how to cite an article mla 9th edition

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• A complete guide to MLA in-text citations

MLA In-text Citations | A Complete Guide (9th Edition)

Published on July 9, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An MLA in-text citation provides the author’s last name and a page number in parentheses.

If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by “ et al. ”

If the part you’re citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range. If you want to cite multiple non-consecutive pages at the same time, separate the page numbers with commas.

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Table of contents

Where to include an mla in-text citation, citing sources with no author, citing sources with no page numbers, citing different sources with the same author name, citing sources indirectly, frequently asked questions about mla in-text citations.

Place the parenthetical citation directly after the relevant quote or paraphrase , and before the period or other punctuation mark (except with  block quotes , where the citation comes after the period).

If you have already named the author in the sentence, add only the page number in parentheses. When mentioning a source with three or more authors outside of parentheses, use “and others” or “and colleagues” in place of “et al.”

• MLA is the second most popular citation style (Smith and Morrison 17–19) .
• According to Smith and Morrison , MLA is the second most popular citation style (17–19) .
• APA is by far “the most used citation style in the US” (Moore et al. 74) , but it is less dominant in the UK (Smith 16) .
• Moore and colleagues state that APA is more popular in the US than elsewhere (74) .

Combining citations

If a sentence is supported by more than one source, you can combine the citations in a single set of parentheses. Separate the two sources with a semicolon .

Livestock farming is one of the biggest global contributors to climate change (Garcia 64; Davies 14) .

Consecutive citations of the same source

If you cite the same source repeatedly within a paragraph, you can include the full citation the first time you cite it, then just the page number for subsequent citations.

MLA is the second most popular citation style (Smith and Morrison 17–19) . It is more popular than Chicago style, but less popular than APA (21) .

You can do this as long as it remains clear what source you’re citing. If you cite something else in between or start a new paragraph, reintroduce the full citation again to avoid ambiguity.

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For sources with no named author , the in-text citation must match the first element of the Works Cited entry. This may be the name of an organization, or the title of the source.

If the source title or organization name is longer than four words, shorten it to the first word or phrase in the in-text citation, excluding any articles ( a, an, and the ). The shortened title or organization name should begin with the word the source is alphabetized by in the Works Cited.

Follow the general MLA rules for formatting titles : If the source is a self-contained work (e.g. a whole website or an entire book ), put the title in italics; if the source is contained within a larger whole (e.g. a page on a website or a chapter of a book), put the title in quotation marks.

If a source does not have page numbers but is divided into numbered parts (e.g. chapters, sections, scenes, Bible books and verses, Articles of the Constitution , or timestamps), use these numbers to locate the relevant passage.

If the source does not use any numbering system, include only the author’s name in the in-text citation. Don’t include paragraph numbers unless they are explicitly numbered in the source.

Note that if there are no numbered divisions and you have already named the author in your sentence, then no parenthetical citation is necessary.

If your Works Cited page includes more than one entry under the same last name, you need to distinguish between these sources in your in-text citations.

Multiple sources by the same author

If you cite more than one work by the same author, add a shortened title to signal which source you are referring to.

In this example, the first source is a whole book, so the title appears in italics; the second is an article published in a journal, so the title appears in quotation marks.

Different authors with the same last name

To distinguish between different authors with the same last name, use the authors’ initials (or, if the initials are the same, full first names) in your in-text citations:

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Sometimes you might want to cite something that you found quoted in a secondary source . If possible, always seek out the original source and cite it directly.

If you can’t access the original source, make sure to name both the original author and the author of the source that you accessed . Use the abbreviation “qtd. in” (short for “quoted in”) to indicate where you found the quotation.

In these cases, only the source you accessed directly is included in the Works Cited list.

You must include an MLA in-text citation every time you quote or paraphrase from a source (e.g. a book , movie , website , or article ).

Some source types, such as books and journal articles , may contain footnotes (or endnotes) with additional information. The following rules apply when citing information from a note in an MLA in-text citation :

• To cite information from a single numbered note, write “n” after the page number, and then write the note number, e.g. (Smith 105n2)
• To cite information from multiple numbered notes, write “nn” and include a range, e.g. (Smith 77nn1–2)
• To cite information from an unnumbered note, write “un” after the page number, with a space in between, e.g. (Jones 250 un)

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title . Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation .

If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only the author’s name (or the title).

If you already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator available, you don’t need a parenthetical citation:

• Rajaram  argues that representations of migration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
• The homepage of The Correspondent describes it as “a movement for radically different news.”

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

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McCombes, S. (2024, March 05). MLA In-text Citations | A Complete Guide (9th Edition). Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/in-text-citations/

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Citation Guide

• APA Style - 7th Edition

Introduction to MLA Style

Creating mla citations: examples, paper formatting guidelines & sample papers, in-text citations & the list of works cited, examples of works cited & in-text citations, software tools for mla style, works cited for this page.

