mla citation article multiple authors

• Introduction
• Formatting Your Paper
• In-Text Citations
• Films, Movies & Videos
• Multiple Authors
• Social Media
• Video and Audio
• Avoiding Plagiarism
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MLA 9th Edition Citation Guide Multiple Authors

Source with two authors.

Works Cited Page Format:

First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name, Last Name.  Format the remainder according to resource type.

Champaneri, Dushyant D., and Naren K. Patel. “Photo Selective Shade Net: An Effective Tool to Reduce the Impact of Global Warming and Pesticide Residues in Vegetable Production: A Review.”  Agricultural Reviews , vol. 43, no. 2, 2022, pp. 135-44.  EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.18805/ag.R-2363.

In-text Citation Example:

...(Champaneria and Patel 137).

Three or More Authors

Author's Last Name, Author's First Name, et al.  Format the remainder according to resource type. 

Lin, Eugenia, et al. “Imposter Syndrome Among Surgeons Is Associated With Intolerance of Uncertainty and Lower Confidence in Problem Solving.”  Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research , vol. 481, no. 4, 2023, pp. 664–71.  EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1097/CORR.0000000000002390.

...(Lin et al. 665). 

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MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

• Introduction to MLA Style
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• 9th Edition Updates
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Table of Contents

Basic style for citations of electronic sources (including online databases), journal article from library database with doi or a url, journal article in print.

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• ​Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.
• “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed)—While not required, it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.
• Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database (italicized) before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

The eighth edition of the MLA Handbook does not require that you include a date of access—the date on which you consulted a work—when you cite an online work from a reliable, stable source. However, you may include an access date as an optional element if it will be useful to others. (See the MLA Handbook, eighth edition, pp. 50–53, for more on optional elements.)

Including an access date for an online work may be especially useful if the work lacks a publication date or if you suspect that the work may be altered or removed, which is more common with informal or self-published works. Place the access date at the end of the entry.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  N ame of Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/ Permalink . 

Works Cited List Example:

Cardanay, Audrey. “Illustrating Motion, Music, and Story.” General Music Today, vol. 29, no. 3, 2016, pp. 25-29. Academic Search Premier , doi:10.1177/1048371315626498.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: ( Cardanay  444)

Two Authors

First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database ,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink.

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.”  Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR , doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1.

(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Best and Marcus 18)

Three or More Authors

For sources with three or more authors, list only the first author’s name followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for “and others”)

First Author's Last Name, First Name et al. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink. 

Isaac, Kathleen et al. "Incorporating Spirituality in Primary Care." Journal of Religion and Health , vol. 55, no. 3, 2016, pp. 1065-77. ATLA Religion Database , login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=114118885&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Isaac et al. 1067)

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  

Poythress, Vern S. "Rain Water Versus a Heavenly Sea in Genesis 1:6-8." The Westminster Theological Journal, vol. 77, no. 2, 2015, pp. 181-91.

Example: (Poythress 183)

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How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA

Last Updated: April 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 43,930 times.

If you're writing a research paper in the humanities or liberal arts, you may be formatting your citations using the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. This style requires a full citation to sources used in a "Works Cited" page at the end of your paper, as well as parenthetical in-text citations whenever a source is paraphrased or quoted directly. Your format will vary depending on whether you're citing a work with 2 authors or a work with 3 or more authors. [1] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Works Cited Entry

• For example, if you used a book as a source that was written by Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood, your Works Cited entry would start "Potter, Harry."

Tip: Use the author's names in the order they appear on the title page. This is the order that the authors have agreed to, and whose name is listed first is important.

• To continue the previous example, you would write the names of the two authors as "Potter, Harry and Luna Lovegood."

• For example, suppose you were using a book as a source that was written by Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Horace Slughorn. Your Works Cited entry would start "Snape, Severus et al."

In-Text Citation

• For example, you might write "The class intended to teach students how to defend themselves against the dark arts, however, was ineffective (Potter and Lovegood 47)." [6] X Research source

• For example, you might write "Hogwarts professors were deeply disturbed that Voldemort appeared to have infiltrated the school (Snape et al. 92)." [8] X Research source

• For example, you might write "Potter and Lovegood described the Defense Against the Dark Arts class as worthless when it came to teaching them anything they could use to protect themselves from a wizard as powerful as Voldemort (47).

Tip: If the work has 3 or more authors, don't forget to add the abbreviation "et al." after the first author's name, even in the text of your paper.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://research.wou.edu/mla/mla-multipleauthors
• ↑ http://libanswers.snhu.edu/faq/102973
• ↑ https://irsc.libguides.com/mla/intextexamples
• ↑ https://libanswers.snhu.edu/faq/102973

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MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition: Multiple Authors or Editors

• In-Text References
• Works Cited
• One Author or Editor
• Multiple Authors or Editors
• Author and Editor
• Author and Translator
• Organization as Author
• Anonymous Work
• Chapter from an Edited Work
• Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword
• Multivolume Work
• Edition Other than the First
• Dictionary or Encyclopedia
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Book Review
• Basic Webpage
• Video Recording
• Sound Recording
• YouTube Video
• Interview or Personal Communication
• Lecture or Presentation
• Thesis or Dissertation
• Indirect Source
• Government Document
• AI Generated Content

Multiple Authors or Editors - Examples

Example 1 – Two Authors

In-Text:       

(Dobson and Kamboureli 89)

Works Cited:

Example 2 – Two Editors

(Shatz and Wilkinson 156)

Example 3 – Three or more Authors or Editors

( Bennett et al. 303 )

NOTE: In the case of more than three authors or editors, it is also acceptable to include all of the authors' or editors' names in the in-text parenthetical reference and works cited entry, if you choose to do so. Whichever you choose, be consistent.

Help & Guide Contents

Home General Guidelines     In-Text Reference     Works Cited Books     One Author or Editor     Multiple Authors or Editors     Author and Editor     Author and Translator     Organization as Author     Anonymous Work     Chapter from an Edited Work     Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword     Multivolume Work     Edition Other than the First     Dictionary or Encyclopedia     E-Book Articles     Journal Article     Magazine Article     Newspaper Article     Book Review Websites     Basic Webpage     Blog Post     Tweet Audiovisual Media     Video Recording     Sound Recording     YouTube Video Other Sources     Interview or Personal Communication     Lecture or Presentation     Thesis or Dissertation     Scripture     Indirect Source     Government Document Plagiarism

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA In-text Citations

MLA In-Text Citations

An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information.

This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text citations, such as citations in prose and parenthetical citations in the current MLA style, which is in its 9th edition. This style was created by the Modern Language Association . This guide reviews MLA guidelines but is not related directly to the association.

Table of Contents

Here’s a quick rundown of the contents of this guide on how to use in-text citations.

Fundamentals

• Why in-text citations are important
• Prose vs parenthetical in-text citation differences
• Parenthetical citation reference chart

In-text citation examples

• In-text citation with two authors
• In-text citation with 3+ authors
• In-text citation with no authors
• In-text citation with corporate authors
• In-text citation with edited books and anthologies
• In-text citation with no page numbers and online sources
• Citing the same sources multiple times
• Citing 2+ sources in the same in-text citation
• Citing multiple works by the same author in the same in-text citation
• Abbreviating titles
• Citing religious works and scriptures
• Citing long or block quotes

Why are in-text citations important?

In-text citations

• Give full credit to sources that are quoted and paraphrased in a work/paper.
• Help the writer avoid plagiarism.
• Are a signal that the information came from another source.
• Tell the reader where the information came from.

In-text citation vs. in-prose vs. parenthetical

An in-text citation is a general citation of where presented information came from. In MLA, an in-text citation can be displayed in two different ways:

• In the prose
• As a parenthetical citation

While the two ways are similar, there are slight differences. However, for both ways, you’ll need to know how to format page numbers in MLA .

Citation in prose

An MLA citation in prose is when the author’s name is used in the text of the sentence. At the end of the sentence, in parentheses, is the page number where the information was found.

Here is an example

When it comes to technology, King states that we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (11).

This MLA citation in prose includes King’s name in the sentence itself, and this specific line of text was taken from page 11 of the journal it was found in.

Parenthetical citation

An MLA parenthetical citation is created when the author’s name is NOT in the sentence. Instead, the author’s name is in parentheses after the sentence, along with the page number.

Here is an MLA parenthetical citation example

When it comes to technology, we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (King 11).

In the above example, King’s name is not included in the sentence itself, so his name is in parentheses after the sentence, with 11 for the page number. The 11 indicates that the quote is found on page 11 in the journal.

Full reference

For every source that is cited using an in-text citation, there is a corresponding full reference. This allows readers to track down the original source.

At the end of the assignment, on the MLA works cited page , is the full reference. The full reference includes the full name of the author, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue number, the date the journal was published, and the URL where the article was found.

Here is the full reference for King’s quote

King, David Lee. “Why Stay on Top of Technology Trends?” Library Technology Reports , vol. 54, no. 2, Feb.-Mar. 2018, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/2008817033?accountid=35635.

Readers can locate the article online via the information included above.

Citation overview

The next section of this guide focuses on how to structure an MLA in-text citation and reference in parentheses in various situations.

A narrative APA in-text citation and APA parenthetical citation are somewhat similar but have some minor differences. Check out our helpful guides, and others, on EasyBib.com!

Wondering how to handle these types of references in other styles? Check out our page on APA format , or choose from more styles .

Parenthetical Citation Reference Chart

Sources with two authors.

There are many books, journal articles, magazine articles, reports, and other source types written or created by two authors.

When a source has two authors, place both authors’ last names in the body of your work ( Handbook 232). The last names do not need to be listed in alphabetical order. Instead, follow the same order as shown on the source.

In an MLA in-text citation, separate the two last names with the word “and.” After both authors’ names, add a space and the page number where the original quote or information is found on.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with two authors

Gaiman and Pratchett further elaborate by sharing their creepy reminder that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (15).

Here is an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for a book with two authors

Don’t forget that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (Gaiman and Pratchett 15).

If you’re still confused, check out EasyBib.com’s MLA in-text citation generator, which allows you to create MLA in-text citations and other types of references in just a few clicks!

If it’s an APA book citation you’re looking to create, we have a helpful guide on EasyBib.com. While you’re at it, check out our APA journal guide!

Sources With Three or More Authors

There are a number of sources written or created by three or more authors. Many research studies and reports, scholarly journal articles, and government publications are developed by three or more individuals.

If you included the last names of all individuals in your MLA in-text citations or in parentheses, it would be too distracting to the reader. It may also cause the reader to lose sight of the overall message of the paper or assignment. Instead of including all last names, only include the last name of the first individual shown on the source. Follow the first author’s last name with the Latin phrase, “et al.” This Latin phrase translates to “and others.” Add the page number after et al.

Here’s an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for multiple authors

“School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (Tam et al. 299).

The example above only includes the first listed author’s last name. All other authors are credited when “et al.” is used. If the reader wants to see the other authors’ full names, the reader can refer to the final references at the end of the assignment or to the full source.

The abbreviation et al. is used with references in parentheses, as well as in full references. To include the authors’ names in prose, you can either write each name out individually or, you can type out the meaning of et al., which is “and others.”

Here is an acceptable MLA citation in prose example for sources with more than three authors

School library programming in Croatia and Hong Kong is somewhat similar to programming in the United States. Tam, Choi, Tkalcevic, Dukic, and Zheng share that “school library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (299).

If your instructor’s examples of how to do MLA in-text citations for three or more authors looks different than the example here, your instructor may be using an older edition of this style. To discover more about previous editions, learn more here .

Need some inspiration for your research project? Trying to figure out the perfect topic? Check out our Dr. Seuss , Marilyn Monroe , and Malcolm X topic guides!

Sources Without an Author

It may seem unlikely, but there are times when an author’s name isn’t included on a source. Many digital images, films and videos, encyclopedia articles, dictionary entries, web pages, and more do not have author names listed.

If the source you’re attempting to cite does not have an author’s name listed, the MLA in-text citation or parenthetical citation should display the title. If the title is rather long, it is acceptable to shorten it in the body of your assignment. If you choose to shorten the title, make sure the first word in the full citation is also the first word used in the citation in prose or parenthetical citation. This is done to allow the reader to easily locate the full citation that corresponds with the reference in the text.

If, in the Works Cited list, the full reference has the title within quotation marks, include those quotation marks in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses. If the title is written in italics in the full reference, use italics for the title in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses as well.

Parenthetical Citations MLA Examples

The example below is from a poem found online, titled “the last time.” the poem’s author is unknown..

“From the moment you hold your baby in your arms you will never be the same. You might long for the person you were before, when you had freedom and time and nothing in particular to worry about” (“The Last Time”).

The example below is from the movie, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain .

“Perhaps it would have been different if there hadn’t been a war, but this was 1917, and people were exhausted by loss. Those that were allowed to stay manned the pits, mining the coal that would fuel the ships. Twenty-four hours a day they labored” ( Englishman ).

Notice the shortened title in the above reference. This allows the reader to spend more time focusing on the content of your project, rather than the sources.

If you’re looking for an MLA in-text citation website to help you with your references, check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! EasyBib Plus can help you determine how to do in-text citations MLA and many other types of references!

Corporate Authors

Numerous government publications, research reports, and brochures state the name of the organization as the author responsible for publishing it.

When the author is a corporate entity or organization, this information is included in the MLA citation in prose or parenthetical citation.

“One project became the first to evaluate how e-prescribing standards work in certain long-term care settings and assessed the impact of e-prescribing on the workflow among prescribers, nurses, the pharmacies, and payers” (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2).

If the full name of the organization or governmental agency is long in length, it is acceptable to abbreviate some words, as long as they are considered common abbreviations. These abbreviations should only be in the references with parentheses. They should not be used in citations in prose.

Here is a list of words that can be abbreviated in parentheses:

• Department = Dept.
• Government = Govt.
• Corporation = Corp.
• Incorporated = Inc.
• Company = Co.
• United States = US

Example of a shortened corporate author name in an MLA parenthetical citation

“Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (US Govt. Accountability Office 14).

Here is how the same corporate author name would look in an MLA citation in prose

The United States Government Accountability Office states, “Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (14).

Remember, citations in prose should not have abbreviations; other types of references can.

Looking for more information on abbreviations? Check out our page on MLA format.

Edited Books and Anthologies

Edited books and anthologies often include chapters or sections, each written by an individual author or a small group of authors. These compilations are placed together by an editor or a group of editors. There are tons of edited books and anthologies available today, ranging from ones showcasing Black history facts and literature to those focusing on notable individuals such as scientists like Albert Eintein and politicians such as Winston Churchill .

If you’re using information from an edited book or an anthology, include the chapter author’s name in your MLA citation in prose or reference in parentheses. Do not use the name(s) of the editor(s). Remember, the purpose of these references is to provide the reader with some insight as to where the information originated. If, after reading your project, the reader would like more information on the sources used, the reader can use the information provided in the full reference, at the very end of the assignment. With that in mind, since the full reference begins with the author of the individual chapter or section, that same information is what should be included in any citations in prose or references in parentheses.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with an editor

Weinstein further states that “one implication of this widespread adaptation of anthropological methods to historical research was the eclipse of the longstanding concern with “change over time,” and the emergence of a preference for synchronic, rather than diachronic, themes” (195).

Full reference at the end of the assignment

Weinstein, Barbara. “History Without a Cause? Grand Narratives, World History, and the Postcolonial Dilemma.” Postcolonial Studies: An Anthology , edited by Pramod K. Nayar, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, p. 196. Wiley , www.wiley.com/en-us/Postcolonial+Studies%3A+An+Anthology-p-9781118780985.

Once you’re through with writing and citing, run your paper through our innovative plagiarism checker ! It’s the editor of your dreams and provides suggestions for improvement.

Sources Without Page Numbers and Online Sources

When a source has no page numbers, which is often the case with long web page articles, e-books, and numerous other source types, do not include any page number information in the body of the project. Do not estimate or invent your own page numbering system for the source. If there aren’t any page numbers, omit this information from the MLA in-text citation. There may, however, be paragraph numbers included in some sources. If there are distinct and clear paragraph numbers directly on the source, replace the page number with this information. Make it clear to the reader that the source is organized by paragraphs by using “par.” before the paragraph number, or use “pars.” if the information is from more than one paragraph.

Here is an example of how to create an MLA parenthetical citation for a website

“She ran through the field with the wind blowing in her hair and a song through the breeze” (Jackson par. 5).

Here’s an example of an MLA citation in prose for a website

In Brenner’s meeting notes, he further shared his motivation to actively seek out and secure self help resources when he announced, “When we looked at statistical evidence, the most commonly checked out section of the library was self-help. This proves that patrons consistently seek out help for personal issues and wish to solve them with the help of the community’s resources” (pars. 2-3).

Here’s another MLA in-text citation example for a website

Holson writes about a new mindful app, which provides listeners with the soothing sound of not only Bob Ross’ voice, but also the “soothing swish of his painter’s brush on canvas.”

In above example, the information normally found in the parentheses is omitted since there aren’t any page, parentheses, or chapter numbers on the website article.

Looking for APA citation website examples? We have what you need on EasyBib.com!

Need an in-text or parenthetical citation MLA website? Check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! Also, check out MLA Citation Website , which explains how to create references for websites.

Citing the Same Source Multiple Times

It may seem redundant to constantly include an author’s name in the body of a research project or paper. If you use an author’s work in one section of your project, and the next piece of information included is by the same individual(s), then it is not necessary to share in-text, whether in prose or in parentheses, that both items are from the same author. It is acceptable to include the last name of the author in the first use, and in the second usage, only a page number needs to be included.

Here is an example of how to cite the same source multiple times

“One of the major tests is the Project for Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. This measurement was developed over four years as a joint partnership between the Association of Research Libraries and Kent State University” (Tong and Moran 290). This exam is just one of many available to measure students’ information literacy skills. It is fee-based, so it is not free, but the results can provide stakeholders, professors, curriculum developers, and even librarians and library service team members with an understanding of students’ abilities and misconceptions. It is not surprising to read the results, which stated that “upper-level undergraduate students generally lack information literacy skills as evidenced by the results on this specific iteration of the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills test” (295).

