Citing MLA Sources at BHS
When citing electronic publications the goal is to provide enough information so that the reader can locate the
article. The examples follow the recommendations set forth by the sixth edition of the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers; however, it is wise to check with your teacher for specific preferences. It is also
recommended that you make a hard copy of all computer sources. Remember, all works cited entries are
double-spaced.
Online Sources
If an element is unavailable in the source material, then move remaining elements to the left. The citation
elements to be included for work from a subscription service are in the following order:
Author1
Article Title2
Publication Name3
Volume.Issue Number4 *
Publication Date5
Page Number/Range6 * *
Database Name7
Service Name8
Name of the library where accessed i.e. BHS LMC9
Name of the city where accessed i.e. Bismarck, ND.10
Date you found site11
URL of the service i.e.<web address>12.
*If both volume number and issue number are provided, separate with a period. For example, volume 290 issue
23, should be cited 290.23 (as shown in example number one below).
** If page numbers of an article run consecutively, separate beginning and ending page numbers with a hyphen.
End the citation with a period. If the pages do not run consecutively, then indicate beginning page of the article
followed by a + sign.
1. Journal Article
Note: Journal articles contain original research and have a volume/issue number.
(This example has superscript numbers to show the elements. Don’t do this in your actual entry.)
Singer, Craig D.1 “Passing Through.” 2 Journal of the American Medical Association3 290.234 (2003): 5 304330446 EBSCO Megafile. 7 EBSCOhost Research Database.8 BHS LMC, 9 Bismarck, ND. 10 15 Apr.
200711 <http://web.ebscohost.com>.12
For eLibrary Curriculum Edition database use this address: <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.12
2. Magazine Article
Knight, Abbie E., et al. “The Mail.”AARP the Magazine 51.1 (Jan/Feb 2008): 8. EBSCO Megafile.
EBSCOhost Research Database. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 02 June 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com>.
3. Map
“Ethiopia.” Map. Blackbirch Maps. 2001. Student Edition-K12. Thomson Gale Database. BHS
LMC, Bismarck, ND. 15 May 2007 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com>.
4. Film, Video, or Film Clip Online
“A Light Still Bright: Video on the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.” The History of the Orthodox
Christian Church. 1996. GoTelecom Online. 24 Aug. 2001
<http://www.goarch.org/goa/departments/gotel/online_videos.html#LIGHT>.
Murnau, F.W., dir. Nosferatu. 1922. The Sync. 16 June 2002 <http://www.thesync.com/ram/nosferatu.ram>.
5. Image
“Large View of the Island.” Lord of the Flies Interactive Novel Study. 1998. 16 June 2004
<http://webboards.virtualave.net/flies/island.html>.
6. Sound Clip
Heaney, Seamus. “Bogland.” 2006. The Internet Poetry Archive. 1994. 10 May 2007
<http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/poems/heaney/bogland.php>.
7. News Service
Stearns, Matt. “Gingrich, Kerry Debate Approach to Global Warming.” McClatchy Newspapers 10 April 2007.
Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. eLibrary Curriculum Edition. ProQuest. BHS LMC, Bismarck,
ND. 25 Oct. 2007 <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
8. Newspaper
Alpert, Bill. “Alzheimer’s Cure.” Barron’s 2 Apr. 2007: 30+. ProQuest Newspapers. ProQuest. BHS LMC,
Bismarck, ND. 18 Apr. 2007 <http://proquest.umi.com>.
9. Newswire
“Senate Democratic Leaders Invite President to Capitol Hill to Work With.” U.S. Newswire 11 Apr. 2007.
eLibrary Curriculum Edition. ProQuest. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 12 Apr. 2007
<http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
10. Reference Book
“Affirmative Action (Issue).” Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. 1999. Discovering Collection.
Thomson Gale Database. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 18 July 2007 <http://find.galegroup.com>.
11. Specific Thomson Gale Databases
“Acetone.” Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Discovering Collection. 2004. Thomson Gale Database. BHS LMC,
Bismarck, ND. 18 Apr. 2007 <http://find.galegroup.com>.
Perkins, Wendy. “Critical Essay on ‘Herzog’.” Novels for Students. 2002. Literature Resource Center.
Thomson Gale Database. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 10 Mar. 2007 <http://galenet.galegroup.com>.
“Saul Bellow.” Contemporary Authors Online. 2005. Thomson Gale Database. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 19
Apr. 2007 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com>.
Wachbroit, Robert. “Why Not Clone Humans?” Cloning. 2000. Contemporary Issues Companion Series.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale Database. BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 10
May 2007 <http://find.galegroup.com>.
12. A Signed Article from an Online Encyclopedia
Cupps, Perry Thomas. “Cattle.” Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007 <http://encarta.msn.com>.
13. An Unsigned Article from an Online Encyclopedia
“Earhart, Amelia.” Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007 <http://encarta.msn.com>.
14. Sources from netTrekker
Rice, Jon and Jeremy Scarbonni. “SNCC Fought for Change from the Bottom Up.” 20 Feb. 1995. netTrekker.
