MLA In-text Citations
A parenthetical citation (in-text citation) must follow all direct quotations and all paraphrased
and summarized material. Immediately following a direct quotation, paraphrased, or
summaried material, place the author’s last name, a space, and then the page number from
which you are quoting or summarizing.
Short Quotations
A short quotation runs no more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse in a paper.
EXAMPLES:
If the author’s name DOES appear in the sentence, only the page number is needed:
§
Manguel asserts that “it would be hard to exaggerate the importance of the
scribe’s role in Mesopotamian society” (180).
If the author’s name does NOT appear in the sentence, both the last name of the author
and the page number of the text is needed:
§
Others believe that “it would be hard to exaggerate the importance of the
scribe’s role in Mesopotamian society” (Manguel 180).
If there is NO AUTHOR listed, use an abbreviated version of the title:
§
In literate societies “learning to read is something of an initiation, a
ritualized passage out of a state of dependency and rudimentary
communication” (History of Reading 50).
If citing from an INDIRECT source, (an indirect source is a source cited within another
source) For indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually
consulted.
§
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as "social service
centers, and they don't do that well" (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Note that for a short quotation, the punctuation of the sentence comes AFTER the citation.
Writingcenter.appstate.edu 828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014 Long Quotations
A long quotation runs more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse in a paper.
***When using long quotations:
- Indent entire quotation one inch
- Do NOT use quotation marks
- Final punctuation follows the last sentence of quote and NOT the citation
EXAMPLES:
If the author’s name DOES appear in the sentence:
§
In her famous speech, Sojourner Truth says,
Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles,
or gives me any best place, and aren’t I a woman? Look at
me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and
gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I
a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a
woman? (144-45)
If the author’s name does NOT appear in the sentence:
§
The hero describes her mother:
It would have been enough to think that even one of these
dangers could befall a child. And even though the
birthdates corresponded to only one danger my mother
worried about them all. This was because she couldn’t
figure out how the Chinese dates, based on the lunar
calendar, translated into American dates. So by taking them
all into account, she had absolute faith she could prevent
every one of them. (Tan 124)
If there is NO AUTHOR listed:
§
Writingcenter.appstate.edu As you discover information and opinions on your topic,
You should keep track of sources that you may use for your
paper. A record of such sources is called a working
bibliography. Your preliminary reading will probably
provide the first titles for this list. (MLA Handbook)
Paraphrased Material
828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014 All paraphrased material must be cited, following the rules of the SHORT QUOTATION.
EXAMPLE OF GOOD PARAPHRASE:
Original: The most blatant form of plagiarism is to obtain and submit as your own a
paper written by someone else. Other, less conspicuous forms of plagiarism include the
failure to give appropriate acknowledgement when repeating or paraphrasing another’s
wording, when taking a particularly apt phrase, and when paraphrasing another’s
argument or presenting another’s line of thinking.
Paraphrased Material: It is plagiarism when you copy someone else’s work, don’t cite
your courses, or repeat what a scholar has said without giving credit to that scholar
(Gibaldi 70-71).
In-text Citation for Electronic Sources
•
Page or paragraph numbers are not necessary
•
In the text include the first item that corresponds to the sources works cited entry.
Example:
Garcia stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of
obsession and colonialism."
Example (for multiple sources by the same author):
Garcia stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of
obsession and colonialism" (“Herzog: a Life”).
•
If an item matching the source to the works cited entry is not included in the text, you
must use a parenthetical citation.
Example:
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying
critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia).
•
A parenthetical citation should include the first item that corresponds to the works cited
entry.
Example:
Works Cited
Garcia, Elizabeth. "Herzog: a Life." Online Film Critics Corner. The Film
School of New Hampshire, 2 May 2002. Web. 8 Jan. 2009.
Parenthetical Citation
(Garcia)
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If there are two sources from the same author, give the author name and provide the next
item within the works cited entry that distinguishes it from the other source within the
parenthetical citation.
Example:
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying
critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia, “Herzog: a Life”).
Works Cited Page
According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of a paper in which you
have used outside sources. All entries in the Works Cited page must to correspond to the in-text
citations in the paper.
The Basics
PAGE SETUP
• The Works Cited is a SEPARATE PAGE at the END of the paper
• You should continue pagination as normal
• The title of this page is “Works Cited” and should be centered. No underlining, no quotation
marks.
ENTRIES
• EVERY SOURCE cited in the paper must be cited in the Works Cited page.
• All entries are DOUBLE SPACED
• Sources are ALPHABETIZED according to author’s last name
• Lines following the first line of each citation should be indented ½ inch from the left margin
TITLES
• CAPITALIZE each word in the title and subtitle, except for articles, prepositions, and
conjunctions that are not the first word
• Use QUOTATION MARKS around titles of poems, short stories, essays, and around titles of
articles of newspapers
• ITALICIZE titles of books, journals, plays, and movies.
Writingcenter.appstate.edu 828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014 The Specifics
PRINTED PUBLICATIONS
•
Book
General Format:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Smitherman, Geneva. Talkin That Talk: Language, Culture, and Education in
African America. London: Routledge, 2000. Print.
•
Book with more than one author
General Format:
Author, A, B Author, C Author. Title of the Book. Place of Publication: Publisher,
Year. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Bax, Martin, Hilary Hart, and Susan M. Jenkins. Child Development and Child
Health: The Preschool Years. Boston: Oxford, 1990. Print.