The reader can assume that the information in the second quote is from the same article as the first quote. If, in between the two quotes, a different source is included, Tong and Moran’s names would need to be added again in the last quote.

Here is the full reference at the end of the project:

Tong, Min, and Carrie Moran. “Are Transfer Students Lagging Behind in Information Literacy?” Reference Services Review , vol. 45, no. 2, 2017, pp. 286-297. ProQuest , ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/1917280148?accountid=35635.

Citing Two or More Sources in the Same In-text Citation

According to section 6.30 of the Handbook , parenthetical citations containing multiple sources in a single parenthesis should be separated by semicolons.

(Granger 5; Tsun 77) (Ruiz 212; Diego 149)

Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in One In-text Citation

Just as you might want to cite two different sources at the same time, it can also be useful to cite different works by the same author all at once.

Section 6.30 of the Handbook specifies that “citations of different locations in a single source are separated by commas” (251).

(Maeda 59, 174-76, 24) (Kauffman 7, 234, 299)

Furthermore, if you are citing multiple works by the same author, the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

(Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase and Norwegian Wood ) (Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase , Norwegian Wood , and “With the Beatles”)

Abbreviating Titles

When listing the titles, be aware that long titles in parenthetical citations can distract the reader and cause confusion. It will be necessary to shorten the titles appropriately for in-text citations. According to the Handbook , “shorten the title if it is longer than a noun phrase” (237). The abbreviated title should begin with the word by which the title is alphabetized.

Best practice is to give the first word the reference is listed by so the source is easily found in the works cited. Omit articles that start a title: a, an, the. When possible, use the first noun (and any adjectives before it). For more on titles and their abbreviations, head to section 6.10 of the Handbook .

• Full title :  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 
• Abbreviated: Curious
• Full title:  The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks 
• Abbreviated:  Disreputable History

Religious Works and Scriptures

There are instances when religious works are italicized in the text of a project, and times when it is not necessary to italicize the title.

If you’re referring to the general religious text, such as the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an, it is not necessary to italicize the name of the scripture in the body of the project. If you’re referring to a specific edition of a religious text, then it is necessary to italicize it, both in text and in the full reference.

Here are some commonly used editions:

• King James Bible
• The Orthodox Jewish Bible
• American Standard Bible
• The Steinsaltz Talmud
• The Babylonian Talmud
• New International Bible

When including a reference, do not use page numbers from the scripture. Instead, use the designated chapter numbers and verse numbers.

MLA example of an in-text citation for a religious scripture

While, unacceptable in today’s society, the Bible is riddled with individuals who have two, three, and sometimes four or more spouses. One example in the King James Bible , states that an individual “had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1.2)

The only religious scripture that is allowed to be in the text of a project, but not in the Works Cited list, is the Qur’an. There is only one version of the Qur’an. It is acceptable to include the name of the Qur’an in the text, along with the specific chapter and verse numbers.

If you’re attempting to create a reference for a religious work, but it’s not considered a “classic” religious book, such as a biography about Mother Teresa , or a book about Muhammed Ali’s conversion, then a reference in the text and also on the final page of the project is necessary.

If you’re creating an APA bibliography , you do not need to create a full reference for classic religious works on an APA reference page .

For another MLA in-text citation website and for more on the Bible and other source types, click here .

Long or Block Quotes

Quotes longer than four lines are called, “block quotes.” Block quotes are sometimes necessary when you’re adding a lengthy piece of information into your project. If you’d like to add a large portion of Martin Luther King ’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a lengthy amount of text from a Mark Twain book, or multiple lines from Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address, a block quote is needed.

MLA block quotes are formatted differently than shorter quotes in the body of a project. Why? The unique formatting signals to the reader that they’re about to read a lengthy quote.

Block quotes are called block quotes because they form their own block of text. They are set apart from the body of a project with different spacing and margins.

Begin the block quote on a new line. The body of the full project should run along the one inch margin, but the block quote should be set in an inch and a half. The entire quote should be along the inch and a half margin.

If there aren’t any quotation marks in the text itself, do not include any in the block quote. This is very different than standard reference rules. In most cases, quotation marks are added around quoted material. For block quotes, since the reader can see that the quoted material sits in its own block, it is not necessary to place quotation marks around it.

Here is an MLA citation in prose example of a block quote

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, basketball kept his mind busy and focused:

When I got off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home. The store was locked and there was a note from Grama on the house door. Doc Magovern had come to the house because Grampa was “having trouble with his blood.” Now they were off to the hospital and I “wasn’t to worry.” This had happened before. Grampa had pernicious anemia and sometimes was very sick. So, naturally, it worried the pants off me. I actually thought about taking my bike down the dreaded 9N the three miles to the Saratoga Hospital. Instead, I did as I knew they wanted. I opened the store and waited for customers. None came, though, and my eye was caught by the basketball stowed away as usual behind the door. I had to do something to take my mind off what was happening to Grampa. I took out the ball and went around the side. (13)

Notice the use of the colon prior to the start of the block quote. Do not use a colon if the block quote is part of the sentence above it.

Here is an example of the same block quote, without the use of the colon:

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, it was clear that basketball kept his mind busy and focused when he states

When I get off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home…

If two or more paragraphs are included in your block quote, start each paragraph on a new line.

Looking for additional helpful websites? Need another MLA in-text citation website? Check out the style in the news . We also have other handy articles, guides, and posts to help you with your research needs. Here’s one on how to write an MLA annotated bibliography .

Visit our EasyBib Twitter feed to discover more citing tips, fun grammar facts, and the latest product updates.

If you’re looking for information on styling an APA citation , EasyBib.com has the guides you need!

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated July 5, 2021.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
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In MLA style, if multiple sources have the same author , the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

• In-text citation: (Austen Emma and Mansfield Park )
• Structure: (Last name 1st Source’s title and 2nd Source’s title )
• In-text citation: (Leung et al. 58)

If the author is a corporate entity or organization, included the name of the corporate entity or organization in the in-text citation.