• Chicago/Turabian Style
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• Tools for Managing Citations
• Citation Season!

What is MLA Style?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. MLA Style is an established style for formatting your paper and giving credit to your sources. 

This page provides resources for all the elements of a preparing a paper in MLA Style, including formatting, in-text citations, and the works cited list.

Disciplines at Caldwell that use MLA Style include English, history, theology, philosophy, and others.

MLA Quick Links

• Quoting and Paraphrasing in MLA Format This video course is all about quoting and paraphrasing sources in your paper! Learn rules of quoting and paraphrasing responsibly, and see examples of in-text citations in MLA format.
• Purdue OWL Guide to MLA Style Purdue OWL has resources about many citation styles. Here is their section on MLA

An Article from a Journal Found in a Library Database (a source in two containers)

from MLA Handbook chapter 5.100-103, The Three Most Common Types of Entries

A Chapter or Section of a Book Accessed through an Online Repository (a source with two containers)

An Episode of a TV Show Watched on an Online Platform (a source in two containers)

A Chapter or Section of a Print Book (a source in one container)

A Print Book (a source that is self-contained)

• Sample MLA Papers These sample student papers show MLA formatting for all details of a research paper. Look a the structure of the page, how quotes are incorporated, and how works are cited.
• Formatting Your Research Project (MLA Handbook, Ch. 1) Instructions for formatting your paper in MLA style, including margins, title, headers and footers, headings and subheadings, etc.
• The Writing Process Purdue OWL's Guide to academic writing in MLA Style, including grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
• Mechanics of Prose (MLA Handbook, Ch. 2) Guidance on all the details of writing, such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, how format titles and names in your paper.

In-Text Citations

• In-Text Citations: The Basics Basic instructions from Purdue OWL about how to format in-text citations in MLA Style. This is how you credit your sources when you mention them in the text of your paper.
• Citing Sources in the Text (MLA Handbook, Ch. 6) This chapter starts with the basics of citing your sources in the text of your paper. It covers many situations you might encounter.

Works Cited Page

• MLA Style 101 This video course goes through each "element" of the MLA works cited page entry (like author, title, publisher) and shows how to identify what belongs in each element. This will help you create works cited page entries and know how to edit citations that a database generates!
• Interactive Practice Template Learn how to create citations for your Works Cited page!
• How to Cite Books This page from Purdue OWL covers the basics of citing books as well as what to do in a variety of situations. This page has guidance on multiple authors, an organization as author, translations, anthologies, and more.
• How to Cite Electronic Resources (aka things you found online) This page from Purdue OWL covers works cited page entries for most kinds of online sources, including scholarly journal articles in a library database, ebooks, government agency websites, online news, a YouTube video, personal email correspondence, and more.
• Citation Examples from the MLA Handbook This is a regularly updated list of citations for a wide variety of sources. It's organized by source, so scroll down or use ctrl-F to search the page for the kind of source you want to see, like "translated book" or "YouTube Video".

Journal Article Found in a Library Database

Works cited page entry.

Lorensen, Jutta. “Between Image and Word, Color, and Time: Jacob Lawrence’s The Migration Series.”  African American Review , vol. 40, no. 3, 2006, pp. 571-86. Academic Search Premier, each.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? Drect=true&db=f5h&AN=24093790&site=eho st-live.

In-text citation

(Lorensen 577)

Newspaper Article Found in a Library Database 

Fessenden, Ford, et al. "The Battle for New York's Key Voting Blocs in the Primaries."  New York Times , 19 Apr. 2016, p. A 14.  ProQuest Central , ezproxy.caldwell.edu:2048/login?url=http:// search.proquest.com/ docview/1781721245?accountid=26523.

(Fessenden et al. A14)

Article from an Online News Source

Chang, Kenneth. “NASA Will Send More Helicopters to Mars.” The New York Times , 27 July 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/science/mars-sample-mission-nasa.html.

Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdrich.  The Crown of Columbus . HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. 

(Dorris and Erdrich 110-12)

Article or Specific Chapter from a Book 

Copeland, Edward. “Money.”  The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen , edited by Copeland and Juliet McMaster, Cambridge UP, 1997, pp. 131-48. 

(Copeland 135)

Webpage on a Website 

“Infographic: Benefits of Language Learning.” Modern Language Association , 2022, www.mla.org/Resources/Advocacy/Infographics/Infographic-Benefits-of-Language-Learning.

("Inforgraphic: Benefits of Language Learning")

Film on an App 

Mamma Mia . Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, Universal Pictures, 2008. Netflix app. 

