MLA Citations
Books
An anthology
Buranen, Lisa, and Alice M. Roy, eds. Perspectives on Plagiarism and Intellectual Property in a
Postmodern World. New York: State U of New York P, 1999.
Include the editors’ names followed by the abbreviation ed(s). for editor or editors or comp. for
compiler, the title of the work, and publication information.
Two or more works from the same anthology
Clark, Irene L. “Writing Centers and Plagiarism.” Buranen and Roy 155-67.
Howard, Rebecca Moore. “The New Abolitionism Comes to Plagiarism.” Buranen and Roy 8795.
Include full citation information for the work as a whole, as shown above for an anthology; for
entries referring to works within the anthology, include the author’s name, title of piece, editors’
names, and inclusive page numbers.
Book with author and editor
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Ed. Glennis Byron. Peterborough, ON: Broadview, 1998.
Include the name of the author, title of the work, the abbreviation Ed. and the editor’s name,
followed by standard publication information.
Encyclopedia or dictionary entry
“Pull.” Def. 8a. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993.
For familiar reference works that are frequently updated such as dictionaries and encyclopedias,
full publication information is not necessary. Include the abbreviation Def. the definition number
and/or letter when referring to a specific definition.
For less familiar reference works, provide full publication information.
“Shakya School.” Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy. Ed. Oliver Leaman. London: RoutledgeTaylor, 2001.
Published dissertation
Fukuda, Kay Louise. Differing Perceptions and Constructions of the Meaning of Assessment in
Education. Diss. Ohio State U, 2001. Ann Arbor: UMI, 2002.
Include the author’s name, title of dissertation, abbreviation Diss., author’s university affiliation,
year of completion, and publication information.
Articles
Book or film review
Graham, Catherine. Rev. of Questionable Activities: The Best, ed. Judith Rudakoff. Canadian
Theatre Review 113 (2003): 74-76.
Schama, Simon. “Superior Person.” Rev. of Curzon, by David Gilmour. New Yorker 9 June
2003: 98-103.
Include the name of the reviewer, title of review (if any), the abbreviation Rev. of and the title of
the work being reviewed, followed by the name of the author, editor, or director. Conclude with
standard publication information.
Unsigned/anonymous article
“View from the Top.” National Geographic July 2001: 140.
Begin the entry with the title of the article if no author is given, and finish with standard
publication information.
Other Kinds of Sources
Work of art
Gauguin, Paul. Ancestors of Tehamana. 1893. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.
Include artist’s name, title of work, organization or individual holding the work, and the city.
The date of creation is optional, following the work’s title. If using a photograph of a work of art,
include publication information for the source following the above information.
Cartoon or comic strip
Cheney, Tom. Cartoon. New Yorker 9 June 2003: 93.
Include the author’s name, title of the work (if given) in quotation marks, description Cartoon or
Comic strip, and publication information appropriate to the type of source.
Advertisement
Yves Saint Laurent Nu. Advertisement. Allure June 2003: 40.
Include the name of the company or product, the designation Advertisement, and publication
information appropriate to the type of source.
Map or chart
Cincinnati and Vicinity. Map. Chicago: Rand, 1996.
Include the title, description Map or Chart as appropriate, and publication information.
Legal cases
Chavez v. Martinez. No. 01-1444. Supreme Ct. of the US. 27 May 2003.
Include name of first plaintiff, abbreviation v. for versus, name of first defendant, case number
preceded by the abbreviation No., name of deciding court, and the date of the decision.
Patent
Easton, John Paul. Dynamically Generating Expanded User Messages in a Computer System.
International Business Machines Corporation, assignee. Patent 6,574,792. 3 June 2003.
Include the inventor’s name, title of patent, name of assignee (if any) followed by the
designation assignee, the word Patent followed by the patent number, and date of patent issue.
Sources Produced for Access by Computer
Part of an online book
Strunk, William, Jr. “Elementary Rules of Usage.” The Elements of Style. Ithaca: Humphrey,
1918. Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Ed. Steven van Leeuwen. 1999. 6
June 2003 <http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk.html>.
Include the author’s name, name of section (in quotation marks if it is a title; without quotation
marks if it is a standard section of the book, such as an introduction), original publication
information (if provided in the source), electronic publication information, date of access, and
URL.
Review in online newspaper
Parent, Marc. “A Father, a Son and an Ideal That’s Painfully Tested.” Rev. of Scout’s Honor, by
Peter Applebome. New York Times on the Web 6 June 2003. 12 June 2003
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/06/books/06BOOK.html>.