• In-text citation: (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2)

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

An in-text citation is a shortened version of the source being referred to in the paper. As the name implies, it appears in the text of the paper. A works cited list entry, on the other hand, details the complete information of the source being cited and is listed within the works cited list at the end of the paper after the main text. The in-text citation is designed to direct the reader to the full works cited list entry. An example of an in-text citation and the corresponding works cited list entry for a journal article with one author is listed below:

In-text citation template and example:

Only the author surname (or the title of the work if there is no author) is used in in-text citations to direct the reader to the corresponding reference list entry. For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author for the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author. If you are directly quoting the source, the page number should also be included in the in-text citation.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Christopher Collins ….

Subsequent occurrences: Collins ….

Parenthetical:

….(Collins)

….(Collins 5)

Works cited list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case and is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the journal is set in italics.

Surname, F. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title , vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, page range.

Collins, Christopher. “On Posthuman Materiality: Art-Making as Rhizomatic Rehearsal.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 2, 2019, pp. 153–59.

Note that because the author’s surname (Collins) was included in the in-text citation, the reader would then be able to easily locate the works cited list entry since the entry begins with the author’s surname.

An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry.

Parenthetical

Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses.

Examples of in-text citations

Here are a few tips to create in-text citations for sources with various numbers and types of authors:

Use both the first name and surname of the author if you are mentioning the author for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the author’s surname. Always use only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Sheele John asserts …. (7).

Subsequent occurrences: John argues …. (7).

…. (John 7).

Two authors

Use the first name and surname of both authors if you are mentioning the work for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the surnames of the two authors. Always use only the authors’ surnames in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Katie Longman and Clara Sullivan ….

Subsequent occurrences: Longman and Sullivan ….

…. ( Longman and Sullivan).

Three or more authors

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” For parenthetical citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Lincy Mathew and colleagues…. or Lincy Mathew and others ….

…. (Mathew et al.).

Corporate author

For citations in prose, treat the corporate author like you would treat the author’s name. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name to the shortest noun phrase. For example, shorten the Modern Language Association of America to Modern Language Association.

The Literary Society of Malaysia….

…. (Literary Society).

If there is no author for the source, use the source’s title in place of the author’s name for both citations in prose and parenthetical citations.

When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, shorten the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to Fantastic Beasts .

Knowing Body of Work explains …. (102).

….( Knowing Body 102).

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• TITLE of SOURCE
• TITLE of CONTAINER
• OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
• PUBLICATION DATE
• Works Cited
• Journal Article with One Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three or More Authors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Reference Work
• Basic Web Page
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government or Agency Document
• YouTube Video
• Electronic Image
• Figures and Charts
• Class Lecture/Notes
• Secondary Sources

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Online help is available anytime via our AskUs 24/7 chat service:

Journal Article with Two Authors (p. 198)

Works Cited List:

Author Surname, First Name and First Name Last Name. "Article Title: Subtitle."  Journal Title, vol.,issue no., year,  pp. page range. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx OR   Name of Database etc., URL of database etc.

Sillick, Thomas  J., and Norman Schutte. "Emotional Intelligence and Self-esteem Mediate between Perceived Early Parental Love and Adult Happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 38-48. JSTOR,   www.jstor.org/stable/23358832.

In-text citation:

(Author Surname & Author Surname, page number)

(Sillick & Schutte40)

MORE EXAMPLES

Academic Journals:

Tip: Include volume and issue number (example:  vol. 23, no. 1 ) when both are available.

-Daily or Weekly Magazines

-monthly magazines.

Tip: When an issue of a magazine covers several months, the name of the first and last month in the range should be given in the citation, separated by a dash, for example:  Apr.-May 2003 .

Tip: When an article appears on nonconsecutive pages (for example A1 and A6) give only the first page number followed by a "+" as shown above. Give the page number on which the material you've used appears in your in-text citation, for example:  (Brown A6) .

Encyclopedia Articles

Book, film and product reviews.

Tip: The name of the work being reviewed should be preceded by "Rev.", and italics or other formatting done as appropriate for items reviewed and the source of the review itself.

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to do in-text citations with multiple authors in MLA

The format of MLA's in-text citations varies depending on the number of authors. In the following sections you will learn how to format in-text citations in MLA style, with one author, two authors, and multiple authors.

One Author in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with one author, include the author’s last name, and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

• (Wollstonecraft 26)

If the author’s name is already stated in the sentence, give only the page number or page range in parenthesis at the end of the sentence, or at the next natural pause. For example:

• As Wollstonecraft stated, “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” (26).

Two authors in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with two authors, include the authors' last names separated by the word and , and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

• (King and Straub 93-101)

If the authors' names are already stated in the sentence, give only the page number or page range in parenthesis at the end of the sentence, or at the next natural pause. For example:

• Stephen King and Peter Straub shared the same opinion (93-101).

Three or more in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with three or more authors, include the first author's last name followed by et al., and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

• (Sumantran et al. 106-114)
• Sumantran et al. carried out a research about the future of the car (106-114).

This citation style guide is based on the MLA Handbook (9 th edition).

More useful guides

• MLA Style Guide, 8th Edition: In-text Examples
• MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics
• How do I cite a source with multiple authors in MLA style (in-text)?

More great BibGuru guides

• Harvard: how to cite an online magazine article
• Chicago: how to cite a documentary
• APA: how to cite an afterword

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MLA Style requires an in-text citation to indicate the sources that were consulted and used in your work.  The in-text citation must correspond with the entry on the Works Cited page,

MLA in-text citations follow the Author-Page style, meaning the author's last name and the page number(s) of the quotation or paraphrase must appear in the text. Page numbers always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence.

General Format

Parenthetical Citation

(Author page#)

Citation in Prose

Author stated that ... (page#).

For Example

(Ramugondo 189)

Ramugondo stated that ....... (189).

Two Authors

(Leon and Andrews 250-258)

Javier F. Leon and Ronald Andrews argue that ....... (250-258).

Three or More Authors

(Zhang et al. 11)

Zhang and colleagues concluded from their experiments that ....... (11).

