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7
MLA Style 8
th
Edition Handout
This document provides examples of citation and reference format for commonly used print and electronic research
resources such as journals, books, web sites, etc. If this guide does not list a type of material you need to cite, consult the
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 8th edition; (ON RESERVE at the Circulation Desk in the Library).
The new 8
th
edition of the MLA Handbook introduces a new “universal approach” to citing sources across all
the different format types. It uses the 9 Core Elements (Figure 1 below), which are assembled in this specific
order and, if present, should be included in the citation. It also introduces the “Container” concept.
When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a
“container” that holds the source.
1
For example, an article from an online journal retrieved from a Database.
The source is the title of the article. The Journal that publishes the article is Container 1;
The Database that houses the Journal is Container 2 (Figure 2 below).
Figure 1: MLA Core Elements*
*Elements 3-9 repeat as needed, depending on the number of containers of which the source is part of.
1
Author
.
The author of the Source. Personal author(s). Editor(s). Corporate author. Director. Organization.
2 Title of source
.
Work being cited: Title of Book*, Article, Chapter, TV Episode, Film.
*
Books are
standalone sources. No container is needed. Italicize all Book titles.
CONTAINER 1
3 Title of container
,
Name of larger work that contains the source: Title of Book, TV Series, Streaming
Service
4 Other contributors
,
Translator(s), Illustrator(s), Editor(s), Narrator(s)
5 Version
,
Edition (expanded ed., updated ed., 7th ed.), unabridged version, director’s cut
6 Number
,
Is the Source or Container part of a series? Volume, issue, season, episode, example: vol. 12,
no.7, season 3, episode 4,
7 Publisher
,
Who produced the work? Publisher, University Press, Government, Production companies,
Organizations,
8 Publication date
,
Date in which the source/container was published. Formats: Day Month Year; Month
Year; Year; Day Month Year Time. Examples: 14 May 1984; April 2016; 2008,
9 Location
.
Page number(s), chapter, section, website URL or permalink, DOI. Place/Venue/City.
Examples: p.14; pp.57-77 www.mla.org (omit http://, https://).
1
https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/
2 11/14/17
F
igure 2: MLA Practice Template
2
with citation example for an
Article from an
Online Database:
1
Author
.
Derocher, Andrew E. et al.
2 Title of source
.
“Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear Conservation.”
CONTAINER 1
3 Title of container
,
Conservation Letters,
4 Other contributors
,
5 Version
,
6 Number
,
vol. 6, no. 5,
7 Publisher
,
8 Publication date
,
Sep. 2013,
9 Location
.
pp. 368-375.
CONTAINER 2
3 Title of container
,
Academic Search Ultimate,
4
Other contributors
,
5
Version
,
6 Number
,
7 Publisher
,
8 Publication date
,
9
Location
.
doi:10.1111/conl.12009.
2
From MLA Handbook (8th ed.), published by the Modern Language Association (style.mla.org).
3 11/14/17
1
Author
.
Dearborn, Mary V.
2 Title of source
.
Ernest Hemingway: a Biography.
CONTAINER 1
3 Title of container
,
4 Other contributors
,
5 Version
,
6 Number
,
7 Publisher
,
Alfred A. Knopf,
8 Publication date
,
2017
9 Location
.
Final works-cited List entry for Article from an Online Database
Derocher, Andrew E., et al. “Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear Conservation.” Conservation
Letters, vol. 6, no. 5, Sept. 2013, pp. 368-375. Academic Search Ultimate, doi:10.1111/conl.12009.
Figure 3: Essay in a Book Figure 4: Book with one author.
collection example
3
3
Example from: https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide-book/
Book with One Author Final Works-cited List entry
Dearborn, Mary V. Ernest Hemingway: a Biography.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.
4 11/14/17
Major Changes in the new MLA Style 8
th
edition:
Abbreviations:
Common terms in the works-cited list, i.e. editor, edited by, translator, and review of are no longer
abbreviated.