Include the name of the reviewer, title of the review (if one is given) in quotation marks, the
description Rev. of followed by the title of the work reviewed, the name of the author, artist, etc.
as appropriate to the genre reviewed, title of newspaper, electronic publication date, access date,
and URL.
An entire Web site
The Rossetti Archive. Ed. Jerome McGann. 2002. Institute for Advanced Technology in the
Humanities, U of Virginia. 4 June 2003 <http://www.iath.virginia.edu/rossetti/
index.html>.
Include the title of the site (underlined), editors (if listed), version number (if given), date of
publication or last update, sponsoring organization or institution, and access information.
Section of Web site
Altman, Andrew. “Civil Rights.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed.
Edward N. Zalta. Spring 2003 ed. 3 Feb. 2003. Center for the Study of Lang. and
Information, Stanford U. 12 June 2003 <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/
spr2003/entries/civil-rights/>.
Griffiths, Frank. “Hunting Heaven.” ABCNEWS.com. 2003. ABCNEWS Internet Ventures. 12
June 2003 <http://abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/US/
travelfeature_islamona_030610.html>.
Include author’s name (if any), print publication information (if any), electronic publication
information, date of access, and URL.
Work from a library subscription service
Folks, Jeffrey J. “Crowd and Self: William Faulkner’s Sources of Agency in The Sound and the
Fury.” Southern Literary Journal 34:2 (2002): 30- . Academic Search Premier. EBSCO.
Wright State U, Dunbar Lib. 6 June 2003 <http://www.epnet.com/>.
Include the usual citation information for the type of source (journal article, book, etc.) followed
by the name of the database (underlined), name of service, name of library or library system with
city and state (if helpful), access date, and URL (if available). For sources that only give the page
number on which a source begins, include that page number, a hyphen, a space, and a period.
Course home page
Bradbury, Kelly. Introduction to Literature. Course home page. Jan. 2003-May 2003. English
Dept., Dakota State U. 6 June 2003 <http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/bradburk/
Intro%20to%20Lit/introduction_to_literature.htm>.
Include instructor’s name, title of course, the label Course home page, dates of course,
department and school, access date, and URL.
APA Citations
Books
Author as publisher
American Psychological Association. (1990). Directory of ethnic minority professionals
in psychology (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Include the author’s name (in this case an organization), date of publication, title, edition (if
applicable), city of publication, and Author to indicate that the author is also the publisher.
Brochure
Starbucks Coffee Company. (2001). Starbucks and Conservation International:
Supporting conservation and coffee farmers. [Brochure]. Seattle, WA: Author.
Include author’s name, date of publication, title of brochure (in italics), edition (if given) in
parentheses, designation of Brochure in brackets, city of publication, and name of publisher.
Book without an author or editor
American Heritage college dictionary (3rd ed.). (1997). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Include title of book, edition (if applicable) in parentheses, date of publication, and publication
information.
Articles in Print
Unsigned article
Education, not filters, protects kids online. (2003, April). Teacher Librarian, 30, 58.
Begin the entry with the title of the article. In this entry the title is followed by the date of
publication, title of the journal in italics, volume number in italics, and page number
Newsletter article
Laflen, A. (2003, April). “To whom it may concern” and beyond: Equipping students to
write for employers. Writing Lab Newsletter, 27, 4-6.
Include the author’s name, date as given in the publication, title of article, title of newsletter and
volume number in italics, and page numbers.
Entire special issue or a special section of a journal
Rowe, W. (Ed.). (2001). HIV/AIDS [Special issue]. Canadian Social Work, 3(1).
Include names of editor(s) followed by Ed. or Eds., date of publication, title of special issue
followed by Special issue in brackets, title of journal, volume number, and issue number. If no
editors are named, the title of the issue moves to the beginning of the entry, followed by the date
and the remaining information. An entry for a special section includes the page numbers of the
section rather than the issue number.
Sources for Access by Computer
Chapter or section of Internet document
Benton Foundation. (2002). Looking forward. In Benton Foundation 2002 annual report.
Retrieved June 30, 2003, from http://www.benton.org/publibrary/annualreports/
annual_report02.pdf
Include the name of the author, title of the chapter or section, In followed by the title of the
larger document and (if applicable) the chapter or section identifier in parentheses (chap. 5), and
retrieval information.
Document from a university program or department Web site
Writing with computers. (2003). Retrieved June 26, 2003, from Purdue University,
Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_ computer.html
Include the author’s name (in the above example no author is listed, so the entry begins with the
title of the document), followed by the date, title of document, date of retrieval, sponsoring
organization if document is located within a large Web site, and URL.