( Mamma Mia ) or ( Mamma Mia  59:03-61:23) - cite a specific scene with timestamps in the page number spot

There are many tools that can help you create, manage, and organize your citations and your references page. Here are some that the library provides or recommends for students and faculty. 

• NoodleTools This link opens in a new window NoodleTools is an online tool that helps you take notes and correctly format citations. MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian citation styles are included. Use throughout your research project to track sources, take notes, create outlines, collaborate with classmates, and format bibliographies. Use this link to create an account.
• ZoteroBib ZoteroBib is a free service that helps you build a bibliography from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software. It's from the team behind the open source citation management app Zotero. ZBib can create a draft citation from a link or ISBN and has helpful templates for you to use to manually create citations. You can use it for MLA, APA, or Chicago Style.

The information on this page comes from the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition. This book can be cited in MLA style like this:

MLA Handbook.  9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021. 

The elements used here are: [2. Title of source]  MLA Handbook.  [5. Version]  9th ed., [7. Publisher]  Modern Language Association of America, [8. Publication date]  2021. Because the publisher is an organization who is also the author, this organization - the Modern Language Association - is only listed once, as the publisher. 

An in-text citation for this handbook could be ( MLA Handbook  45) to refer specifically to something on page 45. 

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MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition

• MLA Style, 9th Edition
• In-text citations
• Books - Multiple Authors
• Books - with editors, translators, etc.
• Book - Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc
• Books - later editions
• Articles - Multiple Authors
• Articles - from scholarly journals
• Articles - from newspapers
• Articles - from magazines
• YouTube Video
• Television Shows
• Images from the Web
• Works Cited: Websites
• Works Cited: Social Media / Informal Communication
• Works Cited: Conference Proceeding/Paper
• Don't See an Example for Your Source?!
• Report an Error / Question

MLA Handbook

For a complete list of style rules, consult the MLA Handbook at the Reference Desk:

Major Changes in the 9th Edition?

Thankfully, not to Works Cited Entries & In-Text Citations!

There is more guidance and examples on the existing rules and more emphasis on writing. There is also a new chapter on inclusive language.

MLA 9th Edition: Guiding Principles

The MLA Handbook provides a "universal set of guidelines" for citing sources across all format types. Luckily, the 9th edition mainly expands upon the rules listed in the 8th edition. There are no significant changes in Works Cited/In-Text Citations (whew!).

These guidelines state that, if given, these major elements should be included in the citation:

1. Author. 2. Title of Source. 3. Title of Container, 4. Other Contributors, 5. Version, 6. Number, 7. Publisher, 8. Publication date, 9. Location.

Sometimes, elements 3-9 will repeat again, if say, your journal was inside a database.

Putting it all together:

Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante."  The Georgia Review , vol.64, no. 1, 2010, pp.69- 

           88.  JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/41403188 .

Works Cited Page & Example

A Works Cited page is a n alphabetical  list of the sources you paraphrased or quoted within the text of your paper. Your parenthetical citations within the text of your paper should point to a corresponding entry on this page.

The Works Cited page should:

• Be at the end of your paper and be numbered consecutively with the rest of your paper
• Include the words Works Cited centered at the top of the page
• Include all sources paraphrased or quoted within you paper
• Be alphabetized by the source - usually this is by an author's last name but could be by title in entries where there are no authors.
• Have hanging indents, which means the lines after the first line of an entry are indented.

See the example below.

• Works Cited Page
• Next: In-text citations >>
• Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 12:00 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/mla9

University Libraries      University of Nevada, Reno

• Skill Guides
• Subject Guides

MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): MLA 9 Intro

• Understanding Core Elements
• Formatting Appendices and Works Cited List
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography
• Academic Honesty and Citation
• In-Text Citation
• Charts, Graphs, Images, and Tables
• Class Notes and Presentations
• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
• Generative AI
• In Digital Assignments
• Interviews and Emails
• Journal and Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Social Media
• Special Collections
• Videos and DVDs
• When Information Is Missing
• Citation Software

Writers, including students, must reference sources that are paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used in research papers and other assignments. MLA style is a set of guidelines for documenting sources which is an important and required part of the research and writing process. There are two key things to know:

• Make in-text citations in the body of your paper.   An in-text citation points your readers to the corresponding full citation in the work-cited list. The in-text citation is a concise note directly after the idea or quote you are citing. See the In Text Citation tab for details and examples.
• Create a works-cited list that includes complete bibliographic information about each referenced source.  The works-cited list, located at the end of your paper, includes all of the sources you reference in your paper. Templates and examples of common citations are included below and through the How Do I Cite tab.

Please contact us  with any questions.

Contact a librarian for a specialized help session about MLA citation. We are here to help!

