Overview

The MLA style consists of two components: a parenthetical citation within the text of the paper and an alphabetical list of works cited at the end of the research paper. These citation components work together to enable the reader of the paper to quickly find information about the cited source and if needed obtain the source. The parenthetical citation points the reader to the entry in the works cited list at the end of the paper. Examples of both a parenthetical citation and work cited are given below:

While course-related library instruction is still widely practiced, librarians are moving away from talking about information sources as ends in themselves, and towards an information literacy, problem based approach to information gathering where sources have a secondary role(Bopp and Smith 13).

Bopp, Richard E., and Linda C. Smith. Reference and Information
          
     Services: An Introduction. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited, 1995.

In the examples above the parenthetical citation is shown in parentheses followed by its corresponding works cited entry. Notice how both the parenthetical citation and the works cited entry use the author's last name. The works cited entry gives the source's title as Reference and Information Services and the book's authors as Richard E. Bopp and Linda C. Smith. Because of this format a reader can quickly find information about the source cited in the text on the works cited list at the end of the paper. Notice the parenthetical citation gives only the author's surname. If the author is mentioned in the text, only the page number from the original source is given (13). If there is more than one work by the same author listed on the works cited page, the first unique words of the title are given; for this example it would be (Bopp, Reference 13). When two different authors share the same last name in your works cited list, add the first initial of each author that shares the same name to the parenthetical citation. For example, if you are citing works by the authors Martin Amis and Kingsley Amis your parenthetical citation for each author would look like (M. Amis 103-10) and (K. Amis 215-35). One hint for making the MLA citation style easier is to create a working draft of your works cited list and use this information during writing so that you can refer back to it when you need to give a parenthetical citation.

List of works cited

The list of works cited appears at the end of your paper. It is a list of all the works that you cite in your paper. By giving complete information at the end of your paper, your parenthetical citation can be brief. The list should begin on a new page and continue the page numbering of the text.

Examples of works cited

A book with one author

Nielsen, Jakob. Designing Web Usability. Indianapolis: 
     
     New Riders, 2000.

A book with two authors

LaSalle, Diana, and Terry A. Britton. Priceless: Turning

     Ordinary Products Into Extraordinary Experiences. 

     Boston: Harvard, 2003.
            

More than three authors

Theoharis, Athan E., et al. The FBI: A Comprehensive
   
     Reference. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1999. 

Citing a work in an anthology

Barth, John. "The Rest of Your Life." New Stories from The South:


	The Years Best, 2001. Ed. Shannon Ravenel. Chapel Hill: Algonquin


	Books of Chapel Hill, 2001. 306-26.

When your works cited list contains two or more works by the same author, they are listed as follows. Both of these books are by H. L. Mencken. Notice that for the second book the author's name has been replaced by three hyphens followed by a period.

More than one book by the same author

Mencken, H. L. Happy Days, 1880-1892. New York: Knopf, 1919.

---. Prejudices: First Series. New York: Knopf, 1940.
            

Citing sources such as Twentieth Century Literary Criticism and Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism

When citing a reprinted article like those found in Contemporary Literary Criticism and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, give the complete citation for the earlier publication and then add Rpt. in ("Reprinted in") along with the title of the collection in which the excerpt is reprinted and the new publication facts.

Bone, Robert. "Richard Wright and the Chicago Renaissance."

     Callaloo 9.3 (1986): 446-68. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century
    
     Literary Criticism. Ed. Linda Pavlovski. Vol. 154.
     
     Detroit: Gale, 2005. 240-54.

Citing an article in a Reference Book

McCandless, Bruce. "Brain-Based Education." Encyclopedia of

    Education. Ed. James W. Guthrie. 2nd ed. 8 Vols. New York:

    Macmillan, 2003.

Citing Literary and Religious Works

When citing a classic novel, poem, or play that has been published in several different editions, it is important to provide more than just page numbers in the parenthetical citation so that the source can be located in any edition. For example, a parenthetical citation to Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 would look like (1H4 4.1.40-45) when citing lines 40-45 in Act 4, Scene 1 of the play. The title of the play is abbreviated based on guidelines given in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Also note the use of Arabic numerals in the citation instead of Roman numerals. For novels that have been published in several editions you would add information such as chapter in the parenthetical citation. An example for Moby Dick would be (49; ch.9) giving the reader not only page number but the chapter as well. When citing books of the Bible, include book, chapter, and verse (1 Kings 2.3) in your citation.

Citing a government report

United States. National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of

     Education 2004. Washington: GPO, 2004.

 

Citing articles and publications in periodicals

The next example is for a journal that uses continuous page numbers for a whole volume.

Sand, Andrea J. "Wharton's The Age of Innocence." The

     Explicator 62 (2003): 23-25.

The first example below is for a journal that paginates each issue starting with page 1. Note the addition of the issue numbers in the citation

Odden, Allan. "Lessons Learned About Standards-Based Teacher
     
    Evaluation Systems." Peabody Journal of Education 79.4 
     
    (2004): 126-137.

This last example shows how to cite articles with two authors.

Kuh, George D., and Robert M. Gonyea. "The Role of the
    
   Academic Library in Promoting Student Engagement in
    
   Learning." College & Research Libraries 64.4 (2003): 256-282. 

Citing a personal interview

Wolfe, Tom. Personal Interview. 23 May 2006.

Citing nonprint sources
When citing a film or video recording, begin with the title and underline it. You will also need information about the director, the distributor, and year of release.

Citizen King. Dir. Orlando Bagwell and W. Noland Walker. PBS Home Video, 2004. 

Citing Internet & Electronic Publications
When citing Internet and electronic sources, identify the source and give enough information to allow the reader to locate that source. Include information such as a URL, database name, and date of access. Many documents in our databases were published in paper as well as in electronic format. In the citation you will need to give information about both the paper and electronic publication. To save paper, the examples that follow are single spaced; they should be double spaced for the paper you turn in to your instructor.

Citing a library database (Notice: all citations should be double spaced in the 
paper you turn in to your instructor)

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume number (Year): Page(s). 
     Name of Database. Gale Group Databases. Lambuth University Lib., 
     Jackson, TN. Date of Access <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tel_a_lambuth>. 

Lee-St. John, Jeninne. "Mon Dieu! The French Get Fat." Time 23 May 2005: 21. 
     General OneFile. Gale Group Databases. Lambuth University Lib.,
     Jackson, TN. 16 May 2005 <http://web4.infotrac.galegroup.com>.


Literature Resource Center (from Gale Group)

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Source, edition (if given). Year. 
     Literature Resource Center. Gale Group Databases. Lambuth University Lib., 
     Jackson, TN. Date of Access  <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tel_a_lambuth>.

Shayon, Robert Lewis. "The Interplanetary Spock." Saturday Review 17 June 1967:
     46. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton. Vol. 17.
     Detroit:Gale Research, 1981. 403. Literature Resource Center. Gale Group. 
     Lambuth University Lib.,Jackson, TN. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/menu> 


EBSCOhost (Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier,
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection)

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine Date: Page(s). 
     Name of Database. EBSCOhost. Lambuth University Lib., Jackson, TN. 
     Date of Access <http://search.ebscohost.com/>.

Brokoske, Steve. "How to Prevent Paper Recycling." Teaching Professor 
     (December 2005) 19(10):1-4. EBSCOhost. Lambuth University Lib., 
     Jackson, TN. 21 August 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/>

LexisNexis Academic

Scott, Janny and David Leonhardt. "Class in America: Shadowy Line That Still Divide."
     New York Times 15 May 2005: 1-. LexisNexis Academic. Lambuth University Lib.,
     Jackson, TN. 4 Nov. 2005 <http://www.lexisnexis.com >.

Citing a web site

If you are citing a web page that has never been published in print, give
the author, the title of the web page, and the web page's Internet address
(URL) in your citation.


Wilson, Clyde. "The South and Southern History." LewRockwell.com. 9 July 2001.
     24 May 2005 <http://lewrockwell.com/orig/wilson5.html>.

 

This Page Last Updated January 17, 2008