MLA otherwise known as the Modern Language Association citation style, and it is a set of guidelines used for formatting and citing sources in academic writing. It is commonly used in Language arts, cultural studies and humanities disciplines. There are two parts to citing in MLA style:
MLA 9th edition provides 9 core elements to complete any works cited entry. It is your job to try to fill in these core elements with the information you have about a source. If any element is missing or not applicable, you can skip that element.
The 9 Core Elements
(1) Author.
(2) “Title of Source.”
(3) Title of Container,
(4) Other contributors,
(5) Version,
(6) Number,
(7) Publisher,
(8) Publication date,
(9) Location.
Notes:
For sources that are part of a larger work, you include core element (2) “Title of Source.”
( e.g. journal articles from a journal, essays or chapters from a book, webpages from a website)
For sources that are self-contained, you skip core element (2).
(e.g. books, websites, or journals)
In-text Citation
| Material Type | In-text Citation |
| Author's name is text | Nouf develops this opinion (21-22). |
| Author's name is reference |
The opinion was developed somewhere else (Nouf 21-22). |
| Two-author's names in reference | The most exciting places in the UAE is Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Saeed and Khalid 156) |
| quotation found in indirect or "secondhand" source | In her book, Yasmeen suggests that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself..." (qtd. in Fatima 44). |
Creating a Works Cited Page
A Works Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper i.e a collection of all cited sources in an academic work.
Here are some examples of MLA style citations. Note: Some instructors may require access dates for websites or other pieces of information. Please check with your instructor if you have any questions.
|
Material Type |
Works Cited |
|
Book in print |
Moreno, Carlos, et al. The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet. 1st ed., John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2023. |
|
eBook |
Hediger, Ryan, et al. Planet Work: Rethinking Labor and Leisure in the Anthropocene. 1st ed., Bucknell University Press, 2022, https://doi.org/10.36019/9781684484621. |
|
An article in a print journal |
Hasaan, Sayed. "Minding the Gap: Realizing Our Ideal Community Writing Assistance Program." The Community Literacy Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-80. |
|
An article in an electronic journal |
Meinshausen, Malte, et al. “Greenhouse-Gas Emission Targets for Limiting Global Warming to 2 C.” Nature, vol. 458, no. 7242, 2009, pp. 1158–62, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08017. |
|
A encyclopedia entry |
Mike, Murphy. "Sufism." Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Donald Borchert, 2nd ed., vol. 9, Thomson Gale, 2006, pp. 300-14. |
|
A government publication |
British Columbia, BC Centre for Disease Control. Tetanus. Provincial Health Services Authority, 2022, www.bccdc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/case-definitions/tetanus. |
|
An interview you conducted |
Brandt, Deborah. Personal interview. 28 May 2008. |
|
A Page on a Website with no author |
"Stunning Lakeside View on Lake Erie." VisitPA, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 12 May 2013, www.visitpa.com/article/stunning-lakeside-views-lake-erie. |
|
A Page on a Website with an author |
Drucker, Peter. "How to maintain a garden, According to Botanists." Apartment Therapy, 15 Jan. 2022, www.apartmenttherapy.com/houseplant-tips-botanists-36710191. |
|
Artwork - from website |
Shahid, Fawaz. Former president, H.E Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan . 2019 National Portrait Gallery, npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2019.15. |
The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition and MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition provide detailed guidelines for using MLA style, and they are available in the library.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition: Reference and general collection: LB 2369.G53 2003
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition: Reference Collection: PN 147.G444 2008
Additional information on MLA style may be found at these websites: