Citing Sources: MLA

Using the 2016 MLA Handbook: 8th Edition

Introduction Note All parenthetical citations in this guide of page numbers from the MLA Handbook refer to the MLA Handbook: 8th edition, published in 2016 and referenced here as MLA. Many of the explanations and examples also come directly from the mla.org website with permissions granted in the Terms of Service found on the website. The Writer’s Responsibilities: 1. Think “about the sources [you] are documenting” (MLA 4). 2. Select “the information about the [source you] are documenting that is appropriate to

the project [you] are creating” (MLA 4). 3. Organize “[the entry] logically and without complication” (MLA 4).

A Summary of What Has Changed in the New Edition:

Any source in any format can be documented easily, using a template containing common elements for Works Cited entries. (See the final page of this handout for the Template.)

Works Cited entries are based on “containers,” of which there are three kinds: 1. a self-contained source: a source can stand alone (a book, a movie, etc.) 2. a source in a container: a source can be “in a container” (an article in a

newspaper, a song on a CD, a poem in an anthology, an entry in a specialized dictionary)

3. a source in a container in a container: sometimes a source’s container is also inside another container (an article in a journal found in a database, an image in an article found in an online document, an episode in a television show series viewed on a digital service)

Depending on the author’s purpose for using a source “… there is often more than one correct way to document a source” (MLA 4).

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Formatting a Research Paper This guide was collected and adapted from The MLA Style Center (which can be found at style.mla.org) by Wor-Wic’s Arts & Humanities Faculty. Note If your instructor has specific requirements for the format of your research paper, check them before preparing your final draft. The most common formatting is presented here. When you submit your paper, be sure to keep a secure copy. Margins Except for the running head (see below), leave margins of one inch at the top and bottom and on both sides of the text. Text Formatting Always choose an easily readable typeface (e.g., Times New Roman or Ariel) in which the regular type style contrasts clearly with the italic, and set it to a standard size (e.g., 12 points). Do not justify the lines of text at the right margin: align text LEFT; turn off any automatic hyphenation feature in your writing program. Double-space the entire research paper, including quotations, notes, and the list of works cited. Indent the first line of a paragraph half an inch from the left margin. Indent set-off quotations half an inch as well (for examples, see 76–80 in the MLA Handbook). Leave one space after a period or other concluding punctuation mark, unless your instructor prefers two spaces. Heading and Title A research paper does not need a title page. Instead, beginning one inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course number (and session, if required by your instructor) and the date (day, month, year) on separate lines, double-spacing the lines. On a new, double-spaced line, center the title (fig. 1). Do not italicize or underline your title, put it in quotation marks or boldface, or type it in all capital letters. Follow the rules for capitalization in the MLA Handbook (67–68), and italicize only the words that you would italicize in the text. Do not use a period after your title or after any heading in the paper (e.g., Works Cited). Begin your text on a new, double-spaced line after the title, indenting the first line of the paragraph half an inch from the left margin. (Note: If your teacher requires a title page, format it according to the instructions you are given.)

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Fig. 1. The top of the first page of a research paper.

Running Head with Page Numbers Number all pages consecutively throughout the research paper in the upper right-hand corner, half an inch from the top and flush with the right margin. Type your last name, followed by a space, before the page number (fig. 2). Do not use the abbreviation p. before the page number or add a period, a hyphen, or any other mark or symbol. Your writing program will probably allow you to create a running head of this kind that appears automatically on every page. Some teachers prefer that no running head appear on the first page. Follow your teacher’s preference.

Fig. 2. The running head of a research paper.

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In-text Citations An in-text citation points clearly and explicitly to a source on the list of Works Cited. In

other words, for every entry on your Works Cited page, there should be at least one

related in-text citation; for every individual source cited in your essay, there should be a

corresponding entry on the Works Cited page. In-text citations should be placed in such

a way that they do not interrupt the flow of your sentence; most often you should put

them at the ends of your sentences. When your sentence ends with a quotation, place

the citation to the right of the closing quotation mark and then end your sentence with a

period (see models below).

The citations in this section will refer to the following source (entries on a Works Cited

page should be double-spaced):

Goodman, Jennifer R. "Arthurian Literature of the Twentieth Century." The Legend of

Arthur in British and American Literature, Twayne Publishers, 1988, pp. 90-115.

Twayne's English Authors Series 461. Twayne's Authors on GVRL, Artemis

Literary Sources. Accessed 03 Jan. 2017.

