ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE WRITING CENTER MLA Documentation
Information you have borrowed from a source, such as quotations,
summaries, and paraphrases, must be clearly documented. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ IN TEXT-CITATIONS
Use parentheses within the body of your paper to cite sources. Such citations should be as concise as possible but complete
enough so that readers can find the source in the list of works cited at the end of the paper, (where the work is listed
alphabetically by the author’s last name or title if the author is not named). At the end of a sentence that contains a parenthetical citation, put a period after the parenthesis. When the sentence ends with a
quotation, put the parenthesis outside the quotations marks, but inside the period. According to the Seventh Edition of the MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, when a quotation ends with a question mark or exclamation point, keep the original
punctuation. Note: The examples below would normally be double-spaced. Depending on the type of source, titles
may be italicized or in quotes. Author not named in the sentence
This point of Melville’s contribution to the American symbolist movement has been argued successfully
(Baird 19). Author named in the sentence
James Baird argues convincingly that Melville shaped a new symbolist literature (19). Two or more works by the same author
Note: Use a shortened version of the book’s title in the parentheses Good writing is often achieved “after terrible first efforts,” declares Anne Lamott (Bird 25). Note: or mention the title in the sentence. In Bird by Bird, Ann Lamott declares that good writing is often achieved “after terrible first efforts” (25). Two or three authors
Many bronze objects from the Han period have been discovered in recent years (Cohen and Cohen 90). Cohen and Cohen report that bronze objects from the Han period have been discovered in recent years
(90). Four or more authors
Chan repudiates critics’ observations that her art has didactic purpose (Valdez et al. 17).
Note: Use et al (Latin word for and others) when citing four authors or more. No author
Note: In the parentheses, begin with the word by which the title is alphabetized in the Works Cited. A candidate for a management position can often expect to receive up to three interviews before an offer is
made (Directory 73). Rev. 12/14
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Work in an anthology
Note: Put the name of the author of the work (not the editor) in the sentence or in the parentheses. A student discovers “the value of her or his own voice” with the computer conference, an important
pedagogical tool in the composition classroom (Flores 115). Entire work
Note: It is usually preferable in this case to include the author’s name in the text instead of in parentheses. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings describes the author’s journey from victim to victor. Passage in a novel
Note: Include information that will enable readers to find the passage in various editions of the work. Write the page and chapter
numbers in the parentheses. Tan’s narrator describes the physical features of Hulan as unattractive, then asserts she does not criticize
out of anger toward her friend: “Even though I am angry, I can remember many good things about Hulan
as well” (215; ch. 9). The Bible
Note: Cite biblical passages in parentheses by giving the abbreviated name of the biblical book, chapter, and verse numbers. Ex.
(Gen. 28.12-13). See the MLA Handbook pg. 227 for a complete list of abbreviations. You need to include the edition of the
Bible on your Works Cited page. ____________________________________________________________________________________ LIST OF WORKS CITED (formerly called a Bibliography)
Start on a new page and title your list “Works Cited.” Then list in alphabetical order all the sources that you have cited in the
paper. If the author’s name is unknown, alphabetize by the first word of the title other than A, An, or The-- which is explained
throughout this handout. Subsequent lines in each entry should be indented one tab or one half inch (see attached sample Works
Cited page on page 11). Note: The examples below would normally be double-spaced. Books
Note: Do not include affiliations, titles, or degrees for names such as PhD. When there is missing information, use the following
to replace the information: N.p. for no place of publication given and no publisher given, n.d. for no date of publication given
and n. pag. for no pagination given. One author
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 2002. Print. Two or three authors
Hawkins, Rose, and Robert Isaacson. Uncommon Knowledge. Boston: Wadsworth, 1996. Print. Maimon, Elaine P., Janice H. Peritz, and Kathleen Blake Yancey. Writer’s Resource: A Handbook for
Writing and Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. Four or more authors
Note: Use et al (Latin word for and others) when citing four authors or more. Boulton, Roger B., et al. Principles and Practices of Winemaking. New York: Springer, 5 Nov. 2012.
