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Purdue Owl: MLA Formatting & Style Guide

Developed by the Purdue Online Writing Lab.  MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

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Citing Sources: MLA

• Introduction
• APA 7th Edition (2020)
• Persistent Links/ Permalinks

MLA is the citation style of the Modern Language Association . MLA is used for many college courses, and also professionally in the humanities disciplines such as English, foreign language studies, literature criticism, cultural studies, and many others. To get an idea of how to cite various sources, check out the links below, the MLA Handbook 9th edition, and the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) website.

In April 2021, the MLA released an updated set of guidelines for citation and style. The 9th edition presents a general documentation style that can be applied to any kind of source. Instead of a lot of specific rules, there only a few basic principles to follow.  Once you are familiar with these principles, you will be able to properly document any kind of source.

In addition, the MLA handbook features guidelines to answer common citation questions, adds visuals and sample citations, as well as many other useful information for writers.

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

Basic Principles of MLA

Principles:

• When you borrow the ideas of others you must document them in a Works Cited list and in text, both to avoid plagiarism and to allow someone else to look up your sources.
• Any source can be documented using all or some of nine  Core Elements  (see more about Core Elements below).
• You, as the researcher, and in consultation with your professor's requirements and guidelines, are in charge of deciding  how many  of the Core Elements are needed to fully document each of your sources.

In Text Citations

There are two different citations you need to make when you use a source. The first is a short in text citation, shown below. The second is the full citation in your Works Cited list (example in the box below). 

These go in the body of the paper you are writing.  The MLA 9th edition requires that you include enough information so a reader could find the source in your list of works cited, plus the specific page numbers referenced.  Usually that will mean you use an author's last name, since that is the first thing listed in your Works Cited.  For example, if you were writing a paper on the history of comics in America and wanted to quote an author, it could look like this:

      Picking up on the counter-cultural undercurrents that were pervasive in both youth culture and the nascent civil rights movement, comics as a medium changed profoundly to accommodate new tastes, and new social outlooks.  One author notes "one telling example was Marvel's Iron Man: a staunch anticommunist since his origin, the character experienced (or rather, was made to experience) an ideological about-face in 1971 following the growing number of fan letters criticizing his politics" (Gabilliet 74) .

You would also use a parenthetical citation when paraphrasing an author. For example:

In Jean-Paul Gabilliet's book Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books , the author makes the case that sequential art (comics) has a uniquely interconnected mechanism of production that is not necessarily present in other art forms.  In Gabilliet's view,  the decline of print periodicals has caused comics to take on a more mature tone that will eventually allow comics to be taken more seriously by critics (310).

Note that the citations in parentheses always come after the final quotation mark and before the period at the end of a sentence.

For more on in text citations, see Ch. 6, "Citing Sources in the Text" pages 227-286 in the MLA Handbook 9th ed., available at the Hillsboro library circulation desk.

Works Cited Example

After citing another work, you need to use the full citation in your  Works Cited   page at the end of your paper.  The works cited page is a collection of all your sources, cited in official MLA style, and listed alphabetically--generally by the author's last name.  The beginning of a works cited page might look like this:

Works Cited

Gabilliet, Jean-Paul.  Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books .

          Translated by Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen, University Press of Mississippi, 2009.

Gabrielson, Teena. "Woman-Thought, Social Capital, and the Generative State: Mary Austin

          and the Integrative Civic Ideal in Progressive Thought."  American Journal of Political

          Science,  vol. 50, no. 3, 2006, pp. 650-663.

Citation Help

Additional Features in Handbook

• Formatting (Ch. 1)
• Basic Writing Mechanics (ex: punctuation) (Ch. 2)
• Using Inclusive Language (Ch. 3)
• Avoiding Plagiarism (Ch. 4)

And, of course, citing works in the MLA style.

Citing a Book in MLA

Giordano, Paolo. How Contagion Works : Science, Awareness, and Community in Times of Global Crises . Translated by Alex Valente, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2020.

This citation for a book includes five of the nine Core Elements: Author, Title of Source, Other contributors, Publisher, and Publication Date.  To find out exactly how to cite your particular book, refer to Ch. 5, "The List of Works Cited" pages 105-226, in the 9th edition MLA Handbook, available at the Hillsboro library circulation desk.

Citing an Article in MLA

Notice that you no longer need to indicate whether you located the source in web or print.  You simply need to provide enough information so that someone could find this article. 

This citation includes six of the nine Core Elements: Author, Title of source, Title of container, Number, Publication Date, and Location.  You could provide additional optional information, such as date of access, but you are not required to.  To find out exactly how to cite your particular book, refer to Ch. 5, "The List of Works Cited" pages 105-226, in the 9th edition MLA Handbook, available at the Hillsboro library circulation desk.

