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MLA Citation Examples

Mla citation examples, mla 9th edition update, core elements.

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Citing a Source within a Source
• DOIs and URLs
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
• Online Classroom Materials
• Conference Papers
• Technical and Research Reports
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews and E-mail Messages
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Based on the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition, 2021

MLA Document Formatting Videos on how to format your paper in MLA style using Microsoft Word, including how to do hanging indents for your works cited list.

Need More Help?  For further guidance on MLA citations, please visit  The MLA Style Center . You can also  ask a librarian  for help with citation-related questions. 

The Modern Language Association (MLA) updated its style manual in April 2021. The 9th edition focuses on clarification, guidance, and expansion on MLA 8, an edition that featured extensive changes. The Works Cited formats developed in MLA 8 remains the same in MLA 9, but with more guidance and focus particularly with emerging sources, digital and otherwise. In MLA 9, there is more guidance on the core elements system to create a Works Cited, more details into in-text citations, a new chapter on inclusive language, and a reintroduction of MLA guidance on writing and grammar which was absent in MLA 8.

Entries in MLA works-cited lists are created using a template of the core elements, information common to most sources like author, title, and publication date.

• Title of Source.
• Title of Container,
• Contributor,
• Publication Date,

You will include information based off of the type of source you are using and omit any element that does not apply except Title of Source. If there is no title given, you will use a description of the source as a title. Conclude each element with the punctuation mark shown in the template, but always end the citation with a period.

If a source is contained within another source, like an article published within a journal, you can repeat the core elements for a container to include all of the information about the source.

• Title of Container 2,

Use the navigation on the left side of the screen to see how to put these core elements to use for different types of sources.

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• Last Updated: Jun 26, 2024 12:24 AM
• URL: https://libguides.umgc.edu/mla-examples

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What is mla style.

Building confidence in the information and ideas we share with one another is perhaps more important today than ever before, and for nearly a century it has been the driving principle behind MLA style, a set of standards for writing and documentation used by writers to find and evaluate information, alert their audience to the trustworthiness of their findings through citation, and shape the expression of their ideas in conversation with others. 

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MLA Handbook , 9th Edition

The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook , published in spring 2021, builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The new edition offers

• New chapters on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, abbreviations, and principles of inclusive language
• Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group projects
• Revised, comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format that are easier to learn and use than ever before
• A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more
• Detailed examples of how to find publication information for a variety of sources
• Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including comprehensive advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work
• Detailed guidance on using notes in MLA style
• Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism
• Annotated bibliography examples
• Numbered sections throughout for quick navigation
• Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars

The MLA Style Center offers free online resources on MLA style, including an interactive MLA format template, answers to common questions on Ask the MLA, advice from the MLA editors, and more. Get updates by signing up for The Source newsletter, and follow us on Twitter @MLAstyle .

• Free Tools for Students
• MLA Citation Generator

Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Using MLA Format

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Works cited quick guide.

Learn how to use the MLA format template.

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Read our guide about using notes in MLA style.

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Get our guidelines for setting up academic research papers.

Formatting Captions

Learn how to format captions.

Sample Papers

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Annotated Bibliographies

Learn how to set up an annotated bibliography.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Annotated Bibliography Format

MLA Annotated Bibliography Format

The mla style center provides the following guidance for formatting an mla annotated bibliography:.

• Title your reference page as “Annotated Bibliography” or “Annotated List of Works Cited.”
• Include annotations after the full, listed reference.
• Annotations should typically not exceed a single paragraph.
• If you do exceed one paragraph, indent each new paragraph but do not add extra space between them.
• For more information on writing an annotation, visit the general annotated bibliography guide.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

Book example

Website example.

• Using-the-EasyBib-annotation-tool

Troubleshooting

Here are general mla bibliography format guidelines that also apply:.

• Organize sources alphabetically by author or title, by the publication date, or by subject. Ask your instructor how they would like this organized if they haven’t provided specific guidance.
• The entire bibliography MLA page or pages should be double-spaced.
• Have 1-inch margins around the page.

If you don’t need to include annotations with your citations, this guide on creating a regular MLA works cited page can help!

Forsyth, Mark. The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase . Penguin Books, 2014.

