Alexander Central School
Guide to
MLA Documentation
1
Contents
Works Cited
General Guidelines
3-6
Sample Entries
Print Sources
6-8
Electronic Sources
8-10
Other Types of Sources
10-12
MLA Documentation Q & A
13
Rules for Print and Electronic Sources
14-15
Variations on the Rules
16-19
Literary Works and Sacred Texts
20-21
Sample Research Paper and Works Cited
22-25
Works Cited for Handbook (see below)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Works Cited
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. NY: MLA, 1999.
Hacker, Diana and Barbara Fister. “Humanities: Documenting Sources: MLA List of Works Cited.”
Research and Documentation Online. Bedford St. Martin’s. 15 Oct. 2005
< http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/ >.
“Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format.” Owl Online Writing Lab. The Purdue
University Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. 25 Aug. 2005
< http://owl.english. purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html >.
2
MLA Documentation
When writing research papers for English and other classes, you will use the style known as MLA
created by the Modern Language Association. It suggests guidelines for acknowledging in your
research paper the authors whose works you used to write the paper. There are two main components
to MLA style. First, in following MLA style, you list the resources that you cited throughout the paper
at the paper’s end on a separate page entitled Works Cited. Second, when you use other author’s
words or ideas within the paper itself, it is documented within the text by a brief parenthetical citation
which directs the reader to the full citation on the Works Cited page. The following information will
help you to prepare your list of Works Cited and to use parenthetical documentation.
Works Cited
GENERAL GUIDELINES
The Works Cited page should list all works quoted or referred to in the body of the paper. To compile
your list of citations for your research, you need to collect information from the research materials and
prepare an alphabetical listing in proper format:
The first line of an entry begins at the margin; all successive lines are indented ½” or five spaces.
All lines in an entry are double-spaced, and it is unnecessary to add extra spaces between different
sources.
Underline or italicize the title of works that are published as full length, independent units (books,
plays, pamphlets, films, newspapers, magazines). Also, make sure to take the title from the title page
of the work being cited. Do not reproduce unusual typographical characteristics, such as all capital
letters or all lower case letters. Follow the standard form of capitalization.
Use quotation marks to designate sections of a larger work (chapter titles, titles of articles in
newspapers and magazines, etc.) and for titles of short works (poems, songs, short stories, speeches,
etc.)
Separate author, title, and publication information with a period followed by one space.
Use lower case abbreviations in identifying the parts of a work (ed. for editor, vol. for volume, etc.)
EXCEPT when they follow a period followed by one space; then they are capitalized.
3
BASIC GUIDELINES
Listed below are the possible components for entries of books, periodicals (magazines, newspapers,
journals), internet web sources, and subscription databases and the order in which they are normally
arranged, followed by sample entries.
*Note: If your source does not contain an item on the list, simply skip it and move on to the next item.
DO NOT WRITE YOUR ITEMS VERTICALLY! SEE THE SAMPLE BELOW THE LIST!
BOOKS:
Author’s Last Name, First name.
“Title of the Part of the Book Used.”
Title of the Book OR Title of the Book.
Editor, translator, or compiler. (Ed. First Name Last Name).
Edition used (1963 ed. OR 5 th ed.)—whatever the title page indicates
Number(s) of Volume(s) used (2 vols.).
Name of Series followed by number of series (Texts and Trans. 1.)
Place of publication: Name of Publisher, year.
Page numbers used (listed when only part of a book is referenced).
Sample entry with ALL parts:
De Angelo, John. “Finger Lakes Wine Country.” Grapes of New York State. Ed. Franklin Osgood.
3rd ed. 2 vols. Wines of the World 3. New York: Oxmoor House, 1998. 58-79.
*Book On-line: use Book info. plus Internet info.
PERIODICALS: These are publications that occur at regular intervals such as newspapers,
magazines, and journals.
Author’s Last Name, First Name.
“Article Title.”
Periodical Title OR Periodical Title.
Volume and issue numbers (for journals), and date and pages (for all)
for a newspaper—5 Apr. 1998: A12
for a magazine—10 June 2001:3-8
for a journal—21.1 (1982): 31-33.
Sample entry with ALL parts:
Johnson, Sarah. “Nursing in the Trenches.” Nurses Quarterly. 13.3 (Spring 2000): 541-547.
*Newspaper On-line: Newspaper info plus Internet info.
