Modern Language Association (MLA) Citation Guide
Introduction
This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. (Modern Language Society, 2003.
• Arrange the items on your reference list alphabetically by author,
interfiling books, articles, etc.
• Doublespace all lines.
• Indent the second and following lines 5 spaces (or one half inch).
• If no author is given, start with the title.
• Abbreviate the names of all months except May, June, and July.
• If the encyclopedia does not arrange its articles
alphabetically, treat the encyclopedia article as if it were a book article. Specific volume and page numbers are cited
in the text, not in the list of references.
• Gale Reference Book: cite the original source being reprinted as shown under Book,
Journal Article, Newspaper or Magazine Article, etc. The example shows a Magazine Article. Then include the citation information for the
reference book.
• Websites: include the title of the web page, the name of the
entire web site, the organization that posted it (this may be the same as the name of the website).
Also include the full date the page was created or last updated (day, month, year if available) and the date
you looked at it.
• Internet Magazine Articles: Include:
• The name of the database (underlined) and the company that created it
and its home webpage;
• The full date of the article (day, month, year if available) and the date
you looked at it ;
• If you are citing a journal instead of a magazine, include
the volume (and issue number) and date as shown under the Journal Style above.
• The library or other organization (and its location) that provided you with
access to the database.
• As for page numbers, different databases will provide different information.
Include the range of pages (ex. 25-28.); or the starting page followed by a hyphen, a blank space, and a period
(ex. 64- .); or the total number of pages or paragraphs (ex. 12 pp. or 33 pars.).
If no page information is given, then leave it out.
Book (one author)
Bibliography:
Johnson, Charles Richard. Middle Passage. New York : Atheneum, 1990.
In-Text:
(Johnson 176)
Book (two to three authors)
Bibliography:
Leakey, Mary D. and Louis S. B. Leakey. Some String Figures from North East Angola. Lisboa: Museu do Dundo, 1949.
In-Text:
(Leakey and Leakey 12)
For more authors, use: (Leakey et al.)
Anthology
Bibliography:
McNally, John, ed. Humor Me: An Anthology of Humor by Writers of Color. Iowa City: U of Iowa P, 2002.
In-Text:
(McNally xv)
Work in an Anthology
Bibliography:
James, Henry. “The Friends of the Friends.” The Norton Book of Ghost Stories. Ed. Brad Leithauser. New York: Norton, 1994. 40-60.
In-Text:
(James 47)
Encyclopedia Article
Work Cited:
“Magna Carta.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15 th ed. 1998.
In-Text:
(“Magna Carta”)
Journal Article
Bibliography:
Myerson, Joel. “A Calendar of Transcendental Club Meetings.” American Literature 44 (1972): 197-207.
In-Text:
(Myerson 199)
Magazine Article<
Bibliography:
Cook, Mariana. “Cousin Kay.” Victoria. Nov. 2001: 27-28.
In-Text:
(Cook 28)
Newspaper Article
Bibliography:
Johnston, David Cay. “Got Game? Got Old Game?” New York Times 11 July 2003, late ed., F1+.
In-Text:
(Johnston F3)
Review
Bibliography:
Barth, Melissa E. Rev. of The Summons, by John Grisham. Magill Book Reviews 1 Nov. 2002: 221.
In-Text:
(Barth)
Work of Art (photograph of)
Bibliography:
Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique. Apotheosis of Homer. Musee du Louvre, Paris. Gardner's Art Through the Ages.
10th ed. By Helen Gardner. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1996. Plate 22.
In-Text:
(Ingres)
Television Program
Bibliography:
“Popularity of Fur on Rise Again.” Narr. Virginia Cha. Sunday Today. NBC. WNBC, New York. 9 Feb. 2003.
In-Text:
(“Popularity of Fur”)
Sound Recording (CD)
Bibliography:
Copland, Aaron. Long Time Ago: American Songs. Saint Paul Chamber Orch. Cond. Hugh Wolff. Teldec, 1994.
In-Text:
(Copland)
WWW Home Page
Bibliography:
The Edith Wharton Society. Ed. Donna Campbell. 5 Aug. 2003. Gonzaga U. 14 Aug. 2003 <http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/wharton/indexa.html>.
In-Text:
(Edith)
Document from a WWW Site
Bibliography:
Oates, Joyce Carol. “The Magnanimity of Wuthering Heights.” Critical Inquiry 9 (1982): 435-449. Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page . Ed. Randy Souther. 2003. U of San Francisco. 14 Aug. 2003
<http://storm.usfca.edu/~southerr/wuthering.html>.
In-Text:
(Oates)
Item from a Library Database
Bibliography:
Clark, Zsuzsanna. “From Saturday-Night Poetry to Big Brother.” New Statesman 21 July 2003: 32. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOHost. Ohio State U Libs., Columbus. 14 Aug. 2003.
In-Text:
(Clark)
E-Mail Communication
Bibliography:
Grisham, John. E-mail to the author. 14 July 2002.
In-Text:
(Grisham)