The author, Mark Forsyth, examines the rhetorical devices used in the English language, analyzing the patterns and formats that create memorable quotes. He traces the history of rhetoric to the Ancient Greeks, and provides an abridged timeline, following their use and evolution through to modern day. The author also explores the broader subject of persuasion and maps out the role that the figures of rhetoric play in it. In all, he examines over thirty devices, dissecting notable passages and phrases from pop music, the plays of William Shakespeare, the Bible, and more to explore the figures of rhetoric at work within each of them. Thorough definitions accompany this examination of structure to demonstrate how these formulas have been used to generate famously memorable expressions as well as how to reproduce their effects.

Here is another annotated bibliography example in MLA for an article on the MLA website.

Citation with annotation:

“What Guidance Should I Give My Students for Preparing an Annotated Bibliography?” The MLA Style Center , The Modern Language Association, 4 Nov. 2016, style.mla.org/annotated-bibliographies/.

This article offers brief and clear directions for MLA formatting of a bibliography with annotations. Citing James Harner’s On Compiling an Annotated Bibliography , it provides guidelines for writing annotations that can be applied to either paraphrase or commentary form. It also demonstrates how writing annotations can benefit students who are tasked with researching a subject and offers instruction on the organization of entries and acceptable page titles. While the advice is tailored to respond to a question posed by an instructor, students and researchers may also benefit from the guidance that the MLA provided.

Citation without annotation:

The following is an example MLA format Works Cited citation for an article on the MLA website. This MLA bibliography example shows what the entry will look like without an annotation:

“What Guidance Should I Give My Students for Preparing an Annotated Bibliography?” The MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association, 4 Nov. 2016, style.mla.org/annotated-bibliographies/

Note that this MLA bibliography does not contain an introductory paragraph. If you are including a prefatory section, it should reside between the page title and the initial entry.

The MLA follows the rules set forth in James L. Harner’s On Compiling an Annotated Bibliography , 2nd edition, which they published in 2000. Harner submits that the typical organization for this type of work “…consists of three parts: prefatory matter, entries, and an index” (7). Following this, he adds, however, that “an electronic bibliography rarely includes an index” (7).

The “prefatory matter” functions similarly to an introduction, and “typically consists of an introduction, an explanation of editorial procedures, acknowledgements, and separate lists of abbreviations, major reference sources searched, and the subject author’s works” (7). He expands on this, “You must explain – and, if necessary, offer a rationale for – the taxonomy, the kinds of works included and excluded, and the chronological span (especially terminal date) of scholarship covered” (7).

Using the EasyBib annotation tool

If you create your citations using the EasyBib citation generator, then you can also access the annotation tool!

When you create a new or edit an existing citation, you’ll review a citation form that lists every piece of information for the citation. At the bottom of this form is a section called “More options.” In this section, simply click the “Add annotation” text to open the tool. Copy and paste your annotation here, complete your citation, and both the citation and annotation will be automatically formatted together!

Always consult your instructor

Your instructor or school may have additional or different requirements for how you format and organize this page. If your teacher or professor requires an introduction, they may identify specific points to include or exclude which deviate from Harner’s definition, so it’s essential that you verify your understanding of the assignment before beginning.

If you are required to share your references in a manner other than in MLA bibliography format, there is also a guide on  APA annotated bibliographies .

Solution #1: How do I annotate a source that is an image or video?

To annotate a visual source like an image or video, describe the important elements of your visual source to your reader as you would with a textual source.

If it is a painting, for example, you do not need to describe every color you see or the mood of the painting, but it may be important to include the artistic movement of which it is a part of, the style of painting, the subject, the culture of origin, or any information about the artist.

Keep in mind the style of annotation you are using for your works-cited annotations, whether you are providing more commentary on sources or simply summarizing them. Maintain the style of annotation consistent for all your annotations. Commentary will include more information about why a source is relevant to your paper, whereas a summary will more plainly describe the source.

van Gogh, Vincent. The Starry Night . 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

MoMA.org ,   https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/vincent-van-gogh

-the-starry-night-1889/

Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is a depiction of the night sky seen above the Saint-Paul mental asylum in Saint-Remy, France, where van Gogh received care as his mental health waned. van Gogh was born in Holland, but spent significant time in France. The influence of contemporaneous artistic styles such as Impressionism, Pointilism, and Neo-Impressionism can be seen in The Starry Night . The Starry Night combines the observable world with the world of van Gogh’s emotion, memory, and imagination.

Solution #2: How do I annotate a source that is an audio recording, song, or interview?

Annotate your works-cited MLA citation for an audio recording the same way you would for a textual source.

