MLA 7th edition- citation styles

Essential Elements

All book citations should include the following elements:

1. Name of Author, Editor, or Compiler

2. Title of Book (italicized)

3. Edition used (if on title page and other than the first)

4. Number(s) of Volume(s) if using two or more volumes

5. City of Publication

6. Name of Publisher

7. Year of Publication

8. Medium of Publication

9. Series name if part of a series

Note: E-books require additional information. 

Here are a few guidelines to get you started: All MLA citations should be double spaced. The first line should be flush with the left margin. All other lines should be indented. Use the form of the author's name used on the title page, not an abbreviation. Capitalize every important word in the title. Italicize titles of books and names of journals; put article titles in quotation marks.  If the item you are citing has a subtitle, put a colon between the main title and the subtitle. Subtitles must be included in the citation; if you are citing a book, use the title information provided on the title page of the book, not the spine or cover. If the place of publication lists several cities, use the first city given; do not include the state, province, or country after the city name. Publishers' names should be shortened by following the guidelines provided. See MLA Handbook 7.5. Include the medium of publication consulted such as Print, Web, Television, Radio, Interview, etc.

Sample Citations - Books

Book by a Single Author or Editor

Single Author

Example:

Single Editor

If you are citing an entire edited book, place the editor's name in the author position followed by "ed."

Example:

Book by Multiple Authors or Editors

Two authors

List the authors in the order they appear on the title page. List the first author with the last name first; additional authors' names are listed with the first name followed by the last name.

Example:

Three authors

List the authors in the order they appear on the title page. List the first author with the last name first; additional authors' names are listed with the first name followed by the last name.

Example:

Hopkins, Nigel J., John W. Mayne, and John R. Hudson. The Numbers You Need. Detroit: Gale, 1992. Print.

Four or more authors

You may list each author as in the examples above, or list the first author followed by "et al." (meaning "and others").

Example:

Darling-Hammond, Linda, et al. Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. Print.

Multiple editors, translators, or compilers

Place a comma after the final name and add the appropriate abbreviation (eds., trans. or comps.)

Example:

Shephard, John, et al., eds. Continuum Encyclopedias of Popular Music of the World. 2nd ed. 7 vols. London: Continuum, 2003. Print.

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Book by a Corporate Author or Organization

List the name of the organization in place of the author.

Example:

Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: MLA, 2009. Print.

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Book in a Series

If your book is part of a series, the series name and number (if any) should be given after the medium of publication. Do not italicize or put in quotes.

Example:

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Work in an Anthology

Begin the citation with the author of the work, not the editor of the book.

Example:

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Chapter, Section, or Essay in an Edited Book

Begin the citation with the author of the work, not the editor of the book.

Example:

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Entry or Article in a Reference Book

Signed Entry

Begin the citation with the author of the article, not the author or editor of the book. Page numbers are not necessary if the entries are arranged alphabetically.

Example:

Unsigned Entry

If no author is attached to an entry, begin with the title of the entry. Page numbers are not necessary if the entries are arranged alphabetically.

Example:

"Giuseppe Verdi." The New Penguin Opera Guide. Ed. Amanda Holden. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.

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Multivolume Work

Include the volume number after the editor's name. (If there is no editor, the volume number will appear after the title.)

Example:

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Edition Other Than the First

Include the volume number after the editor. (If there is no editor, the volume number will appear after the title.)

• Only include edition information if it is NOT the first edition.

• Write edition as it appears in the book. (3rd, Revised, Abridged, Expanded, etc.; written as 3rd ed., Rev. ed., Abr. ed., Expanded ed., etc.)

Example:

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 eBook

Cite the work as you would a print book, followed by:

•  the database in which you accessed the e-book

•  the medium of publication

•  the date of access

Sample Citations - Magazine Articles

Print Magazine Article

If an author is listed, begin with the name of the author. If no author is listed, begin with the title of the article.

