NOTE: THIS IS UPDATED TO THE LATEST EDITION OF MLA STYLE, RELEASED IN SPRING 2021.
Modern Language Association (MLA) style is used by the humanities and is intended for research and analysis based from an objective point of view. Researchers in MLA disciplines focus on the precise language of evidence. MLA uses in-text citation of evidence and focuses on authors and text sources. Disciplines that use MLA include literature, film, theatre, communications, and language studies... including this website.
Like all citation style guides, MLA citations provide readers with the three things they need to find the original source:
Like all citation style guides, MLA citations provide readers with the three things they need to find the original source:
WHO MADE THE SOURCE? WHAT IS IT CALLED? WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
...or, in the words of the MLA Handbook:
AUTHOR. TITLE. CONTAINER.
AUTHORS: WHO MADE THE SOURCE
In MLA style, the first part of a source citation is the name of the creator of the work. This is usually the one or two individuals that wrote the text but can sometimes be playwrights, musicians, artists, governments, corporations, and editors that cultivate works to be included in an anthology of works. Here are the rules around how authors are listed in MLA citations:
The author is listed with their surname followed by a comma followed by their given name (and middle initial if used) followed by a period. Any honorifics like Ms., Dr., or Rev. are dropped:
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. If there are two authors, the first is listed with their surname followed by a comma followed by their given name followed by a comma. Then the word and (never the symbol &) and the second name written as given name then surname followed by a period. The order of the two authors in the citation should match the order provided in the original text:
Dubner, Stephen J., and Steven Levitt. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. William Morrow and Co., 2005. If there are three or more authors, the first is listed with their surname followed by a comma followed by their given name followed by a comma. Then the phrase et al. (Latin for et alia, meaning and others). The author in the citation should be the first author name provided in the original text:
Bruder, Melissa, et al. A Practical Handbook for the Actor. Vintage, 1986. If the author is from a country where family names are written before given names (such as China, Japan, Thailand, and both Koreas), the author's name is not inverted nor is a comma added:
Baek Se-hee. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: Conversations with My Psychiatrist. 2018. Translated by Anton Hur, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024. Some authors may use a non-traditional name without a given name and surname: examples include 2Chainz, Madonna, Queen Latifa, King Charles III, and St. Francis of Assisi. For such names, list their name followed by a period without any inversion and make sure the first letter of their name is capitalized:
Deadmau5. "Ghosts 'n' Stuff." For Lack of a Better Name, Mau5trap / Ultra Records, 2009. Some authors publish under a pseudonym that is not their real name but follows the typical given name surname form. For example, Samuel Clements wrote exclusively as Mark Twain, and a citation listing him as an author would follow the usual format: Twain, Mark. However, some writers published under two different names, like how Stephen King wrote some stories as Richard Backman. This is also true of authors who published some works with a maiden name and some books with a married name as well as trans authors that published some work under their dead name and some under their chosen name. If the writer thinks that the writer's more recent or well-known name should be included for the sake of clarity, they can add a parenthetical stating the name the work was "published as" using brackets:
Roberts, Nora [published as J.D. Robb]. Naked in Death. Berkeley, 1995. If a social media post or other internet media is posted by an author who is better known by their screenname, the screenname should be enclosed in brackets after the author's name but before the period:
Johnson, Kylie Roseanne [@HauntedHippieHorror]. "On the outside looking in... 2 more days until the release of Somnum." Instagram, 4 July 2022, 7:53 p.m. MST, instagram.com/p/CfnOOgsFVs9. Some authors are not individuals but a groups called corporate authors. Some corporate authors include musical acts like The Beatles and organizations like The Modern Language Association. When citing these authors, leave off any articles (a, an, the) that start their name:
Black Keys. "Lonely Boy." El Camino, Nonesuch Records, 2011. There is one exception to this: if the corporate author is the same as the publisher, leave the author spot completely empty: "Chapter Five: The List of Works Cited." MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association, 2021. If the government is the author, list the government agency that produced the document as the author (Center for Disease Control, US Dept. of Labor). If there is no clear agency responsible, like in the case of a Congressional bill or Supreme Court decision, list the body politic in question followed by a comma, then the branch of government followed by a comma, then the house of that branch if applicable followed by a period:
Colorado, General Assembly, State Senate. Repeal the Death Penalty. Colorado General Assembly, leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb20-100. 72nd General Assembly, 2nd Session, Senate Bill 20-100, passed 23 March 2020. Some texts, like those that are highly collaborative like films or are published anonymously, have no author. For these texts, just skip the author spot completely in the citation--do not list the author as "anonymous" even if that is who is listed as the author on the text itself:
Diary of an Oxygen Thief. 2006. Gallery Books, 2014. |
Can Generative AI Be an Author?
No--authors can only be people. Generative AI does not creating writing so much as it assembles fragments of the writing of others contained in its learning model library. Thus, Generative AI programs are considered containers akin to apps rather than authors. To cite an entry by Generative AI, the author spot is skipped, the title should consist of the prompt given to the AI, and the container must contain the AI's name, its version, the date the text was generated, and the site location of the AI:
"Please describe what zebra symbolizes in The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein." Google Gemini, basic version, 18 March 2024, gemini.google.com.
"Please describe what zebra symbolizes in The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein." Google Gemini, basic version, 18 March 2024, gemini.google.com.
TITLE: WHAT THE SOURCE IS
In MLA style, the second part of a source citation is a listing of what the source is. Most of the time, this is the title of the work, but in some cases, this could be a description or text from the source.