The simplest in-text citation contains the author’s last name and the relevant page

number of the source:

As can be seen, “The Arthurian legend enters its fifteenth century with

undiminished power and authority, a remarkable achievement for a monarch, or

a myth, of any age” (Goodman 115).

However, if you include the author’s name in a signal phrase in your text, only the page

number appears in the citation:

As Goodman explains, “The Arthurian legend enters its fifteenth century with

undiminished power and authority, a remarkable achievement for a monarch, or

a myth, of any age” (115).

Remember that varying the placement of the signal phrase does not change the

placement of the citation:

“The Arthurian legend enters its fifteenth century with undiminished power and

authority,” Goodman explains, which is “a remarkable achievement for a

monarch, or a myth, of any age” (115).

“The Arthurian legend enters its fifteenth century with undiminished power and

authority, a remarkable achievement for a monarch, or a myth, of any age,”

explains Goodman (115).

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Source Document Formats: PDF vs HTML Goodman’s article, housed in Gale’s Artemis Literary Sources, is formatted as a .pdf

(Portable Document Format), and so a printout of that article is actually a photograph of

each page. The actual page numbers appear in a printout of the article. But what do you

do if your article is formatted as .html — whether you accessed that article online or in

one of the databases?

A printout of an .html article may contain chapter, section, or paragraph markers, so you

can use those in place of page numbers. Use the following abbreviations in your

citation: chapter = ch.; section = sec.; paragraph = par. Do not, however, number the

paragraphs yourself.

If no divisions are indicated within an .html article, cite it by the author’s last name only,

either as an in-text citation or as a signal phrase. Here is an article from the databases

formatted in .html:

Kellman, Martin. "The Sword in the Stone: Arthurian Beginnings." Children's Literature

Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 139, Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center.

Accessed 13 Jan. 2017. Originally published in T. H. White and the Matter of

Britain: A Literary Overview, Edwin Mellen Press, 1988, pp. 79-113.

The two ways of citing the article above:

In comparing T.H. White to Sir Thomas Malory, it becomes clear that “White takes far

greater care in describing character and motivation, factors often slighted in epics of

action” (Kellman).

OR

Martin Kellman argues that “White takes far greater care [than Sir Thomas Malory] in

describing character and motivation, factors often slighted in epics of action.”

NOTE: For the purposes of a research assignment, your instructor may require you to

submit printouts of the articles you have used. If your printout is in .pdf format, you will

use the actual page number in your in-text citations; however, if the printout is in .html

format, your instructor may ask you to use the page number from your printout for ease

in locating the source of your citation. Be sure to check the specific requirements of your

assignment when constructing your in-text citations.

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Placement of the List of Works Cited The list of works cited appears at the end of the paper, after any endnotes. Begin the list

on a new page. The list contains the same running head as the main text. The page

numbering in the running head continues uninterrupted throughout. For example, if the

text of your research paper (including any endnotes) ends on page 10, the list of works

cited begins on page 11. Center the title, Works Cited, an inch from the top of the page

(fig. 3). (If the list contains only one entry, make the heading Work Cited.) Double-space

between the title and the first entry. Begin each entry flush with the left margin; if an

entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line or lines half an inch from the

left margin. This format is sometimes called hanging indention, and you can set your

writing program to create it automatically for a group of paragraphs. Hanging indention

makes alphabetical lists easier to use. Double-space the entire list. Continue it on as

many pages as necessary.

Fig. 3. The top of the first page of a works-cited list.

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The Template (see the final page for a full-sized version) The template is a simple guide for organizing your information for each entry in your

Works Cited page.

Note the punctuation used after each item on the Template is in bold in Fig. 4.0

Formatting Rules for Items in a

Works Cited Entry:

Place titles in italics if the source is self-contained and independent.

Place titles in “quotation marks” if the source is contained in a larger work. Examples: the title of an article from a magazine is in quotation marks; the title of that magazine is in italics.

The title of the container is normally italicized.

Generally, write the full date as it is given, ordered as day, month, and year, and using abbreviations for all months except May, June, and July, e.g., 13 Nov. 2016.

The location of an online source is generally indicated by the URL. Omit the URL, however, for a database source; use URLs only for a source from the Internet.

Fig. 4. The “Template.”

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Examples of Works Cited Entries You will find examples of Works Cited entries on the following pages, arranged by type of container. You will find a copy of the template on the final page of this document. The parenthetical superscript numbers are not part of the entries—they are included in order to show the related template number.