BHS LMC, Bismarck, ND. 7 Jan. 2007 <http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/009.html >.
Print Resources
1. Articles from Specialized Encyclopedias and Reference Books
A Signed Article in a Reference Book
Antrobus, John. “Characteristics of Dreams.” Encyclopedia of Sleep and Dreaming. Ed. Mary A. Carskadon. New
York: Macmillan, 1993.
An Unsigned Article in a Reference Book with Publisher
“Burdick, Quentin Northrop.” Who’s Who in North Dakota. John F. Maher, 1984.
2. An excerpt from Opposing Viewpoints, Current Controversy, Contemporary
Issues Companion, or At Issue
(Use the correct book title where the asterisk appears in the following entry.)
Barko, Naomi. “Equal Pay For Equal Work.” Excerpted from “The Other Gender Gap.” American Prospect.
(June 19, 2000). Reprinted in Contemporary Issues Companion: Women’s Rights.* Ed. Shasta Gaughen.
San Diego: Greenhaven, 2003.
Documenting Literary Sources
1. Citing Novels for Students, Drama for Students, and Poetry for Students
When writing papers, students who quote directly from any volume of Novels for Students may use the following
general forms. These examples are based on MLA style; teachers may request that students adhere to a different
style, so the following examples may be adapted as needed.
When citing text from Novels for Students that is not attributed to a particular author (i.e., the Themes, Style,
Historical Context sections, etc.), the following format should be used in the bibliography section:
“Night.” Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 234-35.
When quoting the specially commissioned essay from Novels for Students (usually the first piece under the
“Criticism” subhead), the following format should be used:
Miller, Tyrus. Critical Essay on Winesburg, Ohio. Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski.
Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 335-39.
When quoting a journal or newspaper essay that is reprinted in a volume of Novels for Students, the following
form may be used:
Malak, Amin. “Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the Dystopian Tradition,” Canadian
Literature (Spring, 1987), 9-16; excerpted and reprinted in Novels for Students, Vol. 4, ed. Marie
Rose Napierkowski (Detroit: Gale, 1998), 133-36.
When quoting material reprinted from a book that appears in a volume of Novels for Students, the following form
may be used:
Adams, Timothy Dow. “Richard Wright: Wearing the Mask,” in Telling Lies in Modern American
Autobiography (U. of North Carolina, 1990). 69-83; excerpted and reprinted in Novels for
Students, Vol. 1, ed. Diane Telgen (Detroit: Gale, 1997), 59-61.
2. Contemporary Literary Criticism
Wellwarth, George. “Brendan Behan: The Irish Primitive.” American Literary Review 6 June 2000: 15.
Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski and P.C. Mendelson. Vol. 8. Detroit:
Gale Research, 1978. 16.
If you are using more than one volume, cite the total number of volumes (i.e. “6 vols.”) after the title of the series
or after editor’s name and before the publication information. Specific references to volume and page numbers
(i.e. 4:10-15) belong in the text of the student paper.
3. Cross References in the Works Cited
To avoid unnecessary repetition in citing two or more articles from the same work, first do one complete citation
of the book. Then use this cross reference form for all additional references to this work. Alphabetize as usual.
The main text and the cross references are not necessarily together on the Works Cited page.
Full text citation:
Smith, John, and Mary Rogers, eds. Writing Research. Boston: Macmillan, 1980.
Cross Reference examples in the same Works Cited as above:
Jones, Sam. “Footnotes.” Smith and Rogers 78-79.
Towne, Andrew. “Bibliography.” Smith and Rogers 550-556.
Databases: Underline these (superscript #7)
Contemporary Authors
Discovering Collection
EBSCO Academic Search Premier
EBSCO Business Source Premier
EBSCO MasterFILE Premier
EBSCO Mega FILE
EBSCO Regional Business News
eLibrary
eLibrary Curriculum Edition
Health and Wellness Resource Center
Junior Edition K-12
Junior Reference Collection
Literature Resource Center
netTrekker
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Professional Collection
ProQuest Newspapers
StudentEdition K-12
Service Names (placed after the Database) Do NOT
Underline (superscript #8)
Thomson Gale Database
Thomson Gale Database
EBSCOhost Research Database
EBSCOhost Research Database
EBSCOhost Research Database
EBSCOhost Research Database
Thomson Gale Database
ProQuest
ProQuest
Thomson Gale Database
Thomson Gale Database
Thomson Gale Database
Thomson Gale Database
netTrekker
Thomson Gale Database
Thomson Gale Database
ProQuest
Thomson Gale Database
Additional online resource information:
On putting the actual paper together – http://www.aresearchguide.com
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format. The Purdue University Writing Lab.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557101/
The Owl at Purdue – http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Revised 06/08
Original Source: Bismarck High School, Bismarck, North Dakota. http://library.educ8.org/bh/
Adapted with permission by Rebecca Larson, Charlotte Hill, Lyn Biederstedt, Jody Foy, Valerie
Smallbeck, Sara Rinas, and Brenda Werner