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BibGuru MLA Citation Generator

Cite websites, books, articles, ...

Your Works Cited page in MLA

• A closer look at MLA's core elements

In-text citations in MLA

Formatting your paper in mla, helpful resources on mla style, the ultimate guide to citing in mla.

The MLA citation style was developed by the Modern Language Association of America, an association of scholars and teachers of language and literature.

The MLA publishes several academic journals, and the MLA Handbook , a citation guide for high school and undergrad students. The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for writing and documenting research, as well as tips for the use of the English language in your writing.

MLA is a very popular citation style. However, if you are unsure which citation style to use in your paper, ask your instructor. There are many different citation styles and using the style your instructor or institution has established correctly can have a positive impact on your grade.

This guide is based on the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook and aims at helping you cite correctly in MLA. The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for a large variety of sources and uses a two-part documentation system for citing sources:

• in-text parenthetical citations (author, page)
• a reference list at the end of paper with all literature used in text.

Each source that was cited in the text or notes of your paper should appear in a list at the end of the paper. MLA calls the reference list a "Works Cited" page.

I want to cite a ...

Your Works Cited list identifies the sources you cite in the body of your research project. Works that you consult during your research, but don't use and cite in your paper, are not included. Your Works Cited list is ordered alphabetically by the part of the author's name that comes first in each entry.

Entries in the list of works cited are made up of core elements given in a specific order, and there are optional elements that may be included. The core elements in your works cited list are the following, given in the order in which they should appear, followed by the correct punctuation mark. The final element in an MLA reference should end with a period:

• Title of source.
• Title of container,
• Contributor,
• Publication date,

To use this template of core elements, first evaluate what you are citing to see which elements apply to the source. Then list each element relevant to your source in the order given on the template. For a work containing another work (e.g. an article published in a journal and contained in a database), you can repeat the process by filling out the template again from Title of container to Location , listing all elements that apply to the container.

Step-by-step guide to create a Works Cited entry

Let's try this with a journal article. If you wanted to cite the article , “What Should We Do with a Doctor Here?”: Medical Authority in Austen’s Sanditon ," from the journal, Nineteenth-Century Contexts , the process would look like this:

• First, you would determine the author. In this case, that's Amy Mallory-Kani. so the first part of your reference would be: Mallory-Kani, Amy.
• Next, you'd want to include the title of the source in quotation marks, followed by a period: “What Should We Do with a Doctor Here?”: Medical Authority in Austen’s Sanditon."
• After the title of the source, you need to list the container. In this case, it's the journal's name, Nineteenth-Century Contexts , italicized and followed by a comma.
• For journal articles, the title of the container needs to be followed by version, or the volume number of the journal, separated by a comma from the issue number: vol. 39, no. 4,
• Since there is not typically a publisher listed for journal articles, the next step is to include the date, followed by a comma: 2017,
• Finally, you'll end your reference by adding the page numbers for the article, followed by an ending period: pp. 313-26.

If we put this all together, the full reference will look like this:

EXAMPLE Journal article

Mallory-Kani, Amy. “'What Should We Do with a Doctor Here?': Medical Authority in Austen’s Sanditon ”. Nineteenth-Century Contexts , vol. 39, no. 4, 2017, pp. 313-26.

MLA has a specific rule about how to structure page numbers in a works cited entry. Use pp. and then list the number. If the page range is within ten or one hundred digits, you don't need to repeat the first digit. For example, you would write pp. 51-8 or pp. 313-26.

The following section takes a deeper look at the core elements of an MLA works cited entry to help you get your citation right.

A closer look at MLA's core elements

When formatting the author element, make sure to follow these guidelines:

• When a work is published without an author's name, do not list it as Anonymous . Skip the author element instead and begin with the Title of source .
• Begin the entry with the last name of the author, so it can be alphabetized under this name. Follow the last name with a comma and the rest of the name as presented by the work.
• When a source has two authors, include them in the order in which they are presented in the work. Reverse the first of the names as described above.
• When a source has three or more authors, reverse the first of the names as described above and follow it with a comma and the abbreviation, et al.

EXAMPLE Source with two authors

Gabrielle, Matthew, and David M. Perry. The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe . Harper, 2021.

In the Title of Source element, you list the title of the work you are citing:

EXAMPLE Title of Source element

Cox, Taylor.  Creating the Multicultural Organization: A Strategy for Capturing the Power of Diversity . Jossey-Bass, 2001.

In general, titles in your Works Cited list are given in full exactly as they are found in the source, except that capitalization, punctuation between the main title and a subtitle, and the styling of titles that normally appear in italic typeface are standardized. The Title of Source element is followed by a period unless the title ends in a question mark or exclamation point.

A container in the context of the MLA template is a work that contains another work. An example of a container can be:

• A periodical, such as a journal, magazine or newspaper is the container of an article published there.
• A website or database can be the container of a post, a review, a song, a film, or other media.
• An art exhibit is the container of an artwork featured in it.

In the example below, the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability is the container of the article “Vocabulary Knowledge of Deaf and Hearing Postsecondary Students”: 

EXAMPLE Title of Container

Sarchet, Thomastine, et al. “Vocabulary Knowledge of Deaf and Hearing Postsecondary Students.”  Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability , vol. 27, no. 2, Summer 2014, pp. 161–178.

Importantly, a website or a database is not always automatically the container of a work that can be found there. If you click on a Facebook link that takes you to a New York Times article, Facebook is not the container of the article, but the New York Times website is. Be careful to make the distinction here.

The title of Container is normally italicized and followed by a comma.

People, groups, and organizations can be contributors to a work without being its primary creator. There can be a primary author, but a work can also be created by a group of people. Key contributors should always be listed in your entry. Other contributors can be listed on a case-by-case basis. Whenever you list a contributor, include a label describing the role. These kinds of contributors should always be listed in your entry:

• translators
• editors responsible for scholarly editions and anthologies
• editors responsible for edited collections of works by various primary authors from which you cite an individual contribution

EXAMPLE Translator of a work with a primary author

Chartier, Roger. The Order of Books: Readers, Authors, and Libraries in Europe between the Fourteenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Translated by Lydia G. Cochrane, Stanford UP, 1994.

It may be necessary to include other types of contributors if they shaped the overall presentation of the work. Use labels (in lowercase) to describe the contributor's role, such as:

• translated by

EXAMPLE Creator of a television show

"Strike Up the Band." The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, season 3, episode 1, Amazon Studios, 2019.

When a source has three or more contributors in the same role, list the first contributor, followed by et al.

EXAMPLE Three or more contributors

Balibar, Étienne. Politics and the Other Scene . Translated by Christine Jones et al., Verso, 2002.

If a source is a version of a work released in more than one form, you need to identify the version in your entry. For example, books are commonly issued in versions called editions .

When citing versions in your Works Cited list, write original numbers with arabic numerals and no superscript. Abbreviate revised (rev.) and edition (ed.) .

EXAMPLE Edition of a work

Black, Joseph, et al., editors. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Victorian Era . 3rd ed., Broadview, 2021.

The source you are documenting may be part of a sequence, like a volume, issue, or episode. Include that number in your entry:

EXAMPLE Work with a number

Warren, R., et al. “The Projected Effect on Insects, Vertebrates, and Plants of Limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C Rather than 2°C.”  Science (New York, N.Y.) , vol. 360, no. 6390, 2018, pp. 791–795, doi:10.1126/science.aar3646.

Always use arabic numerals in the Number element. If necessary, convert roman numerals or spelled out numerals to arabic numerals.

The publisher is the entity primarily responsible for making the work available to the public. The publisher element may include the following:

• book publisher
• studio, network, company, or distributor that produced or broadcast a television show
• institution responsible for creating website content
• agency that produced government publication

A publisher's name may be omitted when there is none, or when it doesn't need to be given, for example in:

• some periodicals (when publication is ongoing)
• works published by their authors or editors (self-published)
• websites not involved in producing the content they make available (e.g. Youtube)

This element tells your reader when the version of the book you are citing was published. In the example below, the book was published in 2018:

EXAMPLE Publication date

Lavelle, Christophe, editor.  Molecular Motors: Methods and Protocols. 2nd ed., Humana Press, 2018, doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-8556-2.