Abstract from a database
Caplan, R., Guthrie, D., Tang, B., Komo, S., & Asarnow, R. F. (2000). Thought disorder
in childhood schizophrenia: Replication and update of concept. Journal of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 771-778. Abstract retrieved
July 3, 2003, from PsychINFO database.
Include the authors’ names, year of publication, title of article, title of journal, volume number,
page numbers, and Abstract retrieved followed by retrieval date, and name of database.
Government document available from GPO database on the Web
U.S. General Accounting Office. (1995, August 3). College savings: Information on state
tuition prepayment programs (Publication No. GAO/HEHS-95-131). Retrieved
July 3, 2003, from General Accounting Office Reports Online via GPO Access:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gaoreports/index.html
Include name of issuing office, date of publication, title of report and Publication No. and
number in parentheses, retrieval date, name of database used, and URL.
Other Sources
Published dissertation abstracted in DAI and obtained from UMI
Gordon, J. M. (2003). The long-term effects of divorce and remarriage. Dissertation
Abstracts International, 63(10), 4902B. (UMI No. 3068634)
Include the author’s name, date, title, Dissertation Abstracts International, volume and issue
numbers, page number including series letter (A, B, or C), and UMI publication number in
parentheses.
Movie review
Kinder, M. (2002). [Review of the motion picture Moulin Rouge]. Film Quarterly, 55(3),
52-59.
Include the author’s name, title (if any), date, in brackets Review of the motion picture followed
by the title of the film, and publication information.
Published proceedings from a conference or symposium
Semmes, P. B. (2000). Spherical proton emitters and spectroscopic factors. In J. C.
Batchelder (Ed.), Proton-Emitting Nuclei: PROCON '99, First International
Symposium, Oak Ridge, TN, 7-9 October, 1999 (pp. 125-131). Melville, NY: American
Institute of Physics.
Include the author’s name, date of publication, title of contribution, In and the editor’s name
followed by Ed. in parentheses, title of the published proceedings and pp. with page numbers in
parentheses, and publication information.
CMS Citations
Books
Organization as author
Note form
1. American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Association Practice
Guidelines (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1996).
Bibliographic form
American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Association Practice
Guidelines. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1996.
Include the name of the organization, the title, and publication information. Even if the author is
also the publisher, repeat the name of the organization in both places to indicate its dual function.
Reference book
Note form
2. American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd ed., s.v. “prime.”
Well-known reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are not cited on the
bibliography but are included in note form. Include the title, edition (if not the first), and, for
entries in alphabetically arranged works, the abbreviation s.v. for sub verbo (“under the word”)
followed by the word looked up in quotation marks; use s.vv. for multiple words.
Anonymous book
Note form
3. Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics (New York: Random House, 1996), 97.
Bibliographic form
Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics. New York: Random House, 1996.
If the name of the author is not known, begin the citation with the title of the book followed by
publication information.
Author known but not named in publication
Note form
4. [Joe Klein], Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics (New York: Random House, 1996),
97.
Bibliographic form
[Klein, Joe]. Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics. New York: Random House, 1996.
If the name of the author is known but not included in the book, begin the entry with the author’s
name in brackets, followed by the title and publication information.
Chapter of a book
Note form
5. Lester Faigley, “In the Turbulence of Theory,” in Fragments of Rationality:
Postmodernity and the Subject of Composition (Pittsburgh: Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 1992), 2547.
Bibliographic form
Faigley, Lester. “In the Turbulence of Theory.” Chap. 1 in Fragments of Rationality:
Postmodernity and the Subject of Composition. Pittsburgh: Univ. of Pittsburgh
Press, 1992.
Include the author’s name, title of chapter or section in quotation marks, the chapter or section
number followed by in and the title of the book, and publication information (include page
numbers for note form).
Articles
Anonymous newspaper article
Note form
6. “Domestic Violence Targeted Appeal: An Issue for Men,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June
17, 2003, late edition, sec. B.
Bibliographic form
“Domestic Violence Targeted Appeal: An Issue for Men.” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 17, 2003.
Begin with the title of the article and follow with title of newspaper, date of publication, edition,
and section.
Article from a journal with issue numbers only
Note form
7. John Michael Robert, “From Reflection to Refraction: Opening Up Open Marxism,”
Capital and Class, no. 78 (2002): 88.
Bibliographic form
Robert, John Michael. “From Reflection to Refraction: Opening Up Open Marxism.”
Capital and Class, no. 78 (2002): 87-116.
Include the author’s name, title of article in quotation marks, title of journal, no. and the issue
number, year of publication in parentheses, and page numbers.
Other Sources
Book review
Note form
8. George Simson, review of Works on Paper: The Craft of Biography and
Autobiography, by Michael Holroyd, Biography 26, no. 1 (2003): 148.