Authors:
For a source with 3 or more authors, only the first author’s name is given, followed by “et al”
Books and other printed works:
The use p. or pp. preceding the page number(s) in the Works Cited list only.
City of publication is omitted.
Journals:
Volume and issue numbers are abbreviated instead than omitted: vol. 57, no. 2 instead of 57.2
Online works:
URLs omit the http:// and https:// protocols.
Citing of DOIs (Digital object identifiers) is encouraged.
Unknown information placeholders like n.d. (“no date”) are no longer used.
Citing the date when an online work was consulted is now optional.
Publishers:
Publishers’ names are now given in full, with the exception of business words like Company (Co.),
which are omitted. The academic presses abbreviations U, P and UP are still used.
When an organization is both author and publisher of a work, the organization’s name is now given
only once, usually as the publisher. No author is stated.
Publication medium:
The medium of publication is no longer stated, except when needed for clarity.
Note: Papers written in MLA Style are double-spaced in their entirety. This includes extended quotes,
notes, and the list of works cited.
General rules
Margins: One inch Font: 12-point, Times or Courier Spacing: Double
After punctuation spacing: 1 space after period or other punctuation mark
Running Head with Name and Page Number: Half an inch from right upper edge
Title: Centered on the first page after the Header
Header: Name, Teacher, Course, Date; One inch from left upper edge on the first page
5 11/14/17
Formatting and Capitalizing Titles
4
General Rules
These rules apply to titles in the text, in parenthetical citations, and in Works Cited page entries.
Titles are not to be underlined.
Titles never get both quotation marks and italics.
Every time you mention the title of a work, even in the title of your own essay, you must apply the
proper formatting.
Titles must be formatted the same way consistently throughout the document.
Title Capitalization
The First Letter of the Major Words of Titles are Capitalized.
minor words, such as articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions, are not capitalized
unless they are the first word of a title or subtitle.
Title Formatting
Place Title in quotation marks if the source is part of a larger work.
o short story/essay/poem from an anthology/collection:
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (a short story)
o episodes of television series
o song titles: “Piano Man”
o articles from journals: “Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear Conservation.”
o A posting/article from a Web site.
Italicize the title if the source is self-contained and independent.
o book/anthology titles: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
o periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers) and Web sites.
o When a work that is normally independent (such as a novel or play) appears in a collection,
the work's title remains in italics.
4
Some information derived from: https://www.ivcc.edu/stylebooks/stylebook4.aspx?id=14718
6 11/14/17
Works Cited Format for References
Electronic Sources
Note: Some Instructions and examples derived from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/
Use of URLs in MLA
Always include a URL (web address) to help readers locate your cited sources. Because URLs are not
permanent and change often, and documents can appear in multiple locations online, MLA recommends the
following:
Usage of citing containers such as YouTube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and
verify sources.
Only “www.” part of the URL is needed, eliminate all https:// from the URL.
Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier. If a DOI is
available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL).
A “permalink” (shortened permanent URL) is included in many online newspapers and magazines. It
is discoverable by clicking on “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If
you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.
Commonly Used Abbreviations with Electronic Sources
If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p.
or pp. abbreviation.
MLA also uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or
necessary. It is not required to do so but especially encouraged when there is no copyright date listed on a
website.
Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)
Here are some common features you should try and find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not
every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following
information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
Author and/or editor names (if available)
Article name in quotation marks.
Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or
issue numbers (no.).
Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
DOI, URL (without the https://) or permalink.
Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed).
Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short
stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body
of works.
7 11/14/17
Electronic Sources (continued)
Please note that Date of original publication, City of Publication, Other Facts about the Source
and Date of Access are all Optional Elements in the MLA 8
th
Edition (MLA Handbook pp. 50-
53).
An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)
Cite articles from online databases (e.g. EBSCOhost, SAGE, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect)
and other subscription services as containers. Provide the title of the database italicized before the
DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Access date is optional.