4
INTERNET AND WEB SOURCES: It is not enough to supply the uniform resource locater (URL)
of a website for the list of Works Cited. This is because web addresses frequently change. Therefore,
it is also necessary to include other identifying information such as author’s names and article and web
page titles, so that the reader who cannot locate the material through the address might be able to find
it with a search engine. Also, it is a good idea to print/save a copy of the page you are citing for
verification purposes later since some web pages become inaccessible. Enclose URLs in angle
brackets. If a URL must be divided between two lines, break it only after a slash.
If the page was originally a print source, follow the information given for the previous lists, and
then include the date you found the information and the URL.
Here is a list of possible items for WWW sites that were not originally print sources:
Author’s Last Name, First Name.
“Title of Article.”
Title of Web Page OR Title of Web Page.
Date Posted.
Name of institution of organization sponsoring the Web site.
Date Accessed
< entire URL >.
Sample entry with ALL parts:
Bradshaw, Elizabeth. “How to Beat the Clock.” HealthHeart.org. 12 February 1999.
American Heart Association. 5 August 2000 < http://www.ageandhealthnow.com >.
AN ARTICLE OR PUBLICATION RETRIEVED FROM AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE: If
you’re citing an article or publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved
from an online database that your library subscribes to, you should provide enough information so that
the reader can locate the article either in its original print form or retrieve it from the online database (if
they have access).
Ex. EbscoHost, Proquest
Once again, provide all of the print information following the guidelines above and then add:
The Database Name
The Service Name
the name of the library through which the service was accessed,
the name of the city or town where the service was accessed.
date of access
5
URL of the service (but not the entire URL for the article, since those are very long and won’t be able
to be re-used by someone trying to retrieve the information)
Sample entry with ALL of the information listed:
Kidder, Judi. “Unleash Your Inner Gymnast.” Health 19.6 (Jul/Aug 2005): 102-4. MasterFile Select.
EbscoHost. Alexander Central School Lib., Alexander, NY. 31 Aug. 2005
< http://web21.epnet.com >.
*Opposing Viewpoints Database: Use Essay in a Collection info. plus the Electronic Database info.
SAMPLE ENTRIES
Often there are variations to the rules listed above. Here are some more guidelines to follow when
preparing your list of Works Cited. These entries are from the OWL Online Writing Lab sponsored by
Purdue University.
BOOKS
Two Books by the same author
(After the first listing of the author's name, use three hyphens and a period for the author's name. List
books alphabetically.)
Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997.
---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1993.
Book with more than one author
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston: Allyn, 2000.
If there are more than three authors, you may list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (the
abbreviation for the Latin phrase "and others") in place of the other authors' names, or you may list all
the authors in the order in which their names appear on the title page.
Book with a corporate author
American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children. New York: Random, 1998.
6
Book or article with no author named
Encyclopedia of Indiana. New York: Somerset, 1993.
"Cigarette Sales Fall 30% as California Tax Rises." New York Times 14 Sept. 1999: A17.
Anthology or collection
Peterson, Nancy J., ed. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins UP, 1997.
A part of a book (such as an essay in a collection)
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Collection. Ed. Editor's Name(s). Place of Publication: Publisher,
Year. Pages.
Essay in a collection
Author’s Name. “Title of Essay.” Title of Book. Editor. Publishing place: Publisher, date. Page
numbers.
Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers
One to One. Ed. Ben Rafoth. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000. 24-34.
Cross-referencing: If you cite more than one essay from the same edited collection, you should crossreference within your works cited list in order to avoid writing out the publishing information for each
separate essay. To do so, include a separate entry for the entire collection listed by the editor's name.
For individual essays from that collection, simply list the author's name, the title of the essay, the
editor's last name, and the page numbers. This will be helpful when using a book like Opposing
Viewpoints. For example:
L'Eplattenier, Barbara. "Finding Ourselves in the Past: An Argument for Historical Work on WPAs."
Rose and Weiser 131-40.
Peeples, Tim. "'Seeing' the WPA With/Through Postmodern Mapping." Rose and Weiser 153-167.
7
Rose, Shirley K., and Irwin Weiser, eds. The Writing Program Administrator as Researcher.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999.
Article from a reference book
"Jamaica." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1999 ed.
The Bible (specific editions)
The New Jerusalem Bible. Susan Jones, gen. ed. New York: Doubleday, 1985.
BASIC FORMS FOR ELECTRONIC SOURCES
(Follow the general guidelines for periodicals and add the date posted, found, and URL)
An article on a web site
Author. “Article Title.” Website Title. Date posted. Sponsoring organization. Date found
< electronic address >.
Poland, Dave. "The Hot Button." Roughcut. 26 Oct. 1998. Turner Network Television.
28 Oct. 1998 <http://www.roughcut.com>.
If no author is given for a web page or electronic source, start with and alphabetize by the title of
the piece and use a shortened version of the title for parenthetical citations.
"Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format." Purdue Online Writing Lab. 2003.
Purdue University. 6 Feb. 2003 <http://owl.english.purdue.eduhandouts/research/r_mla.html>.
An article in an online journal or magazine
Author. “Article Title.” Journal/Magazine Title Volume number. Issue number (Date of
publication): page numbers/paragraphs, if labeled. Date found < electronic address >.
8
Wheelis, Mark. "Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin
Weapons Convention." Emerging Infectious Diseases 6.6 (2000): 33 pars. 5 Dec. 2000
<http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no6/wheelis.htm>.
An Online Image or Series of Images
Artist if available. "Description or title of image." Date of image. Online image. Title of larger site.
Date of download <electronic address>.
Smith, Greg. "Rhesus Monkeys in the Zoo." No date. Online image. Monkey Picture Gallery.
3 May 2003 <http://monkeys.online.org/rhesus.jpg>.
E-mail (or other personal communications)
Author. "Title of the message (if any)." E-mail to person's name. Date of the message.
Banks, Reginald. “Concerning Chemistry.” E-mail to Harold Bloom. 13 Apr. 2001.
This same format may be used for personal interviews or personal letters. These do not have titles, and
the description should be appropriate. Instead of "Email to John Smith," you would have "Personal
interview."
E-mail to you
Kunka, Andrew. "Re: Modernist Literature." E-mail to the author. 15 Nov. 2000.
A listserv/online posting
Author. "Title of Posting." Online posting. Date when material was posted (for example: 18 Mar.
1998). Name of listserv/forum. Date of access <electronic address for retrieval>.
Merriweather, Jon. “American Steamer ‘City of Guatemala’.” Online Posting. 3 Oct. 2005.
Marine History Information Exchange Group. 4 Oct. 2005 < http://post.queensu.ca/cgibin/listserv/wa?A2=ind0510&L=marhst-l&F=&S=&P=4520 >.
9
Karper, Erin. "Welcome!" Online posting. 23 Oct. 2000. Professional Writing Bulletin Board.
12 Nov. 2000 <http://linnell.english.purdue.edu/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000001.html>.
Article in a reference database on CD-ROM
“Title of Entry.” Title of CD-ROM. CD-ROM. Publishing Place: Publisher, date.
"World War II." Encarta. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft, 1999.
Article from a periodically published database on CD-ROM
Author. “Title of article.” Title of Periodical date of publishing: page number. Title of Database.
CD-ROM. Name of Vendor. Date of Publication.
Reed, William. "Whites and the Entertainment Industry." Tennessee Tribune 25 Dec. 1996: 28.
Ethnic NewsWatch. CD-ROM. Data Technologies. Feb. 1997.
OTHER TYPES OF SOURCES
Government publication--Treat the government agency as the author, giving the name of the
government followed by the name of the agency. Then follow with the publication information and
date of publication.
United States Dept. of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and
Improving Health. Washington: GPO, 2000.
Pamphlet—Cite a pamphlet as you would a book.
Office of the Dean of Students. Resources for Success: Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit
Disorders. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University, 2000.
Interview that you conducted—Start with the name of the person you interviewed, followed by the
title “Personal Interview,” and then add the date the interview was conducted.
Purdue, Pete. Personal Interview. 1 Dec. 2000.
10
A lecture or a speech
To cite a lecture or a speech, "give the speaker's name, the title of the lecture or speech (if known) in
quotation marks, the meeting and the sponsoring organization (if applicable), the location [including
place and city, if available], and the date. If there is no title, use an appropriate descriptive label (e.g.,
Lecture, Address, Keynote speech), neither underlined nor enclosed in quotation marks" (MLA
Handbook, 206).
Harris, Muriel. "Writing Labs: A Short History." 2003 Writing Center Conference. National Writing
Centers Association. La Swank Hotel, Seattle. 28 March 2003.