Bibliographic form
Simson, George. Review of Works on Paper: The Craft of Biography and
Autobiography, by Michael Holroyd. Biography 26, no. 1 (2003): 147-51.
Include the name of the review’s author, review of and the title of the book, by and the name of
the book’s author, and publication information (title of journal, volume number, issue number,
and year, in this example), and page numbers.
Movie Review
Note form
9. Anthony Lane, “Fishy Business,” review of Finding Nemo, directed by Andrew
Stanton, New Yorker, June 9, 2003, 108.
Bibliographic form
Lane, Anthony. “Fishy Business.” Review of Finding Nemo. Directed by Andrew
Stanton. (Pixar movie). New Yorker, 9 June 2003, 108-109.
Include the name of the review’s author, review of, the movie title, and the name of the director
(including the production company in parentheses is optional), and publication information (title
of magazine, date of publication, and page numbers, in this example).
Personal Interview
Note form
10. Wally Lamb, interview by author, tape recording, Dayton, Ohio, June 6, 2003.
Bibliographic form
Lamb, Wally. Interview by author. Tape recording. Dayton, Ohio, June 6, 2003.
Usually, personal interviews are cited only in notes. Include the name of the interviewee,
description of interview type, recording medium used (if any), place of interview, and date.
Court Decisions
First note reference
11. Wilson v. Layne, 526 U.S. 603 (1999).
Subsequent reference
12. Wilson v. Layne, 603.
Include the case name in italics; volume number, name of reporter, the abbreviated court name
(Supreme Court decisions are published by United States Court Reports—here abbreviated as
U.S.), and page number; and year in parentheses. References after the first include case title,
reporter (if more than one is cited), and page reference. Federal court decisions are not usually
included in the bibliography.
CSE Citations
Selection from published conference proceedings
Citation-sequence style
1.
Ballantyne D, Scheid P. Central respiratory chemosensitivity: cellular and network
mechanisms. In: Poon C, Kazemi H, editors. Frontiers in modeling and control of
breathing: integration at molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Oxford Conference;
2000 Oct 11-15; North Falmouth, MA. New York: Plenum; 2001. p 17-26.
Include the authors’ names, title of selection, In: and editors’ names, title of publication (if
different from the conference name), name, date, and place of conference, publication
information, and page numbers.
Name-year style
Ballantyne D, Scheid P. 2001. Central respiratory chemosensitivity: cellular and network
mechanisms. In: Poon C, Kazemi H, editors. Frontiers in modeling and control of
breathing: integration at molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Oxford Conference;
2000 Oct 11-15; North Falmouth, MA. New York: Plenum. p 17-26.
Include the authors’ names, year of publication, title of selection, In: and editors’ names, title of
publication (if different from the conference name), name, date, and place of conference,
publication information, and page numbers.
Unsigned article
Citation-sequence style
2.
[Anonymous]. Evidence on stage based approach to smoking cessation is limited.
Br Med J 2003;326:1155.
Include the description Anonymous in brackets, the title of the article, title of the journal
(abbreviated), publication date, and publication information (in this case, volume number and
page number).
Name-year style
[Anonymous]. 2003. Evidence on stage based approach to smoking cessation is limited.
Br Med J 326:1155.
Include the description Anonymous in brackets, the year of publication, title of the article, title of
the journal (abbreviated), and publication information (in this case, volume number and page
number).
Online dictionary entry
3.
BioTech life science dictionary [Internet]. [Bloomington (IN)]: Indiana
University, BioTech Resources; c1995-98 [cited 2003 July 9]. Mitochondrion;
[about 5 lines]. Available from: http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/search/
dict-search.phtml?title=mitochondrion
Include the author’s name (if given), title of dictionary with designation Internet in brackets,
place of publication in brackets, publisher (including division or other part of publishing
organization named), publication or copyright date, date cited in brackets, name of entry,
approximate length in pages, lines, paragraphs, or screens in brackets, and Available from:
followed by the URL.
Article from online database
4.
Ahluwalia N, Vellas B. Immunologic and imflammatory mediators and cognitive
decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2003 Feb; 23(1): 103.
In: MD Consult [database on the Internet]. New York: Elsevier; c1999- [cited 2003 July
8]. [about 44 screens]. Available from:
http://home.mdconsult.com/das/journal/view/29756125/N/
12786019?ja=337973&PAGE=1.html&ANCHOR=top&source=
Include author’s name; title of article; title of journal; date of publication; volume, issue, and
page number; In: name of database, Internet or database on the Internet in brackets, place of
database’s publication, publisher of database, publication or copyright date of database followed
by a hyphen if the database is open (meaning records are still being added to it), date article was
accessed in brackets, approximate length of the article in screens, lines, paragraphs, or pages in
brackets, Available from: and the URL of the article.
