stylecard/
MLA REFERENCING
References Styles (MLA Version)
A number of widely used reference styles are available for documenting the sources of information used in report writing. Two of the more
popular style manuals for business writing are as follows:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed., Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001.
Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed., New York: Modern Languages Association of America, 2003. The
MLA Handbook is designed for high school and undergraduate college students; the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing,
2nd ed. (1998) is designed for graduate students, scholars, and professional writers.
These sources, commonly referred to as the APA and MLA styles, provide general rules for referencing and give examples of the citation
formats for various types of source materials. This style card reflects the rules along with examples for the MLA style. Whenever you
are not required to use a particular documentation style, choose a recognized one and follow it consistently. Occasionally, you may need
to reference something for which no general example applies. Choose the example that is most like your source and follow that format.
When in doubt, provide more information, not less. Remember that a major purpose for listing references is to enable readers to retrieve
and use the sources. This style card illustrates citation formats for some common types of information sources and refers you to various
electronic sites that provide further detailed guidelines for preparing electronic citations.
In-Text Parenthetical Citations
The MLA Handbook supports the use of in-text citations. Abbreviated information within parentheses in the text directs the reader
to a list of sources at the end of a report. The list of sources at the end contains all bibliographic information on each source cited in a
report. This list is arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or, if no author is provided, by the first word of the title.
The in-text citations contain minimal information needed to locate the source in the complete list. The MLA style includes the author’s last
name and the page number for both quotes and paraphrases, but not the date of publication. Note the format of the in-text parenthetical
citations shown below.
One author not named in the text, direct quotation
“A recent survey . . . shows that more and more companies plan to publish their annual reports on the Internet” (Prinn 13).
Direct quotation, no page number on source
According to James, “traditional college students have a perspective that is quite different from adult consumers”
Use par. 2 in place of missing page number only if paragraphs are numbered in original text.
Multiple authors for sources not named in the text wording
Globalization is becoming a continuous challenge for managers . . . (Tang and Crofford 29).
“For all its difficulty, teamwork is still essential . . .” (Nunamaker et al. 163).
For sources by more than three authors, use et al. after the last name of the first author or include all last names. Do not underline or
italicize et al.
More than one source documenting the same idea
. . . companies are turning to micromarketing (Heath 48; Roach 54).
More than one source by the same author documenting the same idea
Past research (Taylor, “Performance Appraisal” 6, “Frequent Absenteeism” 89) shows . . .
Reference to author(s) or date in the text wording
Kent Spalding and Brian Price documented the results . . .
In 2006, West concluded . . . (E2).
Omit a page number when citing a one-page article or nonprint source.
No author provided
. . . virtues of teamwork look obvious (“Teams Triumph in Creative Solutions” 61).
Include full title or shortened version of it.
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Works Cited
The works cited page located at the end of your document contains an alphabetized list of the sources used in preparing a report, with
each entry containing publication information necessary for locating the source. A researcher often uses sources that provide information
but do not result in citations. If you want to acknowledge that you have consulted these works and provide the reader with a comprehensive
reading list, include these sources in the list of works cited and refer to list as Works Consulted. Your company guidelines may specify
whether to list works cited only or works consulted. If you receive no definitive guidelines, use your own judgment. If in doubt, include all
literature cited and read, and label the page with the appropriate title so that the reader clearly understands the nature of the list.
To aid the reader in locating sources in lengthy bibliographies, you may include several subheadings denoting the types of publications
documented, for example, books, articles, unpublished documents and papers, government publications, and nonprint media. Check your
reference manual to determine if subheadings are allowed.
Formats for Print and Recorded References
Reference styles for a variety of print and recorded sources prepared using the MLA style are shown in the box at the bottom of this side.
Note that the following rules apply for MLA works cited.
Indention and spacing
Need filesBegin
for
Appendix
firstMLA
line of each
entry at at left margin and indent subsequent lines
one-half inch. While the MLA style manual specifies double spacing within and
Figures
B-2
and
between
entries,
commonB-3
practice in preparing reports is to single space
each entry and double space between entries.
Author names
List last name first for first author only. Use “and” before final author’s name.
Date
Place date at end of citation for books and after periodical title and volume
for articles. Months are abbreviated.
Capitalization
In titles of books, periodicals, and article titles, capitalize all main words.
Italicizing and quotation marks
Italicize titles of books, journals, and periodicals (or underline if directed).
Place titles of articles within quotation marks.
Page notations
Omit the use of p. or pp. on all citations.
MLA (6th Edition Style)
Writer’s Last Name
5
Works Cited
“Best Business Attire.” Executive Communications Group. 2003. 30 May 2006 <http://ecglink.com>.
Brody, Mary. “Dress codes: ‘Business Conservative’ is Making a Comeback.” HR Briefing 1 Mar. 2003: 7.
Egodigwe, Laura, and Sonya Alleyne. “Here Come the Suits.” Black Enterprise Mar. 2003: 59–60.
Hudson, Repps. “‘Business Casual’ on the Wane.” St. Louis Post Dispatch 15 Apr. 2002. 30 May 2006
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com>.
Jones, Clark. “Experts Discuss Ways to Dress in Business Attire for Summer.” Las Vegas Review 8 June 2003.
Business and Company Resource Center. University of Houston Lib. 29 July 2006 <http:bcrc.college.com/>.
Koestner, Maury. “What Exactly is Business Casual?” The News-Herald 7 May 2005.
General Businessfile. Texas A & M lib. 31 May 2006 <http://www.epnet.com/>.
Molloy, John T. “Executives Find as Dress Gets Sloppier, Attitudes Slip.” The Houston Chronicle
9 December 2005: D2.
White, Ronald. D. “Clashing Dress Styles.” Careerbuilder 26 Aug. 2001. 12 June 2006
<http://www.latimes.com>.
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