If roman numerals are used, convert them to arabic numerals. Use the day-month-year style to minimize commas in your entry and use the most specific date you can find in your source. Include day, month, and year if your source does:

EXAMPLE Specific Publication date

Merrill, Stephen. "Teaching through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment." Edutopia , 19 Mar. 2020, www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-through-pandemic-mindset-moment.

When time is given and helps define and locate the work, include it.

For paginated print or similar formats (e.g. PDFs), the location is the page range. In other cases, additional information may need to be included with the page numbers so that the work can be found. In this overview, you can see examples for locations:

As mentioned above, Works Cited list entries in MLA style are based on the template of core elements. In some cases, you may need or want to give additional information relevant to the work you are documenting. You can do so by adding supplements to the template. There are two sections where you can add supplements, either:

• after the Title of Source, or
• at the end of the entry.

A period should be placed after a supplemental element. Three pieces of information are the most likely to be placed after the Title of Source:

• A contributor other than the author
• The original publication date (for a work contained in another work)
• Generically labeled sections (if any part or section of the work has a unique title as well as generic label)

For example, inserting the contributors' roles and names after the Title of Source element tells the reader that Leila El Khalidi and Christopher Tingley translated only The Singing of the Stars , not all the other works in Short Arabic Plays :

EXAMPLE Supplemental elements

Fagih, Ahmed Ibrahim al-. The Singing of the Stars . Translated by Leila El Khalidi and Christopher Tingley. Short Arabic Plays: An Anthology , edited by Salma Khadra Jayyusi, Interlink Books, 2003, pp. 140-57.

If you need to clarify something about the entry as a whole, you can do it at the end of the entry , like:

• Date of access
• Medium of publication (when more than one version of a source is accessible on the same landing page and you are citing a version that is not the default version)
• Dissertations and theses
• Publication history
• Book series
• Columns, sections, and other recurring titled features
• Multivolume works
• Government documents

EXAMPLE Government documents

United States, Congress, House. Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016. Congress.gov , www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6394/text. 114th Congress, 2nd session, House Resolution 6394, passed 6 Dec. 2016.

How to use Bibguru for MLA citations

In-text citations aim at directing the reader to the entry in your Works Cited list for the source. while creating the least possible interruption in the text. An in-text citation usually contains the author's name (or other first element in the entry in the works cited list) and a page number. The page number usually goes in a parenthesis, placed where there is a natural pause in the text.

A parenthetical citation that directly follows a quotation is placed after the closing quotation mark. No punctuation is used between the author's name (or the title) and a page number:

EXAMPLE Parenthetical citation

“It's silly not to hope. It's a sin he thought.” (Hemingway 96)

The author's name can appear in the text itself or before the page number in the parenthesis:

Cox names five strategies to implement Diversity Management in companies (50).

Here are some additional examples of in-text citations and their corresponding Works Cited entries:

EXAMPLE Citation in prose using author's name

Smith argues that Jane Eyre is a "feminist Künstlerroman " that narrativizes a woman's struggle to write herself into being (86).

Jane Eyre is a "feminist Künstlerroman " that narrativizes a woman's struggle to write herself into being (Smith 86).

EXAMPLE Works cited

Smith, Jane. Feminist Self-Definition in the Nineteenth-Century Novel . Cambridge UP, 2001.

How to correctly style your in-text citations

• If you are citing an author in your paper, give the full name at first mention and the last name alone thereafter.
• If you are citing a work with two authors, include both first and last names the first time you mention them in your paper. Then, in a following parenthetical citation, connect the two last names with and .
• If the source has three or more authors, you may list all the names or provide the name of the first collaborator followed by "and others" or "and colleagues". In a parenthetical citation, list the last name of the first author and et al .

Ditch the frustrations for stress-free citations

The MLA Handbook also provides guidelines on how to present your paper in a clear and consistent way. These are the general guidelines to format your paper correctly , according to MLA. For more details, refer to the MLA Handbook :

• Use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Font size should be 12 pt.
• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
• Double-space the entire text of your paper.
• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.
• Indent every new paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. You can use your tab bar for this.
• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one half-inch from the top and flush with the right margin.
• Use italics for the titles of longer works.
• Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically required.
• On the first page, make sure that the text is left-aligned. Then, list your name, the name of your teacher or professor, the course name and the date in separate lines.
• Center align your heading. Do not italicize, bold, or underline your title. Also, do not use a period after the title.

The MLA Handbook gives guidance for a multitude of different sources, like websites, television series, songs, articles, comic books, etc., and considers various types of contributors to these sources. BibGuru's MLA citation generator helps you create the fastest and most accurate MLA citations possible. If you want to learn more about MLA citations, check out our detailed MLA citation guides .

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More Bibguru MLA guides

Resources based on the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
• California State University, Northridge Library MLA Style Guide
• Columbia College Library MLA Style Guide
• McMaster University Library MLA Style Guide
• Spartanburg Community College Library MLA Style Guide
• Madison College Libraries MLA Style Guide
• California State University, Dominguez Hills Library MLA Style Guide
• University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library MLA Style Guide

The following resources are based on the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook , but still offer relevant insights on MLA style

• University of Washington Libraries MLA Style Guide
• University of North Texas Libraries MLA Style Guide
• Valencia College Library MLA Style Guide
• College of Southern Nevada Libraries MLA Style Guide
• University of Nevada, Reno Libraries MLA Style Guide
• Montana State University Library MLA Style Guide
• University of Michigan Library MLA Style Guide
• University of Vermont Libraries MLA Style Guide
• University of Illinois Library MLA Style Guide
• Hillsborough Community College Libraries MLA Style Guide
• Southern Connecticut State University Library MLA Style Guide
• Arizona State University Library MLA Style Guide

An in-text citation usually contains the author's name (or other first element in the entry in the works cited list) and a page number. The page number usually goes in a parenthesis, placed where there is a natural pause in the text.

In MLA style, audio-visual material uses the specific time of the audio/video for in-text citations. You need to cite the author's last name and the time or a short version of the title and the time within parentheses, e.g.:

The following scene exemplifies the performer's physical abilities (Thurman 00:15:43-00:20:07).

Anyone can use MLA style given its versatility. However, this format is often used by writers and students working in the arts and humanities, such as linguistics, literature, and history.

Yes, the BibGuru MLA citation generator is completely free and ready to use by students and writers adopting MLA guidelines.

The most recent version of the MLA guidelines is the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook, released in 2021. It is still very new so you should check with your instructor or institution to make sure you're using the right version.

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MLA Citation Generator

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MLA Format Guide for MLA (9th Edition)

MLA citations have two main parts that work together to identify the sources you’ve used for a paper and each of the specific places in your paper where you directly quote or paraphrase from a source:

• A Works Cited list
• Located at the end of your paper
• Contains a list of full references for every source you cited in your paper
• Alphabetized by author’s last name
• In-text citations
• Appear in the text of your paper, after any place where you directly quote or paraphrase from a source
• Consist of just the author name and relevant page number of the quote source
• Are written inside

How to Write an MLA Works Cited

The Works Cited list (sometimes also called a reference list or bibliography) contains the full references for every source you used in writing your paper. The references are alphabetized in the list by author’s last name.

Every entry in an MLA Works Cited—whether for a book, website, journal, etc.—is built from up to nine components:

• Author. “Title of the Source.” Title of the Container , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

If a particular reference you are using doesn’t have any information for one of these components, then you just leave out that component.

Here's a bit more information about each of the components that will let you handle any type of MLA works cited entry.

Author in MLA Format

How you handle the author depends on how many authors the work has, or if the author is an organization rather than a single person.

• 1 author : Invert the author’s name (Last Name, First Name)
• Andrews, Julianne
• 2 authors : Include both authors in the order in which they appear on the work, inverting the first author’s name, followed by an “and” and then the second author’s name written normally.
• Andrews, Julianne and Arthur Smith
• 3+ authors : Include the first author listed on the work, inverted, followed by the phrase “et al”
• Andrews, Julianne, et al
• Organization : If the work was written by an Organization rather than by a person or group of people, then just write out the name of the organization.
• No author : If a work has no listed author at all, then you can leave out the Author component entirely and start with the Title of the Source. (Note: when alphabetizing the entry by the first letter of the Title of the Source, ignore articles that start the title such as “The,” “A,” etc.)