Derocher, Andrew E., et al. “Rapid Ecosystem Change and Polar Bear Conservation.” Conservation
Letters, vol. 6, no. 5, Sept. 2013, pp. 368-375. Academic Search Ultimate, doi:10.1111/conl.12009.
Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical
Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest, doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966.
Accessed 27 May 2009.
Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal
MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are
citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that
does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.
Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future
Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2,
2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362.
Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print
Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal
in print, including the page range of the article. Provide the URL (date of access is optional).
Wheelis, Mark. “Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin
Weapons Convention.” Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600,
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.
8 11/14/17
Electronic Sources (continued)
Electronic Books
eBooks with a DOI or URL: Include DOI or URL information as a “location.”
eBooks without a DOI or URL (Kindle, Nook eBooks): MLA considers these types of eBooks a
“version”. Name the specific type i.e. Kindle, etc. as a version in your citation. [See the MLA Style
Center for more information: https://style.mla.org/2016/06/23/citing-an-e-book/]
Template:
Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Title of Source: Subtitle of Source. Title of Container 2,
Version, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.
Examples:
Kindle eBook:
MLA Handbook. 8
th
ed., Kindle ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2016.
ProQuest Ebook Central eBook with URL:
Caplin, William E. Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn,
Mozart, and Beethoven, Oxford University Press, 1998. ProQuest Ebook Central,
www.ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/neumann-ebooks/detail.action?docID=271183.
EBSCOhost eBook collection eBook with URL:
Kinderman, William. The String Quartets of Beethoven. University of Illinois Press, 2006. EBSCOhost,
ezproxy.neumann.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN
=569877&site=ehost-live.
9 11/14/17
Electronic Sources (continued)
Complete Web Site
List the date of access. Include entire URL address except for the “https://” portion.
Template:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number, Name of
institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if
available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).
Frances and Wesley Bock Book Award for Children's Literature. Neumann University, 2016,
www.neumann.edu/academics/library/services_bock.asp. Accessed 10 May 2016.
Boulanger, Richard Charles, and Victor Lazzarini, editors. The Audio Programming Book. The MIT Press,
2011, www.mitpress.mit.edu/books/audio-programming-book. Accessed 4 August 2016.
A Page on a Web Site
Template:
Author Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial (if available). “Title of page”. Name of Site*, URL, DOI or
permalink. Date of access (if applicable).
*If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.
Smith, Matt. “This Pizza-Pasta Hybrid Is ‘Worst’ Restaurant Item.” WebMD, 31 July 2017,
www.webmd.com/diet/news/20170731/this-pizza-pasta-hybrid-is-worst-restaurant-item. Accessed 8
August 2017.
10 11/14/17
Electronic Sources (continued)
Images, Paintings, Sculptures, Photographs
Template:
Artist Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial. Title of the work. Date of creation. Name of the institution and
city where the work is housed. Name of the Website in italics, URL. Date of access.
Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del
Prado, www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-
a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.
Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive,
www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.
E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)
Template:
Author Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial. “Subject line.” Received by Recipient’s First Name Last Name,
Date sent. Use standard capitalization.
Lopez, Albert. “Re: Impressionism in Music.” Received by John Williams, 12 Jan. 2015.
Jones, Thomas. “Re: Online Math Tutoring.” Received by James Bittetti, 1 Oct. 2012.
A Tweet
Template:
Twitter handle. “Entire tweet.” Day Month Year, Time of posting (using reader’s time zone), URL.
@tombrokaw. “SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign.” Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012,
3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.
@PurdueWLab. “Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week.” Twitter, 5
Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.
11 11/14/17
Electronic Sources (continued)
A YouTube Video
Cite video and audio sources using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources. Provide descriptive
information to assist the readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing.
Author’s name is the same as the uploader: cite author only once when the.
Author and uploader different: cite the author’s name before the title.
“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.
Bavelier, Daphne. “Your brain on video games | Daphne Bavelier.” YouTube, uploaded by TED, 19 November
2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FktsFcooIG8.
An Article in a Web Magazine
Template:
Author Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial. “Article title”. Title of the web magazine, publisher name,
publication date, URL, and the date of access.
Example:
Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites,
16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.
12 11/14/17
Print Sources
5
Book with One Author
Template:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name Middle Initial. Title of Book.
Version (i.e. Edition). Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example:
Colton, Timothy J. Yeltsin: A Life. Basic Books, 2008.
Book with Two Authors
Template:
1
st
Author’s Last Name, 1
st
Author’s First Name, word “and” 2
nd
Author’s
First Name, 2
nd
Author’s Last Name, Title of Book. Version (i.e. Edition).
Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example:
Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdrich. The Crown of Columbus. HarperCollins
Publishers, 1999.
Book with Three or more Authors
Note: If there are three or more authors, reverse the First Author’s name and
follow it with a comma and et al.
Example:
Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the
Teaching of Composition. Utah State UP, 2004.
Book with a corporate author
Example:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Characteristics of excellence in higher
education: Eligibility requirements and standards for accreditation. Middle States
Commission on Higher Education, 2002.
5
Some examples and guidelines from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/
13 11/14/17
Print Sources (continued)
Book with No author
Template:
Book Title: Subtitle. Edition information, Publisher, Year.
Example:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. New ed, Merriam-Webster, 2016.
Translated Book
Emphasis on the work: Cite as any other book and add “translated by” followed by the name(s) of the
Translator(s).
Example: Buber, Martin. I and thou. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970. Translated by Walter Kaufmann.
Emphasis on the translation (less common):
Example: Howard, Richard, translator. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of
Reason. By Michel Foucault, Vintage-Random House, 1988.
Article in a Reference Book (e.g. Encyclopedias and Dictionaries)
Do not include the publisher information. Do not list the volume or the page number of the article or
item if the reference book is organized alphabetically (most are).
Example: “Leitmotif.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. New ed., 2016.
An Edition of a Book
There are two types of editions in book publishing: a book that has been published more than once in
different editions and a book that is prepared by someone other than the author (typically an editor).
A Subsequent Edition
Cite the book as you normally would, but add the number of the edition after the title.
Example: Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students.
3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.
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Print Sources (continued)
Article in a Print Scholarly Journal
Cite the author and title of article as you normally would. Then, put the title of the journal in italics. Include the
volume number (“vol.”) and issue number (“no.”) when possible, separated by commas. Finally, add the year
and page numbers.
Template:
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.
Examples:
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai
Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.
Duvall, John N. "The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's White
Noise." Arizona Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 3, 1994, pp. 127-53.
Article in a Newspaper
Cite a newspaper article as you would a magazine article, but note the different pagination in a newspaper. If
there is more than one edition available for that date (as in an early and late edition of a newspaper), identify
the edition after the newspaper title.
Examples:
Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients." Washington Post,
24 May 2007, p. LZ01.
Krugman, Andrew. "Fear of Eating." New York Times, 21 May 2007, late ed., p. A1.
If the newspaper is a less well-known or local publication, include the city name in brackets after the title of
the newspaper.
Behre, Robert. "Presidential Hopefuls Get Final Crack at Core of S.C. Democrats." Post and
Courier [Charleston, SC], 29 Apr. 2007, p. A11.
Trembacki, Paul. "Brees Hopes to Win Heisman for Team." Purdue Exponent [West Lafayette, IN],
5 Dec. 2000, p. 20.
15 11/14/17
Print Sources (continued)
A Work Prepared by an Editor
Cite using the “Book with one Author” citation rules (p.11) and add the editor after the title with the label,
“Edited by”
Example: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.
Entire Anthology or Collection (e.g. Collection of Essays)
To cite the entire anthology or collection, list by editor(s) followed by a comma and “editor” or, for
multiple editors, “editors.” This sort of entry is somewhat rare. If you are citing a particular piece
within an anthology or collection (more common), see A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or
Collection below.