Keep the style of your annotations consistent, whether you are commenting on sources or simply summarizing sources.

Important elements of your audio source to consider in your annotation may include the following elements: the speaker(s) in the recording, where and when the recording was taken, the important members of the band or musicians of a song, or, if it is a clip, the context of the complete recording.

Describe your audio source as best you can in about 4-5 sentences for your annotation.

For example:

Tavernise, Sabrina. “Why Do So Many Traffic Stops Go Wrong?” The Daily , The New York Times,

1 Nov. 2021. Spotify app.

David D. Kirkpatrick, a national correspondent for the New York Times , breaks down years’ worth of investigative journalism from the NYT. Their journalism focused on casualties due to routine traffic stops performed by police nationwide. The NYT’s reporting suggested that many cities and municipalities may rely heavily on revenue generated from traffic tickets, and that officers may be encouraged to make more, even unnecessary, traffic stops. Kirkpatrick also suggested that training may encourage police to use unnecessary force and escalate encounters during traffic stops, as misleading data has been used to teach officers that traffic stops are disproportionately deadly for police.

Solution #3: How long should my annotation be?

An annotation for an MLA works-cited citation should be about a paragraph long. It shouldn’t be a few words or just one sentence.

If your annotation definitely needs to be longer than 4-5 sentences, make a new paragraph and indent it, but do not add any additional space or line breaks between the paragraphs of your annotation.

• Works Cited

Harner, James L. On Compiling an Annotated Bibliography. 2nd ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2000.

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

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

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An annotated bibliography is a list containing complete information of sources (such as journals, books, and reports) cited in the text, along with a note or annotation for each source. It provides a brief description of each source in about 100–150 words. Below is an example of an annotated bibliography:

Annotated bibliography example:

Morritt, Robert D. Beringia: Archaic Migrations into North America . Cambridge Scholars Pub, 2011.

The author studies the migration of cultures from Asia to North America. The connection between the North American Athabaskan language family and Siberia is presented, together with comparisons and examinations of the implications of linguistics from anthropological, archaeological, and folklore perspectives. This book explores the origins of the earliest people in the Americas, including Siberian, Dene, and Navajo Creation myths; linguistic comparisons between Siberian Ket Navajo and Western Apache; and comparisons between indigenous groups that appear to share the same origin.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America . Metropolitan Books, 2009.

In this book, Barbara Ehrenreich shows how harmful the positive thinking movement is, how it means self-blame, victim-blaming, and national denial, inviting disaster. She shows that it wrecks efforts for education, skills, and reforms. The book analyzes how the school of mindless optimism was born, fed the subprime scandal, and has come to infect mainstream corporate management thinking.

An annotated bibliography, which contains a source and a description or an evaluation of a source, is always double-spaced.

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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the  MLA Handbook  and in chapter 7 of the  MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

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

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's  The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's  Evaluating Sources of Information  resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: MLA Annotated Bibliography

• Works Cited entries: What to Include
• Title of source
• Title of container
• Contributors
• Publication date
• Supplemental Elements
• Book with Personal Author(s)
• Book with Organization as Author
• Book with Editor(s)
• Parts of Books
• Government Publication
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Multivolume Works
• Newspaper Article
• Other Formats
• Websites, Social Media, and Email
• About In-text Citations
• In-text Examples
• How to Paraphrase and Quote
• Citing Poetry
• Formatting Your MLA Paper
• Formatting Your Works Cited List
• MLA Annotated Bibliography
• MLA 9th Edition Quick Guide
• Submit Your Paper for MLA Style Review

Annotated Bibliography

• Updated MLA Ninth Edition Annotated Bibliography Template

This template includes a space to add your topic and thesis statement as this is preferred for the annotated bibliography assignments in ENC courses taught at IRSC. Always follow your professor's instructions over any instructions on this LibGuide or inside the MLA Handbook.

Your professor may ask that you create an annotated bibliography in MLA style. An annotated bibliography is similar to the Works Cited page found at the end of a paper. The paper formatting is the same but instead of following a full research paper, the student will write a brief annotation for each source which will directly follow the source's Works Cited entry. The annotations contain descriptive or evaluative comments about your sources. Annotations should be short, typically no longer than one paragraph. Indent the annotation an inch from the start of the entry. Each citation should adhere to MLA guidelines. The title might be 'Annotated Bibliography' or 'Annotated List of Works Cited'.