The title of a book, film, play, artwork, or other text that's considered whole is usually self-contained and listed after the author in italics followed by a period. The title must follow the standard conventions of capitalization (i.e., caps all words except articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions):
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. The exceptions to this are scripture, supreme governing documents, and orchestral compositions identified by form, number, and key, which get no formatting: The Torah. Edited by Jewish Publication Society of America, 14th ed., Henry Holt, 2004. If the text contains a subtitle, the subtitle should come directly after the title but separated from it by a colon. The subtitle should follow the same capitalization conventions and formatting of the title:
Miller, Brian Craig. Empty Sleeves: Amputation in the Civil War South. U of Georgia P, 2015. For a complete text is inside a container and not self-contained, like a play in an anthology or a film in a collection, the title is still listed after the author in italics followed by a period. The title must follow the standard conventions of capitalization (i.e., caps all words except articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions):
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes. Edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247. The title of an article, short story, poem, song, web page, or other text that's considered a smaller part of a larger whole is listed after the author and enclosed in quotation marks. The title must follow the standard conventions of capitalization (i.e., caps all words except articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions) A period follows the last word but is contained inside the quotation mark:
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology. 1915. Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61. Many books also have sections that are not considered a part of a larger text (like a chapter or shorts story) but supplement the text--these supplements include Introductions, Forewords, Afterwords, Prefaces, Acknowledgements, Appendences, Indexes, and Discussion Guides (a popular feature in in Book Club editions of novels). If the text is one of these supplemental sections, the type of section is listed after the author with no italics or quotation marks followed by a period:
Obejas, Achy. Introduction. Days of Awe, Ballantine Books, 2021, pp. ix--xi. This same principle also applies to text supplements to non-text media: Barenaked Ladies. Booklet. One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001, Reprise, 2006. Audio CD. Occasionally, the supplemental text has a different author than the text. In this case, the title gets a broader description of "Section to Title of Book by Book's Author (with name not inverted)" followed by a period: Gaiman, Neil. Introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. 1953. 60th anniversary ed., Simon and Schuster, 2013, pp. xi--xvi. Regardless of if it is a complete work or part of a whole, if the title ends in a question mark or exclamation point, the period that usually follows the last word in the title is left out:
Albee, Edward. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1962. Rev. ed., Berkley, 2006. If the title is written in a foreign language but the text is in English, and the writer wants to include the English translation of the title, the writer can add the translation after the original title in brackets but before the period:
Diaz, Junot. "Aguantando" ["Holding On"]. Drown. Riverhead Books, 1996. If the title is longer than ten words, the author may choose to truncate it with an ellipses followed by a period (i.e., four dots with spaces between them):
Kean, Sam. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the . . . . Back Bay Books, 2015. If the work has no title, the author should create a brief description of what the source is. This description could include the type of media or the first few words of the text (like the first line of a poem. These descriptions should not exceed ten words (unless quoting an entire social media post) and should not follow title capitalization conventions, though it should end with a period:
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CONTAINER: WHERE THE SOURCE CAN BE FOUND
In MLA style, the final and most complex part of a source citation is a description of its container, or the physical media, online site, broadcast channel, or geographic location where the source can be found. There are seven different attributes to a container that may need to be cited--in order, they are ( 1 ) the container name, ( 2 ) contributors, ( 3 ) version, ( 4 ) number, ( 5) publisher, ( 6 ) date, and ( 7 ) location. Our general template now looks like this:
AUTHOR. TITLE. CONTAINER, CONTRIBUTERS, VERSION, NUMBER, PUBLISHER, DATE, LOCATION.
1. Container Name
Many novels, films, plays, artworks, and similar works that are consider whole and not parts of a whole are self-contained works, meaning the title of the work is the same as the title of the container. In these cases, the writer can skip this step:
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. Jaws. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Universal, 1975. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City. If the text is part of a whole, that whole is the container. These containers include anthologies of collected writings, websites, apps, periodicals, albums, and series names. Italicize and capitalize the title of the container using the same guidelines in the title section but place a comma (not a period) after the last word:
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes, edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore, U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247. Dickenson, Emily. "There's a certain Slant of light." 1861. Poetry Foundation, accessed 20 February 2024, poetryfoundation.org/poems/45723. Dickman, Kyle. "On Fire." Popular Science, November 2015, pp. 42-47. Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Johnson, Kylie Roseanne [@HauntedHippieHorror]. "On the outside looking in... 2 more days until the release of Somnum." Instagram, 4 July 2022, 7:53 p.m. MDT, instagram.com/p/CfnOOgsFVs9. Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology. 1915. Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61. |
2. Contributors
Contributors are people besides the author who had a notable contribution to the work. Contributors include editors, translators, illustrators, adapters, directors, narrators, featured performers, and series creators. Contributions are credited with the name of the type of contribution fully spelled out followed by the word by, the contributors name (not inverted), and a comma:
Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. 1322. Translated by Michael Palma, Norton, 2002. Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes, edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore, U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247. "The Great Gatsby." Thug Notes, narrated by Greg Edwards [Sparky Sweets]. YouTube, uploaded by Wisecrack, 11 June 2013, youtu.be/2VEQRPm_HyA. "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie." The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, season 4, episode 6, Twentieth Century Fox, 1992. Santana. "Smooth." Supernatural, featuring Rob Thomas, Arista, 1999. Some Like It Hot. Directed by Billy Wilder, featuring Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, MGM, 1959. Weinersmith, Zach. Augie and the Green Knight. Illustrated by Boulet, Bredpig, 2015. When citing comics and graphic novels, keep in mind that the pencilers (main artists) are considered authors and not contributors:
Moon, Fabio and Gabriel Ba. Daytripper (2010). Vertigo, 2014. Treat multiple people contributing to a work in the same way as multiple authors except do not invert any names:
Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 1623. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstein, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2014. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert Levine et al., 9th ed., vol. B: 1820-1865, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 41-60. If a contributor has two different contributions, list both in the same entry with the word and:
Neruda, Pablo. The Poetry of Pablo Neruda. Edited and translated by Ilan Stavans, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. If the author has an additional contribution, only list their surname in the contributor spot:
Giffen, Keith and Jeff Lemire. "Invasion!" Inferior Five, illustrated by Giffen and Michelle Delecki, vol. 2, no. 5, DC Comics, March 2021. |
3. Version
If there is more than on edition of a text, it will be indicated in the title or copyright page. Versions can include a newer edition of a text, a special edition of the text (like a deluxe edition album or large print text), an audio or digital edition, a revised edition of a text, or a season or volume of an ongoing series. When listing versions, always use digits (10th) instead of spellings (tenth) and use the following lowercase abbreviations with periods: ed. for edition and rev. for revised. A comma goes after the version. First editions do not need to be indicated:
Albee, Edward. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1962. Rev. ed., Berkley, 2006. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. 1953. 60th anniversary ed., Simon and Schuster, 2013. Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. 1965. Kindle ed., Vintage, 2012. Haber, Jonathan. Critical Thinking. Illustrated ed., MIT Press, 2020. Insel, Paul, et al. Discovering Nutrition. 3rd ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2010. Swift, Taylor. 1989: Taylor's Version. Deluxe ed., Universal Music Group, 2023. |
4. Number
Some larger works are broken up into a series of small text identified by an volume, series, issue, season, episode, or episode number. When listing numbers, always use Arabic digits (8) instead of spellings (eight) or Roman numerals (XIII) and use the following lowercase abbreviations with periods: vol. for volume and no. for number. Do not include the word issue when listing issue numbers, and do not list track numbers for albums. A comma goes after the number. If not part of a series, number does not need to be indicated:
Applegate, K.A. Enter the Enchanted. Everworld no. 3, Scholastic, 1999. Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45, June 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/534045a. Irving, Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert Levine et al., 9th ed., vol. B: 1820-1865, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 41-60. "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie." The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, season 4, episode 6, Twentieth Century Fox, 1992. |
5. Publisher
The publisher is the entity that produced and distributed the work. Publishers can include companies, institutions, studios, and networks. The name of the publisher is capitalized as a proper noun but never written in all caps, quoted, or italicized. Writers should drop articles from publisher names (a, an, the) as well as any business abbreviations (co., corp., inc., lmd., LLC). Any ampersands (&) in the name should be spelled as and, but numbers should retain their original style (digit or spelled). Any grammatical marks should be retained even if they result in a usage error. A comma goes after the publisher:
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. 1953. 60th anniversary ed., Simon and Schuster, 2013. Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. "The Great Gatsby." Thug Notes, narrated by Greg Edwards [Sparky Sweets]. YouTube, uploaded by Wisecrack, 11 June 2013, youtu.be/2VEQRPm_HyA. Neruda, Pablo. The Poetry of Pablo Neruda. Edited and translated by Ilan Stavans, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City. If the publisher contains the word university, abbreviate university with a capital U without a period. If the publisher also uses the word press, the word should be abbreviated as a capital P without a period--but ONLY if the word university is present (otherwise, Press is spelled out). UP should stand in for University Press:
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes. Edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247. Haber, Jonathan. Critical Thinking. Illustrated ed., MIT Press, 2020. Miller, Brian Craig. Empty Sleeves: Amputation in the Civil War South. U of Georgia P, 2015. Samuels, Maurice. Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair. Yale UP, 2024. Sometimes a source lists a publisher that is a division or imprint of a larger publisher: for example, No Country for Old Men was published in 2006 by "Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House." In these cases, only list the smaller division or imprint.