Advertisement--Name the product or company being advertised, followed by the word
"Advertisement." Give publication information for the source in which the advertisement appears.
Lufthansa. Advertisement. Time 20 Nov. 2000: 151.
Television or radio program--Begin with the title of the radio segment or television episode (if there
is one) in quotation marks, followed by the title of the program, underlined. Next give relevant
information about the program's writer ("By"), director ("Dir."), performers ("Perf."), or host ("Host").
Then name the network, the local station (if any), and the date the program was broadcast.
"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998.
Sound recording—Begin with the name of the person you want to emphasize: the composer,
conductor, or performer. For a long work, give the title, underlined, followed by names of pertinent
artists (such as performers, readers, or musicians) and the orchestra and conductor (if relevant). End
with the manufacturer and the date.
U2. All That You Can't Leave Behind. Interscope, 2000.
11
Film--Begin with the title, underlined. For a film, cite the director and the lead actors or narrator
("Perf." or "Narr."), followed by the name of the distributor and the year of the film's release. For a
videotape or DVD, add "Videocassette" or "DVD" before the name of the distributor.
The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen
Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995.
TV Advertisement—Cite it the same way you would a print advertisement, adding the network and
date of the advertisement
Staples. Advertisement. CBS. 3 Dec. 2000.
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MLA PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is parenthetical documentation, and what is its purpose?
Parenthetical documentation is a series of citations found within your paper. The purpose of
parenthetical references is to lead your reader to the source of your quotations, paraphrases, and
summaries. The references direct the reader to the full citation list called the Works Cited, which is
located at the end of your paper. There, the reader can locate all of the information needed to find the
sources. It is called “parenthetical documentation” because the information that links your reader to
the Works Cited page is written within parentheses after you use information from a source in your
paper. It is important to have all of the information for your sources in proper MLA order because it
makes it easier to know what words to put in your parenthetical citations.
When do you use a parenthetical citation?
You should document all summaries, paraphrases, and quotations of source information when used in
your paper.
How do you decide what to include in a parenthetical citation?
In most cases, the author's last name and specific information pertaining to the location of the source,
such as the page number(s), are enough. The author’s last name is used because it is the first word of
the source as it is listed on the Works Cited page. When a reader sees the name in the body of your
paper in its parenthetical reference, and then flips to the Works Cited page, he or she can easily skim
the left hand margin to find the author’s last name.
Sometimes, the author’s name is used in the sentence of the paraphrase or quote. In these cases, it
would be repetitive to put the name in a parenthetical reference, so it is unnecessary. A page number
will suffice.
Other times, there is not an author for the source. When this happens, you would use the first word or
first few words for the source as it is listed on the Works Cited page. Do not use words from the end
or middle of the source as it’s listed on the Works Cited page, because that makes it harder for your
reader to locate the source. For ease, always stay as close to the first line of the source and the left
hand margin as possible.
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BASIC RULES FOR PRINT AND ELECTRONIC SOURCES
1. Author named in a signal phrase
Ordinarily, introduce the material being cited with a signal phrase that includes the author's name. In
addition to preparing readers for the source, the signal phrase allows you to keep the parenthetical
citation brief.
Example:
Christine Haughney reports that shortly after Japan made it illegal to use a handheld phone while
driving, "accidents caused by using the phones dropped by 75 percent" (A8).
The signal phrase—"Christine Haughney reports that"—names the author; the parenthetical citation
gives the page number of the newspaper article in which the quoted words may be found.
Notice that the period follows the parenthetical citation. When a quotation ends with a question mark
or an exclamation point, leave the end punctuation inside the quotation mark and add a period after the
parentheses: ". . . ?" (8).
2. Author named in parentheses
If the signal phrase does not name the author, put the author's last name in parentheses along with the
page number.
Example:
Most states do not keep adequate records on the number of times cell phones are a factor in accidents;
as of December 2000, only ten states were trying to keep such records (Sundeen 2).
Use no punctuation between the name and the page number.
3. Author unknown
Either use the complete title in a signal phrase or use a short form of the title in parentheses. Titles of
books are underlined; titles of articles and other short works are put in quotation marks.
14
Example:
As of 2001, at least three hundred towns and municipalities had considered legislation regulating use
of cell phones while driving ("Lawmakers" 2).