Examples:
Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, editors. Defining Visual Rhetorics. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, 2004.
Peterson, Nancy J., editor. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Johns Hopkins
UP, 1997.
A Work(s) in an Anthology
May include: an essay in an edited collection or anthology, or a chapter of a book.
Template:
Last name, First name. “Title of Essay.” Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name (s),
Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.
Example:
McGrath, John. “The Theory and Practice if Political Theatre (1979).” The Routledge Drama
Anthology and Sourcebook: From Modernism to Contemporary Performance, edited
by Maggie B. Gale and John F. Deeney, Routledge, 2010, pp. 635-652.
16 11/14/17
Print Sources (continued)
More than one work from the same Anthology
When citing more than one work from the same edited collection, MLA allows to cross-
reference within your works cited list to avoid having to write out the publishing information
for each separate work.
Include a separate entry for the entire collection listed by the Editor's Name. For each individual
essay from the collection, list the Author's Name in Last Name, First Name format, the Title of
the Essay, the Editor's Last Name, and the Page range; this will ensure that all subsequent
entries from the same collection will refer back to the original collection entry.
Examples:
Rose, Shirley K., and Irwin Weiser, editors. The Writing Program Administrator as Researcher.
Heinemann, 1999.
L'Eplattenier, Barbara. “Finding Ourselves in the Past: An Argument for Historical Work on
WPAs.” Rose and Weiser, pp. 131-40.
Peeples, Tim. “ ‘Seeing’ the WPA With/Through Postmodern Mapping.” Rose and Weiser,
pp. 153-67.
Chapter or article reprinted in an anthology or reference book example:
Slote, Michael A. “Existentialism and the Fear of Dying.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism,
Edited by Jennifer Gariepy and Thomas Ligotti, vol. 74, Gale, 1998, pp. 113-123. Excerpt.
Originally published in Language, Metaphysics, and Death. Fordham UP, 1994, pp.80-100.
Poem or Short Story Examples:
Burns, Robert. “Red, Red Rose.” 100 Best-Loved Poems, edited by Philip Smith, Dover, 1995, p. 26.
Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by
Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.
If the specific literary work is part of the author's own collection (all of the works have the same author), then
there will be no editor to reference:
Whitman, Walt. “I Sing the Body Electric.” Selected Poems. Dover, 1991, pp. 12-19.
Carter, Angela. “The Tiger's Bride.” Burning Your Boats: The Collected Stories. Penguin, 1995, pp. 154-69.
17 11/14/17
Print Sources (continued)
A Multivolume Work
One volume only: include the volume number after the work's title, or after the work's editor or translator.
Example: Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.
More than one volume: cite the total number of volumes in the work. In your in-text citation provide both the
volume number and page number(s).
Example: Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.
Volume with its own title: cite the book without referring to the other volumes as if it were an independent
publication.
Example: Churchill, Winston S. The Age of Revolution. Dodd, 1957.
The Bible
Italicize “The Bible”, followed with the version you are using. Remember that your in-text (parenthetical
citation) should include the name of the specific edition of the Bible, followed by an abbreviation of the
book, the chapter and verse(s).
Examples:
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.
The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version, 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.
The New Jerusalem Bible. Edited by Susan Jones, Doubleday, 1985.
A Government Publication
Author identified: cite the author of the publication.
No Author identified: Start with the name of the national government, followed by the agency
(including any subdivisions or agencies) that serves as the organizational author.
Congressional documents: include the number of the Congress and the session when the hearing was
held or resolution passed as well as the report number. US government documents are typically published
by the Government Printing Office.
United States, Congress, Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearing on the Geopolitics of
Oil. Government Printing Office, 2007. 110th Congress, 1st session, Senate Report 111-8.
United States, Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and DOE Should Do More to
Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs. Government Printing Office, 2006.