However, some sources (often music albums and films) have two or more different publishers the worked together to create the work. In this case, both publishers are listed and are separated by a space-backslash-space: Braddock, Bobby. Bobby Braddock: A Life on Nashville's Music Row. Vanderbilt UP / Country Music Foundation P, 2015. Phair, Liz. "Supernova." Whip-Smart, Matador / Atlantic Records, 1994. "Radio Killed the Video Star." Hazbin Hotel, created by Vivienne Medrano, season 1, episode 2, A24 / Amazon Studios, 2024. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Starring Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, Sony Pictures / Marvel Entertainment, 2018. Twister. Screenplay by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin, Warner Bros. / Universal, 1996. If there is no publisher listed or if the source is self-published by the author themselves, don't but anything in the publisher spot. This is common when citing artwork and artifacts, live performances, and private sources:
Coon, Brandon. Email to the author. 15 May 2018. Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." 1935? Family recipe. Leger, Marie-France. A Hue of Blu. 2023. Mackie, Bob. Dresses worn by The Supremes for a television performance, 1969. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland. Miller, C.K. The Phoenix Host. Roanfire no. 1, 2018. Santos, Jennifer. Interview. Conducted by the author, 4 April 2023. Simon, Neil. Rumors. Directed by Erin Allen, Skyline High Theatre, 5 November 2005, Skyline High School, Longmont, Colorado. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City. Similarly, if the name of the publisher is the same name as the container, nothing is written in the publisher spot to avoid repetition. This is common when citing periodicals and websites:
Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009, p. ST6. Dickman, Kyle. "On Fire." Popular Science, November 2015, pp. 42-47. Rugnetta, Mike. "Is Miku Hatsune A More Authentic Pop Star Than Lana Del Rey?" YouTube, uploaded by PBS Idea Channel, 28 March 2012, youtu.be/r3c8STXjQ20. Wong, David. "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person." Cracked, 17 December 2012, cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person. |
6. Date
Books, plays, albums, films, artifacts, and similar works need to include the year they were published followed by a comma:
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. Black Keys. "Lonely Boy." El Camino, Nonesuch Records, 2011. Jaws. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Universal, 1975. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889, The Museum of Modern Art, New York City. The date of publication isn't always the date a work was created, especially when it comes to books that get reprinted with new editions. If the year of creation is older than the year of publication and the original date is important to the research topic, the original year of publication is added between the title spot and the container spot followed by a period:
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. 1953. 60th anniversary ed., Simon and Schuster, 2013. Diary of an Oxygen Thief. 2006. Gallery Books, 2014. Homer. The Odyssey. Circa eighth century BCE. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin, 1999. If the exact year of the physical media is unknown, the writer can include a fully spelled out statement of the approximate time frame (circa) of the source or can add a year followed by a question mark and no comma:
Black lace dress with crimson accents and floral embroidery. Early twentieth century, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence. Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." Family recipe of author. 1935? The Folsom point. Circa 10,000 BCE, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado. Periodicals and online media need more than just a year--include either season year (spring 2024), month year (May 2024), or day month year in the European style (13 May 2024). Follow this date with a comma. If time of publication is listed, include this after the date and its comma, include a.m. or p.m. and time zone specifications, and place a comma after the time:
Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009, p. ST6. Brunden, Jenny. "Safe2Tell Numbers Hit Record High with Hundreds of Reports of Suicide, Bullying, and School Complaints." CPR News, Colorado Public Radio, 12 March 2024, 2:23 p.m. MST, cpr.org/2024/03/12/safe2tell-numbers-hit-record-high-february-2024. Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45, June 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/534045a. If an online source has no date, writers substitute the date they accessed the work and add the word accessed before the date:
"The Beatnik Generation." Voices of East Anglica, accessed 5 January 2024, voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/10/the-beatnik-generation. |
7. Location
Listing the location can be skipped when citing the entirety of a widely distributed source like a book, periodical, film, or album. If location is skipped, make sure that a period and not a comma is placed after the date:
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003. Jaws. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Universal, 1975. For some of these texts, you may need to list the means of which you accessed the work in the location spot if the kind of medium makes a difference to what was gained from the source. For example, an album streamed on the Spotify app my have biographic information on the artist that is different from the CD booklet that came with the CD release of the album that is different still from the liner notes of the original vinyl release. If medium matters, place it after the date with a period after both the date and the medium in the location spot. Note that changing the medium does not change any of the preceding information:
Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Audio CD. Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Spotify app. Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Vinyl. When citing a selection or section of a book or periodical, the location within the text--the page numbers--must be cited. Use whatever numerals are used by the text, and separate page ranges with an em dash (two hyphens). Shorten the word page to p. and pages to pp. and follow the last page number with a period:
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes. Edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247. Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009, p. ST6. Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology. 1915. Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61. Obejas, Achy. Introduction. Days of Awe, Ballantine Books, 2021, pp. ix--xi. When citing an online source, the digital location of the source--the URL--must be listed. URLs have four parts: the protocol before the double slash, the host that contains the domain, the path that directs to the specific site page, and the variant that may be attached to the end of the URL to specify display language, show query results, add SEO identifiers, and fragments that anchor to a specific section or timestamp of a page. As an example here is the URL for this article segment:
https://www.coonwriting.com/mla.html#container#locationPROTOCAL DOMAIN PATH VARIANTS
When citing a URL, leave off the protocol and variants if possible to keep the URL short. Make sure that the truncated link directs readers to the right place, and if not, leave in the variants and domains. For example, the URL above can be truncated to coonwriting.com/mla. A period should follow the URL:
Brunden, Jenny. "Safe2Tell Numbers Hit Record High with Hundreds of Reports of Suicide, Bullying, and School Complaints." CPR News, Colorado Public Radio, 12 March 2024, 2:23 p.m. MST, cpr.org/2024/03/12/safe2tell-numbers-hit-record-high-february-2024. Some academic journals do not use URLs but digital object identifiers (DOIs). If present, cite the DOI instead of the URL and indicate it with https://doi.org/ and end the DOI address with a period:
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45, June 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/534045a. If a URL is longer than three lines, it may be truncated to just the host and basic path:
Suad. "My Favorite Graphic Novel of All Time." Review of Essex County by Jeff Lemire, Kindle ed., Amazon, 9 November 2015, amazon.com/ Essex-County-Jeff-Lemire-ebook/dp/B009DMJ9VC?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WcYqIDVLCEvwzBEPpcOxdxsvNDWXGGKW5 hsvIc2HIl3ahHHBDcNnXxYhasHQpVIEWusfmO16gTOEJaqVNr9K42XNchiIXsAwV7CptXsinsda6p-i83F6lAEnUto885TgHV9m-KA01P2ag-q-5Z7Pdt3WK22pplVrjONJg6XHdvl3A3FGKpY6Mk0Rnh9IyTwg-jfWSCA8JpDmZxE7JIwTssDX3zcR-yE_3YT6YTG-fJY.J7ShiR9PZy4_ygT5a49 WX5INrFcyNdwKPBi-s7IKQHY&dib_tag=AUTHOR#review/R13MHCESE59VLF/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B009DMJ9VC. Suad. "My Favorite Graphic Novel of All Time." Review of Essex County by Jeff Lemire, Kindle ed., Amazon, 9 November 2015, amazon.com/ Essex-County-Jeff-Lemire-ebook/dp/B009DMJ9VC. In addition to the location of a URL, online documents that are separated into slides can also have those locations cited after the URL with a period:
Coon, Brandon. "Intimacy Work for High School Actors." Google Slides, accessed 14 February 2024, docs.google.com/presentation/d/ 1GIez2EnV4j2q3J8RW66hIwzOKfbtf39BvcdBOA8cwbc. Slide 18. Singular physical objects like artifacts, artwork, and private collections use a geographic location consisting of a building followed by a comma then the city the building is in followed by a comma then the state or country of that city followed by a period. The building name should not be shortened with abbreviations but should not start with the. If the state or country is in the name of the building, it can be left off, but city should always be listed regardless of whether or not it is in the building name:
Black lace dress with crimson accents and floral embroidery. Early twentieth century, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence. The Folsom point. Circa 10,000 BCE, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado. Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City. Citations for live performances witnessed by the writer also need a geographic location, formatted in the same way as above (if not witnessed live, the performances are cited as online texts):
A Night of Leonard Cohen with the Colorado Symphony. Featuring Nathaniel Rateliff, 5 April 2024, Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver, Colorado. Biden, Joseph R. "State of the Union Address 2024." 7 March 2024, US Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. Simon, Neil. Rumors. Directed by Erin Allen, Skyline High Theatre, 5 November 2005, Skyline High School, Longmont, Colorado. Swift, Taylor. The Eras Tour. 14 July 2023, Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado. |
MLA Citation Quick Guide
Below is a quick index of how to common sources in MLA. Each source is cited in its most basic fashion, so refer to the sections above for dealing with specific cases.
General Rules:
- One author looks like this: Coon, Brandon. Two authors looks like this: Coon, Brandon, and Alexis Smith. Three or more authors looks like this: Coon, Brandon et al.
- Dates are day month year (10 November 1987) to minimize commas
- Volume is vol., number is no., edition is ed., revised is rev., UP is University Press, page is p., and pages is pp.
- Excepting the above, when in doubt, spell it out: author names, months, titles, etc.
- If the information can't be found (author, publisher, date), skip it.
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ARTIFACT IN MUSEUM: The Folsom point. Circa 10,000 BCE, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado.
ARTWORK IN MUSEUM: Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
ARTWORK, MUSEUM DISPLAY TEXT: Black lace dress with crimson accents and floral embroidery. Early twentieth century, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence.
ARTWORK, ONLINE REPRODUCTION:
ARTWORK THAT IS AI GENERATED:
ARTICLE, ACADEMIC JOURNAL:
ARTICLE, MAGAZINE:
ARTICLE, NEWSPAPER: Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009, p. ST6.
ARTICLE, ONLINE: Brunden, Jenny. "Safe2Tell Numbers Hit Record High with Hundreds of Reports of Suicide, Bullying, and School Complaints." CPR News, Colorado Public Radio, 12 March 2024, 2:23 p.m. MST, cpr.org/2024/03/12/safe2tell-numbers-hit-record-high-february-2024.
ARTICLE, ONLINE WITH DOI: Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45, June 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/534045a.
AUDIO, LIVE BROADCAST:
AUDIO, MUSIC: see MUSIC
AUDIO, ONLINE RECORDING OF BROADCAST:
AUDIO, PODCAST EPISODE:
BOOK: Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003.
BOOK, AUDIO EDITION:
BOOK, CHAPTER:
BOOK, DIGITAL EDITION:
BOOK, EDITOR AS AUTHOR:
BOOK, IN A SERIES:
BOOK, SECTION: Obejas, Achy. Introduction. Days of Awe, Ballantine Books, 2021, pp. ix--xi.
BOOK, SELF PUBLISHED: Leger, Marie-France. A Hue of Blu. 2023.
BOOK WITH CONTRIBUTORS:
BOOK WITH ORIGINAL PUBLISHING DATE:
COMIC, COLLECTION:
COMIC, NEWSPAPER:
COMIC, ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL:
COMIC, ONLINE:
COMIC, SINGLE DIGITAL ISSUE:
COMIC, SINGLE PRINT ISSUE:
DICTIONARY ENTRY, IN PRINT:
DICTIONARY ENTRY, ONLINE:
EMAIL: Coon, Brandon. Email to the author. 15 May 2018.
FACEBOOK: see ONLINE MEDIA
FILM: Jaws. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Universal, 1975.
FILM, BONUS FEATURE:
FILM CLIP POSTED ONLINE:
FILM, REVIEW:
FILM, SHORT:
FILM, SPECIAL EDITION:
FILM, STUDENT:
FOOD LABEL: see ADVERTISEMENT, PACKAGING TEXT
GOVERNMENT, BILL:
GOVERNMENT, COURT CASE:
GOVERNMENT, REPORT:
INSTAGRAM: see ONLINE MEDIA
INTERVIEW, PERSONAL: Santos, Jennifer. Interview. Conducted by the author, 4 April 2023.
INTERVIEW, PUBLISHED TEXT:
INTERVIEW, PUBLISHED VIDEO:
LETTER, PUBLISHED IN BOOK:
LETTER, PUBLISHED ONLINE:
LETTER, UNPUBLISHED:
MOVIE: see FILM
MUSIC, LIVE CONCERT: Swift, Taylor. The Eras Tour. 14 July 2023, Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado.
