MLA Style of
Documentation
th
(7 ed. 2009)
Michael Martin
St. Louis Community College
at Florissant Valley
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Objectives
It is important that you understand how to
do the following:
1. Format the essay in MLA style.
2. Understand the relationship of your intext citations to your list of works cited.
3. Mark boundaries for citations in your
text.
4. Be aware of some problematic sources.
5. List common sources on the works-cited
page.
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Format of a Research Paper:
The Text
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Double-spaced
1-inch margins (top,
bottom, left, and right)
Header (every page): last
name, one space, and page
number (upper right corner,
1/2 inch from top)
Heading (first page): name,
instructor, course, date
(flush left)
Title (centered)
Indent paragraphs ½ inch
Long quotations (4+ lines):
indent whole quotation 1
inch; do not enclose in
quotation marks.
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Martin 1
Michael Martin
Prof. James Sodon
College Composition I
26 September 2005
MLA Style of Documentation
The style of documentation developed by the
Modern Language Association of America (MLA) is
widely used in scholarly publications of English
literature. modern languages, and other humanities.
The MLA style uses author-page number system to cite
sources in text.
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Format of a Research Paper:
Works Cited

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Start a new page (1inch margins, doublespaced, header
continues)
Works Cited (centered
at top)
List sources
alphabetically, usually
by authors’ last names
Use hanging
paragraphs (1st line
flush left; indent
subsequent lines ½
inch)
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Martin 12
Works Cited
Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and
How It Got That Way. New York: Morrow,
1990. Print.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA,
2003. Print.
Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The
Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New York:
Macmillan, 1979. Print.
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Format of a Research Paper: Template
A Word template has been formatted for the
MLA format:
http://users.stlcc.edu/mmartin
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Relationship of In-Text Citations and
the List of Works Cited
MLA style uses an
author-page system to
cite sources in text (in
the body of your essay).
Bill Bryson states that of the
The in-text citation, in
turn, refers to a source
in the list of works cited,
which includes complete
publication information
for all sources.
Works Cited
615,000 words in the Oxford
English Dictionary, “about
200,000 English words are in
common use” (13).
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Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue:
English and How It Got That
Way. New York: Morrow,
1990. Print.
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Relationship of In-Text Citations and
the List of Works Cited

Author in signal phrase with page
number in parenthetical citation.
A signal phrase names the speaker
or author followed by a verb. Other
phrases can be used, for example:
According to Bill Bryson, . . .
Signal phrases can be followed by
credentials to support the source’s
authority, for example:
According to Bill Bryson, a bestselling author of books on the
English language, . . .

Bill Bryson states that of the 615,000
words in the Oxford English Dictionary,
“about 200,000 English words are in
common use” (13).
Of the 615,000 words in the Oxford English
Dictionary, “about 200,000 English words
are in common use” (Bryson 13).
Author with page number in
parenthetical citation.
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Blurry Boundaries
Robert Harris gives the following example to illustrate how a
citation at the end of a paragraph is “confusing” (100):
A product recall might be more accurately known as a
product repair because most recalled products never leave the
consumer’s home. In many cases, when a defect is discovered
by the manufacturer, a repair kit is sent to the consumer. In
other cases, the product must be taken in for repair. Rarely
will the product be called in and exchanged for another. For
example, recalled automobiles are never returned to the
factory and replaced; they are simply repaired at a dealer
(Doe 456).
What parts of the paragraph were borrowed from Doe?
What parts, if any, belong to the writer?
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Blurry Boundaries
Harris revises the preceding example to indicate
boundaries. In this example, it becomes clear that the
interpretation in the first sentence and the example in
the last are the writer’s (100).
A product recall might be more accurately known as
a product repair. As Jane Doe notes, most recalled
products never leave the consumer’s home. In many
cases, when a defect is discovered by the manufacturer,
a repair kit is sent to the consumer. In other cases, the
product must be taken in for repair. Rarely will the
product be called in and exchanged for another (456).
For example, recalled automobiles are never returned to
the factory and replaced; they are simply repaired at a
dealer.
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Marking Boundaries in Text
Learn how to mark boundaries; they work in similar ways
regardless of style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
Your reader must know where your source material interrupts
your original writing. It is important, consequently, to mark
both the beginning and ending of source material.
How you mark boundaries depends on the type and length of
the source material:

