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Cite Sources

Learn how to cite your sources and avoid plagiarism.

MLA Style

MLA is the acronym for the Modern Language Association. It is a publication style that follows a specific format for writing, formatting, and documentation in a research paper or student work (a PowerPoint presentation, for example). MLA style is used by many academic disciplines.


Guiding Principles

MLA Handbook provides a "universal set of guidelines" for citing sources across all format types.

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.

Note: Container is the larger whole of what you are citing. For example, the larger whole of a chapter is a book, the larger whole of an article can be a journal, magazine, newspaper, encyclopedia, or other type of publication. 


MLA Citation Examples

Below are some examples for how to format citations on a Works Cited page. All citations should be formatted with a hanging indent. 

Book,
Single Author

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. Vintage, 1988.     

Book,
Two Authors

Casell, Kay Ann and Uma Hiremath. Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction. Neal-Schuman, 2004.

NOTE: Authors should be listed in the order they are listed on the title page.

Book,
Three or More Authors

Robbins, Chandler S., et al. Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden, 1966.

Book,
with Translator or other contributors

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, Viking, 1996.

NOTE: Some other common descriptions: Adapted by, Directed by, Edited by, Illustrated by, Introduction by, Narrated by, Performance by.

A work (e.g., essay, short story) in an anthology or compilation.

Kimball, Jean. "Growing Up Together: Joyce and Psychoanalysis, 1900-1922." Joyce through the Ages: A Nonlinear View, edited by Michael Patrick Gillespie, UP of Florida, 1999, pp. 25-45.

Book,
Later Edition

Blamires, Harry. The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide through Ulysses. 3rd ed., Routledge, 1996.

Article in an online database

Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 30, no. 3, 2007, pp. 70-94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.uwf.edu/stable/30053134.

NOTE: When including the URL, omit the http:// and https://

Article in print journal

Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 30, no. 3, 2007, pp. 70-94.

Article (web page) on a website

Farkas, Meredith. "Tips for Being a Great Blogger (and a Good Person)." Information Wants to Be Free, 19 July 2011, meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2011/07/19/tips-for-being-a-great-blogger-and-good-person/. 

NOTE: When including the URL, omit the http:// and https://

Website (whole site)

Farkas, Meredith. Information Wants to Be Free. June 2015, meredith.wolfwater.com.

MLA Style Recommended Resources

Video tutorial on MLA Style including what to cite, why, and how.


Online Resources

MLA - Additional Resources


Tools for Generating Citations


Printable Guide