MLA Handbook

The MLA Handbook ninth edition was published in April 2021. The main differences between the eighth and ninth editions include:

• New chapters about inclusive language, formatting a research paper, and using notes
• An expanded description of the core elements, more descriptive explanations of in-text citations and guidelines for avoiding plagiarism
• New suggestions about citing works contained in apps and databases
• Hundred of examples about how to cite and list sources

Hard copies of the  MLA Handbook  are available at the Research Help Desk on the 2nd floor of the Knowledge Center.

Additional Resources

Do you want more citation help? Choose one of the links below or contact a librarian for a  specialized help session  about MLA citation.

• Quick-How-Tos of MLA Citation  - Short and accessible explanation and examples of basic citation.
• MLA Tricky Citations  - The University's Writing Center shows examples of citing less common sources.
• Purdue's MLA Guide (Online Writing Lab - OWL)   - A thorough collection of MLA 8 citation and style examples.
• MLA Style Guide FAQs  - The official website of the Modern Language Association.

Common Citations

Below are a handful of the most common citations. You will see the source type (for example, article, book, website) followed by the formatting guideline and examples for both the full citation for the works-cited list and the short in-text citation that appears in the body of the paper.

Works Cited List:  Author Last Name, First Name.  Title . Publisher, Year.

In-text: (Author Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List:  Olsen, Dale A. Music of El Dorado: the Ethnomusicology of Ancient South American Cultures . UP of Florida, 2002.

In-text: (Olsen 25)

Author's Last Name, First Name.  Title.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication.  Name of Library Database,  Permalink URL.

McClean, Shilo T.  Digital Storytelling: The Narrative Power of Visual Effects in Film . MIT Press, 2007.  eBook Comprehensive Academic Collection (EBSCOhost) , search.ebscohost.com.

Journal Article from Database

Works Cited List: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title."  Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title , Publication Information [volume, issue/number, year, pages]. Name of Database , DOI, Permalink or shortened URL for article in the database. 

Works Cited List : Latartara, John. "The Timbre of Thai Classical Singing." Asian Music , vol. 43, no. 2, 2012, pp. 88-114. Project MUSE , https://doi.org/10.1353/amu.2012.0013

In-text: (Latartara 97-8)

Works Cited List : Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page or Article."  Title of Site , Sponsor or Publisher [include only if different from website title or author], Date of Publication or Update Date, URL. Accessed Date [optional; include date you accessed source if it is likely to help readers].

In-text : (Author Last Name or page title)

Works Cited List : Andaya, Barbara. "Introduction to Southeast Asia."  Center for Global Education,  Asia Society, 2017, asiasociety.org/education/introduction-southeast-asia . Accessed 17 Dec. 2021.

In-text citation: (Andaya)

Note: If an author is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the page. For example if the author was not evident on the citation above, the works cited entry would be:

"Vietnam: a Historical Introduction." Center for Global Education,  Asia Society, 2017, asiasociety.org/education/vietnam. Accessed 17 Dec. 2021.

Works Cited in another Source

Sometimes an author will mention work by another author by using a quotation or paraphrased idea. For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith. The basic rule is that in both the works-cited list and in-text citation, cite Kirkey. Use the words “qtd. in” for the in-text citation.  

Works Cited List:  Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia."  The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10.  Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.

In-text citation:  According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey), 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.

Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).

Additional Examples

• Choose sources from the How Do I Cite tab  drop down menu for more formatting guidelines and examples.
• You can also visit our Quick How To for MLA Citation .

Seneca College Libraries

This guide is used/adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries. For information please contact [email protected] .

  Note: When copying this guide, please retain this box.

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• About Citation
• APA 7th Ed.

In-text Citations

Works cited, formatting your mla paper.

• Chicago 17th Ed.

This guide is a quick introduction to the Modern Language Association 9th edition citation style. Be sure to consult the MLA Handbook or the online MLA Style Center  for detailed standards and procedures. 

• The MLA Style Center Answers to common questions and practice resources.
• Purdue OWL MLA Formatting & Style Guide Purdue University's Online Writing Lab guide to MLA citation and style.

For more guidelines and examples, check out the MLA Style Center In-Text Citations Overview .

Basic Format:

(Last Name Page #)

Or, introduce direct quotes with the author and title within the sentence or paragraph, then include the page number(s) at the end of the quote in parentheses.

I'm citing...

1 Author or No Author

You only need the author's last name and the page number.

Connect both authors' last names with and, and include the page number.

(Best and Marcus 9)

3 or More Authors

Use the first author's last name and et al., and include the page number.

(Franck et al. 327)

Use a shortened title of the work.