Title of the Source in MLA Format

Use the entire title of your source, including subtitles. Subtitles should be separated from the main title by a colon.

The formatting for the source depends on whether it’s self contained or part of a larger whole (such as an entire book, website, or movie), or is part of a larger work (such as a story in an anthology, an article in a magazine, etc.):

• If the source is a self contained unit : The title should be italicized.
• Andrews, Julianne. The Friendly Giraffe . Knopf, 2011.
• If the source is part of a larger work : The title should be placed within quotation marks.
• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Essays on Sports , Harcourt, 2017, pp. 17-31.

Regardless of whether it’s inside quotes or italicized, the title of the source should be written in title case, which means you capitalize every word other than articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.

Title of the Container in MLA Format

The “container” refers to a larger work that contains the source, such as a magazine that contains an article. If a source isn’t a part of a longer work (such as an entire book), then leave out the Title of Container component.

The Title of the Container should always be italicized:

Common examples of containers are:

• A book containing short stories or essays
• A magazine or newspaper containing articles
• An encyclopedia containing entries
• A website containing articles or other entries
• A TV series containing episodes

Other Contributors

If there are people who contributed to a work besides the author(s), include those names in the “Other Contributors” component.

Other contributors should be formatted by identifying what the person did and then the person’s name written out normally. For example:

• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing of 2018 , edited by Carlos Mendes, Harcourt, 2017, pp. 17-31.

Common types of work that are result in people being included as contributors are:

• Translated by
• Illustrated by
• Directed by

If there are different versions or editions of your source, specify which version your specific source belongs to:

• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing of 2018 , edited by Carlos Mendes, 3rd ed, Harcourt, 2017, pp. 17-31.

Common reasons for the inclusion of a version number for an entry are:

• A 2nd (or 3rd or 4th, etc.) edition of a source
• A director’s cut of a movie
• An anniversary or expanded edition

Many types of sources are numbered in some way, and in such cases the MLA entry should capture that numbering:

• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing of 2018 , edited by Carlos Mendes, 3rd ed, vol. 3, Harcourt, 2017, pp. 17-31.

Numbering most often occurs for sources that have containers. Common examples include:

• Journals are often divided into volumes (“vol. 3”)
• Magazines and some periodicals may be numbered (“no. 16”)
• Television shows often have season and episode numbers (“Season 4, Episode 2”)

If a source has multiple numbers, separate the numbers with commas (“vol 3, no. 16”).

Not all sources will have a publisher—this component usually only applies to books and to movies. For movies, the production company is treated as the “publisher.”

Publication date

You should include as specific a publication date as possible, which can range from just the year all the way down to the minute. Ranges are acceptable.

• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing of 2018, edited by Carlos Mendes, 3rd ed, vol. 3, Harcourt, 2017, pp. 17-31.

The most common ways to represent the publication date are:

• Year : 2001
• Month/Year : Apr. 1976 (note that months should be abbreviated to their first three letters followed by a period, such as “Apr.”)
• Day/Month/Year : 2 Apr. 1976 (note that the day should precede the month)
• Precise time and date : 2 Apr. 1976, 5:15 p.m.
• Year Range : 1975-1977
• Month/Year Range : Apr. 1976–Apr. 1977
• If there’s no date : If you can’t find a publication date, instead use the day/month/year format for the day on which you accessed the information and use the word “Accessed” to make clear the distinction.
• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing , edited by Carlos Mendes, Accessed 2 Apr. 2018, www.greatsportswriting.com/best.

The location component generally only applies to references that either have containers or that is an event or physical object that occurred or you encountered in a physical place.

• For a chapter, essay, story, or other part of a book : Include a page range.
• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” Great Sports Writing of 2018 , edited by Carlos Mendes, 3rd ed, vol. 3, Harcourt, 2017, pp. 217-231.
• For a web page : Include the URL, leaving out the “http://” or “https://”.
• For a printed periodical article : Include a page range.
• Andrews, Julianne. “The Best Game Ever Played.” The Sports Magazine, 2 Jan. 2022, 25-39.
• For an online journal : There are two options
• Include a URL, leaving out the “http://” or “https://”
• Andrews, Julianne. “A Statistical Analysis to Identify the Best Games Ever Played.” Sports Analytics , Accessed 2 Apr. 2018, www.sportsanalytics.org/1249.
• A DOI—digital object identifier—which are sometimes assigned to journal articles to provide a link to that article that will never change. If an article has one, use it instead of a URL
• Example: doi: 11.1633/tox.31266
• Andrews, Julianne. “A Statistical Analysis to Identify the Best Games Ever Played.” Sports Analytics , Accessed 2 Apr. 2018, doi: 11.1633/tox.31266.
• For a physical object located in a specific place : Include the place where you encountered the object, including the name of any institution and the location of that institution.
• Goldsworthy, Andy. The Wall that Went for a Walk . 1999, Storm King Art Center, Windsor, NY.

How to Write MLA In-Text Citations

In-text citations do two things:

• They identify the places in your paper where you either directly quote or paraphrase a source.
• They contain just enough information to refer to the full entry in the Works Cited list, so a reader can tell which source you quoted or paraphrased from.

MLA In-Text Citations Format

MLA in-text citations follow two basic formats:

• The author’s last name and a page number or other location inside parentheses:
• The greatest game ever played wasn’t “great because of what happened on the field, but because of what happened off of it” (Andrews 71).
• If the author is named in the sentence, then the in-text citation can include just the page:
• As Andrews puts it, the greatest game every played wasn’t “great because of what happened on the field, but because of what happened off of it” (71).

Additions to Basic In-Text Citations Format

There are a few scenarios in which the formatting of in-text MLA citations changes just a bit:

• Two authors : Use the last names of both authors separated by an “and.”
• (Andrews and Smith 71).
• Three authors : Within the parentheses, include the last name of the first author along with “et al.” When mentioning the authors outside the parentheses, use the last name of the first author along with the phrase “and colleagues.”
• (Andrews et al. 71).
• No author : Within the parentheses, include an abbreviated reference to the first two or three words of the source title in the Works Cited entry, and format the in-text citation to match the use of italicization or quotation marks in Works Cited entry. Outside the parentheses, use the entire source title, formatted correctly with quotation marks or italics.
• (The Best Game 71).

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MyBib is a free bibliography and citation generator that makes accurate citations for you to copy straight into your academic assignments and papers.

If you're a student, academic, or teacher, and you're tired of the other bibliography and citation tools out there, then you're going to love MyBib. MyBib creates accurate citations automatically for books, journals, websites, and videos just by searching for a title or identifier (such as a URL or ISBN).

Plus, we're using the same citation formatting engine as professional-grade reference managers such as Zotero and Mendeley, so you can be sure our bibliographies are perfectly accurate in over 9,000 styles -- including APA 6 & 7, Chicago, Harvard, and MLA 7 & 8.

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Bibcitation is a free citation generator that creates bibliographies, references and works cited. Automatically generate MLA, APA, Chicago and other citations and create an accurate bibliography in one click.

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Our Complete Guide to Citing in MLA 9 Format

In academia, citations help you avoid plagiarism and demonstrate your credibility as a researcher. The MLA format is widely used for this purpose, particularly for writing papers in literature and humanities.

Our comprehensive MLA guide will walk you through the process of citing various types of sources in MLA, as well as formatting your Works Cited list. With plenty of specific examples and step-by-step instructions, you'll be able to master the art of MLA citation in no time.

Get ready to master the art of MLA citations!

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Mla format overview.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format is a widely used citation style for academic papers in the humanities and liberal arts. Designed to provide a clear and consistent method of citing sources, the MLA format helps writers avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to their sources. This citation style uses two main components: in-text citations and the Works Cited page.

In-text citations appear within the body of the paper, providing a brief reference to the source, usually including the author's last name and the page number where the information was found. In-text citations correspond to the full citation found on the Works Cited page, which is organized alphabetically by the author's last name.

The Works Cited page in the MLA citation format provides a comprehensive list of all sources used in the paper, offering detailed information about each source to help readers locate them. The format varies slightly based on the type of source, such as a book, journal article, or website. The MLA citation style prioritizes clarity and simplicity, making it easy for both writers and readers to understand and navigate the sources used in a paper.