Example:

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Magazine Article in an Online Database

Cite the article as you would a print article, followed by:

• database in which you accessed the article

• medium of publication (Web)

• date of access

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Magazine Article, Published Online (Not Accessed Through a Database)

If you are citing an article published online which you have not accessed through a database, treat it as any other Web site.

Example:

Film or DVD

Film or DVD

Essential Elements:

• Title of film

• Director's name

• Year of orginal release

• Distributor

• Year of current release

• Format (DVD, VHS, etc.)

Example:

You may also list the names of other primary contributers (such as actors, producers, writers, etc.) after the director's name if those aspects of the film are mentioned in your paper. (See the MLA Handbook, pp. 197-198 for detailed information.)

Image or Photograph

Image, Photograph, and other Visual Art

Essential Elements:

• Name of artist (if available)

• Title of work (italicized)

• Date of composition (if unavailable, use "n.d.")

• Medium of composition

• Name of institution, repository, or collection that houses the work

• Location of housing institution (City)

If accessed online, include the following information as well:

• Title of Database (italicized)

• Medium of publication (Web)

• Date of access

Example (Print):

 

Example (Accessed Through a Database):

Poussin, Nicolas. Dance to the Music of Time. 1638-40. Oil on canvas. Wallace Collection, London. ARTstor. Web. 8 Sep. 2009.

Sample Citation - Newspaper Articles

Print Newspaper Article

Because newspaper articles often don’t appear on consecutive pages, cite the section and page number where the article begins. If the article continues onto additional pages, note this by placing a + sign after the page number.

Signed Article

Example:

Unsigned Article

If the article is unsigned, begin with the title of the article.

Example:

 "Retirement Expert Urges Diversity in 401(k) Options." USA Today 19 Jan. 2010: 4B. Print.

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News Article Accessed Through an Online Database

Cite the article as you would a print article, followed by the database in which you accessed the article, the medium of publication (Web), and the date of access.

Example:

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News Article Published Online (Not Accessed Through a Database)

If you are citing an article published online which you have not accessed through a database, treat it as you would any other website.

Example:

Citing Database Sources

When citing sources from a database, the type of resource (newspaper, magazine, journal, etc.) will determine the citation format, not the database itself. Be sure to follow an example that illustrates that same type of resource that you have used.

Sample Citations - Online Databases

Scholarly Article in an Online Database

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Newspaper Article in an Online Database

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Magazine Article in an Online Database

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eBook in an Online Database

  

Sample Citations - Scholarly Articles

Scholarly Article in a Print Journal

Example:

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Scholarly Article from an Online Database

Cite the article as you would a print article, followed by:

• the database in which you accessed the article (italicized)

• the medium of publication (Web)

• the date of access

Example 2:

Arnas, Yasare Aktas. "The Effects of Television Food Advertisement on Children's Food Purchasing Requests." Pediatrics International 48.2 (2006): 135-45. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Aug. 2009.

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Scholarly Article in an Online Journal (Not Accessed Through a Database)

If the article has page numbers, include them after the year of publication. If no page numbers are given, note this with the abbreviation "n. pag."

Example:

Sample Citations - Web Sites

Page on a Web Site

In the example below, the title of the Web page ("Whitman the Fiction Writer") is enclosed in quotations, while the overall Web site (The Walt Whitman Archive) is italicized.

Example:

 

Web Page, No Stated Author

Begin your citation with the title of the page or article if no author is available.

Example:

"English Civil Wars." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Web. 31 Aug. 2009.

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Entire Web Site

Include as much information as you can find in your citation.

• If no publisher is available, use the abbreviation "N.p."

• If no publication date is available, use the abbreviation "n.d."

Example:

American Memory Project. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2009.

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Newspaper Article Published Online (Not Accessed Through a Database)

If you are citing a periodical article published online which you have not accessed through a database, treat it as you would any other website.

Example:

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Magazine Article Published Online (Not Accessed Through a Database)

If you are citing a periodical article published online which you have not accessed through a database, treat it as you would any other website.