CAUTION: Before assuming that a Web source has no author, do some detective work. Often the
author's name is available but is hard to find. For example, it may appear at the end of the source, in
tiny print. Or it may appear on another page of the site, such as the home page.
NOTE: If a source has no author and is sponsored by a corporate entity, such as an organization or a
government agency, name the corporate entity as the author since it will be the first word for the
source on the Works Cited page.
4. Page number unknown
You may omit the page number if a work lacks page numbers, as is the case with many Web sources.
Although printouts from Web sites usually show page numbers, printers don't always provide the same
page breaks; for this reason, MLA recommends treating such sources as unpaginated.
Example:
The California Highway Patrol opposes restrictions on the use of phones while driving, claiming that
distracted drivers can already be prosecuted (Jacobs).
When the pages of a Web source are stable (as in PDF files), however, supply a page number in your
in-text citation.
NOTE: If a Web source uses paragraph or section numbers, give the abbreviation "par." or "sec." in
the parentheses: (Smith, par. 4).
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VARIATIONS ON THE BASIC RULES
This section describes the MLA guidelines for handling a variety of situations not covered by the basic
rules just given. Again, these rules on in-text citations are the same for both traditional print sources
and electronic sources.
1. Two or more titles by the same author
If your list of works cited includes two or more titles by the same author, mention the title of the work
in the signal phrase or include a short version of the title in the parentheses.
Example:
On December 6, 2000, reporter Jamie Stockwell wrote that distracted driver Jason Jones had been
charged with "two counts of vehicular manslaughter . . . in the deaths of John and Carole Hall"
("Phone" B1). The next day Stockwell reported the judge's ruling: Jones "was convicted of negligent
driving and fined $500, the maximum penalty allowed" ("Man" B4).
Titles of articles and other short works are placed in quotation marks, as in the example just given.
Titles of books are underlined.
In the rare case when both the author's name and a short title must be given in parentheses, separate
them with a comma.
Example:
According to police reports, there were no skid marks indicating that the distracted driver who killed
John and Carole Hall had even tried to stop (Stockwell, "Man" B4).
2. Two or three authors
Name the authors in the signal phrase, as in the following example, or include their last names in the
parenthetical reference: (Redelmeier and Tibshirani 453).
Example:
Redelmeier and Tibshirani found that "the risk of a collision when using a cellular telephone was four
times higher than the risk when a cellular telephone was not being used" (453).
16
When three authors are named in the parentheses, separate the names with commas: (Alton, Davies,
and Rice 56).
3. Four or more authors
Name all of the authors or include only the first author's name followed by "et al." (Latin for "and
others"). Make sure that your citation matches the entry in the list of works cited.
Example:
The study was extended for two years, and only after results were reviewed by an independent panel
did the researchers publish their findings (Blaine et al. 35).
4. Corporate author
When the author is a corporation or an organization, name the corporate author either in the signal
phrase or in the parentheses.
Example:
Researchers at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that the risks of driving while phoning were
small compared with other driving risks (3-4).
In the list of works cited, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis is treated as the author and
alphabetized under H.
When a government agency is treated as the author, it will be alphabetized in the list of works cited
under the name of the government, such as "United States." For this reason, you must name the
government in your in-text citation.
The United States Department of Transportation provides nationwide statistics on traffic fatalities.
5. Authors with the same last name
If your list of works cited includes works by authors with the same last name, include the author's first
name in a signal phrase or first initial in the parentheses.
Example:
Estimates of the number of accidents caused by distracted drivers vary because little evidence is being
collected (D. Smith 7).
17
6. Indirect source (source quoted in another source)
When a writer's or a speaker's quoted words appear in a source written by someone else, begin the
citation with the abbreviation "qtd. in."
Example:
According to Richard Retting, "As the comforts of home and the efficiency of the office creep into the
automobile, it is becoming increasingly attractive as a work space" (qtd. in Kilgannon A23).
7. Encyclopedia or dictionary
Unless an encyclopedia or a dictionary has an author, it will be alphabetized in the list of works cited
under the word or entry that you consulted—not under the title of the reference work itself. Either in
your text or in your parenthetical reference, mention the word or the entry. No page number is
required, since readers can easily look up the word or entry.
Example:
The word crocodile has a surprisingly complex etymology ("Crocodile").
8. Multivolume work
If your paper cites more than one volume of a multivolume work, indicate which volume you are
referring to, followed by a colon and the page number in the parentheses.
Example:
Terman's studies of gifted children reveal a pattern of accelerated language acquisition (2: 279).
If your paper cites only one volume of a multivolume work, you will include the volume number in the
list of works cited and will not need to include it in the parentheses.
9. Two or more works
To cite more than one source, separate the citations with a semicolon.
Example:
The dangers of mountain lions to humans have been well documented (Rychnovsky 40; Seidensticker
114; Williams 30).
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10. An entire work
To cite an entire work, use the author's name in a signal phrase or a parenthetical reference. There is of
course no need to use a page number.
Example:
Robinson succinctly describes the status of the mountain lion controversy in California.
11. Work in an anthology
Put the name of the author of the work (not the editor of the anthology) in the signal phrase or the
parentheses.
Example:
In Susan Glaspell's "A Jury of Her Peers," Mrs. Hale describes both a style of quilting and a murder
weapon when she utters the last words of the story: "We call it--knot it, Mr. Henderson" (302).
In the list of works cited, the work is alphabetized under Glaspell, not under the name of the editor of
the anthology.
Glaspell, Susan. "A Jury of Her Peers." Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,
and Drama. Ed. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2001. 286-302.
12. Legal source
For well-known historical documents, such as articles of the United States Constitution, and for laws in
the United States Code, provide a parenthetical citation in the text: (US Const., art. 1, sec. 2) or (12
USC 3412, 2000). There is no need to provide a works cited entry.
Legislative acts and court cases are included in the works cited list. Your in-text citation should name
the act or case either in a signal phrase or in parentheses. In the text of a paper, names of acts are not
underlined, but names of cases are.
Examples:
The Jones Act of 1917 granted United States citizenship to Puerto Ricans.
In 1857, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney declared in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford that blacks,
whether enslaved or free, could not be citizens of the United States.
19
LITERARY WORKS AND SACRED TEXTS
Literary works and sacred texts are usually available in a variety of editions. Your list of works cited
will specify which edition you are using, and your in-text citation will usually consist of a page number
from the edition you consulted.
However, MLA suggests that when possible you should give enough information—such as book parts,
play divisions, or line numbers—so that readers can locate the cited passage in any edition of the work.
NOTE: In the examples in items 18, 19, and 20, the author's name is included in the citations. In your
paper, you will include the author's name the first time you cite a work, but there is no need to repeat
the name later in your paper—as long as your context makes clear what work you are citing, and as
long as you are only using one work.
1. Literary works without parts or line numbers
Many literary works, such as most short stories and many novels and plays, do not have parts or line
numbers that you can refer to. In such cases, simply cite the page number.
Example:
At the end of Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," Mrs. Mallard drops dead upon learning that her
husband is alive. In the final irony of the story, doctors report that she has died of a "joy that kills"
(25).
2. Verse plays and poems
For verse plays, MLA recommends omitting page numbers in the parenthetical citation. Instead,
include act, scene, and line numbers that can be located in any edition of the work. Use arabic
numerals, and separate the numbers with periods.
Example:
In his famous advice to players, Shakespeare's Hamlet defines the purpose of theater, "whose end, both
at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature" (3.2.21-23).
For a poem, cite the part (if there are a number of parts) and the line numbers, separated by a period.
20
Example:
When Homer's Odysseus comes to the hall of Circe, he finds his men "mild / in her soft spell, fed on
her drug of evil" (10.209-11).
For poems that are not divided into parts, use line numbers. For a first reference, use the word "lines":
(lines 5-8). Thereafter use just the numbers: (12-13).
3. Novels with numbered divisions
When a novel has numbered divisions, put the page number first, followed by a semicolon, and then
indicate the book, part, or chapter in which the passage may be found. Use abbreviations such as "bk."
and "ch."
Example:
One of Kingsolver's narrators, teenager Rachel, pushes her vocabulary beyond its limits. For example,
Rachel complains that being forced to live in the Congo with her missionary family is "a sheer tapestry
of justice" because her chances of finding a boyfriend are "dull and void" (117; bk. 2, ch. 10).
4. Sacred texts
When citing a sacred text such as the Bible or the Koran, name the edition you are using in your works
cited entry. In your parenthetical citation, give the book, chapter, and verse (or their equivalent),
separated by periods. Common abbreviations for books of the Bible are acceptable.
Example:
Consider the words of Solomon: "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty,
give them water to drink" (Holy Bible, Prov. 25.21).