Type 1: A Self-Contained Source Some examples of “single container” sources: novels, entire books, movies, entire record albums, an entire web site, an entire TV series, and an entire textbook. A Movie Chaplin, Charlie.(1) Modern Times.(2&3) 1936.(8)

A Book Holy Bible,(2 & 3) New Revised Standard Version,(5) HarperCollins Publishers,(7) 2011.(8)

An Anthology Mays, Kelly J., editor.(1) The Norton Introduction to Literature.(2 & 3) Shorter 12th ed.,(5)

Norton,(7) 2016.(8)

A Website Maryland, Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services.(1) Division of Parole and

Probation.(2 & 3) www2.dpscs.state.md.us/parole_and_probation.(9) Accessed 17

May 2016.

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Type 2: A Source in a Container

Physical Sources in a Container

Sources that are found inside a single container are those that exist in the physical

world — those you can actually hold in your hands. Such sources include articles from

newspapers, magazines, or journals; songs from albums; and plays, short stories, or

poems that appear in a print collection.

An Article in a Journal Berger, Michael.(1) “Developing a Writing Across the Curriculum Program for a Two-

Year Nursing College.”(2) TETYC,(3) vol. 42, no. 4,(6) May 2015,(8) pp. 400-09.(9)

A Short Story in an Anthology Chopin, Kate.(1) “The Story of an Hour.”(2) The Norton Introduction to Literature,(3) edited

by Kelly J. Mays,(4) shorter 12th ed.,(5) Norton,(7) 2016,(8) pp. 523–25.(9)

A Poem in an Anthology Donne, John.(1) “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning.”(2) The Norton Introduction to

Literature,(3) edited by Kelly J. Mays,(4) shorter 12th ed.,(5) Norton,(7) 2016,(8) pp.

1108–09.(9)

A Play in an Anthology Glaspell, Susan.(1) Trifles.(2) The Norton Introduction to Literature,(3) edited by Kelly J.

Mays,(4) shorter 12th ed.,(5) Norton,(7) 2016,(8) pp. 1155–65.(9)

A Song on an Album Greenwood, Colin, et al.(1) “BBC Radio One Evening Session_05.28.97: Exit Music (For

a Film).”(2) OK Computer,(3) collector’s edition,(5) EMI,(7) 2011.(8)

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Springsteen, Bruce, lyricist.(1) “You’re Missing,”(2) performance by Bruce Springsteen.

The Rising,(3) Columbia,(7) 2002,(8) track 12.(9)

Digital Sources in a Container Another type of source found inside a single container is a source located inside an

electronic or “virtual” source. Examples of this type of source could include articles

posted on blogs; articles in online newspapers, online magazines, or other websites;

status updates on Facebook; Tweets on Twitter or entries from other social media;

articles in online encyclopedias or dictionaries; and stand-alone documents found in

online databases. Since websites can change, you should add the date you accessed

them for these entries.

An Article in an Online Journal Jones, Terry.(1) “Outcome Measurement in Nursing: Imperatives, Ideals, History, and

Challenges.”(2) OIJN,(3) 30 May 2016,(8) www.nursingworld.org/ojin/. Accessed 6

June 2016.

A Video on a Website

Charlie Chaplin.(1) “Modern Times (1936) - Charles Chaplin.” YouTube,(3) 12 Apr.

2016,(8) www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMIYharGqbY/.(9) Accessed 15 May 2016.

Culvyhouse, Henry.(1) “Police: Man Attacked by Bloods Gang Members.”(2)

Delmarvanow.com.(3) Delmarva Media Group.(7) 18 May 2016.(8)

www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2016/05/17/bloods-murder-

gangs-salisbury/94837.(9) Accessed 18 May 2016.

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An Article in an Online Encyclopedia

Safransky, Robert J.(1) “Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.”(2) Encyclopedia of

Education Law,(3) vol. 1, edited by Charles J. Russo, Sage Publications,(7)

2008,(8)

books.google.com/books?id=UFJ2AwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT343&dq=Equal%20Emplo

yment%20opportunity%20commission%20Safransky&pg=PT343#v=onepage&q

=Equal%20Employment%20opportunity%20commission%20Safransky&f=false.(9

) Accessed 23 May 2016.

