This guides focuses on how to properly format works for an MLA works cited page. Examples of the most commonly used source types are provided. For more detail, consult the handbook.
Please note that spacing and indentation in the examples are not compliant with the MLA handbook.
Always consult with your professor concerning his/her preferences for formatting citations.
MLA Handbook by
The MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date--that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more.
The basic pattern is
Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, publication date.
Editions come before the publisher. Use ordinal numbers with Arabic numerals (1st, 2nd) and abbreviate revised (rev.) and edition (ed.).
Dayme, Meribeth Bunch. The Performer's Voice: Realizing Your Vocal Potential. W. W. Norton, 2005.
In-text citation: (Dayme 23)
The basic pattern is
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. Second Container, URL.
Access dates are optional for online sources; however, they should be included if no publication, update, or copyright date is present. Eliminate text prior to the final forward slash in the URL, i.e. "http://". Given their stability, DOIs are preferred to URLs. Always attempt to obtain and use a permanent URL.
Cavdendish, Margaret. "Of the Ant." Early Modern Women's Writing: An Anthology, 1560-1700, edited by Paul Salzman, Oxford UP, 2000, pp. 167-68. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=56463&site=ehost-live.
In-text citation: (Cavendish 167-68)
The basic pattern is
Last name, First name. "Title of Chapter." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.
Precede the page range with "pp."
Hartman, Megan E. "The Limits of Conservative Composition in Old English Poetry." The Dating of Beowulf: A Reassessment, edited by Leonard Neidorf, D.S. Brewer, 2014, pp. 79-96.
In-text citation: (Hartman 85)
The basic pattern is
Last Name, First Name. "Title of entry." Title of Reference Work, publication date.
Do not include publisher information, volume, or page number(s). However, for online sources, provide publisher information.
"Dénouement, n." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, 2017, www.oed.com/view/Entry/50013. Accessed 9 October 2017.
In-text citation: ("Dénouement")
The basic pattern is
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.
Precede the volume with "vol." and the issue with "no." Use "pp." before the page range.
For three or mor authors, reverse the order for the first author's name and use "et al." for subsequent authors.
De Bruin, Karen, et al. "A Meaningful French Education: Experiential Learning in French." The French Review, vol. 87, no. 3, March 2014, pp. 65-77.
In-text citation: (De Bruin et al. 70)
The basic pattern is
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages. Second Container, URL.
Laporte, Charles. "The Bard, the Bible, and the Victorian Shakespeare Question." ELH, vol. 74, no. 3, 2007, pp. 609-28. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30029574.
In-text citation: (Laporte 610)
The basic pattern is
Author. Title of Dissertation. Date. Institution, Degree.
In-text citation: (Cyzewski 44)
Most library databases include a button or link that produces a citation for a reference list. While these are useful for saving time, these citations are machine-generated. As such, they must always be checked against the publication manual to ensure they are accurate and complete.
LCU Library Database
The LCU Library uses EBSCO Discovery Services which includes a citation generator. Below is an example of this tool.