Insert MLA In-text Citations

In the MLA citation format, in-text citations are brief references within the body of a paper that guide readers to the full citation in the Works Cited page. They typically include the author's last name and the page number where the information was found. Here you can find detailed examples of in-text citations in the MLA format:

Basic in-text citation: The most common in-text citation includes the author's last name and the page number(s) in parentheses, placed at the end of the sentence before the period. For example: (Smith 42) .

Multiple authors: If a source has two authors, include both last names in the citation, separated by "and." For example: (Smith and Johnson 58) . If a source has three or more authors, include the first author's last name followed by "et al." For example: (Smith et al. 22) .

Multiple works by the same author: If citing multiple works by the same author, include a shortened version of the title to differentiate between the sources. For example: (Smith, "A Journey into the Universe" 12) and (Queen, Rose Water 35) .

No author: If the source has no author, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks for articles or in italics for longer works, such as books or websites. For example: ("Article Title" 5) or ( Book Title 32) .

Citing multiple sources in one sentence: If referencing multiple sources in one sentence, separate each citation with a semicolon. For example: (Smith 42; Bart 78) .

Indirect citations (quotations within a source): If citing a quotation from a source that is itself quoting another source, use the abbreviation "qtd. in" before the indirect source. For example: (qtd. in Smith 15) .

Electronic sources without page numbers: When citing electronic sources without page numbers, use the author's last name only or a shortened version of the title if no author is available. For example: (Smith) or ("Article Title") .

Audiovisual sources: If citing a film, television show, or other audiovisual source, use the title (italicized) and a timestamp (hours, minutes, and seconds) instead of a page number. For example: ( Citizen Kane 01:22:15) .

For long quotations, use a block quote format. Indent the entire quotation one inch from the left margin and do not use quotation marks. Place the in-text citation after the closing punctuation.

Smith emphasizes the importance of proper citation:

Citing sources correctly is essential for maintaining academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism. By giving credit to the original authors, you demonstrate respect for their work and allow readers to locate the sources you used. (25)

Format Your MLA Works Cited

A Works Cited page is an essential part of any research paper or academic work using the MLA citation format. It provides a comprehensive list of all sources cited in the paper, allowing readers to locate and verify the sources used.

Here are detailed instructions on how to format a Works Cited page in MLA format:

• Choose placement and title: The Works Cited page should begin on a separate page at the end of your paper. Center the title "Works Cited" (without quotation marks) at the top of the page. Do not bold, italicize, or underline the title.
• Use correct spacing and margins: Use double-spacing throughout the Works Cited page. Maintain 1-inch margins on all sides of the page. The first line of each citation should be flush with the left margin. Indent any additional lines by 0.5 inches (a hanging indent).
• Organize citations: Sort the list of sources in alphabetical order by the author's last name. If a source does not have an author, use the title to alphabetize the entry. Ignore articles ("a," "an," "the") when alphabetizing by title.
• Format entries correctly: Follow the general format for each source type (e.g., books, articles, websites) as specified in the MLA Handbook. Include the author's name, the title of the work, the container (if applicable), and other relevant information such as the publisher, publication date, and location.
• Don't forget about punctuation and capitalization: Use title case for titles, capitalizing the first word, the last word, and all other major words. Use punctuation marks consistently, following the guidelines in the MLA Handbook.
• Check for accuracy: Be sure to check each reference for accuracy, including spelling and punctuation, as well as proper capitalization and italics.

Remember to consult the MLA Handbook for specific guidelines and examples for various source types. As you add sources to your Works Cited page, be sure to double-check the formatting to ensure consistency and accuracy.

Cite Books in MLA

To cite a book in your Works Cited list, follow this format:

For example:

If the book is an edited volume, use the word "editor" or "editors" after the editor's name, depending on whether it is a single or multiple editors.

Citing an edited book:

For books with multiple editions, specify the edition after the title, using ordinal numbers (e.g., "2nd ed.").

Citing a book with multiple editions:

If a book is part of a series or multivolume set, include the volume number after the title, preceded by "vol." In cases where a book has no author, the citation should begin with the title.

When citing a book that has been translated, include the translator's name after the title, preceded by the word "Translated by."

Citing a translated book:

When citing a specific chapter or essay within an edited book or anthology, start with the author's name, followed by the title of the chapter or essay in quotation marks, then the title of the book, the editor's name, and the page numbers of the cited section.

Citing a specific portion of a book:

These examples cover various scenarios and exceptions for citing books in MLA format. Remember to consult the MLA Handbook for more information and specific guidelines when formatting your citations.

Cite Journal Articles in MLA

When citing a journal article in MLA format, follow this template:

For the journal articles that you accessed online, from JSTOR or a different online database, make sure to include the DOI or the URL if the DOI is unavailable.

Citing a journal article accessed online:

If an article has two authors, include both authors' names separated by "and."

Citing an article with two authors:

If an article has three or more authors, list only the first author, followed by "et al."

Citing an article with three authors:

In some cases, the journal article may not have an official author or some other elements, like the volume or issue number. In this situation, the title of the article is used in place of the author's name, while the volume and issue are omitted.

Citing an article without an author, volume or issue number:

Cite Websites in MLA

Citing a webpage on your MLA Works Cited page? Use the following format:

However, web pages may often not have an identified author. In this situation, the title of the article is used in place of the author's name. For example:

Citing a web page without an author:

When citing a website with an organization as the author, you can use the organization's name as both the author and the website name if they are the same.

Citing a website with an organization as the author:

If no publication date is available, use the abbreviation "n.d." (no date).

Moreover, for online sources without a publication date or for sources that can be updated or changed without notice (like web pages), it is recommended to include the "Accessed" date. This provides a clearer timeline of when the researcher viewed the material and ensures accuracy, as the content might have been updated or removed since that date. Using the "Accessed" date is especially useful for materials that are subject to change or when a source's stability cannot be guaranteed.

Cite Book Chapters in MLA

Citing a book chapter in MLA format requires you to include the chapter author and the book editor(s). The format is:

If the book is a translation, include the translator's name after the editor's name (if any), preceded by the phrase "translated by."

Citing a chapter in a translated book:

If the chapter has a unique title within a larger work, such as a play within an anthology or a collection of works by different authors, include the title of the larger work in italics, followed by the editor's name (if any) and the page numbers of the cited section.

Citing a chapter from a collection of works:

If the book is a multivolume set, include the volume number after the book title and edition (if available), preceded by "vol."

For chapters with supplementary materials or appendices, include the relevant page numbers or identifiers in the citation.

Cite Ebooks in MLA

Citing an ebook in MLA format follows similar guidelines to citing a printed book, but with a few additional details. The basic format for citing an ebook is as follows:

If the ebook has a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), the citation should include it at the end of the reference.

Citing an ebook with a DOI:

If your ebook was only available on a tablet, e-reader, or a reading app such as Kindle, all you need to do is to include the words "E-book ed."after the title.

Citing an ebook from a personal device:

In some scenarios, additional elements need to be included in the citation. If the ebook is part of a series, provide the series name and volume number after the publisher and before the publication date.

If the ebook is a translation, include the translator's name after the editor's name (if available), preceded by the phrase "translated by." For ebooks with supplementary materials, include the relevant page numbers or identifiers in the citation.

Cite Magazine Articles in MLA

To cite a magazine article in your MLA Works Cited page, use the following format:

If the magazine article is found online, you should also provide the URL or DOI at the end of the citation.

If the magazine is published seasonally (e.g., Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall) rather than monthly, include the season and year as the publication date (e.g., Winter 2021).

Cite Newspaper Articles in MLA

For newspaper articles, the MLA citation format is similar to magazine articles:

If the article is found online, include the URL or the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available, but do not include the page numbers.

If the newspaper isn't widely recognized or is a local paper, include the name of the city in parentheses following the newspaper's title.

If the article is available in both print and digital formats, the citation should be identical for both, but for digital articles, you should also include a DOI or a URL at the end of the citation.

Cite Conference Papers in MLA

To cite published conference proceedings in MLA, use the following format:

After the author's name, make sure to include the title of the paper in quotation marks, followed by the title of the conference (italicized), the date and location of the conference, and any relevant publication information (for instance, whether the paper has been published).