Print. Rev. 12/14
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No author named
Directory of Executive Recruiters. Albany: Kennedy, 1990. Print. Author with an editor
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Ed. Jerome Loving. Oxford: Oxford U P, 1990. Print. Work with an editor (or editors)
Schnedierman, Jill S., and Warner D. Allmon, eds. For the Rock Record: Geologists on Intelligent Design.
Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. Print. Essay, short story, poem, or another work within an anthology
Kingston, Maxine Hong. “The Quiet Girl.” California Childhood. Ed. Gary Soto. Berkeley: Creative Arts,
1988. 107-112. Print. Translated work
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. Trans. Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen. New York:
Anchor Books, 1992. Print. Article without an author in an encyclopedia, dictionary, or some other reference book
“Lithography.” Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary. 5th ed. 2006. Print. Article in a collection
Iannone, Carol. “Toni Morrison’s Career.” Commentary 84.6 (1987): 59-63. Rpt. in Contemporary
Literary Criticism. Ed. James P. Draper. Vol. 81. Detroit: Gale, 1994. 229-232. Print. Pamphlet (treat as you would a book)
Recreational Management. Santa Maria: Allan Hancock College, 2011. Print. Course materials
An instructor may assign materials that have been uploaded to a course Web site or handed out in class. These sources do not
always have complete publication information. When citing such materials, one can only give as much of the information as
has been found in the source (Bedford). model
Author. “Article Title.” Date. Medium. Supplementary Information. Pollan, Michael. “When a Crop Becomes King.” 19 July 2002. Handout. Course Materials, English 513,
Summer 2002. Two or more works by the same author
Dickens, Charles. The Personal History of David Copperfield. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Print. Note: Use hyphens to replace the name of the author when the author’s name is cited above. ---. Great Expectations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Print. Book with more than one volume
Note: Specific references to vol. and page number also belong in the parenthetical reference. Ex. (Doyle 2: 25) Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1930. Print. Rev. 12/14
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Graphic narrative
In a graphic narrative, text and illustrations are intermingled. If the graphic narrative was created by one person, format the
Works Cited list that of any non-periodical publication. Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. 2 vols. New York: Pantheon-Random, 1986-91. Print. If the graphic narrative is a collaboration, start the entry with the name of the person whose contribution is more important for
the research. Follow the name with a label identifying the person’s role. List other collaborators after the title in the order in
which they appear on the title page and include their roles. Barry, Lynda. One Hundred Demons. Design, Amie Z. Gleed, Lynda Barry, Tom Greensfelder.
Contributing illustrator, Kevin Kawula. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 2002. Print. “For Students” Books
There is a series of books some English instructors use called “For Students” books such as Drama for Students, Poetry for
Students, Novels for Students, etc. Cite the section of the book you are using. When citing text that does not mention an author, (such as the Themes, Style, Historical Context sections, etc.) from a “For
Students” book, the following format should be used according to Drama for Students. “Our Town.” Drama for Students. Ed. David Galens and Lynn Spampinato. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998.
227-30. Specially commissioned essay, journal, newspaper essay, or reprinted material
When quoting a specially commissioned essay, a journal, newspaper essay, or material reprinted from a book, adjust the
following format accordingly. Commissioned essay
Fiero, John. Critical Essay on Twilight: Lost Angeles, 1992. Drama for Students. Vol. 2. Ed. David Galens
and Lynn Spampinato. Detroit: Gale, 1998: 247-49. Commissioned journal or newspaper essay
Rich, Frank. “Theatre: A Manet Play, Glengarry Glen Ross. New York Theatre Critics’ Review 45.4
(March 5, 1984): 5-7. Excerpted and reprinted in Drama for Students. Vol. 2 Ed. David Galens and
Lynn Spampinato. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 51-53. Introduction, a preface, a foreword, or an afterword
Morely, Christopher. Preface. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. By Arthur Conan Doyle. New York:
Doubleday, 1930. 7-10. Print. Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, and other sources
Do not include articles, affiliations, titles, or degrees for names such as PhD or A, An, or The in the title of a source unless it is a
non-English-language journal. When there is missing information, use the following to replace the information: N.p. for no
place of publication and no publisher given, n.d. for no date of publication, and n. pag. For no pagination given. Newspaper with a section letter
Manjoo, Farhad. “Apple’s Team of Tastemakers, Filling a Void Left by Steve Jobs.” New York Times.