("Impact of Global Warming")

Basic Format: Author Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. Title of Longer Work or "Title of Shorter Work." Publisher, Year. URL or DOI.

I'm citing a...

Journal Article

• Author(s). Note: Use the format Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. If there are multiple authors, use and before the last author's name.
• "Title of the Article." Note: Include the title of a shorter work like an article in a journal in quotation marks and use headline-style capitalization .
• Title of the Journal , Note: Use italics for the title of a longer work like a journal and use headline-style capitalization .
• no. #, Note: If there is no additional number after the volume, only include the volume number.
• Publication date,
• pp. xxx-xxx.
• Database , Note: Use italics for names of databases.
• URL or permalink.

Gosine, Kevin, and Emmanuel Tabi. "Disrupting Neoliberalism and Bridging the Multiple Worlds of Marginalized Youth via Hip-Hop Pedagogy: Contemplating Possibilities." Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies , vol. 38, no. 5, 2016, pp. 445-467. Research Gate , doi: 10.1080/10714413.2016.1221712 .

Online News/Magazine Article

• "Title of the Article." Note: Include the title of a shorter work in quotation marks and use headline-style capitalization .
• Title of the Newspaper or Publisher , Note: Use italics for the title of a longer work like a newspaper or online publication and use headline-style capitalization .
• Publication date, Note: Use the formate Date Abbreviated Month Year.

Robinson, Angela. "History Shows Why It's Time for a Black Woman to Sit on the Supreme Court ." The Washington Post , 1 Feb. 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/01/history-shows-why-its-time-black-woman-sit-supreme-court/ .

Print Book or eBook

• Title of the Book . Note: Use italics for the title of a longer work like a book and use headline-style capitalization .
• Edition Note: If there are multiple editions, use the format 1st/2nd/3rd ed.,
• Publication date.

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird . 1st ed., J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1960.

• Title of the Book, Note: Use italics for the title of a longer work like a book and use headline-style capitalization .
• Editors Note: If there is one editor, use the format edited by Last Name, First Name. If there are multiple editors, use and before the last author's name.

Hughes, Langston. Letters from Langston: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond , edited by Evelyn Louise Crawford and Mary Louise Patterson. University of California Press, 2016. EBSCOhost Academic eBook Collection , http://libproxy.csudh.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1105577&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EB& .

Book Chapter

• Author(s) of the Chapter. Note: Use the format Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial (if any). If there are multiple authors, use and before the last author's name.
• "Title of the Chapter." Note: Include the title of a shorter work like a chapter in quotation marks and use headline-style capitalization .
• Editors Note: If there is one editor, use the format edited by First Name Middle Name or Initial (if any) Last Name. If there are multiple editors, use and before the last author's name.

Green, David. "Supporting the Academic Success of Hispanic Students." College Libraries and Student Culture: What We Now Know , edited by Andrew D. Asher and Lynda M. Duke, ALA Editions, 2011. EBSCOhost Academic eBook Collection , http://libproxy.csudh.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=390319 .

• Author. Note: If there is no individual author, begin the citation with "Title of the Page."
• "Title of Page, Section, or Document."
• Publisher ,

"Citation Guide." CSUDH University Library , https://www.libguides.csudh.edu/citation .

Check out more examples of citing online sources from the MLA Style Cetner. 

Citing a letter, photograph, text document, graphic material, or ephemera? Consult the  Gerth Archives MLA Citation Guide for Archival Materials .

• MLA Style Formatting Paper Guidelines Guidelines from the MLA Style Center on how to format your paper, including the title page, text formatting, tables and illustrations, and more.

What does the general format of an MLA paper look like? 

How do i make a hanging indent in word.

1. Highlight the citaiton with your cursor. 

2. Right click. 

3. Select Paragraph .

4. Under Indentation, select Special and Hanging .

How can I save time formatting my paper? 

Microsoft Word and Google Docs have a Format Painter tool that will copy and apply basic formatting to any text! 

1. Highlight the formatting you want to apply. 

2. Select  Format Painter . 

3. Highlight the text you want to change. 

Note: If using the Format Painter on the Reference List, you'll need to go back and add italics. 

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Citation Style

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Library Liaison

MLA Citation Style (9th Edition)

• Text Citations
• Works Cited
• Video & Tutorial
• Writing Center

Text Citations A typical in-text citation is composed of the author's name and page number (54). 

One author:  The citation for a paraphrased idea should be placed as close as possible after the borrowed container, at a natural pause in your sentence, so the flow is not disrupted (57).  Ex:  (Baron 194) No author:  If the the author is anonymous or an organization, your in-text citation contains the title, in entirety within the text or abbreviated before the page number in parenthesis (56).  Ex:  ( Reading  3). Multiple authors:  

Two authors:  Include both last names in the in-text citation, connected by  and  (116).  Ex:  (Dorris and Erdrich 23)  Three or more authors:  The in-text citation begins with the first author's name followed by  et al . (116).  Ex:  (Burdick et al. 42)

Works Cited Format the Works Cited list so that the second and subsequent lines of each entry are indented half an inch from the left margin. 