When a conference paper is part of a published conference proceedings, include the editor's name (if available) preceded by "edited by," the title of the proceedings (italicized), the publisher, and the publication date.

For online conference papers, provide the URL or DOI (if available) at the end of the citation.

Citing an edited conference paper available online:

Remember that each specific conference paper may require additional information or variations in the citation format.

Cite Audio & Visual Media in MLA

For audiovisual materials like films, television series, and YouTube videos, include the contributor(s) most relevant to your source, such as the director, or if not available, then producer, or writer. The MLA citation format for films materials is:

However, there are some exceptions to this format. When citing a TV-show episode, make sure to include the show title, as well as the season and episode numbers.

Citing a TV-show episode:

If you’re looking to cite a song, your citation should include the song title, as well as the name of the album and format (if applicable), or URL or DOI (if available).

Citing a song:

Remember that different scenarios and exceptions may require you to adapt these structures. Always consult the MLA Handbook for more information and specific guidelines when formatting your citations for audio and visual materials.

Cite Podcasts in MLA

To cite a podcast episode in MLA format, use the following citation structure:

If the podcast episode does not have an episode number, omit it from the citation.

If you need to cite a specific guest on the podcast, include their name and the description "guest" after the title of the podcast.

Keep in mind that you may need to adapt your citation based on the specific information available for the podcast and the focus of your discussion.

Cite Social Media Posts in MLA

For social media posts, use the following format in your MLA Works Cited:

Citing an Instagram post:

If the account name and its corresponding handle are similar (e.g., @aliciakeys and Alicia Keys), it is generally recommended to exclude the handle when including a URL in the entry. However, if you are not providing a URL, such as when referencing a mobile version of the site, it is advisable to include the handle, as it can assist your reader in locating the specific post.

Citing a Twitter post:

Citing a Facebook post:

Moreover, if you are accessing a post on the mobile version of a social media site and the copyright date is not visible, it is recommended to include the date you accessed the post as an additional element at the end of the entry.

Cite Images & Artworks in MLA

To cite an online image or artwork in your MLA citation list, the format is:

For digital images or artwork viewed online, begin with the artist's name, the title of the artwork in italics, the date of creation (if known), the website hosting the artwork or the name of the database, and the URL or DOI (if available).

Citing an image or artwork viewed online:

In cases where the creation date or author name is unknown, you can make adjustments to the citation format to account for the missing information.

If the creation date of the artwork is unknown, you can use the abbreviation "n.d." (no date) in place of the date.

If the author of the artwork is unknown, you can start the citation with the title of the artwork in italics. If it's necessary to provide context or specify that the author is unknown, you can use the term “Unknown Artist”, “Anonymous” or “Anon.”.

Citing an artwork with an unknown author and creation date:

Remember that citation requirements may vary depending on the context and the focus of your work. Always consult the MLA Handbook for more information and specific guidelines when formatting your citations with unknown information.

Cite Theses & Dissertations in MLA

When citing a thesis or dissertation in your MLA paper, use the following format:

For a digital thesis or dissertation, begin with the author's name, the title of the work in italics, the year of completion, the institution where the work was completed, the description of the work as a thesis or dissertation, and the URL or DOI (if available).

Citing a thesis or dissertation published online:

Cite Databases & Data Sets in MLA

When citing datasets or statistical data, include the author, publication year, title of the dataset, version, publisher, and the DOI or URL in your MLA Works Cited page:

If you are citing a specific work within a database or using data from a data set, you should first cite the work or the data following the appropriate citation format for that type of source (e.g., a journal article, a book, a newspaper article), and then add the database or data set as a supplementary source at the end of the citation.

Cite Mobile Applications in MLA

Citing mobile applications in MLA format requires the author, the app's release year, the app's title, the version, and the platform in your reference list entry:

Keep in mind that you may need to modify these examples based on the specific information available for the mobile application and the focus of your discussion.

Cite Classical Works

Citing classical works in MLA format involves various scenarios, depending on factors such as the type of source (print or digital), the specific edition or translation being cited, and the availability of specific information (author, title, date, etc.).

Keep in mind that classical works often have unique citation requirements due to their historical context and the numerous editions, translations, or versions available.

Here is the general structure for citing classical works in MLA format:

N.B. When referencing classical works, the original publication year is often unknown or irrelevant; instead, provide the year of the translation or version you are using in parentheses, followed by a period.

Cite Legal Documents

For a legal document as the main focus of your MLA citation, provide the title of the document in italics, the document number or code, the name of the authority issuing the document, the publication date, and the URL or DOI (if available).

For court cases , the citation structure is a bit different:

When citing the Constitution , you can use the following format: Title of Constitution, jurisdiction or authority, publication date, URL or DOI (if available).

For more information and examples on how to cite different government documents in the MLA format, we suggest that you follow these guidelines from the MLA Style Center.

Cite Online Lectures & TED Talks

When citing online lectures, webinars, or TED Talks, include the speaker, the date, the title of the talk, and the URL in your APA reference list entry:

Cite Course Materials & Lectures in MLA

Course materials are considered unique academic sources and should be cited according to the guidelines for educational or instructional materials. Here is the general structure for citing course materials in MLA format:

Cite Personal Communications in MLA

In MLA format, personal communications, such as interviews, emails, letters, or personal conversations, are considered unpublished sources and are not typically included in the Works Cited list because they cannot be accessed by your readers.

Instead, you should provide a parenthetical citation within the text of your document, giving credit to the source.

When citing personal communications in your text, mention the source of the communication, the type of communication (e.g., email, letter, personal interview, etc.), and the date the communication took place.

Here is the general structure for citing personal communications in MLA format:

(Source's Last Name, Type of Communication, Date)

Keep in mind that you should only cite personal communications in the body of your text, as they cannot be accessed by your readers and, therefore, should not be listed in the Works Cited page.

• Personal interview: According to John Smith , the use of renewable energy has increased dramatically in the last decade (personal interview, 7 May 2023) .
• Email: Jane Doe mentioned in an email that her research findings support the use of electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (12 April 2023) .
• Letter: She recently expressed her concerns about the environmental impact of deforestation (Sarah Johnson, letter, 10 June 2022) .

Always ensure that you have the permission of the person you are citing to include their personal communication in your work, as this information is not publicly accessible and may involve privacy concerns.

MLA Style: Final Notes

As you can see, the MLA citation format provides a consistent and clear method for citing various types of sources in your research. By mastering the MLA citation style, you will not only make your work more professional but also help your readers easily locate the sources you have used.

We hope this comprehensive guide on MLA citation style has provided you with a solid foundation for citing sources in your research. Remember that Bibcitation is here to help you with your academic needs, offering accurate and easy-to-use tools.

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MLA (9th ed.) stands for the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook published by the American Modern Language Association in April 2021. This is the newest and the most up-to-date guide of the organisation providing explicit instructions on how to prepare your manuscripts and papers, what language to use in publications, and how to create bibliographic references.

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If you're trying to determine what source to choose or what you should cite, read on for FAQs and helpful answers.

I'm citing a book, article, video, photo, etc., that I found online. Does that mean it's a "website"?

If you can classify your source as something other than a website/web page, choose that as your source. Be as specific as possible. Most times, the source citation form will give you the option to cite the source as something found online (see tabs at the top of the citation form).

• E-book -- choose "Book"
• Online newspaper article -- choose "Newspaper"
• Digital photo -- choose "Photo"

What's the difference between an "Online database" and a "Journal"?

In research, a journal is a scholarly or academic periodical featuring articles written by experts. These articles are reviewed by fellow experts (peer-reviewed) before being published.

An online database is an electronic collection of information. They are searchable and most databases found at your library provide credible, published content. Depending on the database, it might also let you access information in various formats (e.g., journals, videos, books, newspapers, etc.).

This means an online database could have several journals.

• Journals -- Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), PLOS One, New Scientist, Ecology Letters
• Online databases --- Academic One File, Britannica Academic, EBSCOHost, Facts on File

I'm still not sure what source I have. What should I do?

Scroll through our long list of source options and make your best educated guess. If you're still unsure, choose "Miscellaneous."

If there is no author, can I still cite a source?