Example:

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Blog

Include the notation "blog" after the article title. Blog sources should be associated with a reputable scholar or publisher.

Example:

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Book Accessed Online, Also Published in Print

Start with the print publication data, followed by the title of the overall Web site, medium consulted (Web), and date accessed.

Example:

 

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Unpublished Thesis/Dissertation Accessed Online, Also Available in Print

Example:

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Government Document Accessed Online, Also Available in Print

Example:

Parenthetical (in-Text) Citations --Examples

If you are making a direct quote or paraphrasing an author's idea, you must add a parenthetical (in-text) citation. Author and page number are the two basic elements of MLA parenthetical citations. In cases where there is no named author, the title (often shortened) of the work is used. These citations are brief and are meant to allow the reader to find the full details in the works cited list.

Citations should be placed within the text as close as possible to the end of the quote or idea. Remember, all parenthetical citations must connect to entries in your works cited list at the end of the paper.

Single author (See sec. 6.3 MLA Handbook) Cite author's last name and page number of quote. Example: It is thought that "Courtier had a profound influence on Elizabethan England and its cultural development" (Vitale  iv). Single author; author's name used in your text (See sec. 6.3 MLA Handbook) Just cite page number. Example: Vitale states that "Courtier had a profound influence on Elizabethan England and its cultural development" (iv). Two or three authors (See sec. 6.3 MLA Handbook) List the authors' last names and page number of the quote. Example: College health providers should work to "dispel the myth of the 'Freshman 15'" (Vella-Zarb and Elgar 165). Four or more authors (See sec. 6.2 MLA Handbook) If the work has four or more authors, either give the first author’s last name followed by et al., or give all the last names. Whichever format you choose, be consistent and use the same format in your works cited list. Example: (Scanlon et al. 243-52) Two or more works by the same author used in the paper (See sec. 6.4.6 MLA Handbook) Put a comma after the author's last name and add the title of the work (shortened if necessary) and the page number. Example: Monet's painting "disrupts our usual univocal relationship with the world by opening up the possibility of ambiguity and fluidity" (Bernier, "Subject and Painting," 318). Anonymous author (See sec. 6.4.4 MLA Handbook) Sometimes works do not list an author.  Use the title of article. Titles may be shortened. Example: Natalia Makarova is known as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century  ("Here's Looking"). Works cited: "Here's Looking at You, Natasha." Dance Magazine May 2010: 40-44. Print. Electronic and Other Nonprint Sources without Page Numbers  Try to give the section or paragraph number. And when you provide a paragraph or section number, you should include a comma after the author’s name or abbreviated title of the work.  Example:  (Doe, par. 3) (“Myth of Poverty,” pt. 3)  Quoting from Another Source  Example:  John Johnson wrote that individual freedom “should not take precedence over social welfare” (qtd. in Doe 4). Corporate author, such as a government department or organization (See sec. 6.4.5 MLA Handbook) To avoid interrupting the flow of your text with an extended parenthetical reference, try to include corporate authors' names in the text of your essay.  For more information see section 6.4.5 in the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook. Example: According to the American Psychiatric Association, 3-7% of school-aged children suffer from ADHD (12). Works cited: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Print. Indirect source (What if my author quotes another author?) (See sec. 6.4.7 MLA Handbook) Whenever you can, take material from the original source, not a secondhand one. Sometimes, however, only an indirect source is available. In this case, identify the quoted author in your text and say “qtd. in” in your citation. For more information see section 6.4.7 in the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook. Example: Chrysostom spoke of the original apostles by saying, "They did not stop there, but went even further, and not satisfied with the world known to us they went out as far as the Ocean itself and enclosed in their own nets the countries of the barbarians and the British Isles" (qtd. in Hanson 29). Works Cited: Hanson, R.P.C. Saint Patrick: His Origins and Career. New York: Oxford UP, 1968. Print.