Book (111): 

Last name, First name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring . Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Web page (167,195): 

Last name, First name. "Title of source."  Title of container , Other contributors, Publisher, Year, URL. Date of access.

California Department of Fish and Game. "Coho Salmon."  Fisheries Branch , 2017, https://www.wildlife .ca.gov/Conservation/Fishes/Coho-Salmon. Accessed 20 June 2018.

Journal article

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.

Example of print article (178): 

Hetherington, Jaclyn A. and Janet M. Stoppard. “The Theme of Disconnection in Adolescent Girls’ Understanding of Depression.” Journal of Adolescence , Vol. 25, no. 6, 2002, pp. 619-629.

Example of article from an online database (194): 

Bockelman, Brian. "Buenos Aires  Boheme : Argentina and the Transatlantic Bohemian Renaissance, 1890-1910."  Modernism/Modernity,  vol.23, no.1, Jan. 2016, pp.37-63.  Project Muse,  https://doi.org/10.1353/mod.2016.0011.

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue OWL) Examples for citing articles, books, online sources and more.
• MLA Sample Paper (Purdue OWL) This sample paper displays proper format structure and content. more... less... The sample paper, produced by Purdue OWL, can be downloaded as a PDF.
• MLA - Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions from the MLA Handbook
• MLA Citation Generator - EasyBib
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography

Citation help using Credo Information Literacy Core !

If you need any assistance please text, chat, call, or visit us in-person  or visit our  Credo Information Literacy Core guide .

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• Paper Formatting
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The  Modern Language Association  (MLA)  published the 9th edition of their handbook in 2021. Some departments and instructors may still be using MLA- 8th edition. Please consult your instructor if you are unsure which edition to use. 

Building confidence in the information and ideas we share with one another is perhaps more important today than ever before, and for  nearly a century  it has been the driving principle behind MLA style, a set of standards for writing and documentation used by writers to find and evaluate information, alert their audience to the trustworthiness of their findings through citation, and shape the expression of their ideas in conversation with others. 

- MLA Style | Modern Language Association

There are several official resources online to help you with MLA:

• MLA Style and Grammar Guidelines
• MLA Style Blog The MLA Style Center is the only authorized website on MLA style.

The main navigation links will show you how to set up your paper in MLA format, and how to properly cite a variety of resources, both in your references list and within your paper using in-text citations.

Librarians are happy to answer questions about citations, but we do not proof-read citations for accuracy . Contact Lesley's Center for Academic Achievement for help with formatting MLA, as well as writing papers and other academic challenges.

Services include:

• online tutoring for students taking courses off-campus or during intensive residencies
• face-to-face tutoring for students taking courses on-campus.

This LibGuide was adapted from " APA (7th edition) Citation Guide " by Professor/Librarian Diana J. Matthews of the Lawrence W. Tyree Library at Santa Fe College.

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MLA Style 9th Edition

• Guidelines and Formatting
• In-Text Citations
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• Other Sources
• Plagiarism This link opens in a new window

This Resource Guide is an Overview of MLA 9th Edition Citation Style.

This guide is a quick introduction to the modern language association 9th edition citation style. be sure to consult the  mla handbook  or the online  mla style center  for detailed standards and procedures. , if your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences., basic rules.

Basic rules for citing most sources: 

Works cited must be double spaced and have a hanging indent. This means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Alphabetized by the first listed author. 

If same author, list sources in alphabetical order. 

In the titles of articles, books, webpages and most other sources capitalize each word, unless it is an article (the, an), preposition, or conjunction, unless it is the first word of a title: The Art of War, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Core Elements

• Works Cited: A Quick Guide Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.

MLA Resources

• MLA Style This resource is designed as a companion to the MLA 9 handbook. In this site, you will find practice templates, guides, sample papers, how to format your research paper, and FAQ's.
• Purdue OWL This source contains contains resources on in-text citation and the Works Cited page, as well as MLA sample papers.
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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

• What Kind of Source Is This?
• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• In-Text Citation
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

On This Page: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - unknown author, citing two authors, citing three or more authors, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an. Do not use all-caps (except for words like USA where each letter stands for something), even if the words appear that way on the article.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

The publisher or sponsoring organization can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site.  When the page is authored and published by the same corporation/group/organization, omit the author and begin your citation with the title. 