2 June 2014: B6. Print. Newspaper with a section number
Alvarez, Monica. “A Border Town Celebration.” Dallas News 11 Sept. 1986, sec. 3:5. Print. Rev. 12/14
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Newspaper article without an author
Note: Include the edition of the newspaper if it is specified on the masthead. Use a plus sign after the first page number if the
article did not appear on consecutive pages. “A Few More Pesos, a Lot More Stress.” The Economist 4 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Economist Newspaper Ltd. Newspaper editorial
Schaak, Joshua L. “America’s Highways Running on Empty.” Editorial. New York Times 2 June 2014:
A17. Print. Weekly or biweekly magazine
Wilkinson, Alec. “A Voice from the Past.” The New Yorker 19 May 2014: 50-57. Print. Monthly or bimonthly magazine
Quill, Elizabeth. “Secrets of Yellowstone.” Smithsonian Jan. 2014: 48-49. Print. Letter to the editor
Connelly, Joe. Letter. Rollingstone 2 Jan. 2014. Print. Book or film review
Lacayo, Richard. “Darkness Visible.” Rev. of Cheever: A Life, by Blake Bailey. Time 6 Apr. 2009: 64. Print. Lane, Anthony. “Need a Job?” Rev. of Tokyo Sonata, dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa. New Yorker 23 Mar. 2009:
82-83. Print. Article in a print journal
model
Author(s) name. Title and subtitle of article. Title of Journal. Volume and issue numbers (Year of
publication): page number(s) of article. Medium. Imbers, Jara, et al. “Sensitivity of Climate Change Detection and Attribution to the Characterization of
Internal Climate Variability.” Journal of Climate. 27.10 (2014). 3477-3491. Government publication
United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Blue Ridge Summit: Bernan.
2014. Print.
Television or radio program
“Death and the Civil War.” American Experience. Public Broadcasting Service. KQED, San Francisco,
26 May 2014. Television. “A Prairie Home Companion.” Host Garrison Keillor. Natl. Public Radio. KCBX, San Luis Obispo.
7 June 2014. Radio. Film
Casablanca. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Perf. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. 1942. Film. Rev. 12/14
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Film on DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, or other format
Casablanca. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Perf. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. 1942.
Warner Home Video. 2 Feb. 2010. DVD. Film accessed online (Netflix, Hulu, etc.)
model
Film title. Director’s name. Distributor, Year of Release. Name of Service Provider. Medium of Publication. Day Month Year of Access. (You may give other data as needed such as the name of
the performers or screen writer. If you are citing the contribution of a certain person, start the
citation with that person’s name.) To Kill a Mockingbird. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal Pictures, 1962. Netflix. 15 June 2014. YouTube
To cite YouTube, use the MLA guidelines for a video found on the web. To include the supplemental information of the person
or organization who uploaded the video, add it at the end. Pausch, Randy. “Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” YouTube. You Tube. 18 Sept. 2007.
Web. 3 June 2014. Uploaded by Carnegie Mellon University. Podcast
If it is a podcast that was viewed or listened to on the Web, cite as a short work from the Web. If it is a podcast that was downloaded onto a computer or portable player, include the file type such as MP3 file or MOV file. Pagel, Mark. “Spoken and Unspoken.” Ted Radio Hour. National Public Radio. 2 May 2014. Web.
3 June 2014. or Pagel, Mark. “Spoken and Unspoken.” Ted Radio Hour. National Public Radio. 2 May 2014. MP3 file. Text message
Note: Ask your instructor before using a text message
Cite the same way as an email, change the medium to “Text message.”
Obama, Barack. Message to his supporters announcing choice of Biden for running mate. 23 August
2008. Text message. Tweet
Note: Ask your instructor before using a tweet Start with the writer’s real name followed by the screen name in parentheses if it is given. In quotation marks, give the entire
text using the same capitalization and punctuation as the writer. The date and time of the text are next followed by the word
Tweet. Angelou, Maya. (@DrMayaAngelou) “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.
Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love.” 9 June 2013. 2:37 p.m. Tweet. Facebook post
Note: Ask your instructor before using a Facebook post Begin with the writer’s name. Follow with the title of the post, if given, in quotation marks. If there is no title, use “Post.” Velasquez, Mimi. Post. Facebook. Facebook. 23 May 2014. Web. 4 June 2014. Song
Holiday, Billie. “God Bless the Child.” Rec. 9 May 1941. The Essence of Billie Holiday. Columbia, 1991.
CD. Rev. 12/14
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Work of art
Van Gogh, Vincent. The Irises. 1889. Oil on canvas. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Photograph
For an original photograph, cite the name of the photographer, the title of the photograph, italicized; the date of composition; the
medium (“Photograph”) and the institution and city in which the photograph is located. For a photograph found on the Web,
omit the medium “Photograph” and include the title of the Web site, the medium “Web,” and the date of access. If you
downloaded a digital file from an online source, cite as in (a) but include the type of file as the medium (JPEG file,” “Tiff file”).
(d) If the photograph was viewed as a reproduction in a print source, omit the medium of composition and add publication
information about the print source. Include the page number and give the medium of reproduction at the end (Bedford). Lange, Dorthea. The Migrant Mother.1936. Prints and Photographs Div., Library of Congress. Dorthea
Lange: Photographer of the People. Web. 5 June 2014. Live performance of a play
Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacoby, and Julia
Christie. The Globe Theatre, London. 27 Dec. 1991. Performance. Lecture, a speech, an address, or a reading
Atwood, Margaret. “Silencing the Scream.” Boundaries of the Imagination Forum. MLA Convention.
Royal York Hotel, Toronto. 29 Dec. 1993. Address. Hyman, Earle. Shakespeare’s Othello. Symphony Space, New York. 28 Mar. 1994. Reading. Terkel, Studs. Conf. on Coll. Composition and Communication Convention. Palmer House, Chicago.
22 Mar. 1990. Address. Interview you conducted
Young, Mary W. Personal interview. 22 Oct. 1981. Radio or television interview
Smooth, Jay. Interview by Neda Ulaby. All Things Considered. Natl. Public Radio. KCBX, San Luis
Obispo. 29 June 2009. Radio. Online Sources Note: The URL is not necessary unless your instructor advises its use. Internet Sites
Whether citing a short or long work from a web site, include the following: Author (if any), Title and subtitle of work, title and subtitle of Web site, sponsor of website, (N.p. if none), latest update date
(n.d. if none), medium, date of access. model
Title of the site. Name of the editor of the site (if given). Electronic publication information including date
of publication or latest update, and name of sponsoring organization, if any. Information about
electronic publication. Web. Date of access and URL ( if your instructor requests it). Railton, Stephen. Mark Twain in His Times. Stephen Railton and U of Virginia Lib., 2012. Web.
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ebooks (books from EBSCO)
Twain, Mark, and Emory Elliot. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1999.
Oxford World’s Classics. EBSCO. Web. 5 June 2014.
Databases
When citing an article from a database, include the following:
model Author(s) of article, title and subtitle of article, title of journal, magazine, or newspaper (italicized),
volume and issue numbers (for journal), date or year of publication, page numbers of article (n.pag.
if none), name of database (italicized), medium, date of access. Gopnik, Adam. “Team Spirit.” New Yorker. 12 May 2014: 23. Academic Search Premier. Web.
5 June 2014. Blog
Note: Ask your instructor before using a blog. model
Name of the author (if given). “Title of Entry.” Weblog Entry. Title of Weblog (Italicized). Sponsor.
Update Date. Medium. Date of access. Revkin, Andrew C. “Roundup: Can New E.P.A. CO2 Rules Have a Climate Impact?” Weblog. Dot Earth.