Below is an example of an annotated bibliography in MLA style. You are welcome to use the template linked above to get you started with the correct formatting.

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• Next: MLA 9th Edition Quick Guide >>
• Last Updated: May 21, 2024 5:26 PM
• URL: https://irsc.libguides.com/mla

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How To Do Research

MLA 9th Edition Citation Style

Pause or complete the video before closing. Otherwise it will keep playing.

MLA (Modern Language Association) format is most commonly used to cite sources in the humanities. The following examples use MLA 9th edition.

Parenthetical Citation

MLA format uses a parenthetical citation, which is a brief mention in the text of your paper that leads the reader to the complete information about that reference. It usually appears at the end of a sentence. A parenthetical citation involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase. The author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your works cited page.

Seed says of Dracula “in short, he is a combination of Gothic villain, Regency rake, and monster” (62).

Dracula, “…is a combination of Gothic villain, Regency rake, and monster” (Seed 62).

Seed believes that Dracula is a mix of scoundrel, ogre, and devilish man (62).

Reference List

Parenthetical citations will refer your reader to the full list of sources you used. This list is at the end of your paper.

• Works Cited : A list of sources that are directly quoted, summarized or paraphrased in the writing. 
• Bibliography : A list of sources that were used in the background research, development of ideas, and any other research that contributed to the writing.

For both a works cited page and bibliography, references are listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name. Each reference citation is made up of the same elements that always appear in the same order. Leave out any that aren't available for or don't apply to a source.

• One author: Last Name, First Name.
• Two authors: Author 1 Last Name, First Name, and Author 2 First Name Last Name.
• Three or more authors: Author 1 Last Name, First Name, et al.
• Title: The title or description of the work.
• Title of container: The title or description of the larger work this source is part of, such as a journal, an anthology, or a podcast series.
• Other contributors : This can include editors, translators, and others. Include the contributor's role in addition to their name (for example, "Edited by Ana Jones").
• Version: The edition, revision, or other version of the work. Not included for first editions.
• Number: Where the work appears if it is part of a sequence, such as the volume, issue, or episode number.
• Publisher: Included unless the work is self-published, a journal, or a website whose site name and publisher are very similar.
• Publication date: If no formal publication date exists, provide the most exact date available.
• Location : Where the work appears within its container, such as the page range for a chapter in a book. For online works, this is the DOI or URL.

MLA Style | Reference List Citation Format Examples

• Generative AI

Electronic articles

Seed, David. "The Narrative Method of Dracula." Nineteenth-Century Fiction , vol. 41, no. 1, 1985, pp. 61-75. JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.2307/3044836.

Electronic articles with no DOI

Caesar, Terry Paul. “Slavery and Motherhood in Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved.’” Revista de Letras , vol. 34, 1994, pp. 111–20. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/27666617.

Print articles

Smith, Jane. "Student Search Strategies." College Research Quarterly, vol. 79, no.23, 2010, pp. 42-49.

Hopkins, Lisa. Bram Stoker: A Literary Life. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Books with no author

New Concise World Atlas . Oxford University Press, 2001.

eBooks in library databases

Collins, Wilkie, and Steve Farmer. Moonstone. Broadview Press, 1999. EBSCO eBook Collection , search.ebscohost.com.hrt-proxy.libraries.vsc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie&db=nlebk&AN=313817&site=eds-live&scope=site&profile=eds-ccv.

(If a DOI is present, use that instead of the URL.)

Kindle eBook

Rowley, Hazel. Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage. Kindle ed., Farrar, 2010.

eBook from Google Books or an eBook website

Wallace, Mike. Greater Gotham: A History of New York City from 1898 to 1919. Oxford University Press, 2017, Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=AnUzDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Page from a Website

Gaiman, Neil. "The Neil Story (With Additional Footnote)." Neil Gaiman , May 17, 2017. journal.neilgaiman.com/2017/05/the-neil-story-with-additional-footnote.html.

Page from a Website with No Author

"Well-Being Concepts". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , May 31, 2016, www.cdc.gov/hrqol/wellbeing.htm. Accessed 11 Nov. 2022.

Note : Date of access is not required but is recommended, especially if access or the content is likely to change.

Video From a Library Database

I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin and Race in America . Directed by Raoul Peck, Kino Lorber, 2016. Kanopy , www.kanopy.com/en/castleton/video/542400.