Publisher information may be omitted for:

• periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• works published by an author or editor
• web sites whose title is the same as the name of the publisher
• a web site not involved in producing the work it makes (e.g. user-generated content sites like  YouTube )

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 9th edition. When no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number if more than one volume, Publisher Name, Date of Publication,  pp. First Page-Last Page. Name of Database .  https://doi.org/DOI if there is one.

 Note : MLA 9th edition recommends including a DOI, stable link, or URL. We recommend that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. Because library databases require a login most URLs will stop working after the session ends. If there is a DOI, include this as the last element, beginning with https://doi.org/.

If you do not have information such as an editor's name, a volume or page numbers leave those sections out of your citation.

 "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.  Name of Database .   https://doi.org/DOI if there is one.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publication or Update Date,   URL. Accessed  Day Month Year site was visited .  

"Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publisher if known, Copyright Date or Date Updated,   URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .  

"Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry was last modified, Time entry was last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year Wikipedia entry was last viewed.

 Note : The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.

Keep in mind that Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you can use it as a source in your assignment.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

 "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

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ENGLISH 206: Women in Literature

• Primary vs Secondary Sources
• Research Help

Ask a Librarian

Example mla works cited entries.

The Works Cited page lists all of the sources cited throughout the paper. Here are commonly cited types of sources and example entries.

Journal Article

Book chapter, mla citation resources.

•   Librarian recommended!  MLA Style Center The official companion to the MLA Handbook . Includes a quick guide to works cited, FAQs, sample papers, and tips for formatting your research paper.
• MLA Style: Excelsior College Online Writing Lab Gives detailed information on formatting of MLA papers, in-text citations, and works cited. Use the side menu to navigate to the information you need.

For a complete list of specifics about MLA Style for both the reference list and in-text citations, please see the MLA Handbook . Use the links above for examples, tips, and further help.

Always follow any modifications to MLA Style provided by your instructor.

In-Text Citations

• In-text, or parenthetical, citations indicate you are quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing someone else's work or ideas.
• In-text citations should correspond to a source on your works cited page to help your reader find the original source used.
• Placement depends on how you incorporate a source into your writing - there is more than one correct way to cite in-text.

In-Text Citation Resources

• MLA In-Text Citations Overview and examples from Excelsior Online Writing Lab
• Posts tagged "In-text Citations" The MLA Style Center
• How to create an MLA in-text citation NoodleTools Help Desk
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MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Books & Ebooks

• Introduction to MLA Style
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• 9th Edition Updates
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Book in print, book with editor(s) but no author, translated book, chapters, short stories, essays, or articles from a book (anthology or collection), an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword, article in a reference book (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Authors/Editors

An author can be a person but can also be an organization, or company. These are called group or corporate authors.

If you are citing a chapter from a book that has an editor, the author of the chapter is listed first, and is the name listed in the in-text citation.

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

You have the option to use the shortened name of the publisher by abbreviating "University" and "Press" (e.g. Oxford UP, not Oxford University Press).

You also have the option to remove articles (A, An, The), business abbreviations (e.g. Co., Inc.) and descriptive words (e.g. Books, House, Press, Publishers).

The format of all dates is: Date Month (shortened) Year. e.g. 5 Sept. 2012.

Whether to give the year alone or include a month and day depends on your source: write the full date as you find it there.

If no date is listed, omit it unless you can find that information available in a reliable source. In that case the date is cited in square brackets. e.g. [2008]

Page Numbers

Page number on your Works Cited page (but not for in-text citations) are now proceeded by p. for a single page number and pp. for a range of page numbers. E.g. p. 156 or pp. 79-92.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

Note :  The city of publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country, or if the publisher is unknown in North America.

Works Cited List Example:

Kurlansky, Mark. Salt: A World History . Walker, 2002.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Kurlansky 10)

Two Authors

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. 

Note: Only the first author listed appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. Authors' names are separated by a comma. Before the last author to be listed, add the word "and."

 Jacobson, Diane L., and Robert Kysar.  A Beginner's Guide to the Books of the Bible,  Augsburg, 1991.

 (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

 Example: (Jacobson and Kysar 25)

Three or More Authors

Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. 

Note:  If you have three or more authors list only the first author's name followed by et al. instead of listing all authors names. For example Smith, John, et al. The first author is the first name listed on the work you are citing, not the first name alphabetically.

Nickels, William, et al.  Understanding Business.  9th ed., McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2016. 

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Nickels et al. 5)

eBook from a Library Database

Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication.  Name of eBook Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink.

Calhoun, Craig. Sociology in America: A History . U of Chicago P, 2008.  ProQuest Ebook Central , ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/up/detail.action?docID=408466&pq-origsite=primo.  