MUSIC, ORCHESTRAL SCORE:
MUSIC, RECORDING OF LIVE CONCERT:
MUSIC, SHEET:
MUSIC, SONG FROM ALBUM: Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969.
MUSIC, SONG RELEAED AS SINGLE:
MUSIC, STREAMED: Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Spotify app.
MUSIC, SUPPLEMENT TO ALBUM: Grateful Dead. Liner Notes. American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Vinyl.
ONLINE MEDIA, GAME:
ONLINE MEDIA, MEME:
ONLINE MEDIA, ORIGINAL ART:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST, TEXT OR PHOTO:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST, VIDEO:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST COMMENT:
ONLINE MEDIA, PRODUCT REVIEW: Suad. "My Favorite Graphic Novel of All Time." Review of Essex County by Jeff Lemire, Kindle ed., Amazon, 9 November 2015, amazon.com/Essex-County-Jeff-Lemire-ebook/dp/B009DMJ9VC.
ONLINE MEDIA, VIDEO:
POEM, IN ANTHOLOGY: Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology. 1915. Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61.
POEM, IN BOOK THAT ISN'T A ANTHOLOGY: Mathers, E. Powys, translator. "Black Marigolds." From Chaurapanchasika, circa eleventh century India. Found in Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. 1945. Centennial ed., Penguin, 2002, pp. 128--129, 135--136.
POEM, LIVE PERFORMANCE:
POEM, NO TITLE:
POEM, ONLINE:
PLAY:
PLAY IN ANTHOLOGY: Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes. Edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247.
PLAY, LIVE PERFORMANCE: Simon, Neil. Rumors. Directed by Erin Allen, Skyline High Theatre, 5 November 2005, Skyline High School, Longmont, Colorado.
PLAY, MUSICAL CONTRIBUTERS:
PLAY, MONOLOGUE FROM:
PLAY, PROGRAM FROM:
PLAY, SCENE FROM:
PLAY, PERFORMANCE NOTES:
RECIPE, FROM COOKBOOK:
RECIPE, ONLINE:
RECIPE, UNPUBLISHED: Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." Family recipe. 1935?
SCHOOL, ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION:
SCHOOL. CLASS SYLLABUS:
SCHOOL, LECTURE:
SCHOOL, LECTURE OR READING NOTES:
SCHOOL, ONLINE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
SCHOOL, ONLINE DOC (PDF):
SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING:
SCHOOL, ONLINE SLIDE DECK: Coon, Brandon. "Intimacy Work for High School Actors." Google Slides, accessed 14 February 2024, docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GIez2EnV4j2q3J8RW66hIwzOKfbtf39BvcdBOA8cwbc. Slide 18.
SNAP (SNAPCHAT): see ONLINE MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA: see ONLINE MEDIA
SONG: see MUSIC
SPEECH, LIVE: Biden, Joseph R. "State of the Union Address 2024." 7 March 2024, US Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
SPEECH, WATCHED LIVE:
SPEECH, WATCHED RECORDING:
TELEGRAM POST: see ONLINE MEDIA
TELEVISION CLIP POSTED ONLINE:
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL: see ADVERTISEMENT
TELEVISION EPISODE:
TELEVISION EPISODE, STREAMED:
TELEVISION EPISODE, WATCHED LIVE:
TELEVISION, GAME SHOW:
TELEVISION, NEWS OR TALK SHOW:
THREADS POST: see ONLINE MEDIA
TIKTOK VIDEO: see ONLINE MEDIA
TEXT MESSAGE: see EMAIL
TWEET: see ONLINE MEDIA
UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT:
VIDEO GAME:
VIDEO GAME, ONLINE:
VIDEO GAME, TEXT:
WEBEX MEETING: see SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING
WEBPAGE:
WEBPAGE, NO AUTHOR:
WEBPAGE, NO DATE: "The Beatnik Generation." Voices of East Anglica, accessed 5 January 2024, voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/10/the-beatnik-generation.
WEBPAGE, PUBLISHER SAME AS CONTAINER:
WEB TEXT THAT IS AI GENERATED:
ZOOM MEETING: see SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING
ADVERTISEMENT, IN PRINT BUT FOUND ONLINE:
ADVERTISEMENT, MAIL:
ADVERTISEMENT, PACKAGING TEXT:
ADVERTISEMENT, SIGN OR BILBOARD:
ADVERTISEMENT, STICKERS AND APPAREL:
ADVERTISEMENT, TELEVISION SPOT:
ADVERTISEMENT, TV SPOT WATCHED ONLINE:
ARTIFACT IN MUSEUM: The Folsom point. Circa 10,000 BCE, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, Colorado.
ARTWORK IN MUSEUM: Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
ARTWORK, MUSEUM DISPLAY TEXT: Black lace dress with crimson accents and floral embroidery. Early twentieth century, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence.
ARTWORK, ONLINE REPRODUCTION:
ARTWORK THAT IS AI GENERATED:
ARTICLE, ACADEMIC JOURNAL:
ARTICLE, MAGAZINE:
ARTICLE, NEWSPAPER: Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009, p. ST6.
ARTICLE, ONLINE: Brunden, Jenny. "Safe2Tell Numbers Hit Record High with Hundreds of Reports of Suicide, Bullying, and School Complaints." CPR News, Colorado Public Radio, 12 March 2024, 2:23 p.m. MST, cpr.org/2024/03/12/safe2tell-numbers-hit-record-high-february-2024.
ARTICLE, ONLINE WITH DOI: Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45, June 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/534045a.
AUDIO, LIVE BROADCAST:
AUDIO, MUSIC: see MUSIC
AUDIO, ONLINE RECORDING OF BROADCAST:
AUDIO, PODCAST EPISODE:
BOOK: Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003.
BOOK, AUDIO EDITION:
BOOK, CHAPTER:
BOOK, DIGITAL EDITION:
BOOK, EDITOR AS AUTHOR:
BOOK, IN A SERIES:
BOOK, SECTION: Obejas, Achy. Introduction. Days of Awe, Ballantine Books, 2021, pp. ix--xi.
BOOK, SELF PUBLISHED: Leger, Marie-France. A Hue of Blu. 2023.
BOOK WITH CONTRIBUTORS:
BOOK WITH ORIGINAL PUBLISHING DATE:
COMIC, COLLECTION:
COMIC, NEWSPAPER:
COMIC, ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL:
COMIC, ONLINE:
COMIC, SINGLE DIGITAL ISSUE:
COMIC, SINGLE PRINT ISSUE:
DICTIONARY ENTRY, IN PRINT:
DICTIONARY ENTRY, ONLINE:
EMAIL: Coon, Brandon. Email to the author. 15 May 2018.
