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Citation Guide

hands on laptop and MLA Style Guide label

MLA STYLE 101

The MLA citation style helps scholars answer three questions about the resources used in a work:

  • What Is It
  • Where to Find It
  • How to Style It

These questions are answered by identifying the Core Elements of MLA citations. See Paper Formatting below. 

KEY TERMS

Container: "a work that contains another work" (MLA, 2021, p. 134). For example, for a journal article published in a professional journal, the article is the work and the journal is the container. To take it further, the journal is a work when it is indexed in a database, which is the container. This concept is important to understand because information can have more than one container. There are also works that are "self contained" such a print book or a movie playing at your local theater (MLA, 2021, p. 135). 

 

Works: the resources you are use to support your writing. Works can be physical or virtual, print or video. Works that you reference in your paper need to appear on your Works Cited page and all resources listed on your Works Cited page should appear, either through summarizing, paraphrasing or quoting, in your paper. You can also list the resources you read but did not refer to in a Works Consulted page. 

MLA on Paraphrasing and Quoting

A quick note about using sources...

The MLA Style Center 

The MLA Style Center, published by the Modern Language Association, is the only authorized Web site about MLA style. This free, evolving resource is designed as a companion to the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

ISAC Department MLA Guide 

Holy Names University's ISAC Department has compiled a guide for students.

MLA Core Elements

CORE ELEMENTS

MLA has the above set of Core Elements that drive its style. These elements will guide your paper and citation formatting.

What do I need to format for MLA?

  • Title Page
  • Section Headings
  • Page Numbers
  • Page Margins
  • Line and Page Breaks
  • Paragraph Line Spacing 
  • Alignment
  • Font size and style

Page Elements

Margin, Font & Spacing

When you open a MS Word document to begin your paper, you'll want to set-up some basic formatting for MLA that apply to the entirety of your paper.

go to Layout in Word to change margins and spacing
and go to Home in Word to change font type and size

Downloadable Template

In-Text Citations generally require:

  • the author(s) or editor(s) name
  • a page number, or page range tied to the information referenced.

Note: Do not include paragraph numbers or page numbers generated a web browser for electronic, or web-based sources.

You can write in-text citations a few different ways:

INTRODUCE YOUR SOURCE

You can use introduce the author's name as part of the sentence and then place the page number, or page range in parentheses after the author's name.

Examples

According to Smith (201), graduate students...
According to Baker (20-24), professional students......

INSERT YOUR SOURCE

Another option is to place both the author's name and the page number, or page range in parentheses.

Examples

Graduate students tend to utilize..... (Smith; 201)
Professional students self-report.. (Baker; 20-24).

QUOTE YOUR SOURCE

When you are using a direct quotation you must include the exact page number (for print items). Do not include paragraph numbers or page numbers generated a web browser or electronic, or web based sources.

Example

As Smith explained, some of the items are written in "the positive direction and need to be key-reversed before totaling the scores" (313).

Remember: Any source cited in the text of your paper must appear in your Works Cited and any sources included in your Works Cited must have in-text citation in your paper!

Works by TWO AUTHORS

Cite both authors' last names throughout the work. Note that citations both inside and outside of parentheses should use the word "and," typed out in full

Example

According to the study, 25% of graduate students...(Smith andJennings 78).

Works by THREE OR MORE AUTHORS

To cite sources with more than three authors, the last name of the first author is listed and "et al.," is to be included for each citation.  

Example

According to a recent study, the average graduate student...(Smith, et al. 145-56).

Works with ORGANIZATION AS AUTHOR

When citing a group or organization, the full name is spelled out in the first citation, with the abbreviation in brackets. All subsequent citations may use only the abbreviation. Abbreviating the organization's name is optional. 

Example

First citation: (American Association of Colleges & Universities [AACU] 87).

Subsequent citations: (AACU 478-84).

Works with NO AUTHOR

If the author is not identified, the title of the work replaces the author's name position within the citation. An unknown authored book would be cited with the title of the book in italics and an article would be in quotations. 

Use an abbreviated version for long titles. To abbreviate a title, use as few words as possible, dropping articles and prepositions, but keeping the first word of the title as alphabetized in your Works Cited. The abbreviated title should be a noun phrase, so likely the first noun in the title along with any adjectives that come before it. Titles of an article, chapter, or web page should be placed in double quotation marks. Titles of a periodical, book, entire website, report, or brochure should be italicized.

*Please note, when your citation includes a title instead of an author's name, it is correct to capitalize each word of the title within the in-text citation. Sentence case is used within the reference list. 