More Information

•   MLA Guide  (Shapiro Library)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

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MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition

• MLA Style, 9th Edition
• In-text citations
• Books - Multiple Authors
• Books - with editors, translators, etc.
• Book - Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc
• Books - later editions
• Articles - Multiple Authors
• Articles - from scholarly journals
• Articles - from newspapers
• Articles - from magazines
• YouTube Video
• Television Shows
• Images from the Web
• Works Cited: Websites
• Works Cited: Social Media / Informal Communication
• Works Cited: Conference Proceeding/Paper
• Don't See an Example for Your Source?!
• Report an Error / Question

Two Authors

When a work has two authors, include them in the order they appear on the work, and invert the first author's name but write out the second author's name normally.

Works Cited Format:

In-Text Citation Examples:

Author within the text, direct quote:

Authors not in the text, direct quote:

Three or More Authors

Invert the first author's name add a comma and "et al."

In-text Citation Examples:

Authors within the text, direct quote:

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MLA 9th Edition

What are you citing, books, ebooks, & book chapters, journal and magazine articles, news articles, websites and webpages.

Journal & Magazine Articles

News Articles 

Websites & Webpages

Book Basics

Books usually have at least 4 of the core elements - the author, title of source, publisher, and publication date. Books may also require a title of container, contributor(s), version, number, or location.

Much of the information you need will be on the title page of the book, such as the author/editor/translator, the title, and the publisher name. You can often find the publication date on the back of the title page, which is called the verso. Sometimes the publisher information is found here as well instead of the title page. 

Book by a Single Author

This example is a straightforward citation of a book with one author. Notice how this citation only requires four pieces of information – the author, publication date, title of the book, and the publisher name. Books may also require a title of container, contributor(s), version, number, or location.

You can often find the publication date on the back of the title page, which is called the verso.

Author Last, Author First. Title of Book in Italics and Title Case . Publisher, Publication Date.

Brettell, Caroline. Anthropological Conversations: Talking Culture Across Disciplines . Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.

Madigan, Michael L. First Responders Handbook: An Introduction . 2nd ed., CRC Press, 2018.

Book by Two Authors

Authors or editors’ names at the beginning of a citation are inverted. For 2 authors, list the first author with last name first. Then the second author is listed first name last name. This formatting helps with the alphabetization of the Works Cited list.

Author, First and Second Author.  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case . Publisher, Publication Date.

Berger, Kathleen S. and Ross A. Thompson. The Developing Person Through Childhood . Worth Publishers, 2003.

Book by Three Authors

Authors or editors’ names at the beginning of a citation are inverted. If there are 3 or more authors, put the first author's name as last name, first name. Then follow the name with the abbreviation et al. Et al. means "and also" in Latin.

Author, First, et al.  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case . Publisher, Publication Date.

Verdier, Thierry, et al. The Organization of Firms in a Global Economy . Harvard UP, 2008.

Messinger, Lisa Mintz, et al. African-American Artists, 1929-1945: Prints, Drawings, and Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art . Yale UP, 2003. Google Books , https://www.google.com/books/edition/African_American_Artists_1929_1945/FcFzcEMfHm0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=african+american&printsec=frontcover.

Book with No Author

If there is no author, you can move the title to the beginning of the citation in place of the author. The book title remains in the second position.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose . Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1 April 2005.  Project Gutenberg , https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7864/pg7864-images.html

Book with an Edition and/or Volume Number

• Include editions in the Version element space and volumes in the Volume element space of the MLA template. If your book only has one, skip the other element. 

Editions are abbreviated as ed., and numbered editions are represented with numerals.

5th ed.,  

Volumes are also abbreviated. They are formatted as vol.  

vol. 19, 

Author Last, Author First. Title of Book in Italics and Title Case . Edition, Vol. Number, Publisher, Publication Date.

Butler, John Sibley.  Entrepreneurship and Self-Help among Black Americans: A Reconsideration of Race and Economics, Revised Edition, State University of New York Press, 2005.

Martin, George R. R.  A Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire , vol. 1, Bantum Books, 29 Oct. 2013.

Kinni, Fongot Kini-Yen.  Pan-Africanism: Political Philosophy and Socio-Economic Anthropology for African Liberation and Governance: Caribbean and African American Contributions . Vol 2, Langaa RPCIG, 2015.  Ebook Central , https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/xula-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4397438.

Book with a Translator or Other Contributor

• Contributors are those who have creative responsibility besides writing, such as translators, editors, performers, producers, and directors.
• Contributors in the Other Contributor element space are formatted with their role first – translated by, directed by, performed by, etc. - followed by their first name then last name. 

Contributors in the Author Element space are formatted with their contribution after their name separated by a comma. Place the contributor in the author's space when you are focusing on their aspect of the contribution. For example, you could be commenting on an actor's performance, a translator's interpretive decisions, or an director's cut. 

Author Last, Author First. Title of Book in Italics and Title Case . Translated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Date.

Contributor Last Name, First Name, role.  Title of Work in Italics and Title Case . Publisher, Publication Date.

García Márquez, Gabriel.  The Scandal of the Century and Other Writings . Translated by Anne McLean, First edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 2019.

Ganguli, Kisari Mohan, translator. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose . 1 April 2005.  Project Gutenberg , https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7864/pg7864-images.html.

Chapter in a Book with an Editor

• You may also see this called work in an anthology. When a book has an editor, it usually means that the chapters or articles in the book are written by different authors or by a group author. You will often want to cite the specific chapter you’re using rather than the whole book. Look for the editor information on the title page. If the book has an edition, include it in the Version part of the template. If it has a Volume number, include it in the Number part of the template.

Author (s), "Title of Chapter or Work in Quotations."  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case , edited by editors names, Publisher Name, Publication Date, Page number rage pp. xxx-xxx. 

Jarrett, Gene Andrew. "Loosening the Straightjacket: Rethinking Racial Representation in African American Anthologies."  Publishing Blackness: Textual Constructions of Race Since 1850, edited by George Hutchinson and John K. Young, University of Michigan Press, 2016, pp. 160-174. 

eBook from a Library Database

• An eBook from a library database requires two additional pieces of information: the database and the DOI/Stable URL. These are the Title of Container 2 and the Location 2 elements on the MLA template.
• Keep in mind that ProQuest, EBSCO, Gale, Wilson, etc. are publisher names. Publishers distribute the information and usually have many different databases. You're looking for the specific database name. If you're searching directly in the database, you can find the name above the search bar. If you are using the main library search, the database name is the one you click on under View Online: Full Text Availability.
• Make sure your URLs are not hyperlinked, underlined, or blue.