Yes! It's always better to cite a source, even if you're unsure of all the source details. Also, not everything has an indicated author so it's ok to leave an author out in those cases. When this happens, most citation styles will list the source by its title instead of the author's last name.

I only need to cite one source, right?

A well-balanced paper usually cites several sources; often in different formats (e.g., books, journals, interviews, etc.). There isn't an exact number of sources that is ideal, but try to have more than a couple sources listed.

Also, you should cite everything you've consulted or mentioned in your paper. It's the ethical thing to do.

If I have a full citation at the end of my paper, do I really need to make in-text citations (e.g., parenthetical citations, footnotes, etc.)?

Yes, absolutely! Showing where you got certain ideas or points in your paper will help support any arguments you make. Including in-text citations is also ethical — give credit where it is due.

I heard that "common knowledge" does NOT need to be cited. What is it?

Common knowledge is general information that you can assume a normal individual would know without needing to consult a source. Yes, you do not necessarily need to cite common knowledge. However, if you are unsure if you should cite a fact or source, err on the side of caution and cite it.

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Welcome to CiteMaker! This site is designed to help you quickly prepare an entire bibliography or reference list in three simple steps:

1. Select your citation style by clicking one of the buttons above.

2. Automatically or manually create your citations after selecting a citation style.

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Whether you’re beginning your research or tidying up your paper the night before it’s due, CiteMaker is here for you - anywhere, anytime, online!

Our forms and automatic citation generation tools will guide you through the process and alert you of what information is needed. This means less guessing for you and more accurate citations! Nearly any information source you can think of is supported by CiteMaker, in APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA and Oxford styles. As you create citations, each will appear in alphabetical order. In-text citations are also created for you.

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How do I create a citation in MLA9 Style?

• Title of source.
• Title of container (if applicable).
• Other contributors (if applicable).
• Version (if applicable).
• Number (if applicable).
• Publication date,
• Location (such as page numbers or URLs).

Here is a general format for common types of sources in MLA 8th edition:

• Books: Author(s). Title of Book . Publisher, Year.
• Articles from Journals: Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal , vol. volume number, no. issue number, Year, pp. page numbers.
• Websites: Author(s) (if available). "Title of Webpage." Title of Website , Publisher (if different from website title), Publication Date (if available), URL
• In-Text Citations: For in-text citations, use the author's last name and the page number where the information can be found. For example: (Author's Last Name page number).

The above text was generated using Open AI. Open Ai reminds students to italicize the titles of larger works (books, journals) and use quotation marks for shorter works (articles, webpage titles). CiteMaker does this for you without prompting and automatically punctuates main and in-text citations automatically.

CiteMaker is the first citation generator to create Generative AI citations for MLA9. We can do this because CiteMaker does not use crowd-sourced code offering thousands of styles.

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CiteMaker.com citation maker is the most accurate free MLA 9th edition online citation machine and bibliography generator with pre-formatted citation forms for creating automatic citations and manual references and footnotes. CiteMaker MLA 9 is the free alternative to easybib, bibme, refme, citaton machine, cite this for me, citethisforme, citefast, citationsy, and refme, Includes OCLC WorldCat, google scholar, and Bibtex automatic citation machine for creating MLA 9th edition bibliographies, MLA 9 style reference lists, and in-text citations for student assignments and term papers. CiteMaker's CiteWeb chrome extension for automatically creating citations is available from the google store

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Ninth Edition: What's New and Different

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the MLA Handbook (i.e., MLA 9), which released in April 2021. The equivalent resource for the older MLA 8   can be found here .

The Modern Language Association (MLA) updated its style manual in April 2021. The MLA Handbook is a living document hoping to meet the ever-changing needs of writers while creating uniform standards for documentation. By updating and clarifying these standards, MLA seeks to build trust in the information and ideas we share. By helping us express our ideas in a standard way in which varieties of readers can understand where we found our information and how we chose to express our own ideas, MLA hopes in an age of mistrust of information, we can use their standards to legitimize our writings. However, MLA continues to emphasize that these guidelines are simply that: guidelines. Specific circumstances, such as class formatting instructions, project demands, and additional relevant information, may give cause for appropriate deviation, something the MLA encourages.  

This 9th edition focuses on clarification, guidance, and expansion on MLA 8, an edition that featured extensive changes. The use of core elements for Works Cited was designed to be more user-friendly, with built-in flexibility that allows writers to cite their sources in ways that works best for their specific projects. MLA 9, however, provides more guidance and focus for those seeking it after the last update, especially warranted with emerging sources, digital and otherwise. While retaining the overhauled system of core elements for documentation of MLA 8, MLA 9 responds to feedback asking for clarification and expansion on the meaning of each category (1. Author, 2. Title of Source, 3. Title of Container, 4. Contributor, 5. Version, 6. Number, 7. Publisher, 8. Publication Date, 9. Location) in different contexts of documentation. 

  Major Changes in the 9th Edition

While the rest of this overview will go into more detail regarding individual changes in this edition, the major changes are as follows:

• More guidance on how to use MLA core elements to create a Works Cited list by explaining the definition of each element in different types of documents (it will not always be literal), where to find each element, and how to style it. The MLA 9 was designed so that the core element strategy will become even more accessible through more examples and explanations, such as how to use notes, websites, interviews, and YouTube videos. 
• A deeper dive into in-text citations, a category many users expressed struggles with.
• Reintroduction of MLA guidance on research papers, absent in MLA 8, with expanded instructions.
• A new chapter on inclusive language.
• Expanded guidelines on grammar mechanics.

Research Projects

After a brief, 1-edition reprieve, MLA 9 has reintroduced their guidelines for formatting a research paper. General formatting guidance has remained consistent from MLA 7 while this edition expands upon table, illustration, and list formatting. 

Grammar and Mechanics

Updates have been provided on spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and use of italics in prose. MLA 9 confirms that various spellings are acceptable but must be used consistently, except in quotations from another text. It also provides guidance on using plurals correctly. It provides in-depth examples of the correct and incorrect uses of commas, colons, dashes and parentheses, hyphens, apostrophes, and slashes. The chapter also asserts the use of italics for emphasis, word references, letters referred to as letters, and foreign words. Finally, MLA provides extensive examples of how to correctly format names of persons, organizations or groups, titles of works, and numbers into your writing. 

Inclusive Language

This new chapter on inclusive language recommends focusing on relevance, precision, respectfulness, thoughtfulness, and awareness of exclusionary pronouns, judgement, and offensive terms. Through these general principles, writers are encouraged to think critically about their language, contexts, and audiences. 

Plagiarism Guidance

This section focuses on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism through quoting, paraphrasing, and identifying when documentation is optional. It expands beyond common knowledge as a reason for omitting documentation and introduces passing mentions, allusions, and epigraphs. 

Works Cited Page

Works Cited guidance is one of the most widely-used elements of the MLA Handbook. Appropriately, this section features the most updates, responsive to users seeking more guidance, details, and examples on the aforementioned MLA 8 overhaul that introduced the core element template. Consequently, each element is defined, including the range of situations it applies to. There is also guidance on how to find information, such as “publication” in a variety of sources. Finally, more advice is given on how to style details of these elements in a Works Cited. 

Added Guidance on Core Template Elements

• Author : how to cite pseudonyms, name changes, and stage names; how to cite works by the same author published under different names; and how to style the names of authors of government publications.
• Title of source : how to provide a description instead of a title; how to effectively and appropriately shorten a title; how to list titled and untitled front and back information, such as introduction, foreword, and afterword; and how to use mechanics to correctly style titles of various sources including website containers, apps, and databases. 
• Contributor (formerly “Other Contributors”) : how to distinguish between key and other contributors; and how to document a source with multiple, same-role contributors. 
• Versions : how to identify the “version” in various types of works including e-books.
• Number : how to find “number” in various works such as books, print journals, database articles, PDF journal articles, television shows, and podcasts; how to style numbers through form (spelled out, numerals, numbers) and mechanics within the Works Cited page.
• Publisher : how to identify what constitutes a publisher; how to list governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations; and how to abbreviate publishers’ names.
• Publication Date : how to identify what constitutes non-traditional date types, such as personal letters, revisions of online works, attendance of live events, and the label “forthcoming” for works yet to be published; dictates to lowercase season with publication date, for example, fall, 2021. 
• Location : how to find location in print, online, unique works viewed or heard firsthand, and physical media other than print works; it also makes URLs optional.

