 1 Clip." BBC and PBS, 2006. Jane Eyre Homepage. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
Notice: The medium of original publication, Television, is dropped, and the title of the
website (or database) is added, in italics. Website title is followed by the medium (Web)
and date of access.
5. Sound Recording
In-Text Citation
(Beethoven)
Works Cited
The person cited at the beginning of the entry depends on the emphasis you prefer. It could be
the producer, the lyricist, the composer or songwriter, the performer, ensemble or group. In
this example, the composer is given.
5a. Sound Recording on CD or LP
Key:
Composer's (or Other's) Name, Last Name First. Title of Recording. Performer. Manufacturer,
Year Issued. Medium.
Example:
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor". Perf. Rudolf Serkin. New York
Philharmonic. Cond. Leonard Bernstein. Sony, 1990. CD.
Notice: The title of the recording is in italics, followed by the performer(s) or artist(s)
you choose to mention, the manufacturer, the year of issue and the medium: CD,
Audiocassette, LP (long-playing record), Audiotape, or MP3 file.
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5b. Sound Recording found on the Web
Key:
Composer's (or Other's) Name, Last Name First. Title of Recording. Performers. Manufacturer,
Year Issued. Title of Website. Medium. Date of Access.
Example:
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor". Perf. Rudolf Serkin. New York
Philharmonic. Cond. Leonard Bernstein. Sony, 1990. EMusic. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.
Notice: For sound recordings found on the web, the date of issue is followed by the title
of the website or database in italics, the medium, and the date of access.
6. Article, Story, Poem etc. Found in a Coursepack
In-Text Citation
(Rossetti 55)
Works Cited
MLA does not provide information on citing coursepacks. We suggest you treat sources found
in coursepacks in a similar way you would treat a source found in an anthology.
Key:
Author's Name: Last Name First. "Article, Story or Poem." Title of Coursepack. Department's
Name. City Where Published: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Range. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market." English 1000: Introduction to English Literature. Trent
University Department of English Literature. Toronto: Canadian Scholar's Press, 2009.
52-57. Print.
Notice: The editor of the coursepack, which follows the title, could be a person or a
department, in this case, the English department at Trent. Some coursepacks are paginated
continuously, some are not but include page numbers found on the work. We suggest you
use the continuous pagination of the whole coursepack where applicable.
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General MLA Formatting Guidelines
Note: If your instructor has his or her own requirements, follow them. These guidelines are the
most commonly required.
1. Use Times New Roman or a similar font, 12 point in size with standard 2.54 cm (1 inch)
margins. Avoid decorative fonts.
2. Double-space throughout the essay, including for block quotations and the list of works
cited.
3. When beginning a new paragraph, indent five spaces. Keep the text alignment to the
left.
4. MLA style no longer calls for a title page, but some professors still will ask for one. If not
including a title page, on the first page, at the top left margin, put the following: your
name on the first line, your instructor's name on the next line, the course name and
number on the third line, and finally, the due date. Double-space and then put your
title, centred. Double-space and begin the essay. See a sample.
5. Don't underline, italicize, or bold the title, and it is not necessary to put it in quotation
marks or in block capitals.
6. The rules for capitalization of titles are as follows:
a. Capitalize the first word, the last word, a word following a colon, and all principal
words: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subordinating conjunctions.
b. Don't capitalize the following parts of speech when they fall in the middle of a
title: articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, "to" in an infinitive, such
as to go, to sleep, to believe. For example of nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc., see
here.
7. Number all pages at the top right corner, except the title page if you have one. You
don't need p or pp, or any punctuation following the number. You may include your last
name before each page number as a precaution against lost pages: (Bealey 4). Microsoft
Word will save you time by numbering every page and will let you create a running head
of your name and the page number.
8. Until recently, it was usual to print on one side of the paper only, and many professors
still prefer it. Others allow or call for printing on both sides of the paper in order not to
waste it.
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9. When submitting a hard copy, staple or clip pages together at the top left-hand corner.
Don't bind or put the essay in a folder unless required to by your professor. Use only
white, 8 ½ by 11 inch good quality paper.
10. For electronic submission, follow the directions from your instructor. Keep file names
clear and relatively short by using your last name and date or course code, unless
indicated otherwise. Save your file in a standard format (.rtf is often best).
11. Don't forget to proofread carefully as well as running a spell check and grammar check.
There are many differences among Canadian, American, and British spellings of some
words, so choose your preference (Canadian) and make sure your spell check is set to it.
Be consistent throughout your essay. Don't spell the word "centre", as "centre" in one
place and as "center" in another.
12. If, after printing, you find a few mistakes, write the correction neatly directly above the
line involved, using carets (v) to indicate where correction go. If the mistakes are
numerous, reprint the page
Academic Skills Centre
Trent University
www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation