The information presented on this page is relevant to the MLA 7th edition. For information on MLA 8th edition, please see the corresponding tab in the left-hand column.
MLA is commonly used to cite sources in Humanities fields MLA Handbook (7th Edition) Locations: @Law Library |
The information and examples presented below follow the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook.
What You Are Citing |
In-Text Citation |
The entire work
OR
The entire work with no page numbers |
To cite an entire work within the text of the paper include information that will allow the reader to locate the source in your works cited list. Example: In his book "Sedaris," author Kevin Kopelson discusses the importance humility and humor have had in David Sedaris’s writing. OR A recent newspaper article demonstrated just how active local community has been in the support of public health options (Smith). |
A specific page |
(Cruz 8) |
If the author is included in the text of the sentence |
Marks made his point clearly (150-62). |
Multi-volume set |
(George 2: 109-111) “2” is the volume number |
Author and page number Reference List: Wiegand, Wayne. |
(Wiegand 70) |
Two or three authors Reference List: Marty, Paul and Charles McClure. Johns, Mike, Lisa Tripp, and Amy C. Jones. |
(Marty and McClure 12) (Johns, Tripp, and Jones 345) |
Four or more authors Reference List: Font, Patrick, Antonio Suarez, Jacob Mielgo, and Juan de Caz. OR Font, Patrick, et al. |
(Font, Suazrez, Mielgo, and Caz 153-54) OR (Font et al. 153-54) |
Group author Reference List: Modern Language Association |
(Modern Language Association 16) |
No Author Listed Reference List: "Riding the Wave: New Google Toy." New York Times 12 Dec. 2009: Technology 2-3. NewsBank. Web. 10 June 2006. |
(“Riding the Wave” 2) ** In cases where the title contains a colon, use only the text before the colon in the in-text citation. |
Citing a Source within a Source Reference List: Bears, M.D. "Information Literacy in Academic Libraries." Chronicle for Higher Education 31(2008): 20-28. Web. 2009. |
Larsen writes, "Today's librarian is part teacher, part entrepreneur" (qtd. in Bears 22). |
The information and examples presented below follow the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook.
Books
Type of Source |
Reference List Citation |
Book |
Format: Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example: Rifkin, Jeremy. The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapiltalism Where all of Life is a Paid-For Experience. New York: Putnam, 2000. Print
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Edition of a book |
Format: Last name, First name. Title of the Book. Number of edition ed. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
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Chapter or article in an anthology/edited book
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Format: Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection. Ed. Editor's Name(s). Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range of entry. Medium of Publication.
Example: Marshall, Walt. “On the Way to the Coliseum.” The Falling of Rome. Ed. Thomas Bond. London: Bloomsbury, 1999. 126-139. Print.
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Multi-volume set
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Format: Last name, First name. Title of Work. Number of volumes. Location of Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.
Example: Gray, Cristina. Jefferson. 3 vols. Wake Forest, NC: Wake Forest University Press, 2000. Print.
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E-Book |
Database Format: Last name, First Name. Title of Work. Location of Publication: Publisher, Year. Name of Database. Medium of Publication. Date Accessed (Day Month Year).
Database Example: Kornblum, William. At Sea in the City: New York from the Water’s Edge. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2002. Net Library. Web. 3 Dec. 2009
Online Format: Last name, First Name. Title of Work. Location of Publication: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication. Name of Website. Date Accessed (Day Month Year).
Online Example: Seton, Ernest Thompson. The Arctic Prairies: A Canoe- Journey of 2,000 Miles in Search of the Caribou. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1911. Project Gutenberg. Web. 25 Nov. 2008.
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Articles
Type of Source | Reference List Citation | |
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Journal article |
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Magazine article |
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Newspaper article |
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Other
Type of Source | Reference List Citation | ||
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A work of visual art |
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Interview |
Breslin, Jimmy. Interview by Neal Conan. Talk of the Nation. Natl. Public Radio. WBUR, Boston. 26 Mar. 2002. Radio. |
For in-text citation and works citied list, MLA requires names of the month to be abbreviated (with the exception of May, June, and July).
January= Jan.
February= Feb.
March= Mar.
April= Apr.
August= Aug.
Septemper= Sept.
October= Oct.
November= Nov.
December= Dec.
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