Citing Other Sources in MLA

For complete guidance , refer to Ch. 5, "The List of Works Cited" pages 105-226, in the 9th edition MLA Handbook, available at the Hillsboro library circulation desk.

Shute, Nancy. "Title." NPR, 26 Aug. 2014, http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014

            /08/26/343382661/health- organizations-call-for-a-ban-on-e-cigarettes-indoors.

Mandela, Nelson. Nightline . Interview by Ted Koppel , ABC, 15 Feb. 1990.

Work of Art

Utagawa, Kuniyoshi. Mitsikuni Defying the Skeleton Ghost . Woodblock Print, 1845, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Forrest Gump . Directed by Robert Zemeckis, performance by Tom Hanks, Paramount, 1994, disc 1.

Further Assistance

For help with writing your research paper, consult Jefferson College's Online Writing Lab . 

For help with research and citations, consult a Librarian . 

Ask a Librarian

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How do I cite journal articles?

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Answered By: Matt Stevons Last Updated: Aug 27, 2020     Views: 502

Below is are sample references from APA's Academic Writer for what is likely the most common type of article you will cite, an article from an academic journal that includes a DOI link:

Journal article with DOI

Ambrose, A. (1963). The age of onset of ambivalence in early infancy: Indications from the study of laughing. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry , 4 (3–4), 167–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1963.tb02119.x

Ambrose, A. F., Paul, G., & Hausdorff, J. M. (2013). Risk factors for falls among older adults: A review of the literature. Maturitas , 75 (1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.02.009

Rosenfeld, N., & Steffens, J. (2019). Effects of audiovisual congruency on perceived emotions in film. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain , 29 (4), 200–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000242

Murray, D. J., Burhop, J., Centa, S., Chande, N., Oinonen, K., Thomas, T., Wilkie, T., & Farahmand, B. (1998). A partial matching theory of the mirror effect in immediate probed recognition. Memory & Cognition , 26 (6), 1196–1213. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201195

Note that for articles without a DOI you find in a library database like ProQuest Central or EBSCO's Academic Search Complete, simply do not include one.  The citation ends after listing the page numbers and you do not need to include the name of the database or a link to the article.  

Journal article without DOI (accessed in an academic research database)

Alexander, A. (1985). The great escape: Soap opera viewing by college students. College Student Journal , 19 (2), 141–143.

Gill, C. S., Barrio Minton, C. A., & Myers, J. E. (2010). Spirituality and religiosity: Factors affecting wellness among low-income, rural women. Journal of Counseling & Development, 88 (3) , 293–302.

For a tutorial about citing journal articles, see the below quick guide tutorial from Academic Writer or click on the links for more sample references.

Links & Files

• APA Style Website: Journal Article References

Journal Article Reference

Learn how to format references for journal articles, including those published in print, online, or retrieved from research databases.

Academic Writer

© 2020 American Psychological Association.

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Citation Guide

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Subject Guide

Changes in 9th edition

The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook was published in 2021. In this update, the format for both in-text and Works Cited citations is the same as the 8th edition. The 9th edition also includes this clarification on citing a film/DVD.

A film/DVD: Generally list film directors as key contributors in the Contributor element Blade Runner . 1982. Directed by Ridley Scott, director’s cut, Warner Bros., 1992.

Examples of MLA Style

In-text Citation

Creating a Works Cited Page

With MLA style, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. A Works Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper. Below are some examples of MLA style citations. Note: Some instructors may require access dates for websites or other pieces of information. Please check with your instructor if you have any questions.

• Official MLA Style Center

A Modern Language Association hosted website with information on MLA citation and related resources. The MLA Style Center does not contain the full text of the handbook, although it walks users through the process of creating an entry in the works cited list.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab

Online writing lab with formatting tips and sample papers. The "Cite your source automatically" feature on Purdue Owl pages is part of another website, and not recommended.

• Excelsior Writing Lab

Citation examples, videos, and formatting guides for MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.

• Citing Government Information using MLA

Information on citing government print and electronic resources using MLA citation style. (Courtesy of the University of Nevada-Reno)

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Citation Styles and How to Guide

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MLA Style is a citation style created by the Modern Language Association, which is how it got its name!  Although it's most commonly used in the humanities, MLA can be used across many disciplines.  Therefore, the current citation style for this edition is more like a set of guidelines rather than strict rules.

MLA Style is currently in the 9th edition.  For an overview of changes between the 8th and 9th editions of MLA, check out this article  from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).

MLA Citation Style Basics

• Resources for Getting Started
• Formatting Paper
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited

These are some recommended resources for getting started citing in MLA Style.

A collection of frequently asked questions about MLA style answered by the Modern Language Association.

From the creators of MLA Style, this is a great resource for getting started with MLA.

Purdue OWL provides a wealth of information in their MLA Formatting and Style Guide.

You must format your paper according to MLA guidelines if you are citing using MLA Style.  

Purdue OWL provides some  general guidelines  for formatting your paper in MLA Style, which include:

• Papers should be typed
• Use double spacing
• 1 inch margins 
• Use 12 pt. size font
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented with the  Tab  key
• On the first page of your paper, you should include the following information indented left: your name, your instructor's name, the course that the assignment is for, and the date.  All subsequent pages should have a header in the top right corner with the page number.
• A Works Cited page at the end of your paper that includes all the sources

For MLA Style formatting examples, take a look at  MLA Style Center's Sample Papers  and  Purdue OWL's Sample Papers .

MLA Style's in-text citations use parenthetical citations that consist of an author-page style. 

The author's last name and page number(s) from where the quotation or paraphrase is taken appears in the text.  The structure of the in-text citation will depend on whether you are paraphrasing or quoting the text.  This in-text citation will correspond to a complete reference on the Works Cited page.

For example, if you are citing something paraphrased by  Jasmine Plott  on  page 3  of her work, you would provide an in-text citation that looks as follows:  (Plott 3) .  The full citation would appear in the works cted page.

For more information about how to craft an in-text citation, refer to Purdue OWL's guidance available  here .

Your Works Cited page appears at the end of your paper and will alphabetically lists all the sources that you included as in-text citations in your paper.  For MLA Style, there are a set of  core elements  that serve as general guidelines for what should go into a citation.  Structure your citations using the core elements listed below.  Don't forget to include the punctuation after each element in the below list, since that is an important part of the citation too!

Try to include as many core elements as you can in your citation, but don't sweat it if some of the information simply isn't available.  For instance, only some sources will have  containers , which are bigger sources where that particular source is held.  As an example, an entry in an encyclopedia would be the source, and the encyclopedia itself would be the container.

MLA Style Center's Works Cited: A Quick Guide,  and  Purdue OWL's MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format  are recommended resources for getting more information about how to structure your Works Cited page.  Check out the selected links from MLA Style Center and Purdue OWL for more detailed information!

MLA Style Center's overview of how to structure citations for a Works Cited page

Purdue OWL's information about the general format of a Works Cited page

MLA Style Center's examples for how to cite five basic source types: (1) books; (2) online works; (3) songs, recordings, and performances; (4) movies, videos, and television shows; and (5) images

Purdue OWL's guidance for basic book formatting, books with more than one author, book chapter, other print sources, etc.

Purdue OWL's guidance for scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers

Purdue OWL's guidance for websites, images, articles in databases, YouTube videos, etc

Purdue OWL's guidance for interviews, artwork, films, music, etc.

Purdue OWL's sample Works Cited page

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Locating and Using Images for Presentations and Coursework

• Free & Open Source Images
• How to Cite Images
• Alt Text Image Descriptions

Copyright Resources

• Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States from Cornell University Library
• Copyright Overview from Purdue University
• U.S. Copyright Office
• Fair Use Evaluator
• Visual Resources Association's Statement of Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research, and Study
• Creative Commons Licenses

Attribution

Again, the majority of images you find are under copyright and cannot be used without permission from the creator. There are exceptions with Fair Use, but this Libguide is intended to help you locate images you can use with attribution (and in some case, the images are free to use without attribution when stated, such as with stock images from pixabay). ***Please read about public domain . These images aren't under copyright, but it's still good practice to include attribution if the information is available. Attribution : the act of attributing something, especially the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist. When you have given proper attribution, it means you have given the information necessary for people to know who the creator of the work is.

Citation General Guidelines

Include as much of the information below when citing images in a paper and formal presentations. Apply the appropriate citation style (see below for APA, MLA examples).

• Image creator's name (artist, photographer, etc.)
• Title of the image
• Date the image (or work represented by the image) was created
• Date the image was posted online
• Date of access (the date you accessed the online image)
• Institution (gallery, museum) where the image is located/owned (if applicable)
• Website and/or Database name

Citing Images in MLA, APA, Chicago, and IEEE

• Directions for citing in MLA, APA, and Chicago MLA: Citing images in-text, incorporating images into the text of your paper, works cited APA 6th ed.: Citing images in-text and reference list Chicago 17th ed.: Citing images footnotes and endnotes and bibliography from Simon Fraser University
• How to Cite Images Using IEEE from the SAIT Reg Erhardt Library
• Image, Photograph, or Related Artwork (IEEE) from the Rochester Institute of Technology Library

Citing Images in Your PPT

Currently, citing images in PPT is a bit of the Wild West. If details aren't provided by an instructor, there are a number of ways to cite. What's most important is that if the image is not a free stock image, you give credit to the author for the work. Here are some options:

1. Some sites, such as Creative Commons and Wikimedia, include the citation information with the image. Use that citation when available. Copy the citation and add under the image. For example, an image of a lake from Creative Commons has this citation next to it:  "lake"  by  barnyz  is licensed under  CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 .

2. Include a marker, such as Image 1. or Figure 1., and in the reference section, include full citation information with the corresponding number

3. Include a complete citation (whatever the required format, such as APA) below the image

4. Below the image, include the link to the online image location

5. Hyperlink the title of the image with the online image location

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Citing Correctly Using Purdue OWL

Access Purdue Online Writing Lab’s citation guides from their website ( https://owl.purdue.edu ):

• Select the Online Writing Lab
• From the menu on the left, select “Research and Citation”
• This opens a drop-down menu with commonly used citation styles (APA 6 th  and 7 th  Editions, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, AMA, and ASA)

The three most common citation styles are MLA , APA , and Chicago. Select the style you’re using from the drop-down menu, then click the “Formatting and Style Guide” tab. All three include:

• “General Format” tab, showing how to format a title page/header, and sections/headings where applicable. Note: APA has a separate headings tab. 
• Books—author-specific issues, ex. a text has no known author or multiple authors, citing multiple texts by the same author, etc.
• Periodicals— citing newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals 
• Electronic/Web Sources—citing websites, e-books, emails, social media, etc. 
• Sample Papers with notes on formatting, especially helpful for visual learners

MLA and APA use in-text citations and have separate tabs for these from the Works Cited tabs (MLA) and Reference List tabs (APA). Chicago uses endnotes or footnotes and includes these rules with the bibliographic entry rules in each source tab listed above. 

Where to find how to cite…

Speeches, Lectures, Presentations

• MLA—Other Common Sources
• APA—Other Non-Print Sources
• Chicago—Miscellaneous Sources

Television, Movies, Music

• APA—Audiovisual Media
• Chicago—Audiovisual Recordings and Other Multimedia

Improve your writing and study skills! Book an appointment with a writing advisor and/or academic coach on OSCARplus.  Questions? Email  [email protected] . 

Purdue Online Writing Lab . Purdue University,  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html . 

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Generate accurate MLA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• How to cite a journal article in MLA style

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on April 16, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article contains the author(s); article title; journal name; volume and issue; month and year; page range; and a DOI if accessed online. In the in-text citation, include the author’s last name and the page number.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to create accurate MLA citations for journal articles.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text.

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Table of contents

Citing an online journal article, articles with multiple authors, articles in special issue journals, frequently asked questions about mla style.

When citing an online journal article, first look for a DOI , as this is more stable and less likely to change than a URL. A DOI should be formatted as a full link beginning with “https://”, even if not listed as such on the page with the article.

If there is no DOI, you can add a URL instead. If the article is in PDF form, you can optionally note this in your reference .

Citing an article in a database

For sources that you accessed via a database, include the database name along with the DOI or permanent URL.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

In MLA style, up to two authors are included in citations. List them in the order they appear in the source, separated by commas, and don’t invert the second author’s name.

If an article has three or more authors, include only the first author’s name, followed by  “ et al. ”

Special issue journals focus on a specific theme, are written by a specific group of authors, or are compiled from a special event.

In these cases, include the special issue name, the phrase “special issue of,” and the journal’s regular name. If the special issue lists editors or other contributors, their names should also be included.

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

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.

In MLA style citations , format a DOI as a link, including “https://doi.org/” at the start and then the unique numerical code of the article.

DOIs are used mainly when citing journal articles in MLA .

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)

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 ).

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Gahan, C. (2024, March 05). How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/journal-citation/

Is this article helpful?

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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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• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 9:53 AM
• URL: https://libguides.caldwell.edu/citations

Citing Research Papers Using The Purdue OWL

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MLA 8 Citation Guide

• TITLE of SOURCE
• TITLE of CONTAINER
• OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
• PUBLICATION DATE
• Works Cited
• Journal Article with One Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three or More Authors

Article or Chapter in an Edited Book

• Article in a Reference Book
• Reference Work
• Basic Web Page
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government or Agency Document
• YouTube Video
• Electronic Image
• Figures and Charts
• Class Lecture/Notes
• Secondary Sources

MLA Works Cited Page: Books

Ask Us 24/7

Online help is available anytime via our AskUs 24/7 chat service:

Works Cited List:       

Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection , edited by Editor Name(s). Publisher, Year, pp Page range of entry.

Lawrence, James. A., and Alfred Dodds. "Goal-Directed Activities and Life-Span Development.” Handbook of Developmental Psychology, edited by John Valsiner and Kare Connolly. Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34. 

In-Text Citation:

      (Author Surname [of Chapter or Article] page number)

      (Lawrence and Dodds 26)

Works Cited List

Jans, Nick.  The Last Light Breaking: Life among Alaska's Inupiat Eskimos . Alaska Northwest Books, 1993.

Edited book

Miller, John, and Tim Smith, editors.  Cape Cod Stories: Tales from Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard . Chronicle Books, 1996.

Please see the sample citation for a chapter or article in an anthology below for information on citing a component of an edited collection.

Numbered edition other than the first

Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs, editors.  Writing About Writing: A College Reader . 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014.

Revised edition

Culliney, John L.  Islands in a Far Sea: The Fate of Nature in Hawai'i . Rev. ed., U of Hawai'i P, 2006.

Multi-volume set

Green, Constance McLaughlin.  Washington . Princeton UP, 1962-63. 2 vols.

In-text citation:   (Green 1: 112-14) "1" is the volume number.

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• Last Updated: Mar 22, 2024 1:47 PM
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MLA Citation (7th edition)

• Citing a book
• Citing the Parts of a Books
• Citing a journal or magazine article
• Citing a newspaper article

In Text Citations

Basic website citation, article from a website, work from the web also published in print.

• MLA Resources

Writing Center

Visit the Writing Center for help with brainstorming, organization, revising, citations, and other writing assistance! 

• Every Monday: Saurwein 232
• Tuesday-Sunday in Campus Center 313: The Owen Center

Regular Writing Center Hours:

• Monday-Friday 12:00PM-7:00PM
• Sundays 12:00PM-5:00PM

Book an appointment  with a Writing Center consultant. 

For an overview of the ways to cite electronic information in text in MLA style, see the Purdue OWL , which provides an overview of the basic in text citation formats.

To cite items found on the open Internet, provide as much of the following information as possible. For more specific information, please see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.) .

Author's last name, Author's first name.   "Title of the Work."   Title of  Overall Website.   Publisher of the website or N.p. if

          no  publisher is indicated, date of publication or n.d. if no date is indicated.   Medium of  publication.  Day Month

          Year page was accessed.

Valdes, Robert.   "How Autopsies Work."   How Stuff Works .   Discovery  Communications, n.d.  Web.  18 June 2009.

"Africa Top 10 Internet Countries."   Table.  Internet World Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group, March 2009.  Web.  18 June 2009.

Bell, Alexander Graham.   The Multiple Telegraph, Invented by A.  Graham Bell.   Boston: Rand, 1876.  Google Book

          Search.   Web.  18 June 2009.

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Research Methods for English and Comparative Literature: Citation Help

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• Using Zotero

Why do researchers cite?

Scholarship is a conversation and scholars use citations not only to give credit to original creators and thinkers, but also to add strength and authority to their own work.  By citing their sources, scholars are placing their work in a specific context to show where they “fit” within the larger conversation.  Citations are also a great way to leave a trail intended to help others who may want to explore the conversation or use the sources in their own work.

In short, citations

(1) give credit

(2) add strength and authority to your work

(3) place your work in a specific context

(4) leave a trail for other scholars

(University Libraries, University of Washington. Citation Styles & Tools. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/citations/citation-basics)

Citing Information Tutorial

Citation Resources

Unc's citing information tutorial.

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Choosing a Style

The Graduate Center does not recommend a single citation style, so follow the style recommended by the professor for your course.  If you are writing for a publication, look for the preferred citation style in the author guidelines.  In both cases, ask if you are not certain.  And no matter which style you are following, be sure to apply it consistently throughout your document.

• Style Guide Overview - Purdue OWL This guide from the Purdue Online Writing Lab provides a summary of common styles, especially APA and MLA but also AP, Chicago, IEEE, AMA, ACM, and ASME, and offers tips on how and when to use them.

Antiquity in Gotham: The Ancient Architecture of New York City - References

This humanities title from Fordham University Press has a References section at the end of the book.

Macaulay-Lewis, Elizabeth. Antiquity in Gotham: The Ancient Architecture of New York City. New York: Fordham University Press, 2021. Available online and in print.  See the OneSearch record for details.

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