MLA Handbook, 9th Edition by 
MLA Handbook by
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook.
MLA (Modern Language Association) style for documentation is widely used in the humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. MLA style features brief parenthetical citations in the text keyed to an alphabetical list of works cited that appears at the end of the work. (Source: Official MLA website)
Core Elements
Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.
Containers
The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story is the source, and the anthology is the container.
Rationale
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the MLA Handbook provided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions were required for new formats. Starting with the 8th edition of its best-selling handbook, the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers can apply to any type of source. (Source: MLA)
In-text Citation
|
Material Type |
In-text Citation |
|
Author's name in text |
Magny develops this argument (67-69). |
|
Author's name in reference |
This argument has been developed elsewhere (Magny 67-69). |
|
Two authors' names in reference |
The most notorious foreign lobby in Washington is the "Sugar Mafia" (Howe and Trott 134). |
|
Quotation found in indirect or "secondhand" source |
The philosopher Alain states that "admiration is not pleasure but a kind of attention. . ." (qtd. in Magny 66). |
Creating a Works Cited Page
With MLA style, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. A Works Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper. Below are some examples of MLA style citations. Note: Some instructors may require access dates for websites or other pieces of information. Please check with your instructor if you have any questions.
|
Material Type |
Works Cited |
|
Book in print |
Card, Claudia. The Atrocity Paradigm: A Theory of Evil. Oxford UP, 2005. |
|
eBook |
Gaither, Milton. Homeschool: An American History. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. SpringerLink, doi-org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95056-0. |
|
An article in a print journal |
Doggart, Julia. "Minding the Gap: Realizing Our Ideal Community Writing Assistance Program." The Community Literacy Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-80. |
|
An article in an electronic journal |
Sherrard-Johnson, Cherene. "'A Plea for Color': Nella Larsen's Iconography of the Mulatta." American Literature, vol. 76, no. 4, 2004, pp. 833-869, doi:10.1215/00029831-76-4-833. |
|
A encyclopedia entry |
“Patanjali.” Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, edited by Bruce Murphy, 4th ed., HarperCollins Publishers, 1996, p. 782. |
|
A government publication |
United States, Federal Maritime Commission. Hawaiian Trade Study: An Economic Analysis. Government Printing Office, 1978. |
|
An interview you conducted |
Brandt, Deborah. Personal interview. 28 May 2008. |
|
A film/DVD |
Note: This depends on the focus of your work. Please see the MLA Style blog for a detailed explanation. |
|
A Page on a Website with no author |
"Stunning Lakeside View on Lake Erie." VisitPA, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 7 June 2018, www.visitpa.com/article/stunning-lakeside-views-lake-erie. |
|
A Page on a Website with an author |
Del Castillo, Inigo. "How Not to Kill Your Houseplants, According to Botanists." Apartment Therapy, 29 Jan. 2020, www.apartmenttherapy.com/houseplant-tips-botanists-36710191. |
|
Artwork - from website |
Sherald, Amy. Former First Lady, Michelle Obama. 2018. National Portrait Gallery, npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2018.15. |
Online citation managers are an easy way to keep track of all of your references. The University Library System resources work with tools such as Mendeley, EndNote, and Zotero. These are tools for importing citations from sources like PittCat and article databases that can automatically integrate them into your research paper and bibliography.
Organizing your research and putting your ideas down on paper can be difficult. You can get writing help at the Writing Center.
