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MLA Style

The Modern Language Association of America, or MLA, developed a style guide to establish rules and bring consistency to written academic works. The MLA Handbook is most often used in the language arts and humanities disciplines, including literature, literary criticism, English studies, and cultural studies. The most recent publication, the 8th edition, was published in 2016.

MLA Guidelines for Formatting Papers

An MLA essay follows the following formatting guidelines:

• The essay should be typed, double spaced in 12-point font size without additional spacing between paragraphs, in an easy-to-read font (such as Times New Roman) on 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Do not include a title page unless required to do so. The first page of the essay should include the author’s name, instructor’s name, course information, and the date the essay is due. This information should be double spaced and placed in the upper left corner of the page, beginning one inch from the top.
• The title should follow the author and course information and should be centered, in title case (uppercase and lowercase letters), with no underlining, italicizing, or bolding.
• Starting on the first page, each page should have a running header in the right corner, 1/2 inch from the top margin and flush with the right margin, which includes the author’s last name and the page number.
• Use the tab key or your ruler to indent the first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin.
• Use only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.
• Commas and periods go inside the quotation marks, not outside: “Chapter 1,” rather than “Chapter 1”, for example.
• Use em dashes (—) and ellipses (…) and replace hyphens (-) with en dashes (–) where appropriate, and make consistent.

MLA General In-Text Citation Rules

Including source information in parentheses after a quote or paraphrase is known as parenthetical citation or an in-text citation, and it is required when using MLA style.

In MLA, it is important to provide a lead-in or introductory phrase for source quotations, paraphrases, or summaries in the text, especially the first time the source is used. Lead-ins introduce the sources to the audience and provide a smooth transition from the student author’s writing to quotes, summaries, and paraphrases within the text. When the author’s name is mentioned in the signal phrase, you do not need to include it in the in-text citation, rather use the page number alone, if the source is paginated. However, you will need to continue to include the author’s last name in subsequent uses.

Example: Introducing Sources with a Lead-In

As Glenn and Ratcliffe explain in Silence and Listening as Rhetorical Arts, we “can more productively discern and implement actions that are more ethical, efficient, and appropriate when all parties agree to engage in rhetorical situations that include not only respectful speaking, reading, and writing, but also productive silence and rhetorical listening” (3).

In-Text Citation: Print Sources

A Work by a Single Author

The author’s last name and the page numbers (when available) from the source material should appear in the text. The relevant page numbers appear in the parenthetical citation, not in the text.

Shor argues that basic writing is “a containment track below freshman comp, a gate below the gate” (94).

Basic writing is “a containment track below freshman comp, a gate below the gate” (Shor 94).

Block Quotations

Begin quotations more than four lines in length on a new line that is indented one inch from the left margin. Place the whole quote, double spaced, within the new margin. Do not use quotation marks. Note that the parenthetical citation comes after the end punctuation.

As a builder, Lubbers was tasked to determine the most effective method for ensuring the safety and integrity of structures in a variety of climates. Lubbers’s study found the following:

The prevailing wind being forecast for January 2 will be from the southwest, and will reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. This wind has the potential to cause significant damage to the current construction. The building should be braced heavily to avoid collapse. (202)

Unknown Author

When the author is not known, use an abbreviated title of the source in the parenthetical citation. Use quotation marks for titles of short works (articles, chapters, episodes, songs) and italics for titles of longer works (movies, books, television shows), and include a page number.

The results of the study on multitasking showed that switching from one task to another actually takes more time than giving attention to one task at a time (“Is Multitasking More Efficient?” 6).

Authors with Same Last Name

If two or more cited authors have the same last name, include both authors’ first initials. If different authors share the same first initial, provide the authors’ full names.

Although some researchers have found that multitasking is actually counterproductive and inefficient (K. Jones 12), more and more students are employing multitasking in their daily lives (P. Jones 46).

Two Works by the Same Author

To cite two or more sources by the same author, include the title (or abbreviated title) in the parentheses, preceding the page number.

Bartholomae states that to be successful, college students must invent a language they feel places them in the realm of academia (“Inventing the University” 146), and argues that basic writing programs both preserve and attempt to bridge cultural differences in the classroom (“The Tidy House” 87).

A Work by Two or Three Authors

If a source has two or three authors, provide the authors’ last names in the text or in parentheses.

Collins and Blum outline the way socioeconomics and politics outside the university also play a role in instigating the division between “basic” and “normal” writers (14).

The authors outline the way socioeconomics and politics outside the university also play a role in instigating the division between “basic” and “normal” writers (Collins and Blum 14).

A Work by More than Three Authors

For more than three authors, include the first author’s last name followed by et al., or give the last name of each author.