If emphasizing a specific performer or director, you can list them as the author.

Sennott, Rachel, performer. Shiva Baby . Directed by Emma Seligman. Utopia, 2020. Kanopy , www.kanopy.com/en/castleton/video/11394284.

YouTube Video

MrsBoschert. “Hellenistic Art.” YouTube , 23 Feb. 2010, https://youtu.be/hvryEuuTtNY.

Online works of art, photographs, maps, or charts

Bearden, Romare. The Train . 1975. MOMA, www.moma.org/collection/works/65232?locale=en.

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• Next: APA Style >>

Additional Resources

• MLA Official Site The official site of the MLA Style Guide
• MLA Interactive Practice Template This template is a tool for teaching and learning MLA style, not a citation generator. To verify that your entry is correct, consult the MLA Handbook.
• MLA Format (OWL Purdue Univ.)
• MLA Sample Works Cited (OWL, Purdue Univ.)
• How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? - Ask the MLA

Printable Cheat Sheet

• MLA Cheat Sheet
• Tutorial: MLA 9th Edition Citation Style
• Last Updated: Jul 3, 2024 5:17 PM
• URL: https://libraries.vsc.edu/research

AI Generator

Footnotes are essential in academic writing, providing readers with additional information, sources, or explanations without disrupting the main text. Footnote Format varies depending on the citation style used. In the Chicago Style , footnotes provide full bibliographic details the first time a source is cited, and a shortened version for subsequent citations. In contrast, MLA Bibliography uses parenthetical in-text citations with a comprehensive bibliography at the end, but can include footnotes for supplementary information.

What are Footnotes?

Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of a page in a document that provide additional information or citations for the main text. They are indicated by a superscript number within the text and correspond to the matching note at the page’s footer.

Examples of Footnotes

• Brown, John. History of Medieval Europe. (New York: Academic Press, 2010), 45.
• Smith, Jane. “The Renaissance Era.” Journal of European History 23, no. 2 (2012): 78-80.
• Taylor, Lisa. Art in the 19th Century. (London: Art World Publishing, 2005), 123.
• Doe, Mary. Modern Literature. (Chicago: Literary House, 2015), 89.
• Johnson, Mark. “The Industrial Revolution.” History Today 15, no. 4 (2011): 150-152.
• Clark, Susan. Ancient Civilizations. (Boston: History Press, 2008), 66.
• “Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Environmental Studies Journal 30, no. 3 (2019): 110.
• Roberts, Anna. Women in the Workforce. (Philadelphia: Social Science Publishing, 2013), 47.
• “Global Economic Trends.” Economics Review 18, no. 1 (2020): 25.
• Baker, Tom. The Evolution of Technology. (San Francisco: Tech Books, 2011), 77.
• Williams, Paul. Philosophy in the 21st Century. (Austin: Academic House, 2017), 132.
• Nelson, Kevin. “Political Changes in the 20th Century.” Political Science Quarterly 22, no. 2 (2018): 99-101.
• White, Emma. Cultural Shifts in America. (Miami: Culture Press, 2014), 105.
• “Renewable Energy Sources.” Green Technology Journal 27, no. 4 (2021): 210.
• Green, Michelle. Global Health Issues. (Washington: Health World Publishing, 2019), 85.
• Anderson, David. “Advancements in Biotechnology.” Science Today 33, no. 1 (2022): 58.
• Lee, Robert. Urban Development. (Seattle: City Press, 2009), 94.
• Harris, Rachel. Education Reforms. (Denver: Education World, 2012), 74.
• “The Digital Revolution.” Tech Innovations Journal 29, no. 2 (2023): 115.
• Martinez, Laura. Immigration Policies. (Los Angeles: Policy Press, 2016), 120.

OSCOLA Footnotes Examples

• John Smith, Constitutional Law (Oxford University Press 2015) 45.
• Jane Doe, ‘Judicial Review in the Modern Era’ (2018) 23 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 78.
• Mary Johnson, ‘Corporate Governance Reforms’ [2020] Law Quarterly Review 123.
• David Brown, ‘Human Rights in International Law’ (2005) 12(3) European Journal of International Law 345.
• John Taylor, Criminal Law: Theory and Doctrine (3rd edn, Hart Publishing 2013) 89.
• Anna White, Family Law (Sweet & Maxwell 2010) 66.
• Michael Green, ‘Environmental Regulations and Compliance’ (2017) 9(2) Journal of Environmental Law 110.
• Susan Clark, Land Law (2nd edn, Palgrave Macmillan 2011) 47.
• Kevin Roberts, ‘Commercial Law in the Digital Age’ [2019] Business Law Review 25.
• Emma Harris, Tort Law (Oxford University Press 2008) 132.