 (Author's Last Name Page Number)

 Example: (Calhoun 53)

eBook for Kindle or other eBook Reader

Note:  The MLA uses the term "eBook" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an eBook reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application, which will not have URLs or DOIs. Citations will be very similar to physical book citations; just add the word "eBook" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing , eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007.

 Example: (Silva 30)

Note : When no page numbers are listed on an eBook, cite the chapter number instead in your in-text citation. Example: (Smith ch. 2).  

Last Name of editor, First Name, editor(s).  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of Publication.

 Wolfteich, Claire E., editor. Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions . Paulist, 2014. 

 (Last name page number)

 Example: (Wolfteich 103)

Electronic Materials

(More than one editor)

Kidwell, Jeremy, and Sean Doherty, editors. Theology and Economics: A Christian Vision of the Common Good.  eBook, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 

(Last name page number)

Example: (Kidwell and Doherty 103)

If you want to emphasize the work rather than the translator, cite as you would any other book. Add “translated by” and follow with the name(s) of the translator(s).

Boitani, Piero. The Bible and Its Rewritings . Translated by Anita Weston, Oxford UP, 1999.

Example: (Boitani 89)

Augustine. The Confessions of St. Augustine . Translated by Edward Bouverie Pusey, eBook, Floating Press, 1921.

Example: (Augustine 65) 

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Short Story, Essay, or Article."  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  edited by Editor's First Name and Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication, Page numbers of the essay, article, or short story. 

Boys, Mary C. “Learning in the Presence of the Other: Feminisms and the Interreligious Encounter.” Faith and Feminism: Ecumenical Essays , edited by Diane B. Lipsett, Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, pp. 103-114.

Note:  The first author's name listed is the author of the chapter/essay/short story.

Note: If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

Example: (Boys 110)

When citing an introduction, a preface, a foreword, or an afterword, write the name of the author(s) of the piece you are citing. Then give the name of the part being cited, which should not be italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; in italics, provide the name of the work and the name of the author of the introduction/preface/foreword/afterword. Finish the citation with the details of publication and page range.

Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction.  Norms of Rhetorical Culture , by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.

(Farrell 5)

If the writer of the piece is different from the author of the complete work, then write the full name of the principal work's author after the word "By." For example, if you were to cite Hugh Dalziel Duncan’s introduction of Kenneth Burke’s book Permanence and Change, you would write the entry as follows:

Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction.  Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose,  by Kenneth Burke, 1935, 3rd ed., U of California P, 1984, pp. xiii-xliv.

(Duncan xiv)

For entries in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry name as you would any other work in a collection but do not include the publisher information. Also, if the reference book is organized alphabetically, as most are, do not list the volume or the page number of the article or item.

"Ideology."  The American Heritage Dictionary , 3rd ed., Dell, 1997, p. 369.

("Ideology" 369)

Online Reference book

Isaacson, Joel. "Monet, Claude." Grove Art Online , Oxford Art Online , www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T059077.

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MLA 9 Citation Style: Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

• Textbook With One Author
• Textbook With Two Authors
• Textbook With Three or More Authors
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook with One Author (Mobile)
• Textbook with Two Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook with Three or More Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Anthology or Edited Book
• Work in an Anthology or Edited Book
• Two or More Selections from the Same Anthology or Edited Book
• Journal Article (Print)
• Journal Article (Online)
• Newspaper Articles (Print)
• Newspaper Articles (Online)
• Database Article with One Author
• Database Article with Two Authors
• Database Article with More Than Three Authors
• Database Previously Published Scholarly Article (Blooms, MasterPlots, Literary Reference Center)
• Online Government Publication
• Website with an Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Website with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Web Page with Author
• Web Page with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Art – From a Book
• Art – From a Web Page
• Picture/Photo Online -- General
• Motion Picture -- DVD
• Motion Picture -- Streaming
• Video -- Online (YouTube, etc.)
• An Interview You Conducted
• Lecture Notes, PowerPoints, or Handouts from Class
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
• Popular vs. Scholarly Sources
• Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

MLA Citation -- Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

Works Cited Format

Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of the Part of the Book Being Cited.” Title of Anthology .

     Edited by First and Last Names, edition * (if any), Publisher, Date, Page(s).

In-Text Citation Format 

(Editor’s Last Name p. # * )

* Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

Works Cited Example

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing . Edited by Laurie G.

     Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, Compact 9 th ed. * , Cengage Learning, 2017, pp. 379-391.

In-Text Citation Example 

(Gilman 381)

*Sometimes the edition may include a qualifier, such as shorter edition or portable edition . When citing an anthology itself, you should include the qualifier before the edition number. For example: Compact 9 th ed.

A Word About Punctuation

The punctuation in your citations does matter.  Make sure you pay attention to where the periods and commas are in the examples. 

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MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.