Supplemental Elements

Beyond the core elements are supplemental elements, previously titled “Optional Elements.” The change in name reflects the fact that different circumstances will dictate whether or not these elements are necessary for readers. 

In-Text Citations

While the guidance regarding in-text citation has not changed, the MLA 9’s adjusted approach seeks to reduce the confusion about in-text citations. This chapter explains the need for unambiguous, consistent references to the Works Cited. It also expands on how to style parenthetical citations with quotation marks. A new section, “When Author and Title are not Enough,” helps users navigate works when an author has more than one work of the same title. Finally, expanded guidance on subheads, multiple works, referencing items such as symbols or figure numbers, and quoting the same passage multiple times has been added. 

This new section explains when and how to use notes to provide commentary or additional information. It also explains where and how to place notes in text. 

Annotated Bibliographies

A section has been added that offers guidance for annotated bibliographies. Annotations are succinct descriptions and/or evaluations of a source. Sources should be styled no differently from a list of works cited. However, annotations should be appended at the end of an entry, with one-inch indentations from where the entry begins. Annotations may be written as concise phrases or complete sentences and typically do not exceed one paragraph.

This update includes fewer large overhauls to the methods of MLA 8. MLA 9 instead focuses on providing specificities and examples to each element. This version continues giving writers freedom to judge the appropriate information needed for their specific projects while adding more guidance for readers looking for it. Through MLA 9, users will better understand the following:

• What the core elements look like in different types of works, both traditional and nontraditional.
• How to use in-text citations effectively.
• How to be conscious of the effect on various audiences of gender-specific terms, stereotyped language, people-first language, pronouns, and capitalization.
• What does and does not constitute plagiarism.
• How to format a research paper.
• How to correctly use grammar mechanics.

• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides

Cite a Website in MLA

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in mla, how to create an mla website citation:.

When citing a website, you’re often actually citing a specific page on a website. You’re not actually citing the entire website.

Here is the most common way to cite a page on a website:

• Start the citation with the name of the author who wrote the information on the page. If there isn’t an author listed, do not include this information in the citation. Start the citation with the title.
• The title of the individual page is placed in quotation marks, followed by a period.
• Next, place the name of the website in italics, followed by a comma.
• If the name of the publisher matches the name of the author or the name of the title, do not include the publisher’s information in the citation.
• The date the page or website was published comes next.
• End the citation with the URL or DOI. When including the URL, copy the URL directly from the address bar or link in your browser window.

Last name, First name of author. “Title of Web Page.” Title of Website , Publisher, Date published, URL.

Rothfeld, Lindsay. “Smarter Education: The Rise of Big Data in the Classroom.” Mashable, 3 Sept. 2014, mashable.com/2014/09/03/education-data-video/#hViqdPbFbgqH.

You can usually leave out http:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them. For DOIs, use http:// or https:// before the DOI: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx.

If you’re still confused and feeling the urge to type “How to cite a website MLA” into Google, try out our free generator at the top of this page. Our citation generator MLA site is easy to use!

Social media:

If the user’s handle and real name are similar, you may include the real name and leave out the handle as long as a URL is also included. If the user’s real name and handle are different, include the hand in brackets after the real name.

Gates, Melinda. “Today, Bill and I were deeply humbled to accept France’s Legion of Honour award on behalf of all our foundation’s partners and grantees.” Twitter, 21 Apr. 2017, twitter.com/melindagates/status/855535625713459200.

Sandler, Adam. “California Strong celebrity softball game this Sunday at Pepperdine. All proceeds go to the victims of the wildfires and shooting in Thousand Oaks.” Facebook, 11 Jan. 2019, www.facebook.com/Sandler/.

Mizuhara, Kiko [@I_am_kiko]. “@vivi_mag_official shot by my sis @ashley_yuka.” Instagram, 25 June 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CB27SYahBpo.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources

How to Cite Sources

Here is a complete list for how to cite sources. Most of these guides present citation guidance and examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago.

If you’re looking for general information on MLA or APA citations , the EasyBib Writing Center was designed for you! It has articles on what’s needed in an MLA in-text citation , how to format an APA paper, what an MLA annotated bibliography is, making an MLA works cited page, and much more!

MLA Format Citation Examples

The Modern Language Association created the MLA Style, currently in its 9th edition, to provide researchers with guidelines for writing and documenting scholarly borrowings.  Most often used in the humanities, MLA style (or MLA format ) has been adopted and used by numerous other disciplines, in multiple parts of the world.

MLA provides standard rules to follow so that most research papers are formatted in a similar manner. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the information. The MLA in-text citation guidelines, MLA works cited standards, and MLA annotated bibliography instructions provide scholars with the information they need to properly cite sources in their research papers, articles, and assignments.

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Documentary
• Encyclopedia
• Google Images
• Kindle Book
• Memorial Inscription
• Museum Exhibit
• Painting or Artwork
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Sheet Music
• Thesis or Dissertation
• YouTube Video

APA Format Citation Examples

The American Psychological Association created the APA citation style in 1929 as a way to help psychologists, anthropologists, and even business managers establish one common way to cite sources and present content.

APA is used when citing sources for academic articles such as journals, and is intended to help readers better comprehend content, and to avoid language bias wherever possible. The APA style (or APA format ) is now in its 7th edition, and provides citation style guides for virtually any type of resource.

Chicago Style Citation Examples

The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes ) or at the end of a paper (endnotes).

The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but the Turabian style is geared towards student published papers such as theses and dissertations, while the Chicago style provides guidelines for all types of publications. This is why you’ll commonly see Chicago style and Turabian style presented together. The Chicago Manual of Style is currently in its 17th edition, and Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is in its 8th edition.

Citing Specific Sources or Events

• Declaration of Independence
• Gettysburg Address
• Martin Luther King Jr. Speech
• President Obama’s Farewell Address
• President Trump’s Inauguration Speech
• White House Press Briefing

Additional FAQs

• Citing Archived Contributors
• Citing a Blog
• Citing a Book Chapter
• Citing a Source in a Foreign Language
• Citing an Image
• Citing a Song
• Citing Special Contributors
• Citing a Translated Article
• Citing a Tweet

6 Interesting Citation Facts

The world of citations may seem cut and dry, but there’s more to them than just specific capitalization rules, MLA in-text citations , and other formatting specifications. Citations have been helping researches document their sources for hundreds of years, and are a great way to learn more about a particular subject area.

Ever wonder what sets all the different styles apart, or how they came to be in the first place? Read on for some interesting facts about citations!

1. There are Over 7,000 Different Citation Styles

You may be familiar with MLA and APA citation styles, but there are actually thousands of citation styles used for all different academic disciplines all across the world. Deciding which one to use can be difficult, so be sure to ask you instructor which one you should be using for your next paper.

2. Some Citation Styles are Named After People

While a majority of citation styles are named for the specific organizations that publish them (i.e. APA is published by the American Psychological Association, and MLA format is named for the Modern Language Association), some are actually named after individuals. The most well-known example of this is perhaps Turabian style, named for Kate L. Turabian, an American educator and writer. She developed this style as a condensed version of the Chicago Manual of Style in order to present a more concise set of rules to students.

3. There are Some Really Specific and Uniquely Named Citation Styles

How specific can citation styles get? The answer is very. For example, the “Flavour and Fragrance Journal” style is based on a bimonthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1985 by John Wiley & Sons. It publishes original research articles, reviews and special reports on all aspects of flavor and fragrance. Another example is “Nordic Pulp and Paper Research,” a style used by an international scientific magazine covering science and technology for the areas of wood or bio-mass constituents.

4. More citations were created on  EasyBib.com  in the first quarter of 2018 than there are people in California.

The US Census Bureau estimates that approximately 39.5 million people live in the state of California. Meanwhile, about 43 million citations were made on EasyBib from January to March of 2018. That’s a lot of citations.

5. “Citations” is a Word With a Long History

The word “citations” can be traced back literally thousands of years to the Latin word “citare” meaning “to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite.” The word then took on its more modern meaning and relevance to writing papers in the 1600s, where it became known as the “act of citing or quoting a passage from a book, etc.”