Author, First.  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case .  Database Name , Publisher, Publication Date, DOI or permalink.

Butler, John Sibley.  Entrepreneurship and Self-Help among Black Americans: A Reconsideration of Race and Economics, Revised Edition, State University of New York Press, 2005.  Ebook Central , https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/xula-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3408621.

Hutchinson, George and John K. Young, editors.  Publishing Blackness: Textual Constructions of Race Since 1850, edited by George Hutchinson and John K. Young, University of Michigan Press, 2016. Project Muse , https://doi.org/10.1353/book.21936.

eBook from Somewhere Else

• You may find eBooks in places other than the library databases, such as Google Books, Archive.org, Project Gutenbrg, or government websites. 
• An eBook requires two additional pieces of information to a print book: the database/site it came from and the DOI/Stable URL. These are the Title of Container 2 and the Location 2 elements on the MLA template.

Author, First.  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case .  Site Name in Italics , Publisher, Publication Date, DOI or permalink.

eBook Chapter

Author (s), "Title of Chapter or Work in Quotations."  Title of Book in Italics and Title Case , edited by editors names, Publisher Name, Publication Date, Page number rage pp. xxx-xxx.  Database or Site Name in Italics , DOI or URL.

Jarrett, Gene Andrew. "Loosening the Straightjacket: Rethinking Racial Representation in African American Anthologies."  Publishing Blackness: Textual Constructions of Race Since 1850, edited by George Hutchinson and John K. Young, University of Michigan Press, 2016, pp. 160-174. Project Muse , https://doi.org/10.1353/book.21936.

Journal Basics

• Journal and magazine articles have very similar citations. Unless you're citing a print article, the citation will have two containers: the journal/magazine and the library database/site where you got the article. So most journal and magazine articles will use 8 citation elements: The author(s), Title of the source, Title of the container, Number, Publication date, Location, Title of container 2, and Location 2. 

The author(s) : The authors

Title of the source : Title of the Article formatted in quotations and all major words capitalized

Title of the container : Title of the Journal formatted in italics and all major words capitalized

Number : Volume and Issue Number formatted vol. xx, no. xx,

Publication date : Year or Season of Publication formatted day month year.

Location : Page number range formatted pp. xxx-xxx.

Title of container 2 : Database Name formatted in italics and all major words capitalized

Location 2 : DOI or Stable URL formatted without blue, underlining, or hyperlinking

• If you are using the HTML version of an article, it may help to open the PDF to find some of the information, such as the page numbers or DOI. 

Check out this video for an in depth look on how to cite a journal article step by step:

Author, First and Second Author. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Journal or Magazine in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, page numbers.  Database Name or Google Scholar in Italics , doi:(or https://doi.org/xxx.xxx). 

Rauer, Amy, and Brenda Volling. “More Than One Way to be Happy: A Typology of Marital Happiness.”  Family Process , vol.52, no.3, 2013, pp. 519-534.  Academic Search Complete , doi:10.1111/famp.12028. 

Without DOI

Author, First. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Publication in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, page numbers,  Database Name  or Google Scholar  in italics , article's stable URL.

Giddings, Paula. “Missing in Action Ida B. Wells, the NAACP, and the Historical Record.”  Meridians , vol. 1, no. 2, 2001, pp. 1–17.  JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/40338447. 

From the Publication's Website

Author, First. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Publication in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, article's stable URL.

Tatarsky, Alex. "Some Remarks on Being Yourselves." Triplecanopy , no. 28, 30 June 2023, https://canopycanopycanopy.com/contents/some-remarks-on-being-yourselves. 

Author, First. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Journal/Magazine in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, page numbers,  Database Name  or Google Scholar  in italics , DOI or article's stable URL.

Giddings, Paula. “Missing in Action Ida B. Wells, the NAACP, and the Historical Record.”  Meridians , vol. 1, no. 2, 2001, pp. 1–17.  JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/40338447.  

Two Authors

Author, First and Second Author. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Journal or Magazine in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, page numbers.  Database Name or Google Scholar in Italics , DOI or URL.

Rauer, Amy, and Brenda Volling.“More Than One Way to be Happy: A Typology of Marital Happiness.”  Family Process , vol.52, no.3, 2013, pp. 519-534.  Academic Search Complete , doi:10.1111/famp.12028. 

Three or More Authors

Author, First, et al. "Title of Article in Quotations."  Title of the Journal or Magazine in Italics,  volume, issue, publication date, page numbers.  Database Name or Google Scholar in Italics , DOI or URL.

Della Porta, Donatella, et al. “The Spreading of the Black Lives Matter Movement Campaign: The Italian Case in Cross‐National Perspective*.”  Sociological Forum , vol. 37, no. 3, Sept. 2022, pp. 700–21. Academic Search Complete , https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.12818.

• News articles are cited in a similar way as magazine articles with the name of the paper in italics and including volume and issue numbers if the newspaper has them (though most do not).
• Pagination in a newspaper may look different than other sources including letters as well as numbers.
• If a newspaper isn't well known and the city of its origin isn't in the newspaper name, you'll want to include the city in brackets next to the name. 

Print Newspaper Article

Author Last Name, First Name.   "Title of Article." Name of Newspaper in Italics [city of newspaper if not in paper name], Day Month Year, p.   p age number .

Minor, Zak. "Making a Difference: Couple Honored for Work with Endangered Plants."  Daily Press [Newport, VA], Final ed., sec. Williamsburg Town Square, 8 Aug. 2008, p. G1.

News Article from a Website

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Website in Italics,  Date of Publication, URL.

Donze, Beth. "Faith in Action Propels 2024 Regina Matrum."  Clarion Herald,  10 May 2024, https://clarionherald.org/news/faith-inaction-propels-2024-regina-matrum.

News Article from a Library Database

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article"  Name of Newspaper in Italics  [city of newspaper if not in paper name], Day Month Year, p. page number if available.  Name of Database in italics, Permalink .  