18 11/14/17
Print Sources (continued)
A Pamphlet
Follow the “Book without an author” citation rules (p.12). Corporate authors (committees, commissions, and
groups with no individual member names) are commonly used in pamphlets and promotional materials
If the pamphlet you are citing has no author, cite as directed below. If your pamphlet has an author or a
corporate author, put the name of the author (last name, first name format) or corporate author in the place
where the author name typically appears at the beginning of the entry.
Examples:
Women's Health: Problems of the Digestive System. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
2006.
Your Rights Under California Welfare Programs. California Department of Social Services, 2007.
Dissertations and Master's Theses
Master’s theses and Dissertations may be used as sources whether published or not. Citations follows the rules
of citing a book and include the designation Dissertation (or MA/MS thesis) followed by the degree-granting
school and the year the degree was awarded.
Published Dissertations Template:
Author Last Name, First Name, Middle initial. Title of work. Dissertation (MA/MS thesis), Degree Granting
Institution Name, Year degree was awarded. If available, The University Microfilms International
(UMI) order number (optional).
Examples:
Roberson, Deborah C. Interruption of Community: A Chronicle of the Journey from Segregation to Dis-
Integration. Dissertation, Neumann University, 2017.
Bishop, Karen Lynn. Documenting Institutional Identity: Strategic Writing in the IUPUI Comprehensive
Campaign. Dissertation, Purdue University, 2002. UMI, 2004.
Unpublished Dissertations Template:
Author Last Name, First Name, Middle initial. “Title of work”. Dissertation (MA/MS thesis), Degree
Granting Institution Name, Year degree was awarded.
Example:
Stolley, Karl. “Toward a Conception of Religion as a Discursive Formation: Implications for Postmodern
Composition Theory.” MA thesis, Purdue University, 2002.
19 11/14/17
Selected Literary Criticism sources
6
Some of the most popular criticism collections are:
Contemporary Literary Criticism
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
Nineteenth Literary Criticism
Poetry Criticism
Drama Criticism
Short Story Criticism
Shakespeare for Students.
Literary Criticism article reprinted from a Newspaper
Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher. “Neighbors.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Sharon R. Gunton,
vol. 18, Gale, 1981. Contemporary Literary Criticism Online,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LCO&sw=w&u=asto38496&v=2.1&id=HVHBZN647262505&it=r&asid
=fc12ac12fe19635c24e3aaab75871086. Originally published in The New York Times, 1 Apr. 1980.
Literary Criticism Article reprinted from a Journal
Howard, Gregory. “Review of Happening.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Tom Burns and
Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 184, Gale, 2004. Contemporary Literary Criticism Online,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LCO&sw=w&u=asto38496&v=2.1&id=WLQMLT150853845&it=r&
asid=dc54de6977f717db327c74653142b48a. Originally published in Review of Contemporary Fiction,
vol. 22, no. 2, Summer 2002, p. 246.
Section originally published in a book. [See MLA Handbook, p.53; p.93 (Inclusive Numbers)]
Reilly, Patrick. “ ‘Lord of the Flies’ Beelzebub’s Boys.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Roger
Matuz, vol. 58, Gale Research, 1990, pp. 206-12. Originally published in The Literature of Guilt: From
“Gulliver” to Golding, U of Iowa P, 1988, pp. 138-61.
6
Examples derived from: https://lib.gccaz.edu/lmc/help/citations/MLA8thLiteraryAndControversialIssues.pdf and the MLA
Handbook, 8
th
Edition.
20 11/14/17
Selected Literary Criticism sources (continued)
Essay originally in an edited book, such as an anthology or collection of essays. [MLA Handbook, p.53]
Mencken, H.L. “The Great Gatsby.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Dennis Poupard and
James E. Person, Jr., vol. 14, Gale Research, 1984, pp. 147-49. Originally published in F. Scott
Fitzgerald: The Man and His Work, edited by Alfred Kazin, Macmillan/Collier, 1962, pp. 89-92.