FACEBOOK: see ONLINE MEDIA
FILM: Jaws. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Universal, 1975.
FILM, BONUS FEATURE:
FILM CLIP POSTED ONLINE:
FILM, REVIEW:
FILM, SHORT:
FILM, SPECIAL EDITION:
FILM, STUDENT:
FOOD LABEL: see ADVERTISEMENT, PACKAGING TEXT
GOVERNMENT, BILL:
GOVERNMENT, COURT CASE:
GOVERNMENT, REPORT:
INSTAGRAM: see ONLINE MEDIA
INTERVIEW, PERSONAL: Santos, Jennifer. Interview. Conducted by the author, 4 April 2023.
INTERVIEW, PUBLISHED TEXT:
INTERVIEW, PUBLISHED VIDEO:
LETTER, PUBLISHED IN BOOK:
LETTER, PUBLISHED ONLINE:
LETTER, UNPUBLISHED:
MOVIE: see FILM
MUSIC, LIVE CONCERT: Swift, Taylor. The Eras Tour. 14 July 2023, Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado.
MUSIC, ORCHESTRAL SCORE:
MUSIC, RECORDING OF LIVE CONCERT:
MUSIC, SHEET:
MUSIC, SONG FROM ALBUM: Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969.
MUSIC, SONG RELEAED AS SINGLE:
MUSIC, STREAMED: Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Spotify app.
MUSIC, SUPPLEMENT TO ALBUM: Grateful Dead. Liner Notes. American Beauty, Warner, 1969. Vinyl.
ONLINE MEDIA, GAME:
ONLINE MEDIA, MEME:
ONLINE MEDIA, ORIGINAL ART:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST, TEXT OR PHOTO:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST, VIDEO:
ONLINE MEDIA, POST COMMENT:
ONLINE MEDIA, PRODUCT REVIEW: Suad. "My Favorite Graphic Novel of All Time." Review of Essex County by Jeff Lemire, Kindle ed., Amazon, 9 November 2015, amazon.com/Essex-County-Jeff-Lemire-ebook/dp/B009DMJ9VC.
ONLINE MEDIA, VIDEO:
POEM, IN ANTHOLOGY: Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology. 1915. Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61.
POEM, IN BOOK THAT ISN'T A ANTHOLOGY: Mathers, E. Powys, translator. "Black Marigolds." From Chaurapanchasika, circa eleventh century India. Found in Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. 1945. Centennial ed., Penguin, 2002, pp. 128--129, 135--136.
POEM, LIVE PERFORMANCE:
POEM, NO TITLE:
POEM, ONLINE:
PLAY:
PLAY IN ANTHOLOGY: Aristophanes. Lysistrata. 411 BCE. The Works of Aristophanes. Edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. U Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247.
PLAY, LIVE PERFORMANCE: Simon, Neil. Rumors. Directed by Erin Allen, Skyline High Theatre, 5 November 2005, Skyline High School, Longmont, Colorado.
PLAY, MUSICAL CONTRIBUTERS:
PLAY, MONOLOGUE FROM:
PLAY, PROGRAM FROM:
PLAY, SCENE FROM:
PLAY, PERFORMANCE NOTES:
RECIPE, FROM COOKBOOK:
RECIPE, ONLINE:
RECIPE, UNPUBLISHED: Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." Family recipe. 1935?
SCHOOL, ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION:
SCHOOL. CLASS SYLLABUS:
SCHOOL, LECTURE:
SCHOOL, LECTURE OR READING NOTES:
SCHOOL, ONLINE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
SCHOOL, ONLINE DOC (PDF):
SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING:
SCHOOL, ONLINE SLIDE DECK: Coon, Brandon. "Intimacy Work for High School Actors." Google Slides, accessed 14 February 2024, docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GIez2EnV4j2q3J8RW66hIwzOKfbtf39BvcdBOA8cwbc. Slide 18.
SNAP (SNAPCHAT): see ONLINE MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA: see ONLINE MEDIA
SONG: see MUSIC
SPEECH, LIVE: Biden, Joseph R. "State of the Union Address 2024." 7 March 2024, US Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
SPEECH, WATCHED LIVE:
SPEECH, WATCHED RECORDING:
TELEGRAM POST: see ONLINE MEDIA
TELEVISION CLIP POSTED ONLINE:
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL: see ADVERTISEMENT
TELEVISION EPISODE:
TELEVISION EPISODE, STREAMED:
TELEVISION EPISODE, WATCHED LIVE:
TELEVISION, GAME SHOW:
TELEVISION, NEWS OR TALK SHOW:
THREADS POST: see ONLINE MEDIA
TIKTOK VIDEO: see ONLINE MEDIA
TEXT MESSAGE: see EMAIL
TWEET: see ONLINE MEDIA
UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT:
VIDEO GAME:
VIDEO GAME, ONLINE:
VIDEO GAME, TEXT:
WEBEX MEETING: see SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING
WEBPAGE:
WEBPAGE, NO AUTHOR:
WEBPAGE, NO DATE: "The Beatnik Generation." Voices of East Anglica, accessed 5 January 2024, voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/10/the-beatnik-generation.
WEBPAGE, PUBLISHER SAME AS CONTAINER:
WEB TEXT THAT IS AI GENERATED:
ZOOM MEETING: see SCHOOL, ONLINE MEETING
Last name, First name. Title of Book. (Year of original publication if reprint). Publisher, Year of Publication.
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003.
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood (1965). Vintage, 2012.
Barry, Max. Jennifer Government. Doubleday, 2003.
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood (1965). Vintage, 2012.
If the book is a reprint and the original year of publication is not exactly known, use c. for "circa" and put an estimated date.
Homer. The Odyssey (c. 8th century BCE), translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin, 1999.
Homer. The Odyssey (c. 8th century BCE), translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin, 1999.
If there is no author or editor, don't list "Anonymous". Just leave the line blank.
Diary of an Oxygen Thief. Gallery Books, 2006.
Diary of an Oxygen Thief. Gallery Books, 2006.
If the book has two authors, list the second author after the first author and spell out and.
Dubner, Stephen J., and Steven Levitt. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. William Morrow and Co., 2005.
Dubner, Stephen J., and Steven Levitt. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. William Morrow and Co., 2005.
If the book has three or more authors, list the first author, then place a comma and add et al.
Bruder, Melissa, et al. A Practical Handbook for the Actor. Vintage, 1986.
Bruder, Melissa, et al. A Practical Handbook for the Actor. Vintage, 1986.
If a book has a corporate author, list as author. If the corporate author is the same as the publisher, leave author spot blank..
MLA handbook (8th ed.). The Modern Language Association, 2016.
MLA handbook (8th ed.). The Modern Language Association, 2016.
A book with an additional contributor (editor, translator, adapter, illustrator, publisher)
List the additional contributors name(s) after the book title and edition with their contribution spelled out
EDITOR: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (1623), edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstein. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2014.