Footnotes Examples in Research

• John Smith, The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems (Springer 2019), 45.
• Jane Doe, “Renewable Energy Adoption in Urban Areas,” Energy Policy 34, no. 2 (2020): 112-115.
• Mark Johnson, Advanced Microbiology (3rd ed., Wiley 2015), 89.
• Susan Clark, “Genetic Modifications in Agriculture,” Journal of Agricultural Science 42, no. 1 (2018): 75-80.
• Paul Taylor, History of Medieval Europe (Routledge 2014), 123.
• Mary White, “The Renaissance Art Movement,” Art History Review 27, no. 3 (2016): 198-200.
• Kevin Roberts, Economic Theories and Policies (Oxford University Press 2017), 66.
• Lisa Harris, “The Role of Women in World War II,” Historical Journal 22, no. 4 (2019): 150-152.
• Robert Brown, Environmental Science: An Introduction (Pearson 2021), 77.
• Emily Davis, “Social Media’s Influence on Teenagers,” Journal of Social Research 19, no. 2 (2017): 58-61.

Footnotes in Word

Place the Cursor : First, place your cursor at the point in the text where you want to add the footnote.

Insert Footnote : Go to the “References” tab on the ribbon, Click on “Insert Footnote.”

Type the Footnote Text : After clicking “Insert Footnote,” Word will automatically place a superscript number at the cursor point and move the cursor to the bottom of the page. Type the text of your footnote here.

Format Footnotes : You can format the footnote text just like any other text in Word. Change the font, size, or style to match your document’s formatting.

Manage Footnotes : Word automatically numbers footnotes consecutively. If you need to delete a footnote, simply delete the superscript number in the main text, and Word will renumber the remaining footnotes.

How to Write a Footnote

• Inserting a Footnote: In Microsoft Word, place your cursor where you want the footnote, go to the “References” tab, and click “Insert Footnote.” In Google Docs, place your cursor where you want the footnote, then go to “Insert” > “Footnote.”
• Formatting the Footnote Text: Follow the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) for academic texts. For general texts, provide additional information or comments succinctly.

What is Chicago-Style Footnotes?

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. It provides a standard method for documenting sources, ensuring consistency and clarity in scholarly work.

Examples of Chicago-Style Footnotes

• 10 Examples of Chicago-Style Footnotes
• John Smith, History of Medieval Europe (New York: Academic Press, 2010), 45.
• Jane Doe, “The Renaissance Era,” Journal of European History 23, no. 2 (2012): 78.
• Mary Johnson, Modern Literature (Chicago: Literary House, 2015), 89.
• Mark Johnson, “The Industrial Revolution,” History Today 15, no. 4 (2011): 150.
• Lisa Taylor, Art in the 19th Century (London: Art World Publishing, 2005), 123.
• Anna White, Women in the Workforce (Philadelphia: Social Science Publishing, 2013), 47.
• David Brown, The Evolution of Technology (San Francisco: Tech Books, 2011), 77.
• Paul Williams, Philosophy in the 21st Century (Austin: Academic House, 2017), 132.
• Robert Nelson, “Political Changes in the 20th Century,” Political Science Quarterly 22, no. 2 (2018): 99.
• Emma Harris, Cultural Shifts in America (Miami: Culture Press, 2014), 105.

What is APA Style Footnotes?

APA (American Psychological Association) style primarily uses in-text citations and a reference list for documentation. However, footnotes can still be used in APA style to provide additional content or clarification that would otherwise disrupt the flow of the text.

Examples of APA Style Footnotes

• Smith, J. (2010). History of Medieval Europe. New York, NY: Academic Press.
• Doe, J. (2012). The Renaissance Era. Journal of European History, 23(2), 78-80.
• Taylor, L. (2005). Art in the 19th Century. London, England: Art World Publishing.
• Doe, M. (2015). Modern Literature. Chicago Style , IL: Literary House.
• Johnson, M. (2011). The Industrial Revolution. History Today, 15(4), 150-152.
• Clark, S. (2008). Ancient Civilizations. Boston, MA: History Press.
• Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture. (2019). Environmental Studies Journal, 30 (3), 110.
• Roberts, A. (2013). Women in the Workforce. Philadelphia, PA: Social Science Publishing.
• Global Economic Trends. (2020). Economics Review, 18(1), 25.
• Baker, T. (2011). The Evolution of Technology. San Francisco, CA: Tech Books.