•
Two or more books by the same author (List works alphabetically by title)
General Format:
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
---. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997.
Print.
---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP,
1993. Print.
•
Book with no author
General Format:
Title of Book. Place of Publication, Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of
Publication.
Example:
Encyclopedia of Indiana. New York: Somerset, 1993. Print.
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Entry from a Reference Book (Dictionary/Encyclopedia)
General Format:
Author’s Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Reference Book. Place of Publication:
Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
•
Example:
Marcus, Brian. “Panda.” The American Heritage Dictionary. 2nd College ed.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985. Print.
Journal Article
General Format:
Author’s name. “Title of Article.” Journal Title Volume.Issue (Year): Inclusive
page numbers. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Hyder, Clyde K. “Swinburne’s Laus Veneris and the Tannhauser Legend.” PMLA
40.4 (2009): 1202 – 1213. Print.
•
Item in Anthology
General Format:
Author’s name. “Title of the Work.” Title of the Anthology. Ed. Name of Editor.
Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Inclusive Page Numbers. Medium
of Publication.
•
Example:
Eliot, T.S. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The Norton Anthology of
Modern Poetry. Eds. Richard Ellmann and Robert O’Clair. W.W.Norton
&Company Inc., 1988. 482-485. Print.
Magazine Article
General Format:
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium
of publication.
Example:
Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call." Time 20 Nov. 2000: 70-71.
Print.
Writingcenter.appstate.edu 828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014 Newspaper Article
General Format:
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium
of publication.
Example:
Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients."
Washington Post 24 May 2007: LZ01. Print.
INTERNET PUBLICATIONS
•
Entire Internet Site/Personal Homepage
General Format:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number1.
Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or
publisher), date of resource creation. Medium of publication. Date of
access.
Example:
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003.
Web. 10 May 2006.
•
Individual Website Page
General Format:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). “Page Title.” Name of Site.
Version Number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site
(sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation. Medium. Date of access.
Example:
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.
•
Article in an Online Scholarly Journal
General Format:
Author name. “Title of Article.” Journal Title. Volume number.Issue number
(Year): pages. Database. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
1
Websites rarely include a version or edition number due to the constantly changing nature of the Internet. To find a
site’s version number look at the bottom of the webpage or under the “About” heading.
Writingcenter.appstate.edu 828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014 Example:
Hemilich, Joe E. “Adult Learning in Nonformal Institutions.” Educational Review
173 (1996): 1 – 7. Web. 15 Aug. 2007.
•
Article in Online Magazine
General Format:
Author name. “Title of Article.” Magazine Title. Publication Date. Medium of
Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People
Who Make Websites. A List Apart Mag., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2009.
•
Article in Online Newspaper
General Format:
Author name. “Title of Article.” Newspaper Title. Date of Publication. Medium of
Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Ruggerio, Frank. “ASU Seeks New Options with College.” The Watauga
Democrat. 23 February 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2007.
•
Online Book
General Format:
Author’s name. Title of Work. Ed. Name of Editor. Original Publication
Information. Title of Internet Site. Editor of Site. Date of electronic
publication. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlett Letter. Ed. Millicent Bell. New York: Literary
Classics, 1983. NetLibrary. Web. 26 Feb. 2007.
•
Part of an Online Book
General Format:
Author’s name. “Title of Part.” Title of Work. Ed. Name of Editor. Original
Publication Information. Title of Internet Site. Editor of Site. Date of
electronic publication. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Chapter 6: Pearl.” The Scarlett Letter. Ed. Millicent Bell.
New York: Literary Classics, 1983. NetLibrary. Web. 26 Feb. 2007.
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Entry from Online Reference Material
General Format:
Author’s name. “Title of Article.” Title of Reference Book. Year. Title of Site.
Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
“Silk Road.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Web. 27 Feb. 2007.
•
An Interview Published Online
General Format:
Name of the Person Interviewed. “Title of Interview.” Title of Publication. Date
of Interview. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example:
Ackroyd, Peter. “Interview.” Bold Type. Nov. 2001. Web. 25 June 2002.
•
Listserve, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting
General Format:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version Number.
Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or
publisher), date of resource creation. Medium. Date of access.
Example:
Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max
Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek. BoardGameGeek, 29 Sept. 2008.
Web. 5 Apr. 2009.
•
An Email Communication
General Format:
Author name. “Subject Line.” Message to Recipient’s Name. Date Sent.
Example:
Kunka, Andrew. "Re: Modernist Literature." Message to the author. 15 Nov.
2000.
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An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)
General Format:
Artist Name. Title of Work. Date of Creation. Institution, City where work is
housed. Name of Website. Medium. Date of access.
Example:
Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado,
Madrid. Museo National del Prado. Web. 22 May 2006.
•
Notes on Electronic Sources
ØUse the abbreviations:
§n.p. --- if there is no publisher
Example:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of site. Version Number.
n.p. , date of resource creation. Medium. Date of access.
§n.d. --- if there is no publication date
Example:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version Number.
Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or
publisher), n.d. Medium. Date of access.
ØAuthor is the person, organization, institution, or company that created or was represented
by the website. An email contact does not necessarily imply authorship of the site.
ØIf no author is cited begin with the name of site or the title.
NOTE: This handout is intended as a supplement to the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly
Publishing, 7th edition. It is not meant to replace it.
Writingcenter.appstate.edu 828-­‐262-­‐3144 writingctr@appstate.edu Updated 04/2014