Boundaries for short quotations

Boundaries for long quotations (4+ lines)

Boundaries for paraphrases

Boundaries for problematic sources
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Marking Boundaries in Text
Boundaries for short quotations
1. Introduce source with signal phrase.
2. Enclose quotation within a pair of quotation marks.
3. End with page number(s) in parenthetical citation or other close.
In-text example:
William Strunk and E. B. White warn that when a transition “is too
often used, it becomes a mannerism” (17).
Work Cited
Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed.
New York: Macmillan, 1979. Print.
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Marking Boundaries in Text
Boundaries for long quotations (4+ lines)
1. Introduce source with a signal sentence ending with a colon (:).
2. Indent the quotation 1 inch from left margin, but do not enclose it in quotation
marks (block quotation).
3. End with page number(s) in parenthetical citation.
In-text example:
Regarding the use of the split infinitive, Fowler classifies speakers, and hence
writers, into five categories:
(1) Those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those
who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and
condemn; (4) those who know and approve; and (5) those who know and
distinguish. (579)
Work Cited
Fowler, H. W. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage. 1926. Revised Ernest Gowers.
2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1965. Print.
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Marking Boundaries in Text
Boundaries for paraphrases
1. Introduce source with signal phrase.
2. Paraphrase (restate) the source material in another form and
words.
3. End with page number(s) in parenthetical citation or other close.
In-text example:
In a student-written essay often used in the Writing Lab as an
example, Gene Hert develops his introduction by giving examples of
three bad jobs he has had: an assembly line worker, a punch press
operator, and a psychiatric ward aide (295).
Work Cited
Hert, Gene. “My Job in an Apple Plant.” English Skills. By John
Langan. 7th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001. 295–96. Print.
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Marking Boundaries in Text
Boundaries for problematic sources

Author unknown
 No page numbers given
1.
2.
Introduce source with signal phrase that indicates the type of document.
End with the first component of what is known, usually a condensed title, in
the parenthetical citation.
In-text example:
According to an article in the Issues and Controversies database, opponents of
surveillance cameras argue that people expect a “degree of anonymity” even in
public places (“Surveillance”).
Work Cited
“Surveillance Cameras.” Issues and Controversies on File 4 March 2005: n. pag.
Issues & Controversies. Web. 13 July 2011.
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Problematic Sources
Source with author, editor, translator, and compiler
Some sources include parts written by other authors, such as an
editor who wrote an introduction or a translator who wrote a preface.
Cite the author and the part consulted, along with the source.
In-text example:
John Ormsby suspects that Cervantes had probably finished the First
Part of Don Quixote about five years before its publication (17).
Work Cited
Ormsby, John, trans. Translator’s Preface. Don Quixote. by Miguel de
Cervantes Saavedra. 1605. NetLibrary. Web. 12 July 2010.
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Problematic Sources
Secondary, or indirect, quotation
Authors often quote other authors or speakers. If you must cite a quotation from a
secondary source, cite it as follows:
1. Give credit to the original author or speaker in a signal phrase.
2. Paraphrase or quote the original author or speaker (enclose a quote by the
original author in quotation marks).
3. In a parenthetical citation, cite the secondary source with the abbreviation
qtd. in and secondary source’s author.
In-text example:
In May, Bernie Miklasz reported, "His slugging percentage since last July 18 is
.551, which is pretty good, but it just isn't Pujols” (qtd. in McClellan).
Work Cited
McClellan, Bill. “Cubs Fan Bill McClellan Tells Cards: Trade Pujols.” STLtoday.com.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9 July 2010. Web. 9 July 2010.
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Examples of Works Cited
Learn the basics of the list of works cited (alphabetized, hanging
paragraphs); look up how to format a source as needed.
Common Sources: The information included in the list of works cited
depends on the type of source and medium of publication.
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Print Sources
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Web Sources
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Book
Short Work in an Anthology
Article in a Scholarly Journal
Article in a General Periodical
Article in an Online Subscription Database
Article in an Online Periodical
Web Page
Other Sources