TRANSLATOR: Alighieri, Dante. Inferno (1322), translated by Michael Palma. Norton, 2002.
ILLUSTRATOR: Weinersmith, Zach. Augie and the Green Knight, illustrated by Boulet. Bredpig, 2015.
EDITOR: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (1623), edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstein. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2014.
TRANSLATOR: Alighieri, Dante. Inferno (1322), translated by Michael Palma. Norton, 2002.
ILLUSTRATOR: Weinersmith, Zach. Augie and the Green Knight, illustrated by Boulet. Bredpig, 2015.
For a book with no author but an editor, list the editor's name(s) followed by the word editor(s).
Reeves, Douglas, editor. Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning. Solution Tree, 2007.
Reeves, Douglas, editor. Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning. Solution Tree, 2007.
If the book has two co-publishers, list them both and separate them with a slash.
Braddock, Bobby. Bobby Braddock: A Life on Nashville's Music Row. Vanderbilt UP / Country Music Foundation Press, 2015.
Braddock, Bobby. Bobby Braddock: A Life on Nashville's Music Row. Vanderbilt UP / Country Music Foundation Press, 2015.
An edition of a book or ebook
Add edition number before the publisher with a comma. Keep edition as ed. and use numerals.
Insel, Paul, et al. Discovering Nutrition. 3rd ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2010.
The Torah, edited by the Jewish Publication Society of America. 14th ed., Henry Holt and Co., 2004.
Insel, Paul, et al. Discovering Nutrition. 3rd ed., Jones and Bartlett, 2010.
The Torah, edited by the Jewish Publication Society of America. 14th ed., Henry Holt and Co., 2004.
For a single volume in a series, add the volume number with vol. after title but before edition.
Baym, Nina, Levine, Robert, and Krupat, Arnold, editors. The Norton Anthology of American Literature , vol. B (7th ed.). W.W. Norton, 2007.
Baym, Nina, Levine, Robert, and Krupat, Arnold, editors. The Norton Anthology of American Literature , vol. B (7th ed.). W.W. Norton, 2007.
For ebooks, instead of an edition number, state the digital formatting company (Kindle, iBooks, etc).
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood (1965). Kindle ed., Vintage, 2012.
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood (1965). Kindle ed., Vintage, 2012.
A selection from a print book or anthology (poem, chapter, short story)
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Selection or chapter." Title of Book or Anthology. Publisher, Year, Pages (p for one page, pp for multiple).
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology (1915). Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61.
Masters, Edgar Lee. "Fiddler Jones." Spoon River Anthology (1915). Simon and Schuster, 2004, p. 61.
If selection is normally considered a full text, cite the same way but italicize, not quote, the title of the work
Aristophanes. Lysistrata (411 BCE). The Works of Aristophanes, edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. University Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247.
Aristophanes. Lysistrata (411 BCE). The Works of Aristophanes, edited by Lawrence T. Whitmore. University Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-247.
An introduction, preface, forward, or afterward
If the forward, etc is by the text author, just add that word and to before title
Adams, Scott. Afterword to The Dilbert Future. Harper Collins, 1997.
If the forward, etc is by a different author, list author of forward first and put book author after title
Gaiman, Neil. Introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953). Simon and Schuster, 2013.
Adams, Scott. Afterword to The Dilbert Future. Harper Collins, 1997.
If the forward, etc is by a different author, list author of forward first and put book author after title
Gaiman, Neil. Introduction to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953). Simon and Schuster, 2013.
Graphic literature and comics
Writer and artist names (not inks or colorist or layout or editor). Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.
Moon, Fabio and Gabriel Ba. Daytripper (2010). Vertigo, 2014.
Snyder, Scott, et al. Batman: The Black Mirror. DC Comics, 2011.
If a single issue of a comic, add the title of the issue in quotes, issue number, and the spelled-out month of release.
Morrison, Grant and Frank Quitely. "Mommy Made of Nails." Batman and Robin, no. 3. DC Comics, October 2009.
Moon, Fabio and Gabriel Ba. Daytripper (2010). Vertigo, 2014.
Snyder, Scott, et al. Batman: The Black Mirror. DC Comics, 2011.
If a single issue of a comic, add the title of the issue in quotes, issue number, and the spelled-out month of release.
Morrison, Grant and Frank Quitely. "Mommy Made of Nails." Batman and Robin, no. 3. DC Comics, October 2009.
An unpublished manuscript (or family recipe)
Author. Title of Work. "Unpublished work title." Personal collection of (names). Approximate date written.
Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." Personal collection of Marietta Hughes. 1935.
Fleming, Betty June. "Snickerdoodles." Personal collection of Marietta Hughes. 1935.
OTHER PRINT MEDIA (NOT BOOKS)
Article from a magazine, journal, or other periodical
Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical, volume and issue # (month and year), pages.
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), pp. 95-99.
If the periodical has no obvious volume or issue numbers, just use the month and year.
Dickman, Kyle. "On Fire." Popular Science, November 2015, pp. 42-47.
If reading a digital copy, cite same as print version, but replace pages with web address or digital object identifier (doi).
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), nature.com/nature/journal/v534/n7605/full/534045a.
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), doi:10.1038/534045a.
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), pp. 95-99.
If the periodical has no obvious volume or issue numbers, just use the month and year.
Dickman, Kyle. "On Fire." Popular Science, November 2015, pp. 42-47.
If reading a digital copy, cite same as print version, but replace pages with web address or digital object identifier (doi).
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), nature.com/nature/journal/v534/n7605/full/534045a.
Dobson, David. "Geophysics: Earth's Core Problem." Nature, vol. 534, no. 45 (June 2016), doi:10.1038/534045a.
Newspaper articles
For a newspaper, forego volume and issue numbers. Add [city and state if not in title], date: pages.
Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009: p. ST6.
Barry, Dan. "Just One Last Swirl Around the Bowl." The New York Times, 5 April 2009: p. ST6.
Most news or magazine reviews don't have titles. In lieu of an article title, write Review of Performance Title by Artist. Then cite periodical info.
Vejvoda, Jim. Review of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zach Snyder. IGN, 22 March 2016, ign.com/articles/2016/03/22/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-review.
Vejvoda, Jim. Review of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zach Snyder. IGN, 22 March 2016, ign.com/articles/2016/03/22/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-review.
Like reviews, many news or magazine interviews don't have titles. In lieu of an article title, write Interview with name. Then cite periodical info.
Kelly, Ken. Interview with Ray Bradbury. Playboy, vol. 43, no. 5 (May 1996), pp. 47-56, 149-150, raybradbury.com/articles_playboy.html.
Kelly, Ken. Interview with Ray Bradbury. Playboy, vol. 43, no. 5 (May 1996), pp. 47-56, 149-150, raybradbury.com/articles_playboy.html.
Forms and Documents
Government body authoring the bill. Name of the Bill. Government, Date. Bill or report numbers.