Weston, Burns H.(1) “Human Rights.”(2) Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica

Academic,(3) Encyclopædia Britannica,(7) 2016.(8) Accessed 23 May 2016.

Posts, Comments, Tweets, etc. on Social Media Cy realist.(1) "Hello 1950's? You left your oppressive gender roles in our century. Can

you come pick them up?"(2) Pinterest,(3) 13 May 2016,(8)

www.pinterest.com/pin/322500023297763470/.(9) Accessed 14 May 2016.

@DinaLRelles.(1) “just called a friend on the phone for no reason other than to talk and I

can't remember the last time I did such a thing.”(2) Twitter,(3) 17 May 2016, 7:17

pm,(8) twitter.com/DinaLRelles/status/732665798410571776.(9) Accessed 22 May

2016.

A Mighty Girl. (1) “Katia Hetter taught her daughter an important lesson with a very

simple phrase: ‘I would like you to hug Grandma, but I won't make you do it.’”(2)

Facebook,(3) 24 Aug. 2014, 1:30 pm,(8) www.facebook.com/amightygirl/?fref=nf.(9)

Accessed 14 June 2016.

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Marlon, James.(1) “The Writing Couldn’t Care Less About the Writer.”(2) Facebook,(3) 21

May 2016, 7:41 am,(8) www.facebook.com/notes/marlon-james/the-writing-

couldnt-care-less-about-the-writer/10153458564447077.(9) Accessed 6 June

2016.

Paul, Annie.(1) Comment on “The Writing Couldn’t Care Less About the Writer.”(2)

Facebook,(3) 21 May 2016, 8:08 pm,(8) www.facebook.com/notes/marlon-

james/the-writing-couldnt-care-less-about-the-writer/10153458564447077.(9)

Accessed 6 June 2016.

Thegoodvybe.(1) “I stress about stress before there’s even stress to stress about.”(2)

Tumblr,(3) 17 May 2016, 5:38 pm,(8)

thegoodvybe.tumblr.com/post/144521043620.(9) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Single-Container Sources Found in an Online Database: Issitt, Micha L. and Kathryn Cook.(1) “Decline of Reading: An Overview.”(2) Points of

View Reference Center.(3) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Lehman, Danny (photographer).(1) (1983). Mexican Immigrants Crossing the Rio Grande

[digital image].(2) Opposing Viewpoints in Context,(3) accessed 23 May 2016.

A File from an Online Media Distribution Service:

Swindell, Cole and Ashley Gorley, lyricists.(1) “You Should Be Here,”(2) performance by

Cole Swindell.(4) Distributed by iTunes,(7) April 2016.(8)

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Video Embedded in an Online Encyclopedia

European Court of Human Rights: Freedom of Religion.(2) Video. Britannica

Academic,(3) Open University,(7) accessed 23 May 2016.

(2)Human Rights: President Jimmy Carter, January 14, 1981. Video. (3)Britannica

Academic, (7)WPA Film Library. Accessed 23 May 2016.

Audio Podcast from a Website

“Guest DJ Thom Yorke.”(2) All Songs Considered,(3) Hosted by Bob Boilen,(4) 14 Feb.

2008,(8) www.npr.org/2008/02/14/18960914/guest-dj-thom-yorke/.(9) Accessed 6

June 2016.

Article in an Online Encyclopedia

“Paul Gaugin.”(2) Britannica Academic.(3) Douglas Cooper, primary contributor.(4)

Encyclopedia Britannica,(7) 2016.(8) Accessed 17 May 2016.

Definition in an Online Dictionary

“Supercilious.”(2) Oxford English Dictionary,(3) Oxford UP,(7) 2016,(8)

www.oed.com/view/Entry/194242?redirectedFrom=supercilious#eid.(9) Accessed

23 May 2016.

Text of Historical Document from Website

U.S. Constitution.(2) Amend. II, Sec. 3. www.archives.gov

Song on an Album Found on iTunes Springsteen, Bruce, lyricist.(1) “You’re Missing,”(2) performance by Bruce Springsteen.(4)

The Rising,(3) Columbia / iTunes,(7) 2002,(8) track 12.(9)

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Type 3: An Item in a Container in a Container

Sometimes the source you are working with is in a “container” that itself is housed

inside another “container.” Some common examples of this are articles that are

published in journals, magazines, or newspapers that are housed in one or more online

databases. (Hint: an online database is like a virtual library. Instead of physical shelves

loaded with paper documents, everything exists in digital form.) Others may be items

from a sub-section of a large website that has many divisions. Below are some

examples of sources that may be housed in 2 or more “containers.

