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MLA Format Provided by the Academic Center for Excellence 1 Updated February 2018
MLA Format
Introduction
In April of 2016, the Modern Language Association (MLA) published the 8th^ edition of the MLA Handbook. The main difference between the 8th^ edition and the previous edition is the way Works Cited citations are constructed. Instead of searching for the correct citation format for a specific type of source, the 8th^ edition introduces a new pattern for Works Cited citations. The new pattern refers to the nine core elements used to document sources, regardless of whether they are print, electronic, or visual media:
- Author
- Title of source
- Title of container
- Other contributors
- Version
- Number
- Publisher
- Publication date
- Location The use of these core elements makes citation guidelines universal for all source types. Furthermore, the use of these elements permits writers greater freedom to construct citations in a way that is the most useful for their readers. The core elements of the new MLA pattern are explained further in this handout on pages 8-13. In addition to the new Works Cited pattern, MLA has made two changes to the construction of in- text citations. While most in-text citations will look the same as the previous edition, writers should now use the abbreviation “et al.” when creating an in-text citation for a source with three or more authors. Also, if the writer is using a multimedia source, such as a CD, a DVD, an online video, etc., a time stamp should be added within the in-text citation. The time stamp allows the reader to know where the cited material may be found in a multimedia source (see pages 3-8 for in-depth in-text citation information).
MLA Format Provided by the Academic Center for Excellence 2 Updated February 2018
General Format
- Type the paper, and print it out on standard-sized paper (8.5 X 11 inches).
- The font should be Times New Roman or Arial and size 12.
- Double space your paper.
- Set the margins of the document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Use italics throughout the essay for highlighting the titles of longer works and providing emphasis.
- If any notes about the sources used in the paper are necessary, include them on a page prior the Works Cited page, and format them the same way as the Works Cited list.
Formatting the First Page of Your Paper
- Do not make a title page for the paper unless specifically requested by the instructor.
- Provide a double-spaced entry in the top left corner of the first page (below the header) that lists your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date.
- Create a header that includes your last name and consecutive page numbers in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. Note: The instructor or whoever is reading the manuscript may ask that you omit the number on the first page. Always follow the instructor’s guidelines.
- Center the title on the line underneath the header with your name, and begin the paper immediately below the title. Here is an example of the first page of an essay written in MLA style: Purdue 1 Pete Purdue Dr. B. Boilermaker English 101 12 November 2000 Building a Dream: Reasons to Expand Ross-Aide Stadium
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According to one article, “Wordsworth was one of the pioneering authors of Romantic poetry”
(Jones et al. 42).
If the source referenced has no author, use an abbreviated version of the title of the source in place of the author’s name in the in-text citation. For example:
An anonymous Wordsworth critic once argued that his poems were too emotional (“Wordsworth is
a Loser” 100).
Sometimes you may have to use a quotation from an indirect source. Quoting from an indirect source occurs when the words being quoted are not original to the source you are citing but come from a different original work. For such indirect source quotations, use “qtd. in” to indicate the source. For example: Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as ‘“social service centers, and they don’t do
that well’” (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which information is borrowed. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors’ first initials, or his or her full name if different authors share initials, in the citation. If more than one source by a particular author is cited, include a shortened title for each work to distinguish it from the other works by that same person. For example: Two Authors with the Same Last Name:
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12),
others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
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Two Works by the Same Author:
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children (“Too Soon” 38),
though he has acknowledged that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor
skill development in a child’s second and third year (“Hand-Eye Development” 17).
In cases where you have used video or audio media sources in the paper, the in-text citation should include the author’s name (if available), or a shortened version of the title, and the time stamp to show the specific location of the referenced material in the media source. For example: Media Source with Author
In a line from the song “Wanted Dead or Alive,” the singer points out that, “It’s all the same, only
the names will change” (Bon Jovi 00:00:35).
Media Source with No Author
TED Talks speaker Sir Ken Robinson said that, “All kids have tremendous talents, and we squander
them” (“Do Schools” 00:03:09-12).
Short Quotations
Short quotations are fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse in the text of the paper. To indicate short quotations, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks and incorporate it into your text. In parenthesis, provide the author and location of the original work, and include a complete reference in the Works Cited list. Punctuation such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points
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there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
The poem “Sources” explores the roles of women in shaping their world:
The faithful drudging child the child at the oak desk whose penmanship, hard work, style will win her prizes becomes the woman with a mission, not to win prizes but to change the laws of history. (Rich 23-7)
Adding or Omitting Words in Quotations
If you add a word or words to a quotation, put brackets around the added words to indicate that they are not part of the original text. For example: Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: “some individuals [who retell urban
legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale” (78).
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, indicate the deleted word or word by using ellipsis surrounded by brackets. For example: In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvard notes that “some individuals make a point of
learning every recent rumor or tale […] and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs” (78).
If there are ellipsis in the original text, do not put brackets around them; only use brackets around ellipsis to acknowledge that you omitted words from the original source.
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Citing the Bible
In the first parenthetical citation, make clear which Bible you are using and italicize the title, as each version varies in its translation. Follow the title with the book, chapter, and verse. For example: Ezekiel saw “what seemed to be four living creatures,” each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and
an eagle ( New Jerusalem Bible , Ezek. 1.5-10).
All future references to the work can just cite the book, chapter, and verse, since the edition of the Bible you are using has been established.
Your Works Cited List
The MLA Pattern for Citing Works The MLA Handbook, 8th^ Edition has established a new pattern for creating reference citations for all source types. The thought behind this new pattern is that:
- Writers and researchers should have an easier time citing sources using this new pattern.
- Citations should be more clear, logical, and approachable for writers and readers.
- The traits shared by most works are the traits that should be cited.
- There may be more than one “correct” way to cite a source depending upon how the writer is using the sources in his or her paper.
- The primary purpose of documentation is to be useful for readers who are trying to locate the sources. With the introduction of this new pattern, there are now three types of sources:
- Self-containing source: This type of source is complete in and of itself. For example, a novel, a film, or a website would be considered self-containing sources.
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In this type of source, the author’s name is listed as last name, a comma, and then the first name. For example: Steinbeck, John. The Pearl. Centennial edition, Penguin, 2002.
A source with two authors For a source with two authors, the first author’s name is included in the citation as discussed in the previous section, and the second author’s name is added as first name last name. For example:
Gaiman, Neil, and Terry Pratchett. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
Harper Collins, 2006.
A source with three or more authors For a source with three or more authors, use the first author listed in the source in the order of last name, a comma, and then the first name followed by another comma. After the second comma, type “et al.” For example:
Berg, Carla, et al. “Depression and Substance Abuse and Dependency in Relation to Current
Smoking Status and Frequency of Smoking among Non-daily and Daily Smokers.” American Journal on Addictions , vol. 22, no. 6, Nov. 2013, pp. 581-89. JSTOR , doi: 10.1111/j.1521- 0391.2013.12041.x.
The second element of the MLA pattern is: If your source has a title other than the title of the container, this title should be placed in quotation marks after the author. For example: Etehad, Melissa, et al. “Firefighters Have Never Seen a Wildfire Like This One.” Los Angeles Times ,
19 Dec. 2017, beta.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fire-week-three-20171219-story.html
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The third element of the pattern is: The title of the container is italicized within the citation. The punctuation following the container is dependent upon which type of source you are citing (see “The MLA Pattern” section on page 11 for the three types). If the source is self-containing, the punctuation after the title of container will be a period. If the source is either one of the two other types of sources listed below, then the punctuation after the title of container will be a comma. For example: Self-containing sources
Steinbeck, John. The Pearl. Centennial edition, Penguin, 2002.
Sources within a container
Steinbeck, John. “The Moon is Down.” The Short Novels of John Steinbeck , Kindle edition, Penguin,
Note: As previously discussed, this source is in a container because the source, the short story “The Moon is Down,” is contained within a larger publication, The Short Novels of John Steinbeck.
Sources within a container within a container Berg, Carla, et al. “Depression and Substance Abuse and Dependency in Relation to Current
Smoking Status and Frequency of Smoking among Non-daily and Daily Smokers.” American Journal on Addictions , vol. 22, no. 6, Nov. 2013, pp. 581-89. JSTOR , doi: 10.1111/j.1521- 0391.2013.12041.x.
Note: As previously discussed, this example is a source within a container within a container because the article “Depression and Substance…” is contained within the journal American Journal on Addictions, and the journal is contained in the JSTOR database. The fourth element in the pattern is: This element of the pattern is the location to include editors, translators, directors, actors, and other people who have contributed to the work besides the author.
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Source with same publisher and title of container
“Ambassador Richard Olson Travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan.” U. S. Department of State: Diplomacy
in Action , 12 June 2016, www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/06/258388.htm.
The eighth element in the pattern is: In this location, put the date that the source was published if there is a date available. For example:
Steinbeck, John. The Pearl. Penguin, 2002.
The final element in the MLA pattern is: Include location information, such as the page number or page range for a print source, the DOI or URL for online sources, the disc number of a DVD in a collection, or the physical location of a work of art, in the citation, and place a period after the location. For example:
Berg, Carla, et al. “Depression and Substance Abuse and Dependency in Relation to Current
Smoking Status and Frequency of Smoking among Non-daily and Daily Smokers.” American Journal on Addictions , vol. 22, no. 6, Nov. 2013, pp. 581-89. JSTOR , doi: 10.1111/j.1521- 0391.2013.12041.x.
Note: This citation illustrates a source with two containers, so it has two locations. It has the page numbers of the print journal article at the end of the first container and the digital object identifier (DOI) assigned by the database.
Optional Element: Access Date
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Some instructors may ask for an access date to be included with the citation for resources found on the internet, including web articles and research acquired on the library website. If the access date needs to be included, place it after the URL or DOI. For example: Etehad, Melissa, et al. “Firefighters Have Never Seen a Wildfire Like This One.” Los Angeles Times ,
19 Dec. 2017, beta.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fire-week-three-20171219-story.html. Accessed 19 Dec. 2017.
Additional Resources
For further information about MLA Citation Style, please refer to the Academic Center for Excellence’s handouts MLA Formatting in Word 2010 , MLA Formatting in Word for Macs , MLA Sample Paper , and Formatting an Academic Paper in Google Docs.
Additionally, the Academic Center for Excellence offers a variety of MLA tutorials. To register for an on-campus workshop, contact the Academic Center for Excellence at the Locust Grove Campus at (540) 423-9148 , the Fredericksburg Area Campus at (540) 891-3017, the Barbara J. Fried Center in Stafford at (540) 834-1993. To view an online workshop, please visit our website at www.germanna.edu/academichttps://www.germanna.edu/academic-center-for- excellence/workshops-open-labs-and-study-groups/-center-for-excellence/.