Garced, Kristi. "Film Review: Margiela is Still Missing."  WWD [Los Angeles], vol. 209, no. 86, 2015, pp. 60 . ProQuest , https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/fashion-agenda-briefs-film-review/docview/1728699776/se-2.

Jones, Solomo-n. "Why Many African Americans Oppose U.S. Aid in Israel’s offensive in Gaza - As Protests Over the Conflict Surge on College Campuses, the Perspective of Many Black Americans is Shaped by the Bias and Racism We’ve Experienced for Centuries."  Philadelphia Inquirer,  28 Apr. 2024, p. E5.  NewsBank: Access World News , https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=846CAAE2A95543E49DCE8F32F6692B8D&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews/198B9140433DFC90.

*Note: Permalinks in databases are not found in the browser bar. Look for the link or share icons or the words "permalink" or "stable url."

"Name of Webpage."  Name of Website in Italics . Publisher Name, Date, url. 

“Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers.”  Occupational Outlook Handbook . U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9 Apr. 2021, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm.

• The trickiest part about blogs is determining whether it is a blog to begin with. The line between blog, magazine, news, and website has become increasingly blurry. This is one of the reasons MLA created a single template for flexibility. You don't need to get caught up in defining the source type, simply put as much information as is available in the citation so that your audience can find it. 
• If a blog is reposting work created by someone else, the original author or creator should be cited first in the Author slot of the MLA Template.
• Blog creators, cite as created by
• Posters, cite as posted by
• Editors, cite as edited by
• Translators, cite as translated by
• Sometimes only usernames or handles are listed instead of an author's name. If no name is given, include the username or handle instead. When alphabetizing a username that starts with a hashtag or other symbol, ignore the symbol and alphabetize by the first letter after the symbol. 

Name or Handle of Original Author. “Title of the Blog Post in Title Case.”  Name of Blog in Italics , Other Contributors if Any, Day Month Year, URL.

Breyer, Melissa. “Swap Half Your Meat and Dairy with Plant-Based Alternatives to Save the Forests.”  Treehugger , 12 Sept. 2023, https://www.treehugger.com/swap-half-meat-dairy-save-forests-7968039.

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MLA 9 Citation Style: Database Article with Two Authors

• Textbook With One Author
• Textbook With Two Authors
• Textbook With Three or More Authors
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook with One Author (Mobile)
• Textbook with Two Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook with Three or More Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Anthology or Edited Book
• Work in an Anthology or Edited Book
• Two or More Selections from the Same Anthology or Edited Book
• Journal Article (Print)
• Journal Article (Online)
• Newspaper Articles (Print)
• Newspaper Articles (Online)
• Database Article with One Author
• Database Article with Two Authors
• Database Article with More Than Three Authors
• Database Previously Published Scholarly Article (Blooms, MasterPlots, Literary Reference Center)
• Online Government Publication
• Website with an Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Website with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Web Page with Author
• Web Page with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Art – From a Book
• Art – From a Web Page
• Picture/Photo Online -- General
• Motion Picture -- DVD
• Motion Picture -- Streaming
• Video -- Online (YouTube, etc.)
• An Interview You Conducted
• Lecture Notes, PowerPoints, or Handouts from Class
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
• Popular vs. Scholarly Sources
• Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

MLA Citation -- Database Article With Two Authors

Note : When you have multiple authors for an article, cite them in the same order as they appear on the article. For the URL, use the Permalink URL available when viewing the article.

Works Cited List Format

Last name of first author, First name of second author, and First name, middle initial, last name of the second author. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal , Volume number, Issue number, Date, Page(s). Name of Database , DOI or URL. Accessed Date.

In-Text Citation Format

(First Author’s Last Name and Second Author’s Last name p. # * )

* Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

Works Cited List Example

Whipple, Thomas W., and Mary K. McManamon. “Implications of Using Male and Female Voices in Commercials: An Exploratory Study.” Journal of Advertising , vol. 31, no. 2, Summer 2002, pp. 79-91. EBSCOhost , doi: 10.1080/00913367.2002.10673668. Accessed 21 Jan. 2019.

In-Text Citation Example

(Whipple and McManamon 87)

For Database Citations

If a DOI (digital object identifier) is available for an electronic source, include it using the prefix https://doi.org/ and remove the hyperlink.

Include the URL for digital sources, but remove the hyperlink and do not include the http:// part of the URL.

When citing digital sources, you must include the date you accessed the source in the form of “Accessed day month year” at the end of the citation on the Works Cited page.

Abbreviate most months in Works Cited entries:

Jan.                  July

Feb.                 Aug.

Mar.                 Sept.

Apr.                 Oct.

May                 Nov.

June                 Dec.

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: reasons: a benchmark for retrieval and automated citations of scientific sentences using public and proprietary llms.

Abstract: Automatic citation generation for sentences in a document or report is paramount for intelligence analysts, cybersecurity, news agencies, and education personnel. In this research, we investigate whether large language models (LLMs) are capable of generating references based on two forms of sentence queries: (a) Direct Queries, LLMs are asked to provide author names of the given research article, and (b) Indirect Queries, LLMs are asked to provide the title of a mentioned article when given a sentence from a different article. To demonstrate where LLM stands in this task, we introduce a large dataset called REASONS comprising abstracts of the 12 most popular domains of scientific research on arXiv. From around 20K research articles, we make the following deductions on public and proprietary LLMs: (a) State-of-the-art, often called anthropomorphic GPT-4 and GPT-3.5, suffers from high pass percentage (PP) to minimize the hallucination rate (HR). When tested with this http URL (7B), they unexpectedly made more errors; (b) Augmenting relevant metadata lowered the PP and gave the lowest HR; (c) Advance retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) using Mistral demonstrates consistent and robust citation support on indirect queries and matched performance to GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. The HR across all domains and models decreased by an average of 41.93%, and the PP was reduced to 0% in most cases. In terms of generation quality, the average F1 Score and BLEU were 68.09% and 57.51%, respectively; (d) Testing with adversarial samples showed that LLMs, including the Advance RAG Mistral, struggle to understand context, but the extent of this issue was small in Mistral and GPT-4-Preview. Our study contributes valuable insights into the reliability of RAG for automated citation generation tasks.

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