Cincotta et al. assert that the launch of Sputnik expanded the competitive arena between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (68).

Historians assert that the launch of Sputnik expanded the competitive arena between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (Cincotta et al. 68).

Cincotta, Brown, Burant, Green, Holden, and Marshall assert that the launch of Sputnik expanded the competitive arena between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (68).

Indirect Sources

It may sometimes be necessary to use a work that has been cited in another source. For such indirect or secondary sources, use “qtd. in” to indicate the primary source.

According to Harvey Graff, “We do not know what we mean by literacy” (qtd. in Lunsford 252).

Encyclopedia/Dictionary Entry

Use the term being cited in quotation marks for the parenthetical citation of this type of source.

A citation is a “quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author.” (“Citation”).

In-Text Citation: Electronic Sources

For electronic sources, include the first item (author name, title, etc.) in the Works Cited entry that corresponds to the citation. Do not include URLs in the text unless absolutely necessary; if included, make the URL as brief as possible, such as npr.org rather than http://www.npr.org.

Website

A similar study determined that subjects lost more time when switching from a familiar task to an unfamiliar task (“Is Multitasking”).

Film

Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton, details the extraordinary life of Edward Bloom (2003).

Television

In Criminal Minds, a suspect awakens from a coma with no memory of having committed the crimes of which he is accused (“Tabula Rasa”).

MLA Works Cited Page

A Works Cited must be included at the end of the paper. Each source cited in the text must have a corresponding Works Cited entry.

Begin the Works Cited on a separate page, formatted with one-inch margins and running header that contains a last name and page number which continues from the last page of the essay. Center the words Works Cited as the title at the top of the page. Do not use italics, bolding, underlining, or quotation marks.

List entries alphabetically by the author’s (or editor’s) last name, using last name, first name format. Do not list titles (e.g., Dr.) or degrees (e.g., PhD), but include suffixes such as “Jr.” (e.g., Gates, Henry Louis, Jr.).

Use a hanging indent for each entry that more than one line in length. Double space all citations, and do not add extra spaces between entries.

Capitalize each word in the title, with the exception of conjunctions, prepositions, or articles (such as a, an, the) unless it is the first word of the title or subtitle: Everything Is Illuminated, The Art of War, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

List page numbers efficiently. For example, if referencing a work that appeared on pages 136 through 153, list the page numbers as 136–53.

Use italics for larger works (books, movies, magazines) and quotation marks for shorter works (articles, songs, essays, poems).

MLA 8: The Works Cited List

Given that new mediums are being introduced constantly and some publication types now include more than one medium or blur the lines between traditional mediums, MLA 8 included a general list to follow for citing sources to ensure that any source can be cited in MLA—even those that have not yet been created. Note that the punctuation that follows each element is the punctuation that should be included in your Works Cited, though your Works Cited entry will always end with a period.

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

 

Example 1: Citing the Full Book

Allen, Jason. A Meditation on Fire: Poems. Southeast Missouri State UP, 2016.

Example 2: Citing Part of the Book

Allen, Jason. “Uncle Jeff Jumped Out a Window.” A Meditation on Fire: Poems, Southeast Missouri State UP, 2016, p. 25.

Rodrigueź, Jose Antonio. “The Little Rooms.” The Shallow End of Sleep, Tiá Chucha Press, 2011, pp. 76-77.

Note that because Allen’s poem, “Uncle Jeff Jumped Out a Window” is only one page, we use “p. 25” in the Works Cited entry. Since Rodriguez’s poem is two pages, we use “pp. 76-77.”

MLA 8 uses the term “container” to indicate the site of a given source, such as the website that houses the article or the journal from which an article came.  If a source has multiple containers (e.g., the article came from a journal found in ProQuest), your citation may extend beyond the directions above. Consult the chart below for assistance with sources with more than one container.

1. Author.
2. Title.
3. Title of container,
4. Other contributors (translators or editors),
5. Version (edition),
6. Number (vol. and/or no.),
7. Publisher,
8. Publication Date,
9. Location.
10. Second container’s title,
11. Other contributors,
12. Version,
13. Number,
14. Publisher,
15. Publication date,
16. Location (if necessary).

 

Print Sources: Books

One Author

When a book has one author, list the author’s name in last name, first name format.

Sedaris, David. Barrel Fever. Little, Brown, 1994.

Two or Three Authors

Use the last name, first name format for the first author; then list other author names by first name and last name.

Ward, Geoffrey, Ken Burns, and Kevin Baker. Baseball: An Illustrated History. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1996.

Three or More Authors

For more than three authors, you may include each author’s name, or you may list only the first author followed by et al., rather than listing the additional authors’ names. The et in et al. should not be followed by a period.