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Sample Research Paper and Works Cited Page
__________________________________________________________________________________
Schmoe 1
Joe Schmoe
Mr. Teach
English 4
17 May 2004
The 2004 Presidential Election and the USA Patriotic Act
The acronym “USA” no longer simply stands for “United States of America.” It also means
“Uniting and Strengthening America.” This duality exists from the events of September 11th, 2001,
when the nation realized that it was not immune from attacks on its own soil. Consequently,
government officials needed ways to protect the United States from being hit again. The USA
Patriotic Act, an acronym for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism,” became part of the solution to help prevent more
attacks. Now, three years later, the Act is coming under attack from people who claim that it has the
potential to infringe upon the civil liberties of citizens of this country. It seems that the ambiguous
nature of the Act might allow officials to use it to infringe upon the rights of ordinary people.
Considering that it is an election year, the primary presidential candidates, current President and
Republican George Bush, and Senator and Democrat John Kerry, have had the opportunity to voice
their opinions on the Act. George Bush stands behind it, claiming that it is important to the safety of
our nation, while John Kerry, believes that it needs to be reviewed before renewing it. Voters who are
choosing their candidate based on his stand on the Patriot Act, should choose John Kerry rather than
George Bush in the 2004 presidential election because Kerry understands the potential threat the Act
poses to American citizens’ civil liberties, while George Bush seems to be using the Act as a political
tool to prey on the fears of Americans in order to get votes in the upcoming election.
The basic tenets of the Patriot Act were first developed during the Clinton Administration.
However, with the events of September 11th, Member of Congress realized that they had to modify and
change some of its attributes in order to protect the country from more attacks. On the signing of the
Act, President Bush claimed that it was “crafted with skill and care, determination and a spirit of
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Schmoe 2
bipartisanship for which the entire Nation is grateful” (Bush). He continued by saying that the “bill
met with an overwhelming—overwhelming—agreement in Congress because it upholds and respects
the civil liberties guaranteed by [the] Constitution” (Bush). One of the reasons the bill had such a
positive reaction from all members of Congress is because Members realized there were problems with
the way terrorist activity was being monitored. Intelligence and law enforcement officials were not
able to share information. Furthermore, the technology that terrorists used had changed without the
agencies keeping up with the changes. The purpose of the new Act, according to President Bush,
“takes account of the new realities and dangers posed by modern terrorists” (Bush). He claims that the
original law “was written in the era of rotary telephones” and the new law allows “surveillance of all
communications used by terrorists, including emails, the Internet, and cell phones” (Bush).
Additionally, the law helps end “financial counterfeiting, smuggling, and money laundering” while
allowing “intelligence and criminal operations” to work together to share information that they have
about potential terrorist activity (Bush).
In addition to increasing the communication about terrorist activity, the law also makes apprehending
terrorists easier and punishing them more harsh. A change in Federal search warrant standards makes
tracking down and catching terrorists easier. Before the Act, agencies had to get a new warrant for
each new district law enforcement officials entered. The new law allows Federal search warrants to be
valid in all districts across the United States. This greatly speeds the process for detaining potential
terrorists. Once they are detained, as well as anyone who helps them, they face increased penalties.
President Bush stated on signing the Act that it gave Government the power to create “new and harsh
penalties” for terrorists who use or obtain biological weapons. Additionally, the Act makes it easier
for law enforcement officials to “seize the assets of groups and individuals involved in terrorism”
(Bush). Once terrorists and their supporters are recognized, the Act will make their deportation much
easier (Bush). These new and harsher penalties have the potential to deter terrorists from committing
acts of violence.
The Act has been created to protect American citizens from those who wish to do them harm.
However, in creating the new elements of the Act, some groups say that it has the potential to infringe
upon the civil liberties of Americans. New York City Councilman Alan Gerson supports much of the
Act, but argues that “key sections subvert basic freedoms without improving security” (qtd. in Schiff).
It is no surprise, then, that in February New York City passed a resolution against portions of the Act,
which adds it to the list of 250 communities who have created “civil liberties safe zones.” The zones
include 43,000,000 people (Schiff).
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Schmoe 3
Section 215 seems to be the portion of the Act which people are finding controversial. It “authorizes
agents to seek business records by showing a judge the materials are relevant to an ongoing, authorized
terrorism investigation […]” (Greenberg). This may seem innocent, but because it also “prohibits
people from disclosing that they have been asked to turn over the business records” (Greenberg), there
are no checks and balances about who is searching for what. The same holds true for library records.
