MLA STYLE QUICK START GUIDE
If you are unfamiliar with using MLA style conventions, there are several ways to get started.
If you are having trouble or are unclear as to the requirements of your assignment, your first
step should always be to speak with your instructor. After discussing the matter with your
instructor, a visit to The Learning Center might be in order to receive further one-on-one
assistance.
Once you are ready to begin working on your assignment, you can also follow this quick guide’s
instructions to format your paper following MLA guidelines.
MLA Formatting Guide
Step 1 – Set up the paper’s format for an MLA paper using the Microsoft template before you
start to write.
1. Open Microsoft Word (2013 or later)
2. Click “File”
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3. Click “New”
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4. Type “MLA” in the search box and hit Enter
5. Select “MLA style report” from the available templates
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6. Follow the formatting instructions given in the template
Step 2 – Before you begin to write the essay, make a list of all the resources you have found
through research that you will use in the essay.
Step 3 – Write a rough draft of the essay and mark where you use information (ideas, quotations,
or paraphrasing) from a resource. This is called in-text citation.
Step 4 - Use Word’s Citations and Bibliography function to create and manage your in-text
citations and your Works Cited page.
1. In the document that you have formatted for MLA style, click the References tab in the
ribbon.
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2. In the Citations and Bibliography section, locate the drop down box labeled “Style.” Select
the most recent version of MLA available (currently Seventh Edition).
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3. Click “Manage Sources.”
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4. In the Source Manager box that appears, select New to enter a new source for citation.
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5. In the “Create Source” dialog box, select the appropriate source type from the “Type of
Source” drop down menu. Enter the publication information for your source into the fields
that appear. Fill in as much information about the source as you can, paying special
attention to the fields marked “Recommended.” Be careful to enter this information
correctly, this is how the citation will appear on your document. Click “OK” when you’re
finished.
6. Once you have entered your source information, your source will appear in the Source
Manager. The Source Manager displays sources in three ways, a “Master List” of all of the
citations you have created for this document, a “Current List” of the source you have
currently selected, and a “Preview” of the in-text citation and bibliographic citation of your
source, in your selected format. If you have many sources, the Source Manager is also
searchable and sortable.
7. Once you have entered all your sources for this document, click the Close button at the
bottom of the manager to return to your document.
8. To insert an in-text citation, place your cursor in the location of the citation in the paper and
click the “Insert Citation” button under the “Reference” tab. Select the appropriate citation
from the sources that appear. Be sure to check with your instructor about his or her
expectations and rules for proper in-text citation.
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9. To create a Works Cited Page, place your cursor where your paper format says the Works
Cited Page should begin (on the last page of your document). Click the “Bibliography”
button under the “Reference” tab and select “Works Cited.” Your sources will be arranged
alphabetically in an MLA Works Cited page. Check the generated Works Cited page to make
sure it meets your instructor’s guidelines.
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For more information, consult this guide at https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Create-abibliography-3403c027-96c8-40d3-a386-bfd5c413ddbb.
MLA Reference Page Citations
The Works Cited page lists the long citations for all the sources you will cite in your paper and is
included at the end of your paper. The purpose of a References page is to give the reader all the
information needed to find the sources that you used. All citations are listed alphabetically, by
the first piece of information (usually the author).
I.
Electronic Sources
Items found using an online database and items found on the free web (such as those you found
using a search engine like Google) are cited differently. Be sure to choose the correct format.
Online Databases
Certain websites and online databases provide citation generation tools. These tools help create a
citation for you in the style of your choosing. Consult with your instructor for any specific
rules he or she may have for citations in your class. These rules may include instructions
that differ from standard citation guidelines or Also, remember, it is important to be
consistent with your citations, especially if you are using citations generated from several
different databases. Again, consult with your instructor before building your Works Cited
page.
Journal, Scholarly or Peer-Reviewed Article from an Online Database
Magazine Article from an Online Database
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine Date of Publication:
Inclusive Pages. Title of Database. Web. Date of Access.
Hansen, Jean. “Finding Your Footing on the Slippery Slope.” Market Matters 2014: 2. Business
Source Elite. Web. 5 Jan. 2014.
Newspaper Article from an Online Database
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper Date of Publication:
Inclusive Pages. Title of Database. Web. Date of Access.
Sanduski, Trent. "The Drive to Survive." The New York Times 9 June 2014: B1. ProQuest. Web.
24 June 2013.
Specific Pro/Con Online Article Database Examples
CQ Researcher

Note: In the CQ examples, the PDF version includes page numbers, while the HTML version
does not.
Montel, Barbara. “Minimum Wage.” CQ Researcher 24 Jan. 2014: 73-96. CQ Researcher. Web.
12 June 2014.
Montel, Barbara. “Minimum Wage.” CQ Researcher 24 Jan. 2014: n. pag. CQ Researcher. Web.
12 June 2014.
Issues and Controversies
“Affordable Care Act." Issues & Controversies. Facts on File News Services, 25 Nov. 2013. N.
pag. Web. 12 June 2014. Opposing Viewpoints
In Context
Mercola, Joseph. "Vaccine Exemptions Must Be Protected." Should Vaccines Be Mandatory?