Barnes, Sonya, et al. Image Power: Top Image Experts Share What to Know to Look Your Best. PowerDynamics Publishing, 2008.

Two or More Works by the Same Author

For more than one work by the same author, list the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens rather than the author’s name for each entry after the first.

Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” […]

—. “The Tidy House: Basic Writing in the American Curriculum.” […]

Work by an Unknown Author

Works by an unknown author should be alphabetized by their title.

Beowulf. […]

Author with an Editor

Begin with the author, then include the editor after the title.

Fielding, Henry. Tom Jones. Edited by Sheridan Baker, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1973.

Editor with no Author

Begin with the title of the piece, then provide the editor name.

Che: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of a Revolutionary. Edited by Joseph Hart, Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003.

Author with a Translator

List the entry by author name, then include the translator after the title.

Gide, André. Lafcadio’s Adventures. Translator Dorothy Bussy, Vintage Books, 1953.

A Work in an Anthology

Begin with the author name, then the title of the article or chapter in quotation marks. List the anthology title in italics, followed by the editor’s name.

Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” When a Writer Can’t Write, Editor Mike Rose, Guilford, 1985, pp. 134–65.

Encyclopedia/Dictionary Entry

For entries in reference works, cite the entry by the term being referenced. Do not include publisher information or page number.

“Citation.” The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. 5th ed., 2002.

Periodicals

List the author of the article first, then include the article title in quotation marks and the periodical title in italics. Follow with the date of publication, and abbreviate all months.

Article in a Magazine

Miller, Jeremy. “The Tyranny of the Test: One Year as a Kaplan Coach in the Public Schools.” Harper’s Magazine, 2 Sept. 2008, pp. 35–46.

Article in a Newspaper

Timson, Judith. “Stop All That Multitasking, Study Suggests.” The Toronto Star, 7 Aug. 2001, p. E2.

Article in a Scholarly Journal

Provide issue numbers, when available.

Collins, Terence, and Melissa Blum. “Meanness and Failure: Sanctioning Basic Writers.” Journal of Basic Writing, vol. 19, no. 1, 2000, pp. 13–21.

Electronic Sources

Because websites are often updated and the same information may not be available later, it is a good practice to list your date of access, even though MLA 8 does not require it.

Website

List the name of the organization hosting the website, followed by the name of the site. Include the DOI or Permalink if available; otherwise, include the URL (without http://), followed by the date of access.

National Public Radio. Morning Edition. NPR, 14 Jan. 2014. www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition. Accessed 26 Apr. 2014.

Web Page

List the author if known, followed by the information required for websites.

Abdullah, Mardziah Hayati. “The Impact of Electronic Communication on Writing.” EricDigests.org. ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication, Dec. 2003. www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/impact.htm. Accessed 13 Oct. 2004.

Online Book

List the entry by author name, title of book in italics, followed by the organization hosting the page.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Project Gutenberg, 2013. www.gutenberg.org/files/1342/1342-h/1342-h.htm. Accessed 14 Apr. 2014.

Article in an Online Magazine

Start with the author name, followed by the article name in quotation marks, title of the online magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, medium, and date of access.

Remnick, David. “Putin and the Exile.” New Yorker. NewYorker.com, 28 Apr. 2014. www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/28/putin-and-the-exile. Accessed 28 Apr. 2014.[KLB1]

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

Use the same format as a scholarly journal in print, but include the DOI or permalink and list the date of access.

Soliday, Mary. “From the Margins to the Mainstream: Reconceiving Remediation.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 47, no. 1, 1996, pp. 85–100. www.jstor.org/stable/358275. Accessed 14 Jan. 2014.

Films

List films by their title in italics, followed by the director’s name, then list performer names if relevant. Follow with the distributor and release year.

The Wolf of Wall Street. Directed by Martin Scorsese, performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, and Jon Favreau. Paramount, 2013.

Broadcast Program

Begin with the title of the episode in quotation marks, then the name of the program in italics. Include the network name, call letters of the station and the city, and broadcast date.

“Unsolvable.” Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Fox. WXMI, Grand Rapids, 19 Mar. 2014.

Recorded Episode

List the entry by episode name in quotation marks, followed by the series name in italics, the distributor name, and the date of distribution.

“Tabula Rasa.” Criminal Minds: Season 3, written by Jeff Davis, Dan Sworkin, and Jay Beattie, directed by Steve Boyum, Paramount, 2010.

Music or Sound Recording

Begin with the artist name, then put song titles in quotation marks and album names in italics. If relevant, list composer or performer information after the album title. Include the recording company and publication date.

The Beatles. Revolver. EMI, 2009.

Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017.

Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone, composed by Ennio Morricone, Sony Masterworks, 2010.