Citation Guides  Tags: szpunar citation  

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers provides detailed guidelines for using MLA style. The most recent edition of the MLA Handbook is kept at the Reference Desk at the Roy O West library. We also own several other circulating copies.

Call number:  PN203 .G53

Main changes from the 6th edition:

Italicize titles instead of underline.

Entries for websites now only require a URL if the reader will need it to find the source.

Entries include the medium of publication, such as Print, Web, DVD, etc.

All article citations include the volume and issue, regardless of pagination.

New abbreviations:
      No publisher = N.p.
      No place = n.p.
      No date of publication = n.d.
      No page numbers = n. pag.

MLA Style

This page contains general information about MLA style based on the 2009 7th Edition of the MLA Handbook.  For specific examples of how to format materials, mouse over the heading for this page and then click on the type of material from the menu.

Works Cited Page

MLA Style requires a Works Cited page at the end of research papers. It must be titled Works Cited and entries are double spaced, with only one line between entries.

If you have more than one item by the same author, they are listed as follows, alphabetized by title:

Twain, Mark. Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1899. Print.

---. Tom Sawyer Abroad. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1896. Print.

In-Text Citations

MLA Style uses parenthetical citations. After a quote or paraphrase from a source, add parentheses containing the author's name, a space, and the page number of the work.

Example: "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" (Seuss 7).

If you use more than one work by the same author, use a shortened form of the title in addition to the author's name.

Example: "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" (Seuss, "Horton Hears" 7).

If more than one author has the same last name, add their first initial.

Example: "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" (D. Seuss 7).

If you refer to the author in the sentence, leave their name out of the parentheses.

Example: Seuss says that "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" (7).