6 June 2014. Web. 9 June 2014. __________________________________________________________________________________ Digital file
Digital files are not always on the Web or a published disc. A digital file may be a PDF file stored on a computer, a document
written by someone using a word processor, an email attachment of a scanned image, or a sound recording that is formatted for
a digital audio player. Cite the file according to the type of work it is, and format the entry for the Works Cited list. For the
medium of publication, record the digital file format followed by the word file: PDF file, Microsoft Word file, JPEG file, MP3
file, etc. If you cannot identify the file path, use Digital file. Underwood, Kelly. Video of Larry Kappen painting Dia de los Muertos altar. 2013. MP4 file. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Home page for a course
model
Instructor’s Name. Title of Course. Description. Dates of the Course. Name of the Department, Name of
Institution. Date of Access and URL if your instructor requests it. Information about electronic
publication. Web. Access information. Cuddy-Keane, Melba. Professing Literature. Course home page. Sept. 2000-Apr. 2001. Dept. of English, U
of Toronto. Web. 4 Oct. 2002. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Home page for an academic department
model
Name of the Department. Description. Name of Institution. Information about electronic publication. Date
of publication. If not available, use n.d. Web. Date of Access. Microbiology and Immunology. Dept. home page. Stanford U School of Medicine. n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2002. Rev. 12/14
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Personal site
model
Author’s Name. “Title of Document.” Information about print publication. Information about electronic
publication. Web. Access information. Lancashire, Ian. Home page. 28 Mar. 2002. Web. 15 May 2002. Professional site
model
Author’s Name. “Title of Document.” Information about print publication. Information about electronic
publication. Web. Access information. Ross, Don. “Game Theory.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Fall 2002 ed.
Center for the Study of Lang. and Information, Stanford U. 11 Sept. 2001. Web. 1 Oct. 2002. Online periodical article
Follow the guidelines for printed articles, and give whatever information is available in the online source. At the end of the
citation, include the date of access and the address if your instructor requests it. Medina, Jennifer. “California Teacher Tenure Laws Ruled Unconstitutional.” New York Times.com. New
York Times, 10 June 2014. Web. 10 June 2014. If the online book is part of a scholarly project or information database, include the editor’s name (if available) followed by
information about the project or database. Dickinson, Emily. “Hope.” The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Boston: 1924. Print. Bartleby.com.
2000. Web. 27 May 2014. Online government publication
United States. Dept. of Justice. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Law Enforcement
and Juvenile Crime. By Howard N. Snyder. Dec. 2001. Web. 29 June 2002. e-mail correspondence
Note: Include the author, subject line, “E-mail” followed by the recipient, and date of the message. Underwood, Kelly. “Re: Surveys.” Message to Mimi Velasquez. 1 June 2009. E-mail. Encyclopedia entry
Note: List the author first (if there is one); otherwise, start with the title of the entry. “Panama Canal.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition.
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Web. 27 May 2014. Online library source (such as SIRS, Academic Search Premier, CQ Researcher, etc.). Note: Use the URL from the home page of the online service instead of from the article itself if your instructor requires a URL. model for SIRS
Kennedy, Kerry. “An End to Bullying.” Washington Post.12 Aug. 2013: A13. SIRS Issues Researcher.
Web. 9 June 2014.
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Please note: The following abbreviations are used when you cannot supply the required information as explained on
pages 2 and 4 of this handout: n.p.
Use when there is no given place of publication N.p.
Use when there is no given publisher or sponsor n.d.
Use when there is no given date of publication n. pag Use when page numbers are not given Information for this handout was adopted from the Seventh Edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and the Ninth Edition of The Bedford Handbook by Diane Hacker and Nancy Sommers.
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Chavez 6
Works Cited Hawkins, Rose, and Robert Isaacson. Uncommon Knowledge. Boston: Wadsworth, 1996. Print. Kennedy, Kerry. “An End to Bullying.” Washington Post. 12 Aug. 2013: A13. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 9 June 2014. Manjoo, Farhad. “Apple’s Team of Tastemakers, Filling a Void Left by Steve Jobs.” New York Times. 2 June 2014: B6. Print.
The New Jerusalem Bible. Henry Wansbrough, gen. ed. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print. “Panama Canal.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Web. 27 May 2014. Pausch, Randy. “Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” YouTube. You Tube. 18 Sept. 2007. Web. 3 June 2014. Uploaded by Carnegie Mellon University. Twain, Mark, and Emory Elliot. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1999. Oxford World’s Classics. EBSCO. Web. 5 June 2014. Young, Mary W. Personal interview. 22 Oct. 2010. Rev. 12/14
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