E-mail message
5.
Smith J. New research on Alzheimer’s [electronic mail in the Internet]. Message
to: Robyn Lewis. 2003 Apr 4, 1:13 pm [cited 2003 July 8]. [about 2 screens].
Include the author of the message, subject line, designation Internet or electronic mail on the
Internet in brackets, Message to: followed by the recipient’s name, date and time message was
sent, date cited in brackets, and approximate length of message in lines, screens, or paragraphs.
COS Citations
Revised or modified Web site
Humanities style
Wright State University Writing Center. “Mission Statement.” Rev. June 2003.
http://www.wright.edu/academics/writingctr/#mission (10 July 2003).
Include the name of the author or organization, title of the piece in quotation marks, Rev. and
date of revision or Mod. and date of last modification, URL, and access date in parentheses.
Scientific style
Wright State University Writing Center. (1995). Mission statement (Rev. June 2003).
http://www.wright.edu/academics/writingctr/#mission (10 July 2003).
Include the author's or organization's name, year of publication in parentheses, title of document
and in parentheses Rev. and revision date or Mod. and last modification date, URL, and date of
access in parentheses.
Audio or video file
Humanities style
“Iraqi Women Fight for Voice in New Iraq.” Morning Edition. National Public Radio. 3
July 2003. http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ME&showDate=03-Jul2003&segNum=9&NPRMediaPref=RM (10 July 2003).
Include the name of the artist, composer, or producer (if given), the title of the work or name of
file, publication information, publication date or date of last update, URL, and access date in
parentheses.
Scientific style
Iraqi women fight for voice in new Iraq [audio file]. (2003, July 3). Morning edition.
National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ME&
showDate=03-Jul-2003&segNum=9&NPRMediaPref=RM (10 July 2003).
Include the name of the artist, composer, or producer (if given), date of piece in parentheses, the
title of the work or name of file and type of file in brackets, publication information, URL, and
date of access in parentheses. If no artist, composer, or producer is given, begin with the title of
the work and file type in brackets followed by the date and other publication information.
Software
Humanities style
Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Word 2000. Redmond, WA: Microsoft, 1999.
Include the author or corporate author, title of software in italics, version (if applicable, and not
already in the title), city, publisher, and year of publication.
Scientific style
Microsoft Corporation. (1999). Microsoft word 2000. Redmond, WA: Microsoft.
Include the author, date of publication in parentheses, title of software in italics, version in
parentheses (if applicable, and not already in the title), city, and publisher.
Dissertation from Dissertation Abstracts Online
Humanities style
Jacobs, Jack William. “William Blake’s Performative Prophecy.” DAI 60 (2000): 2504A.
Auburn U, 1999. Dissertation Abstracts Online. UMI (23 July 2003).
Include the author’s name, title of dissertation in quotation marks, DAI and volume number in
italics, date of publication in parentheses, page number, author’s university affiliation and year of
graduation, Dissertation Abstracts Online in italics, publisher in italics, and access date in
parentheses.
Scientific style
Scott, S. Y. (2003). Faith supportive group therapy and symptom reduction in Christian
breast cancer patients. (Doctoral dissertation, Regents U, 2003. Dissertation
Abstracts International, 63, 6107B). Dissertation Abstracts Online. UMI (11 July
2003).
Include the author’s name, year of publication in parentheses, title of dissertation, print
publication information in parentheses, Dissertation Abstracts Online in italics, publisher in
italics, and access date in parentheses.
Online article originally published in print
Humanities style
Tassoni, John Paul. “The Liberatory Composition Teacher’s Obligation to Writing
Centers at Two-Year Colleges.” Teaching English in the Two-Year College 25
(1998): 34-43. Teaching English in the Two-Year College. http://www.ncte.org/
pdfs/members-only/tetyc/0251feb98/TE0251Liberatory.pdf (10 July 2003).
Include the author's name, title of article in quotation marks, title of journal in italics, volume,
year of publication, page numbers, title of site in italics, URL, and access date in parentheses.
Scientific style
Keith, D.W., & Farrell A.E. (2003). Environmental science: Rethinking hydrogen cars.
Science 301 (5631), 315-316. Science Magazine. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/
reprint/301/5631/315.pdf (23 July 2003).
Include the author's name, year of publication in parentheses, title of article, title of journal in
italics, volume in italics, issue number in parentheses, page numbers, title of site in italics, URL,
and access date in parentheses.