An Introduction to
MLA Citation & Format
Clovis Community College
Center
Table of Contents
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
What is MLA?



Why Use
Documentation?


Comparing Other
Styles
The Basic Format
Cover Page
Work Cited
In-text Citations for
Print and
Electronic Sources
 Work Cited




Books
Magazines
Websites
Databases
What is MLA?

MLA is the Modern Language Association’s
standardized method for citing sources for
research as well as a method for
formatting papers.

MLA format is typically used for English
and Humanities.
Why Use Documentation?

It helps a writer support a thesis.

It helps integrate quotations and other source
material.

It provides your reader with research information
on your topic.

And most importantly, it helps avoid plagiarism.
Comparing Other Styles

APA – American Psychological Association
standard for documenting sources and
formatting papers.
 This
style is typically used for Social Sciences.

Chicago Style – This is yet another method of
documentation which is typically used for
Humanities and Social Sciences.

Don’t confuse these with MLA; see the
guidelines specific to this style.
The
Basic
Format
In-text Citations for Print and
Electronic Sources

After the borrowed phrase, put the author’s last
name in parentheses along with the page
number.
 E.g.

Estimates of the number of accidents caused by
distracted drivers vary because little evidence is
being collected (Smith 2).
On electronic sources with no page number,
simply put the last name.
The Work Cited Page
Work Cited Format for a Book

For most books, arrange the information into
three units, each followed by a period and one
space.
 Start
with the author’s name, last name first.
 The title and subtitle, italicized.
 The place of publication, the publisher, and the date
 The medium of publication (print or web)

E.g. Tan, Amy. The Bonesetter’s Daughter. New
York: Putnam, 2001. Print.
Work Cited Format for a Magazine

List in order, separated by periods.
 The
 The
 The
 The
author’s name
title of the article, in quotation marks
title of the magazine, italicized
date and the page numbers, separated by a
colon
 The medium of publication (print or web)

E.g. Kaplan, Robert D. “History Moving North.”
Atlantic Monthly. Feb.1997: 21+. Web.
Work Cited Format for Websites

For websites include these elements:
 Author’s name
 Title of the work in quotation marks
 Title of the site, italicized
 Date of publication or last update
 Sponsor of the site (if not named as the author or given as the
title of the site)
 Date that you accessed the source
 The URL in angle brackets (optional)
 The medium of publication

E.g. Shiva, Vandana. “Bioethics: A third world issue.” Native Web.
15 Sept. 2001.<http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/
shiva. html>. Web.
Work Cited Format for an Online Database

For databases include these elements:
 Publication information for the source
 The name of the database, italicized
 The name of the service
 The name and location of the library where you retrieved the
article
 The date you accessed the source
 The URL of the service (optional)
 The medium of publication
Common Misconceptions About MLA




MLA does not require a cover sheet as some
may think; cover sheets are used only for APA
and Chicago.
All sources listed on the works cited page must
be in alphabetical order.
All paraphrases & quotations must be cited even
if you’ve cited the source earlier in the essay.
Double space everything, but do not include an
extra space between paragraphs.
For more assistance, visit the
Writing Center in the open
computer lab

Hours:
 Monday
9:00-2:00
 Tuesday 10:00-3:00
 Wednesday 9:00-2:00
 Thursday 10:00-3:00
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Phone number 325-5248
Call or stop by to make an appointment with a
tutor!