MLA 8th Edition Citation Formating Tips

MLA Formatting Tips

● Layout & Capitalization

● Core Elements of MLA

● Author Names

● Titles

● Volume & Issue / Seasons &

Episodes

● Publisher

● Date

● DOIs & URLS

● Page Numbers &

More

Layout &

CapitalizationWorks Cited

Ford, Earl S., et al. “Trends in Insomnia and Excessive Daytime

Sleepiness among US Adults from 2002 to 2012.” Sleep Medicine,

vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

Merced, Matthew. “Dreaming: Physiological Sources, Biological

Functions, Psychological Implications.” The Journal of Mind and

Behavior, vol. 33, no. 3/4, 2012, pp. 173–193. JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/43854340.

“Muscle, Not Brain, May Hold Answers to Some Sleep Disorders.”

ScienceBlog, 4 Aug. 2017,

https://scienceblog.com/495599/muscle-not-brain-may-hold-

answers-sleep-disorders/.

.

● One inch margin

● Double spaced

● After the first line, indent all entries in

your reference list one-half inch from

the left margin (Hanging indent)

● Capitalize the first letter of each of the

major words in the title

● Title Works Cited is centered at the top

● Include only sources that were cited in

the paper

Core Elements of MLA

Author. Title of Source. Title of

Container,

Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

Author

.

Title of

Source.

Title of

Container,

Number, Publication

date,

Location. Author. Title of

Source.

Publisher, Publication

date,

Location.

Book Citation Article Citation

Use only the elements that work best for the type of source and will help readers find the original source.

Some elements will not be available for certain sources.

One Standard Template for All Citations

Identify the descriptive elements of your source. Then list them in the following order.

Author Names

Dumas, Marlene.

One Author

Two Authors

Nugent, Colleen N., and Lindsey I. Black. S.

Three or More Authors

Ford, Earl S., et al.

Organization Author

National Sleep Foundation.

● A period always follows the last author’s

name.

● Entries are listed alphabetically by first

author’s last name or the first letter of the

organizational name.

● For multiple citations with the same

author(s) list entries beginning with newest

date first.

● If a previously cited author is listed as the

first author on several works with other

authors, list the collaborative works in

order by the last name of the second

author.

Governmental Agency Author

United States, Department of Agriculture.

Titles

Title of Source:

● Included in all citations and always followed by a

period.

● Italicized if it is a stand alone work that is not

contained in another source (book, website,

play, film, etc)

● Placed in quotation marks it is a work within a

container (book chapter, posting on a website,

play within an anthology, etc)

Title of Container:

● Included only if the work being cited is contained

in a larger work

● Always italicized and followed by a comma

Works Cited

Finkelstein, Shari, and Lesley Stahl. The Science of Sleep.

CBS Broadcasting, 2008.

Ford, Earl S., et al. “Trends in Insomnia and Excessive

Daytime Sleepiness among US Adults from 2002 to 2012.”

Sleep Medicine, vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

“Muscle, Not Brain, May Hold Answers to Some Sleep

Disorders.” ScienceBlog, 4 Aug. 2017,

scienceblog.com/495599/muscle-not-brain-may-hold-

answers-sleep-disorders/.

Parmeggiani, P. L and Ricardo A. Velluti. The Physiologic

Nature of Sleep. Imperial College Press, 2005.

Volume & IssueWorks Cited


Sleepiness among US Adults from 2002 to 2012.” Sleep

Medicine, vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

Hartmann, Ernest. “The Nature and Function of Dreaming.” The

New Science of Dreaming, edited by Deirdre Barrett and Patrick

McNamara, vol. 3, Praeger Publishers, 2007, 171-192.

Kushida, Clete A. Encyclopedia of Sleep. Vol. 3, Elsevier

Academic Press, 2013.

“Sleep.” The Truth About…, episode 13, BBC One, 1 June 2017,

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08q8p13

● Abbreviate and format volume and

issue as: vol. #, no. #

● Some works only have an issue

number or a volume number

● Volume abbreviation is lowercase

unless it appears after a period, which

is usually after the title of the source

● Seasons and episodes of television

shows and other multimedia series are

listed as: season #, episode#

● Always end this section with a comma

unless it is the last element in the

citation

Seasons & Episodes

PublishersWorks Cited





www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08q8p13

Taylor, Paul. “Nap Time.” Social & Demographic Trends, Pew

Research Trust, 29 July 2009,

www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/07/29/nap-time/

The Importance of Sleep. CNN, 9 Apr. 2014,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=613ZDINbFOM.

● For book publishers, the publisher’s

location is no longer included

● Blogs and websites may be considered

publishers if they created the content

● Youtube, GALILEO, and Google Books

are content curators not publishers

● If a source title or container title is the

same as the publisher the publisher

section is not included



citation

DatesWorks Cited



vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.





/www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08q8p13

Taylor, Paul. “Nap Time.” Social & Demographic Trends, Pew

Research Trust, 29 July 2009,

/www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/07/29/nap-time/

● Format: Day Month Year

● End date entry with a comma

● Month is abbreviated if more than 4

letters

● Day and month are not needed if they

are not available. Some website

citations may include time of posting

● Use the date that is most meaningful

the source being cited. This may mean

citing the date an article was

republished in a source.



citation

DOIs & URLsWorks Cited



vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

Merced, Matthew. “Dreaming: Physiological Sources, Biological

Functions, Psychological Implications.” The Journal of Mind and

Behavior, vol. 33, no. 3/4, 2012, pp. 173–193. JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/43854340.

“Muscle, Not Brain, May Hold Answers to Some Sleep Disorders.”

ScienceBlog, 4 Aug. 2017, scienceblog.com/495599/muscle-not-

brain-may-hold-answers-sleep-disorders/.

● The last element in a citation is the

location of the source. For web-based

sources the location will be a DOI or

URL

● Inclusion of DOIs or URLs is

encouraged, though MLA advises

students to ask their professors if they

have a preference

● DOIs are preferable to URLs

● If a DOI is not available look for the

option of a permalink or stable URL.

● Omit http:// and https://

● The location field is usually followed by

a period.

Page Numbers

& MoreWorks Cited



vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 372–78,

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2014.12.008.

"How You Sleep Is Who You Are." Atlantic, vol. 300, no. 5, Dec.

2007, p. 28. EBSCOhost, 0-

search.ebscohost.com.sophia.agnesscott.edu/login.aspx?direct=tr

ue&db=fth&AN=27462937&site=ehost-live.

Traister, Rebecca. "Beauty Health & Fitness: Sleep Investments."

Vogue, vol. 195, no. 5, May 01, 2005, pp. 170+, The Vogue

Archive, http://0-

search.proquest.com.sophia.agnesscott.edu/docview/879313659?

accountid=8381.

● Format for single page: p. #

● Format for multiple pages: pp. #-#

● Format for non-consecutive pages: pp.

First page number followed by the plus

sign (example: pp. 23+)

● Page numbers is part of the location

element in MLA. This element also

provides space for the disc number in

a dvd set and the location of a

museum or archive.

● The location field is usually followed by

a period.

Education

MLA 8th Edition Citation Formating Tips