Motion Picture
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Examples of Works Cited:
Book
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for
alphabetizing)
Title of the book (italicized)
Editor, translator, or compiler (if any)
Edition (if other than first)
Place of publication: publisher, and date
Medium of publication: Print
Name of the series and number (if any)
Example: Book
Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of
Style. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1979. Print.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Short Work in an Anthology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for alphabetizing)
Title of the work in an anthology (enclosed in quotation marks)
Title of the book (italicized)
Editor, translator, or compiler
Edition (if other than first)
Place of publication: publisher, and date
Inclusive page numbers of work
Medium of publication: Print
Name of the series and number (if any)
Example: Short Work in an Anthology
Baldwin, James. “Stranger in the Village.” The Norton Reader. Ed. Linda
H. Peterson and John C. Brereton. 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2004.
360-68. Print.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Article in a Scholarly Journal
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for alphabetizing)
Title of the article (enclosed in quotations marks)
Title of the periodical (italicized; omit an introductory A, An,
The)
Volume and issue numbers (separated by a period)
Year of publication (enclosed in parentheses)
Inclusive page numbers of article
Medium of publication: Print
Example: Article in a Scholarly Journal
Haney, Brenda, and Ed Hara. “’Finding’ Teaching: A Lesson in
Collaboration.” Thought and Action 20.1 (2004): 63-72. Print.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Article in a General Periodical
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for
alphabetizing)
Title of the article (enclosed in quotations marks)
Title of the periodical (italicized; omit an introductory
A, An, The)
Date of publication
Inclusive page numbers of article
Medium of publication: Print
Example: Article in a Magazine
Fineman, Howard. “Money, Money, Everywhere.”
Newsweek 26 Sept. 2006: 24-31. Print.
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Examples of Works Cited: Articles in an
Online Subscription Database
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for alphabetizing)
Title of the article (enclosed in quotations marks)
Title of the periodical (italicized; omit introductory article A, An, The)
Volume and issue numbers (if a journal)
Date of publication (year in parentheses if a journal)
Inclusive pages numbers of article (or n. pag. if no pagination given)
Title of the database (italicized)
Medium of publication: Web
Date of access
Example: Article in a Scholarly Journal Retrieved from a
Subscription Database
Coris, Eric E., and William H. Higgins II. “First Rib Stress Fractures in
Throwing Athletes.” American Journal of Sports Medicine 33.9
(2005): 1400-04. Academic Search Elite. Web. 26 Sept. 2005.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Article in an Online Periodical
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for alphabetizing)
Title of the article (enclosed in quotations marks)
Title of the periodical (italicized; omit introductory article A, An,
The)
Publisher or sponsor (or N.p. if no publisher given)
Date of publication (or n.d. if no date given)
Medium of publication: Web
Date of access
Example: Online Newspaper Article
Glaberson, William. “Obama to Keep Tribunals; Stance Angers Some
Backers.” New York Times. New York Times, 15 May 2009. Web.
18 May 2009.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Web Page (nonperiodical)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Author(s) (first author’s name reversed for alphabetizing)
Title of the work (enclosed in quotations marks)
Name of the Web site (italicized)
Publisher or sponsor (or N.p. if no publisher given)
Date of publication (or n.d. if no date given)
Medium of publication: Web
Date of access
Example: Web Page with Unknown Author (begin with title)
“What Is New in the Seventh Edition of the MLA Handbook?” MLA.
Modern Language Association of America, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 24
June 2010.
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Examples of Works Cited:
Motion Picture






Title of motion picture (italicized)
Director
Original release date (if relevant)
Distributor
Year of release
Medium consulted (e.g.: Film, DVD,
Videocassette)
Example: Motion Picture Rereleased on DVD
Crash. Dir. Paul Haggis. 2005. Lions Gate, 2006.
DVD.
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Questions?
Works Cited
Harris, Robert A. Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening
Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. 3rd ed. Glendale:
Pyrczak, 2011. Print.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New
York: MLA, 2009. Print.
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