Work originally published in a magazine. [See MLA Handbook, p.53; p.97 (abbreviations of Publishers’
Names)]
Tyler, Anne. “Manic Monologue.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Roger Matuz, vol. 58, Gale
Research, 1990, p. 325. Originally published in The New Republic, vol. 200, no.16, 17 Apr. 1989,
pp. 44-46.
Work originally published in a continuously paged journal [See MLA Handbook, p.53; p.119 (Style of
Numerals)]
Cutler, Bruce. “What We Are, and Are Not.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by James P. Draper, vol.
80, Gale Research, 1994, pp. 174-75. Originally published in Poetry, vol. 108, no. 4, July 1966,
pp. 269-72.
Cutler, Bruce. “What We Are, and Are Not.” Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by James P. Draper
and Jennifer Allison Brostrom, vol. 80, Gale, 1994. Contemporary Literary Criticism Online,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LCO&sw=w&u=asto38496&v=2.1&id=JUCQZT253406916&it=r
&asid=96734457807732d28e793ea0b92c41af. Accessed 8 Feb. 2017. Originally published in
Poetry, vol. 108, no. 4, July 1966, pp. 269-272.
Dictionary of Literary Biography [See MLA Handbook, pp.51-52]
Miller, Ruth. “Emily Dickinson.” The American Renaissance in New England, edited by Joel Myerson, Gale
Research, 1978, pp. 35-45. Dictionary of Literary Biography
21 11/14/17
In-text Citations
Note: Information from this section is mostly derived from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/2/
In-text citations are used in the body of your text as a brief reference that documents the source of your
information. In-text citations guide the reader to the location of the complete referenced entry the “Works
Cited” list at the end of your text. Typically they include the Author’s Last Name and a page number in
parenthesis:
“Direct quote” (Richards 12).
Basic in-text citation rules
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical
citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a
paraphrase.
General Guidelines
• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print,
Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works
Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must
be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.
In-text citations: Author-page style
In MLA, the author-page method of in-text citation is followed:
Author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must
appear in the text. Please note that the author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in
parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the
parentheses, not in the text of your sentence.
A complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page.
Example:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”
(263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the
sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more
information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth,
they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. Oxford UP, 1967.
22 11/14/17
In-text Citations (continued)
In-text citations for print sources with known author
When citing print books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a phrase or signal
word (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the phrase/signal word in the
sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
Examples:
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol-using animals” (3).
Human beings have been described as “symbol-using animals” (Burke 3).
Corresponding works cited entry:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of
California P, 1966.
In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author
Use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use
abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with
overly long parenthetical citations.
In-text citations for print sources with no known author
Use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short
work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web
sites) and provide a page number.
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has “more readily
accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . .”
(“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
In this example, there is no mention of the author, therefore, an abbreviated title of the article appears in the
parenthetical citation; it corresponds to the full name of the article which appears first at the left-hand margin
of its respective entry in the Works Cited. The title in quotation marks is included as the signal phrase in the
parenthetical citation so that the reader is lead directly to the source on the Works Cited page.
Corresponding works cited entry:
“The Impact of Global Warming in North America.” Global Warming: Early Signs. 1999.
http://www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.
23 11/14/17
In-text Citations (continued)
Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions
Always include page numbers. When there are multiple editions of a classic work, give the page number of
your edition, followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for book (bk.), chapter (ch.),
volume (vol.), part (pt.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.)
Example:
Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class struggles (79; ch. 1).
Citing authors with same last names
When two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors'
full name if different authors share initials) in your citation.
Example:
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note
that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
Citing a work by multiple authors
Source with two authors: list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:
Best and Marcus argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface, rather than looking for some
hidden meaning (9).
The authors claim that surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible, apprehensible in texts” (Best and
Marcus 9).
Corresponding works cited entry:
Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations, vol. 108, no. 1, Fall
2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1
Source with three or more authors: list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names
with et al.
According to Franck et al., “Current agricultural policies in the U.S. are contributing to the poor health of
Americans” (327).
The authors claim that one cause of obesity in the United States is government-funded farm subsidies
(Franck et al. 327).