Here are some examples of sources you might find in one of the online databases

available through Wor-Wic’s library services.

Charts, Articles, Speeches, Government Reports, and Videos in Databases “Americans Overwhelmingly Support Immigration Reform.”(2) Illegal Immigration,(3)

edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser,(4) Greenhaven Press, (7) 2011.(8)

Opposing Viewpoints in Context.(3) Accessed 23 May 2016.

“87K Going Toward Art Projects.”(2) Ferguson Falls Daily Journal (MN),(3) 18 August

2014.(8) Points of View Reference Center.(3) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Hinojosa-Ojeda, Raúl.(1) "Illegal Immigrants Should Be Granted Legal Status."(2) Raising

the Floor for American Workers: The Economic Benefits of Comprehensive

Immigration Reform,(3) edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser,(4) Center for

American Progress,(7) 2010.(8) Opposing Viewpoints in Context.(3) Accessed 23

May 2016.

Jacobs, W. E. and Matt Donnelly.(1) “Point: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught

Alongside Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.”(2) Points of View: Intelligent Design,(3) 1

Mar. 2016.(8) Points of View Reference Center.(3) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Leshner, Alan I., Fanta Aw, and Edward Alden (1) ”Immigration Reform.”(2) Issues in

Science and Technology,(3) vol. 31, no. 2,(6) 2015,(8) p. 5+.(9) Opposing

Viewpoints in Context,(3) accessed 23 May 2016.

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Logan, John A. (1) “The Liberal Arts College.”(2) Originally delivered on 21 Oct. 1968.

Vital Speeches of the Day,(3) vol. 34, no. 10,(6) 1 Mar. 1968,(8) pp. 308-313.(9)

Points of View Reference Center.(3) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Peltz, Jennifer.(1) “NY State Report Says Effort to Boost Art Education Pays off.”(2) AP

Regional State Report — New York 2015,(3) 16 Nov. 2015.(8) Points of View

Reference Center.(3) Accessed 20 May 2016.

Nicholls, Mark.(1) “Brush Up Your Shakespeare: Performance Anxieties in Shakespeare

in Love.”(2) Journal of Film and Video,(3) vol. 54, no. 4,(6) Dec. 2002,(8) pp. 3-15.(9)

ProQuest.(3) Accessed 12 May 2016.

"Senate Hearings on Methods Used to Question Guantánamo Detainees."(2) AP Video

Archive 2008.(3) Opposing Viewpoints in Context.(3) Accessed 23 May 2016.

Snell, Kelsey. “Senate Set to Approve Zika Funding.”(2) The Washington Post, (3) 17 May

2016.(8) Opposing Viewpoints in Context.(3) Accessed 23 May 2016.

"Testimony of James R. Edwards, Jr., Center for Immigration Studies, Hearing on the

Ethical Imperative for Reform of Our Immigration System, July 14, 2010."(2)

Immigration and Illegal Aliens: Burden or Blessing?(3) edited by Melissa J. Doak,

2011.(8) Opposing Viewpoints in Context.(3) Accessed 23 May 2016.

Video Podcast from a Website Boilen, Bob.(1) “Wilco.”(2) Tiny Desk,(3) Performed by Wilco,(4) NPR,(3) 17 Oct. 2011.(8)

www.npr.org/event/music/141331825/wilco-tiny-desk-concert/.(9) Accessed 22

May 2016.

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Song Lyrics from an Album, Found on a Website Springsteen, Bruce, lyricist.(1) “You’re Missing,”(2) The Rising,(3) Columbia,(7) 2002,(8)

track 12.(9) AZLyrics,(3)

www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/brucespringsteen/youremissing/html.(9)

Type 4, Sources in a container in a container in a container! On rare occasion, a source may have more than two containers. Here is an example of

a source that is found housed inside multiple “containers”:

Article from an Edited Anthology Collected in a Larger Source Found in a Viewpoints Database Harper, Jim. "E-Verify Does Not Significantly Deter Illegal Immigration." Illegal

Immigration, edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser, Greenhaven Press,

2011. "Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification: Franz Kafka's Solution to

Illegal Immigration." Cato Policy Analysis No. 612. 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context. Accessed 23 May 2016

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This Guide is compiled by A&H faculty and distributed by Library Services.