Ed. Roman Espejo. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. N. pag. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 June 2014.
eBook from an Online Database
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of
publication. Title of Database. Web. Date of Access.
Hillstrom, Kevin. The Zoot Suit Riots. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 2013. EBSCOhost eBooks. Web.
16 July 2013.
Video from an Online Database
Title of Film. Film Distributor, Year of Release. Title of Database. Web. Date of Access.
Lucy: Prehistoric Autopsy. Films Media Group, 2012. Films on Demand. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.
Common Author Exceptions for Online Database Resources
 If there are 2 or 3 authors, include all names. Example:
Santifort-Jordan, Charlinda, and Todd Sandler. “An Empirical Study of Suicide Terrorism: A
Global Analysis.” Southern Economic Journal 80.4 (2014): 981-1001. ProQuest. Web. 8
Aug. 2014.
 If there are more than 3 authors, use the first author’s name followed by et al. Example:
Schubert, Siegfried, et al. “Northern Eurasian Heat Waves and Droughts.” Journal of Climate
27.9 (2014): 3169-3207. ProQuest. Web. 1 July 2014.
 If there is no author, omit. Example:
"Quake Hits Iran." New Scientist 2013: 5. General Science Collection. Web. 2 July 2014.
II.
Websites
Website
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.” Title of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of Site,
Date of publication. Web. Date of Access.
McNicol, Tony. “Giant Pterosaurs Couldn't Fly, Study Suggests.” National Geographic News.
National Geographic, 28 Apr. 2009. Web. 16 June 2014.
Video on the Web
Author’s Name or Poster’s Username. “Title of Video.” Title of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of
Site, Date of posting. Web. Date of Access.
NC Humanities. “Professor Niall Ferguson – The Descent of Money.” YouTube. YouTube, 23
Apr. 2014. Web. 11 June 2014.
Common Author Exceptions for Websites
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If there is no author, omit it. Example:
“Diabetes Superfoods.” American Diabetes Association. American Diabetes Association, 14
May 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
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If there is no date of publication, write n.d. Example:
Smith, Kelly. “Decorate With Sustainable Furniture.” My Home Ideas. This Old House, n.d.
Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
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If you cannot find the publisher or sponsor of the website, write n.p. Example:
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." How to Do Anything. N.p., 9 Jan. 2006. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.
III.
Print Sources
Book
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of
publication. Print.
Higham, Carol L. The Civil War and the West: The Frontier Transformed. Santa Barbara:
Praeger, 2013. Print.
 If you have two or three authors, include all names.
Fainaru-Wada, Mark and Steve Fainaru. League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the
Battle for Truth. New York: Crown, 2013. Print.
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If there are more than three authors, you may write all the names, or the first author’s name
followed by et al.
Upgren, Arthur R., et al. Many Skies: Alternative Histories of the Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars.
New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 2005. Print.
A Work in Edited Book or Anthology in Print (Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc.)
This rule is most commonly used for books that have an editor and contain sections, such as
essays, short stories or poems, by different authors.
Last Name, First Name of Author of Section. “Title of Section.” Title of Overall Book. Ed. Name
of Editor or Compiler. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher, Year of publication.
Pages included in section. Print.
Swiller, Joshua. “I Think I Hear You.” Deaf American Prose: 1980-2010. Ed. Kristen Harmon
and Jennifer Nelson. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University, 2012. 155-164. Print.
Specific Edited Book Examples
Essay from Opposing Viewpoints Series
Angell, Marcia. “Drug Industry-Sponsored Research Is Biased.” The Pharmaceutical Industry.
Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012, 42-51. Print. Opposing Viewpoints
Series. .
IV.
Miscellaneous
Complete MLA style guide provide guidelines for citing information from other sources
(interviews, broadcasts, speeches, letters, etc.).
DVD
Title of Film. Name of Director. Film Distributor, Year of Release. DVD.
Dimming the Sun. Dir. Duncan Copp. Nova/WGBH and BBC, 2006. DVD.
MLA In-Text Citations
Use in-text citations to give credit to the source of the information you use in your paper. Proper
in-text citations give the reader the information needed to find the source in your Works Cited
list.
Basic Format
(Author’s Last Name page number)
Example: In 1861, settlers flowed West (Highman 112).
OR
If you write the author’s name in the sentence, you do not need to repeat it in the parentheses at
the end.
Example: Highman notes that in 1861 settlers flowed into California (112).
OR
If there is no page number listed, omit it.
Example: One out of three textbooks are purchased as brand new (Johnson).
Example: Johnson found that one out of three textbooks are purchased as brand new.
Common Exceptions for In-Text Citations
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If there are 2 or 3 authors, include all names.
Example: (Highman and Smith 41) or (Highman, Smith and Heart 41)
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• If there are more than 3 authors, you may use all the names, or just the first author’s
name followed by et al.
Example: (Highman et al. 41)
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If there is no author, use the first piece of information you have from the long citation (on
the Works Cited page), which is often the title of the item (title of the article, video, etc.).
Example: (“Diabetes Superfood” 12)
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If an online source does not have page numbers, omit it.