6. Citation Styles are Always Changing

The concept of citations always stays the same. It is a means of preventing plagiarism and demonstrating where you relied on outside sources. The specific style rules, however, can and do change regularly. For example, in 2018 alone, 46 new citation styles were introduced , and 106 updates were made to exiting styles. At EasyBib, we are always on the lookout for ways to improve our styles and opportunities to add new ones to our list.

Why Citations Matter

Here are the ways accurate citations can help your students achieve academic success, and how you can answer the dreaded question, “why should I cite my sources?”

They Give Credit to the Right People

Citing their sources makes sure that the reader can differentiate the student’s original thoughts from those of other researchers. Not only does this make sure that the sources they use receive proper credit for their work, it ensures that the student receives deserved recognition for their unique contributions to the topic. Whether the student is citing in MLA format , APA format , or any other style, citations serve as a natural way to place a student’s work in the broader context of the subject area, and serve as an easy way to gauge their commitment to the project.

They Provide Hard Evidence of Ideas

Having many citations from a wide variety of sources related to their idea means that the student is working on a well-researched and respected subject. Citing sources that back up their claim creates room for fact-checking and further research . And, if they can cite a few sources that have the converse opinion or idea, and then demonstrate to the reader why they believe that that viewpoint is wrong by again citing credible sources, the student is well on their way to winning over the reader and cementing their point of view.

They Promote Originality and Prevent Plagiarism

The point of research projects is not to regurgitate information that can already be found elsewhere. We have Google for that! What the student’s project should aim to do is promote an original idea or a spin on an existing idea, and use reliable sources to promote that idea. Copying or directly referencing a source without proper citation can lead to not only a poor grade, but accusations of academic dishonesty. By citing their sources regularly and accurately, students can easily avoid the trap of plagiarism , and promote further research on their topic.

They Create Better Researchers

By researching sources to back up and promote their ideas, students are becoming better researchers without even knowing it! Each time a new source is read or researched, the student is becoming more engaged with the project and is developing a deeper understanding of the subject area. Proper citations demonstrate a breadth of the student’s reading and dedication to the project itself. By creating citations, students are compelled to make connections between their sources and discern research patterns. Each time they complete this process, they are helping themselves become better researchers and writers overall.

When is the Right Time to Start Making Citations?

Make in-text/parenthetical citations as you need them.

As you are writing your paper, be sure to include references within the text that correspond with references in a works cited or bibliography. These are usually called in-text citations or parenthetical citations in MLA and APA formats. The most effective time to complete these is directly after you have made your reference to another source. For instance, after writing the line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities : “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” you would include a citation like this (depending on your chosen citation style):

(Dickens 11).

This signals to the reader that you have referenced an outside source. What’s great about this system is that the in-text citations serve as a natural list for all of the citations you have made in your paper, which will make completing the works cited page a whole lot easier. After you are done writing, all that will be left for you to do is scan your paper for these references, and then build a works cited page that includes a citation for each one.

Need help creating an MLA works cited page ? Try the MLA format generator on EasyBib.com! We also have a guide on how to format an APA reference page .

2. Understand the General Formatting Rules of Your Citation Style Before You Start Writing

While reading up on paper formatting may not sound exciting, being aware of how your paper should look early on in the paper writing process is super important. Citation styles can dictate more than just the appearance of the citations themselves, but rather can impact the layout of your paper as a whole, with specific guidelines concerning margin width, title treatment, and even font size and spacing. Knowing how to organize your paper before you start writing will ensure that you do not receive a low grade for something as trivial as forgetting a hanging indent.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s a formatting guide on APA format .

3. Double-check All of Your Outside Sources for Relevance and Trustworthiness First

Collecting outside sources that support your research and specific topic is a critical step in writing an effective paper. But before you run to the library and grab the first 20 books you can lay your hands on, keep in mind that selecting a source to include in your paper should not be taken lightly. Before you proceed with using it to backup your ideas, run a quick Internet search for it and see if other scholars in your field have written about it as well. Check to see if there are book reviews about it or peer accolades. If you spot something that seems off to you, you may want to consider leaving it out of your work. Doing this before your start making citations can save you a ton of time in the long run.

Finished with your paper? It may be time to run it through a grammar and plagiarism checker , like the one offered by EasyBib Plus. If you’re just looking to brush up on the basics, our grammar guides  are ready anytime you are.

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Researchers discover that a type of childhood leukaemia originates during fetal development

Researchers from the Institute of Oncology of the University of Oviedo (IUOPA), the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, the University of Barcelona and the Centre for Biomedical Research in Cancer Network (CIBERONC) have demonstrated that some childhood leukaemia originate during embryonic development, although they do not manifest after a few months after birth.

Acute myeloid leukaemia is the second most common type of acute leukaemia in childhood and can be diagnosed within a few months of life. The early onset of the disease had led to the suspicion that the tumour could have a prenatal origin. However, proving this theory has been challenging due to the lack of prenatal or birth samples.

'The opportunity to study the origin of this leukaemia arose from the case of a five-month-old baby diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at the Hospital Niño Jesús in Madrid,' explains Pablo Menéndez, ICREA professor at the University of Barcelona and the Josep Carreras Institute. 'The parents, who had preserved the umbilical cord blood, opened a line of research that until now had not been possible to address,' adds the researcher.

Using precision medicine techniques, researchers analysed the complete genome of the tumour. Unlike tumours in adults, where thousands of mutations are detected, only two chromosomal alterations were identified in this leukaemia. 'Genome analysis allowed us to design a personalised diagnostic method to monitor the disease,' says Xose S. Puente, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Barcelona. Puente, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Oviedo. 'But these data raise new questions, such as when the tumour arose and in what order these mutations have appeared,' he highlights. These questions are difficult to answer, since such research requires blood samples from the baby before the diagnosis, something that is impossible in the vast majority of cases. However, in this particular case, the existence of a frozen umbilical cord sample allowed researchers to separate different populations of blood cells at birth and to study whether any of the chromosomal alterations detected in the tumour were already present during foetal development.

The study revealed that a translocation between chromosome 7 and 12 was already present in some haematopoietic stem cells in the umbilical cord. In contrast, the other chromosomal alteration, a trisomy of chromosome 19, was not present in the foetus, but was found in all tumour cells, suggesting that it contributes to increasing the malignancy of the leukemic cells. 'These data are highly relevant for understanding the development of a devastating disease, and the existence of this umbilical cord sample was crucial to be able for conducting a study that had been impossible until now in acute myeloid leukaemia', adds Talía Velasco, researcher at the Josep Carreras Institute and the University of Barcelona and co-leader of the study.

In addition to reconstructing the genomic alterations that the cells undergo to generate this leukaemia, the study has also identified a molecular mechanism that had not been observed before in this type of leukaemia and which causes the activation of a gene, called MNX1, which is frequently altered in this type of tumour. Knowledge of these alterations is essential for developing cell and animal models that allow us to understand the disease's evolution and develop new therapies for treating these pathologies.

The study has been led by Xose S. Puente, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Oviedo-IUOPA, Talía Velasco and Pablo Menéndez, from the Josep Carreras Institute and the University of Barcelona, with participation from researchers from four other institutions, including the Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, the Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria and the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Princesa de Madrid.

This research has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the parents and funding from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the European Research Council, the AECC Scientific Foundation, the Foundation Unoentrecienmil, the "La Caixa" Foundation, the Government of Catalonia, CIBERONC and the III Health Institute.

• Brain Tumor
• Lung Cancer
• Diseases and Conditions
• Adult stem cell
• Neural development
• Tooth development
• Embryonic stem cell

Story Source:

Materials provided by Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Pablo Bousquets-Muñoz, Oscar Molina, Ignacio Varela, Ángel Álvarez-Eguiluz, Javier Fernández-Mateos, Ana Gómez, Elena G. Sánchez, Milagros Balbín, David Ruano, Manuel Ramírez-Orellana, Xose S. Puente, Pablo Menéndez, Talia Velasco-Hernandez. Backtracking NOM1::ETV6 fusion to neonatal pathogenesis of t(7;12) (q36;p13) infant AML . Leukemia , 2024; DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02293-9

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