Corresponding works cited entry:
Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of
Preventative Medicine, vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.
24 11/14/17
In-text Citations (continued)
Citing multiple works by the same author:
Include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others.
Put short titles of books in italics t titles of articles in quotation marks.
Citing two articles by the same author:
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children (“Too Soon” 38), though he has
acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill
development in a child's second and third year (“Hand-Eye Development” 17).
Citing two books by the same author:
Murray states that writing is “a process” that “varies with our thinking style” (Write to Learn 6). Additionally,
Murray argues that the purpose of writing is to “carry ideas and information from the mind of one person into
the mind of another” (A Writer Teaches Writing 3).
If the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation in this way:
Author’s Last Name, “Shortened Title of the Work”, page numbers (when appropriate).
Example:
Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be “too easy” (Elkins, “Visual Studies” 63).
Citing multivolume works
When citing from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number, followed by a
colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide
only the page number in parentheses.)
Example:
. . . as Quintilian wrote in Institutio Oratoria (1: 14-17).
Citing the Bible
For the first parenthetical citation, clearly define which Bible is being used and underline or italicize the title,
follow with the Book being cited, chapter and verse.
Example:
Ezekiel saw “what seemed to be four living creatures,” each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle
(New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).
If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in
the parenthetical citation.
25 11/14/17
In-text Citations (continued)
Citing indirect sources*
Indirect sources are sources cited in other sources. Use “qtd. in” to indicate the source you actually consulted.
Example:
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as “social service centers, and they don't do that well”
(qtd. in Weisman 259).
*Finding the original source and citing it is preferred over indirect source citation.
Citing non-print or sources from the Internet
When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, your citation must reference the source in
your Works Cited list.
For electronic and Internet sources please follow the following guidelines:
• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g.
author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function are not necessary.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry,
do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example,
a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or
http://www.forbes.com.
Miscellaneous non-print sources
Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo stars Herzog's long-time film partner, Klaus Kinski. During the shooting of
Fitzcarraldo, Herzog and Kinski were often at odds, but their explosive relationship fostered a memorable and
influential film.
During the presentation, Jane Yates stated that invention and pre-writing are areas of rhetoric that need more
attention.
In the two examples above “Herzog” from the first entry and “Yates” from the second lead the reader to the first
item each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:
Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo. Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.
Yates, Jane. “Invention in Rhetoric and Composition.” Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and
Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002.
26 11/14/17
In-text Citations (continued)
Electronic sources
Examples:
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo “has become notorious for its near-failure and many
obstacles” (Taylor, “Fitzcarraldo”).
In this example, the author is not included in-text, but two entries from the same author appear in the
Works Cited list. In order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page, both the
author’s last name and the article title are included in the parenthetical citation.
Corresponding Works Cited entry:
Taylor, Rumsey. “Fitzcarraldo.” Slant, 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/.
Peter Erskine discussed his music and career with Sweetwater’s Mitch Gallagher in this month’s “InSync
Magazine”. This electronic publication is one of the most popular publications by the company (“5
Questions with Peter Erskine.”).
“5 Questions with Peter Erskine” in the parenthetical citation gives the reader the title of the work as it
appears in the Works Cited list for ease of location.
Corresponding Works Cited entry:
“5 Questions with Peter Erskine.” Edited by Mitch Gallagher, InSync, 12 May 2017,
www.sweetwater.com/insync/5-questions-peter-erskine/.
Multiple citations in the same parenthetical reference
Separate the citations by a semi-colon:
. . . as has been discussed elsewhere (Burke 3; Dewey 21).
Time-based media sources
When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of
hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference: (00:01:17-00:05:39).
When a citation is not required
Common knowledge, well-known quotations or familiar proverbs do not require you to provide the sources.
The audience dictates what constitutes common knowledge. If you are writing for an expert audience of a
Medical scholarly journal, for example, the readers will have different expectations of what constitutes
common knowledge.