Law professor Ronald Allen argues that the Government is not going to go over every list of books that
Americans have checked (qtd. in Greenberg). While this may be true, Udi Ofer, project director of the
New York Bill of Rights Defense Campaign, claims that “the Act changed privacy rights and broadly
defines domestic terrorism, so that it includes things [he] doesn’t think the American public would
classify as terrorism” (qtd. in Schiff). Barb Fiege, director of the ACLU’s Greater Pittsburgh chapter
agrees. While Fiege states that the entire Act is not bad, she believes that the definition of “domestic
terrorism” is so “ambiguous that it could include groups like Greenpeace, or anarchist groups” (qtd. in
Schiff). Additionally, she claims that the Act infringes on the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution
by reducing the probable cause necessary to make search-and-seizure procedures. The FBI only needs
to state that the materials they want access to have a “suspected relationship to an ongoing terrorism
investigation” (qtd. in Schiff).
In addition to the problems with Section 215 giving officials access to private records, there
also seems to be a potential problem with the way warrants and detentions could be used. Jules Lobel,
a law professor, believes that the potential for abuse is great and that the change in the law regarding
how long “officials can delay telling a person about a served warrant to obtain or inspect personal
information” is dangerous. Also, he said the law does not give people the right to object to a warrant.
Kris Kobach, another law professor, disagrees, stating that the warrant must “be approved within the
context of a foreign intelligence or international investigation” (qtd. in Schiff). Again, however, this
leads us back to Fiege’s problem with the definition of terrorism. For instance, the Act was used to
arrest drug traffickers and child pornographers in Western Pennsylvania (Schiff). While this is not
terrible, it does illustrate the way the Act can be misused. After all, since when did drug trafficking
and child pornography become terrorism? How much further can the Government stretch the law to
arrest anyone it wants? Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General of the Clinton Administration,
explained the complaints about the Act as being about some of the other things already done under the
Act such as “detain[ing] citizens without giving them access to a lawyer, [and] […] listen[ing] in on
attorney-client conversations without involving a judge” (qtd. in Woodruff, Schnieder, and
Brownstein). Even though a citizen is a suspected terrorist, and the key word in that phrase…
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Schmoe 9
Works Cited
Allen, Mike. “President Campaigns to Make Patriot Act Permanent.” The America’s Intelligence
Wire 20 Apr. 2004. InfoTrac OneFile. Drake Memorial Lib., SUNY Brockport, Brockport,
NY. 24 Apr. 2004 < http://webpac.brockport.edu >.
Bush, George. “Remarks on Signing the USA Patriot Act of 2001.” Weekly Compilation of
Presidential Documents 37.43 (29 Oct. 2001): 1550. InfoTrac OneFile. Drake Memorial Lib.,
SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY. 24 Apr. 2004 < http://webpac.brockport.edu >.
“Democrats Cool Talk on Patriot Act.” Democrat and Chronicle 26 Apr. 2004: 10A.
Greenberg, Jan Crawford. “Patriot Act Has Become a Lightning Rod for Criticism from Left, Right.”
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (2 Sept. 2003): k3284. Drake Memorial Lib., SUNY
Brockport, Brockport, NY. 24 Apr. 2004 < http://webpac.brockport.edu >.
Schiff, Will. “U. Pittsburgh: Patriot Act Drawing Criticism from Lawmakers, Academics.”
The America’s Intelligence Wire (24 Mar. 2004): NA. InfoTrac OneFile.
Drake Memorial Lib., SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY. 25 Apr. 2004
< http://webpac.brockport.edu >.
“Spinning Kerry (Part 4)! Has Kerry Flipped on the Patriot Act? Reading Halbfinger, There’s No
Way to Tell.” The Daily Howler 12 Mar. 2004. 26 Mar. 2004
< http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh031204.shtml >.
Woodruff, Judy, William Schnieder, and Ron Brownstein. “White House, Woodward Clash over
Allegations of Oil Price Fixing with Saudis, Critics Find Fault with Patriot Act—Part 1.”
The America’s Intelligence Wire 19 Apr. 2004. InfoTrac OneFile. Drake Memorial Lib.,
SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY. 24 Apr. 2004 < http://webpac.brockport.edu >.
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