What is MLA Style Footnotes?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style footnotes are used to provide additional information or citations for sources within academic writing, following the MLA Style Handbook guidelines.

Examples of MLA Style Footnotes

• John Smith, The Art of Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 2016) 45.
• Jane Doe, “The Renaissance Era,” Journal of Historical Studies, vol. 23, no. 2, 2012, pp. 78-80.
• Lisa Taylor, Art in the 19th Century (London: Art World Publishing, 2005) 123.
• Mary Doe, Modern Literature (Chicago: Literary House, 2015) 89.
• Mark Johnson, “The Industrial Revolution,” History Today, vol. 15, no. 4, 2011, pp. 150-152.
• Susan Clark, Ancient Civilizations (Boston: History Press, 2008) 66.
• “Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture,” Environmental Studies Journal, vol. 30, no. 3, 2019, p. 110.
• Anna Roberts, Women in the Workforce (Philadelphia: Social Science Publishing, 2013) 47.
• “Global Economic Trends,” Economics Review , vol. 18, no. 1, 2020, p. 25.
• Tom Baker, The Evolution of Technology (San Francisco: Tech Books, 2011) 77.

What is the Difference Between Footnotes and Endnotes?

Importance of Using Footnotes

Provides Credibility: Footnotes allow you to cite sources accurately, giving your work credibility and demonstrating that your research is based on reliable information. Enhances Readability: By placing additional information or citations at the bottom of the page, footnotes keep the main text clear and focused, making it easier for readers to follow your argument. Supports Academic Integrity: Properly using footnotes helps avoid plagiarism by giving proper credit to the original authors of the sources you used in your research. Organizes Sources: Footnotes help organize and keep track of the sources you have referenced, making it easier to compile a bibliography or reference list at the end of your document. Facilitates Verification: By providing detailed citations, footnotes make it easier for readers to verify the information and consult the original sources for more in-depth study.

Tips for Writing Footnotes

• Author Names : Use the author’s full name in the footnote. For multiple authors, list them in the order they appear in the source.
• Titles : Italicize book and journal titles. Use quotation marks for article and webpage titles.
• Publication Details : Include the city of publication, publisher, and year. For journal articles, include the volume, issue number, and date.

What are footnotes used for?

Footnotes provide additional information, citations, or explanations without interrupting the main text.

How do you format footnotes?

Footnotes are formatted with a superscript number in the text and corresponding note at the page’s bottom.

When should I use footnotes?

Use footnotes to cite sources, provide additional data, or clarify points made in the text.

How are footnotes numbered?

Footnotes are numbered consecutively throughout the document or chapter.

Can footnotes include images or tables?

Yes, footnotes can include images or tables if they provide relevant supplementary information.

How do I cite a book in a footnote?

Include the author’s name, book title, publication details, and page number.

What styles use footnotes?

Footnotes are used in various citation styles, including Chicago, Turabian, and sometimes MLA.

Can I use footnotes in MLA style?

While MLA typically uses in-text citations, footnotes can be used for additional commentary or references.

What is a Chicago Citation footnote example?

A Chicago citation footnote might look like this: John Smith, The Art of Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 2016), 45.

Can footnotes be used in digital documents?

Yes, footnotes can be used in digital documents and are often interactive for easy navigation.

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• Citing sources

Citation Styles Guide | Examples for All Major Styles

Published on June 24, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on November 7, 2022.

A citation style is a set of guidelines on how to cite sources in your academic writing . You always need a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize a source to avoid plagiarism . How you present these citations depends on the style you follow. Scribbr’s citation generator can help!

Different styles are set by different universities, academic associations, and publishers, often published in an official handbook with in-depth instructions and examples.

There are many different citation styles, but they typically use one of three basic approaches: parenthetical citations , numerical citations, or note citations.

Parenthetical citations

• Chicago (Turabian) author-date

CSE name-year

Numerical citations

CSE citation-name or citation-sequence

Note citations

• Chicago (Turabian) notes and bibliography

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Table of contents

Types of citation: parenthetical, note, numerical, which citation style should i use, parenthetical citation styles, numerical citation styles, note citation styles, frequently asked questions about citation styles.