Example

Book with no identified author: What They Don't Tell You About Graduate School 367)

Article with no identified author: ("Expert Advice for Thriving Through Graduate School" 45-67)

Web Sources with NO AUTHORS

If the author is not identified, the title of the work (ex. webpage, or blog post) replaces the author's name position within the citation. 

*Please note, when your citation includes a title instead of an author's name, it is correct to capitalize each word of the title within the in-text citation. Sentence case is used within the reference list. 

Example

Webpage with no identified author: Although food services are high on the list, students use quiet study areas more frequently (Student Services All Graduate Student Should Utilize).

Web Sources with NO PAGE NUMBERS

The MLA Handbook suggests using paragraph numbers when no page numbers are available but only if the paragraphs are explicitly included in the original text. If there are no page, chapter, paragraph, or section numbers in the original text, then no numbers should be included in the citation. Never count pages or paragraphs yourself or invent your own numbers.

Example

Graduate school is "not for everyone" (Smith, par. 5).

computer on desk at window


It's time for everyone's favorite part of writing a research paper: formatting your Works Cited page! In the MLA style you put any sources you cite in the body of your paper on your works cited page. Sometimes your teacher will also require a Works Consulted page where you list all the additional research you consulted in the process (kind of like extra credit).


Here's how...

annotated Works Cited page

How to format a Hanging Indent in Word

The following instructions are straight from Microsoft support, which you can access HERE.
instructions for hanging indent in MS Windows
instructions for hanging indent in Mac
instructions for hanging indent on the web

How to format a Hanging Indent in Google Docs

The example is of an APA Reference List, but the instructions are the same. Instead of Reference List, yours will say Works Cited. See below for guidance on how each citation on the Works Cited page should look.

Citing books with ONE AUTHOR

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year Published. Media.

Example
Taylor, Patrick. The Gardens of Britain & Ireland. New York: DK Publishing, 2003. Print.

Citing books with MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name, and Author’s First Name Author’s Last Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year Published. Media.

Example
Hey, Kenneth R., and Peter D. Moore. The Caterpillar Doesn’t Know: How Personal Change is Creating Organizational Change. New York: Free Press, 1998. Print.

Citing books with AN EDITOR

Editor’s Last Name, Editor’s First Name, ed. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year Published. Media.

Example
Graber, Kay, ed. Sister to the Sioux: the Memoirs of Elaine Goodale Eastman. Lincoln: U of Nebraska Press, 1978. Print.

Citing an article in a MAGAZINE

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Date Published: page(s). Media.

Example
Frazier, Ian. “Route 3.” New Yorker. 16 Feb. 2004: 10-17. Print.

Citing an article in a NEWSPAPER

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Date Issued: page(s). Media.

Example
Kolata, Gina. “New Conclusions on Cholesterol.” New York Times, 9 Mar. 2004: A1+A12. Print.

Citing an article on a WEBSITE

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article on Website.” Title of Website. Sponsor of Site, Date Site Updated. Media. Date Site Accessed.

Example
Tutton, Mark. “Designers Developing Virtual-Reality ‘Cocoon’.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2008.

Citing an article in an ONLINE PERIODICAL

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical. Sponsor of Site, Date Published. Media. Date Accessed.

Example
Lubell, Sam. “Of the Sea and Air and Sky.” New York Times. New York Times, 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.

Citing an article in a SCHOLARLY JOURNAL accessed through a DATABASE

NOTE: This is the ONLY online source that is considered a “print” source:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, Volume.Issue (Year): page(s). Name of Database. Media. Date Accessed.

Example
Grabe, Mark. “Voluntary Use of Online Lecture Notes.” Computers and Education, 44.1 (2005): 409-21. Wilson Web. Web. 15 May 2008.

Citing FILMS

Title of Film Italicized. Director, Publisher, Publication Date.

Example
Big Hero 6. Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams, Walt Disney Studios, 2014.

Citing TV EPISODES

Title of Episode. Title of Television Program italicized , Season, episode, Publisher, Publication Date.

Example
"I Don't Want to Be Free." Killing Eve, season 1, episode 7, BBC America, 20 May 2018.

Citing Videos UPLOADED to the WEB (YOUTUBE)

Creator of video. "Title of Video (Video)". Platform italicized, Date published, URL.

Example
Beyoncé. “Otherside (Video).” YouTube, 31 June. 2021, https://youtu.be/LxK0v3V4udk.

Citing PODCASTS

Narrator/host. "Title of Episode. Name of Podcast italicized, Season and Episode Number, Publisher, Date, URL.

Example
Doyle, Glennon, host. Our Most Embarrassing Stories". We Can Do Hard Things. Glennon Doyle & Cadence13, 25 July 2022. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-most-embarrassing-stories/id1564530722?i=1000571178483