MLA style uses “parenthetical citations” to give credit to others for their contributions to your work. When you
insert a parenthetical citation you are informing the reader where you found that information. Direct quotes,
summarizing, and paraphrasing all need parenthetical citations. Usually, the author’s last name and page
number are enough. These brief parenthetical citations refer to the resources that you used to write your paper.
Examples of parenthetical citations:
This point has been argued before (Frye 178-85).
Frye has argued this point before (178-85).
At the end of your paper, you will provide an alphabetized list of “Works Cited” to which the parenthetical
citation refers. The MLA documentation style provides the full publication information for each source used in
your research paper. This handout provides examples of the most common types of resources. See the MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. for complete examples.
“Works Cited” EXAMPLES
REFERENCE BOOKS
“The Bachelor.” The Encyclopedia of Reality Television: The Ultimate Guide to Over Twenty Years of RealityTV from the
Real World to Dancing with the Stars. New York: Pocket Books, 2008. Print.
“Survivor.” Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. Print.
BOOKS
Carson, Bruce. Frames and Fictions on Television: The Politics of Identity within Drama. Portland, OR.: Intellect Books,
2000. NetLibrary. Web. 12 Oct. 2008.
Hutchby, Ian. “Confrontation as Spectacle: The Argumentative Frame of the Ricki Lake Show.” Television Talk Shows:
Discourse, Performance, Spectacle. Ed. Andrew Tolson. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2001. Print.
Murray, Susan and Laurie Ouellette. Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture. New York: New York UP, 2004. Print.
Rankin, Aubree. "Reality TV Shows Encourage Immoral Behavior." Opposing Viewpoints: Television. Ed. Jamuna Carroll.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
NEWSPAPERS
"Actress Shayne Lamas Says She Hopes Her New Reality Show Featuring Her Siblings and Parents Will Bring Her Family
Closer Together." Washington Times 5 Oct. 2009: B7. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
"Competitive Reality Shows Dominate Local Ratings." Chattanooga Times/Free Press 20 Sept. 200: n. pag. General
Reference Center Gold. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
“Media: The Fallout from 15 Minutes of Fame: As Reality TV Producers Introduce More Vulnerable People to Pull in
Jaded Viewers, They Have Increased the Psychological Help Available.” The Guardian 24 Aug. 2009: 2. General
Reference Center Gold. Web. 13 Oct. 2009.
MAGAZINES
"Antics in the Attic; Reality TV: Created in Europe; Sold in America." The Economist 26 May 2001: 6. Print.
Schneider, Michael. "Reeling from Reality: As Franchises Lose Viewers, Nets Are Left in the Lurch." Variety 5 Oct. 2009:
1+. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 5 Nov. 2009.
Streisand, Betsy. "Did You Say Reality TV? Or Surreal TV?" U.S. News & World Report 22 Jan. 2001: 36. Print.
Ward, Kate. "Stupid Parents + Reality TV = Kids at Risk." Entertainment Weekly 30 Oct. 2009: 30. General OneFile. Web.
5 Nov. 2009.
Young, Toby. "How a Reality Show Gave Me Back My Title as Least Popular Person in America. Spectator 17 Jan 2009:
54(1). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
ACADEMIC JOURNALS
Baruh, Lemi. "Publicized Intimacies on Reality Television: An Analysis of Voyeuristic Content and Its Contribution to the
Appeal of Reality Programming." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 53.2 (2009): 190+. General
OneFile. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Houck, MM. "CSI: Reality—Attorneys, Investigators and Educators Have Felt the Impact of Television's Popular Forensics
Programs." Scientific American 295.1 (2006): 84-89. Print.
McVey, Cynthia. "Reality Bites: Do Participants in Reality TV Shows Really Know What They Are Getting Into? Cynthia
McVey Argues That Informed Consent Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be." New Scientist 183.2458 (2004): 16.
Academic OneFile. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Pointon, C. "Beware 'Big Brother'." Therapy Today 17.10 (2006): 4-7. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.
Shouse, Ben. “Reality TV Puts Group Behavior to the Test.” Science ns 294.5545 (2001): 1262-1263. JSTOR. Web. 4 Nov.
2009.
WEBSITES
“Reality Television.” Wikipedia.org. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 October 2009. Web. 2 November 2009.
Guttentag, Bill. Why Are Reality TV Shows So Popular? Commonwealth Club of California, San Francisco. 13 February
2008. Lecture. YouTube. Web. 2 November 2009. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAnAoM96wxE>.
Prepared by the Mott Library Staff
November 2009