Skip to Main Content

Citation Guide

This guide gives overviews and sample citations for MLA and APA citation styles.

MLA Style - 9th Edition

MLA Style Core Elements and Containers

MLA Style uses the concepts of core elements and containers to format citations.

Core elements such as author, title, version, and publishing information are details that apply to all types of sources, regardless of format. They are put together in a specific order and with specific rules for punctuation and capitalization.

Containers are used when a source lies within another source. For example, a book could be cited as a whole and stand alone without a container. But if you are only citing one chapter within a book, the book becomes the "container" in which the chapter is found. Articles are part of a whole journal (the container) and an online journal may be found within a database (a secondary container) of journals.

In your citations, the elements should be listed in the following order and include the punctuation that follows each element:

  1. Author.
  2. Title of source.
  3. Title of container,
  4. Other contributors,
  5. Version,
  6. Number,
  7. Publisher,
  8. Publication date,
  9. Location.

MLA has created a downloadable Practice Template to guide writers in building correct Works Cited list citations.

Most Common Types of Entries on the Works Cited List

1. Works that use one container. This may include:

  • An article from a print journal -- the journal contains the article
  • An episode from a series watched on broadcast television -- the series contains the episode
  • A short story contained in a book anthology -- the book contains the short story

2. Works that use two containers. This may include:

  • An article from a journal in an online database -- the database contains the journal, which in turn contains the article
  • An episode of a television series watched on a streaming service -- the streaming service contains the series, which in turns contains the episode

3. Works that are self-contained. This may include:

  • A book read in print
  • A movie watched in a theater
  • A performance of a play attended in person

What Changed in the 9th Edition of MLA?

While the Core Elements and basic citation guidelines remain the same as MLA 8, new and expanded information on inclusive language, annotated bibliographies, and bibliographic and content notes has also been added.

Inclusive Language

There are a few general guidelines to consider when choosing inclusive language:

  • Make references to identity relevant
  • Be precise
  • Choose terms of identity that respect your subject
  • Be thoughtful about capitalization and styling
  • Minimize pronouns that exclude
  • Avoid negatively judging other’s experiences
  • Use a dictionary to check for offensive terms

Ultimately, inclusive language should be respectful and approached with sensitivity, keeping the context and audience in mind. It’s important to understand that readers come from a variety of different backgrounds and unique experiences, so avoiding bias that could make some people feel excluded is essential.

Annotated Bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies include a brief summary and/or evaluation of each source you use for your research. First provide the citation, then add the annotation below each citation. Style the Annotated Bibliography like you would the Works Cited page:

  • Arrange your sources alphabetically by author's name
  • Use hanging indentations
    • Half inch hanging indent for the citation
    • One inch hanging indent for the annotation

Annotations are usually no longer than one paragraph and use clear phrases and complete sentences to describe and evaluate a source. Reach out to your instructor for clarification on their requirements for the annotations.

Bibliographic Notes and Content Notes

MLA Style generally discourages using notes that digress from your paper's main points or argument. However, MLA does allow two types of notes for occasional use, if needed.

Bibliographic notes can help you avoid cluttering your text or digressing from your paper's main points. Use bibliographic notes when you need to cite several sources or make evaluative comments on your sources.

Content notes offer the reader brief comments, explanations or information that might be too distracting from the main text. In general, you should use content notes only when you need to justify or clarify what you have written or when expanding your point would be helpful.

Notes can be inserted as endnotes, found at the end of the research paper, or footnotes, found at the bottom of each page of the research paper.

Formatting Citations on Your Works Cited Page

  • Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
  • Label the page Works Cited and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.
  • Double space all citations, and do not skip spaces between entries.
  • Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
  • Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Breaking the Social Media Prism, A Court of Thorn and Roses.
  • Use italics for self-contained larger works, such as the title of books, movies, plays, entire websites, databases. Example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
  • Use "quotations" for parts of a larger work, such as the title of articles, poems, webpages, songs, speeches. Example: "The Boy Who Lived"

Formatting Citations Within Your Text

Any source information that you provide in your text must correspond to the source information you provide on the Works Cited page. There are two types of in-text citation:

1. Citation in prose – this type of citation is worked into the natural flow of the sentence structure.

2. Parenthetical citation – this type can be found in (parentheses) at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

  • Citation in prose: Baron broke new ground on the subject.
  • Parenthetical citation: At least one researcher has broken new ground on the subject (Baron).
  • Works Cited entry:
    • Baron, Naomi S. “Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital Communication Media.” PMLA, vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 193-200.

The in-text citation should also include the specific location from which a quote or paraphrase was taken: page number, line number, time stamp, etc. This additional location information must be included in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

  • According to Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (194). One might even suggest that reading is never complete without writing.
  • Reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (Baron 194). One might even suggest that reading is never complete without writing.
 

 You do not need to add the words “page,” “pages,” or “page number” to your in-text citations. It is assumed that any numbers used are page numbers. However, if you are citing a location other than a page number, you must specify.

Examples:

In prose: chapter 2 -- Parenthetical citation (ch. 2)
In prose: line 110 -- Parenthetical citation (line 110)
In prose: scene 4 -- Parenthetical citation (sc. 4)

MLA Book Cover

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America

Call Number: LB2369 .M52 2021

ISBN: 9781603295611

Publication Date: 2021-05-17

The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date--that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today.