The clearest identifying characteristic of any citation style is how the citations in the text are presented. There are three main approaches:

• Parenthetical citations: You include identifying details of the source in parentheses in the text—usually the author’s last name and the publication date, plus a page number if relevant ( author-date ). Sometimes the publication date is omitted ( author-page ).
• Numerical citations: You include a number in brackets or in superscript, which corresponds to an entry in your numbered reference list.
• Note citations: You include a full citation in a footnote or endnote, which is indicated in the text with a superscript number or symbol.

Citation styles also differ in terms of how you format the reference list or bibliography entries themselves (e.g., capitalization, order of information, use of italics). And many style guides also provide guidance on more general issues like text formatting, punctuation, and numbers.

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In most cases, your university, department, or instructor will tell you which citation style you need to follow in your writing. If you’re not sure, it’s best to consult your institution’s guidelines or ask someone. If you’re submitting to a journal, they will usually require a specific style.

Sometimes, the choice of citation style may be left up to you. In those cases, you can base your decision on which citation styles are commonly used in your field. Try reading other articles from your discipline to see how they cite their sources, or consult the table below.

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) recommends citing your sources using Chicago author-date style . AAA style doesn’t have its own separate rules. This style is used in the field of anthropology.

APA Style is defined by the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . It was designed for use in psychology, but today it’s widely used across various disciplines, especially in the social sciences.

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The citation style of the American Political Science Association (APSA) is used mainly in the field of political science.

The citation style of the American Sociological Association (ASA) is used primarily in the discipline of sociology.

Chicago author-date

Chicago author-date style is one of the two citation styles presented in the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition). It’s used mainly in the sciences and social sciences.

The citation style of the Council of Science Editors (CSE) is used in various scientific disciplines. It includes multiple options for citing your sources, including the name-year system.

Harvard style is often used in the field of economics. It is also very widely used across disciplines in UK universities. There are various versions of Harvard style defined by different universities—it’s not a style with one definitive style guide.

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MLA style is the official style of the Modern Language Association, defined in the MLA Handbook (9th edition). It’s widely used across various humanities disciplines. Unlike most parenthetical citation styles, it’s author-page rather than author-date.

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) provides guidelines for a citation style using numbers in superscript or italics in the text, corresponding to entries in a numbered reference list at the end. It is used in chemistry.

The American Medical Association ( AMA ) provides guidelines for a numerical citation style using superscript numbers in the text, which correspond to entries in a numbered reference list. It is used in the field of medicine.

CSE style includes multiple options for citing your sources, including the citation-name and citation-sequence systems. Your references are listed alphabetically in the citation-name system; in the citation-sequence system, they appear in the order in which you cited them.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ) provides guidelines for citing your sources with IEEE in-text citations that consist of numbers enclosed in brackets, corresponding to entries in a numbered reference list. This style is used in various engineering and IT disciplines.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) citation style is defined in Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd edition).

Vancouver style is also used in various medical disciplines. As with Harvard style, a lot of institutions and publications have their own versions of Vancouver—it doesn’t have one fixed style guide.

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The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the main style guide for legal citations in the US. It’s widely used in law, and also when legal materials need to be cited in other disciplines.

Chicago notes and bibliography

Chicago notes and bibliography is one of the two citation styles presented in the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition). It’s used mainly in the humanities.

The Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities ( OSCOLA ) is the main legal citation style in the UK (similar to Bluebook for the US).

There are many different citation styles used across different academic disciplines, but they fall into three basic approaches to citation:

• Parenthetical citations : Including identifying details of the source in parentheses —usually the author’s last name and the publication date, plus a page number if available ( author-date ). The publication date is occasionally omitted ( author-page ).
• Numerical citations: Including a number in brackets or superscript, corresponding to an entry in your numbered reference list.
• Note citations: Including a full citation in a footnote or endnote , which is indicated in the text with a superscript number or symbol.

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

• APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
• MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
• Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

A scientific citation style is a system of source citation that is used in scientific disciplines. Some commonly used scientific citation styles are:

• Chicago author-date , CSE , and Harvard , used across various sciences
• ACS , used in chemistry
• AMA , NLM , and Vancouver , used in medicine and related disciplines
• AAA , APA , and ASA , commonly used in the social sciences

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

MLA Style  is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

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