North Carolina, House, General Assembly. Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act. Government, 23 March 2016. House Bill 2.
United States, Congress, House, The Committee on Natural Resources. Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. Government, 3 June 2016. 114th Congress, House Report 114.
North Carolina, House, General Assembly. Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act. Government, 23 March 2016. House Bill 2.
United States, Congress, House, The Committee on Natural Resources. Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. Government, 3 June 2016. 114th Congress, House Report 114.
DIGITAL-ONLY WRITING AND IMAGES
Websites and Blogs
The website name replaces the title of anthology. Instead of page numbers, add the web address. If no publisher, leave off.
Wong, David. "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person." Cracked, 17 December 2012, cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person.
With any digitally submitted text you can leave off the web address if you hyperlink the text to the site. Keep the link blue.
Wong, David. "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person." Cracked, 17 December 2012.
If the website has no publishing date or year, substitute a date of access.
"The Beatnik Generation." Voices of East Anglica, accessed 17 December 2012, voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/10/the-beatnik-generation.
Wong, David. "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person." Cracked, 17 December 2012, cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person.
With any digitally submitted text you can leave off the web address if you hyperlink the text to the site. Keep the link blue.
Wong, David. "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person." Cracked, 17 December 2012.
If the website has no publishing date or year, substitute a date of access.
"The Beatnik Generation." Voices of East Anglica, accessed 17 December 2012, voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/10/the-beatnik-generation.
Text generated by AI
An online-only image or infographic
Artist (even if just a username). "Title of Work." Website name, date created or posted, web address.
NarcissaForsworth. "Time." DeviantArt, 22 February 2015, fav.me/d8j1tnu.
NarcissaForsworth. "Time." DeviantArt, 22 February 2015, fav.me/d8j1tnu.
An email
Author of message. "Subject line." Received by Full Name, Date email was sent.
Coon, Brandon. Email to the author. 15 May 2016.
Coon, Brandon. Email to the author. 15 May 2016.
A tweet or social media post
Twitter Name (Real name if known). "Entire text of the tweet." Twitter, date and time of post.
@justinesacco (Justine Sacco). "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!" Twitter, 13 December 2013, 10:19 AM.
@justinesacco (Justine Sacco). "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!" Twitter, 13 December 2013, 10:19 AM.
A comment on a social media post, online video, discussion board, or blog
Screen name. Comment to "Post name" by author, date of post, web address.
Fouxjin. Comment on "Is Miku Hatsune A More Authentic Pop Star Than Lana Del Rey?" by PBS Idea Channel, 28 March 2012, youtu.be/r3c8STXjQ20.
Fouxjin. Comment on "Is Miku Hatsune A More Authentic Pop Star Than Lana Del Rey?" by PBS Idea Channel, 28 March 2012, youtu.be/r3c8STXjQ20.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Film
Film Title. Directed by name, featuring top billed actors (if any), narrated by (if any). Studio, Year of Release.
NOTE: Top-billed actors are those whose names come before the film name in credits or are on the poster. Not all films have them.
Some Like It Hot. Directed by Billy Wilder, featuring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. MGM, 1959.
NOTE: Top-billed actors are those whose names come before the film name in credits or are on the poster. Not all films have them.
Some Like It Hot. Directed by Billy Wilder, featuring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. MGM, 1959.
If an online video, list "video title". Series name (if any), name of director or host or narrator. Publisher, full date when published, web address or hyperlink.
"Papa." Directed and animated by Natalie Labarre. Vimeo, 8 February 2016, vimeo.com/154554390.
"The Great Gatsby." Thug Notes, narrated by Greg Edwards (Sparky Sweets). YouTube, 11 June 2013, youtu.be/2VEQRPm_HyA.
"Papa." Directed and animated by Natalie Labarre. Vimeo, 8 February 2016, vimeo.com/154554390.
"The Great Gatsby." Thug Notes, narrated by Greg Edwards (Sparky Sweets). YouTube, 11 June 2013, youtu.be/2VEQRPm_HyA.
For an online clip from a studio film, add the name of the clip in quotes, from Film. Cite film, then add the name of the web service and the web address.
"You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat," from Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, featuring Roy Schieder and Robert Shaw. Universal, 1975. YouTube, youtu.be/2I91DJZKRxs.
"You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat," from Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, featuring Roy Schieder and Robert Shaw. Universal, 1975. YouTube, youtu.be/2I91DJZKRxs.
If citing a special feature from a film's DVD, list "Feature title." Special feature on Film home release. If commentary, say commentary on instead of special feature.
"Timekeepers." Special feature on Whiplash home release. Directed by Damien Chazelle, featuring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. Blumhouse, 2014.
Weinberg, Scott, et al. Commentary on It Follows home release. Directed by David Robert Mitchell. Radius / Northern Light Films, 2015.
"Timekeepers." Special feature on Whiplash home release. Directed by Damien Chazelle, featuring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. Blumhouse, 2014.
Weinberg, Scott, et al. Commentary on It Follows home release. Directed by David Robert Mitchell. Radius / Northern Light Films, 2015.
If a television series episode, list "Episode Title." Series name, creator or performers, season #, episode #. Production studio, Year aired.
"The Rains of Castamere." Game of Thrones, featuring Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, season 3, episode 9. HBO, 2013.
"Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie." The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, season 4, episode 6. Twentieth Century Fox, 1992.
"The Rains of Castamere." Game of Thrones, featuring Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, season 3, episode 9. HBO, 2013.
"Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie." The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, season 4, episode 6. Twentieth Century Fox, 1992.
For news programs and other on-air broadcasts, list "Segment name (if applicable)." Series name, hosted by names. Studio (call numbers if needed), date aired.
"Saying Goodbye to the Greatest." NBC Nightly News, hosted by Lester Holt. NBC Universal, 6 June 2016.
"Saying Goodbye to the Greatest." NBC Nightly News, hosted by Lester Holt. NBC Universal, 6 June 2016.
Audio
For songs, list Artist. “Song Title.” Album Name. Studio, Year of Original Release.
The Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty. Warner, 1969.
The Grateful Dead. "Ripple." American Beauty. Warner, 1969.
For musical soundtracks, replace album name with From the musical Title by composer and lyricist. Type of cast recording, Studio, Year released.
Odom Jr, Leslie, and chorus. "Wait for It." From the musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Original cast recording, Atlantic Records, 2015.
Odom Jr, Leslie, and chorus. "Wait for It." From the musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Original cast recording, Atlantic Records, 2015.
Diegetic music in a film (performed by actors) should be cited Actor performing song. “Song Title.” From the film Film title, directed by director. Studio, Year.
Hepburn, Audrey. "Moon River." From the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, directed by Blake Edwards. Paramount, 1961.
Hepburn, Audrey. "Moon River." From the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, directed by Blake Edwards. Paramount, 1961.
Non-diegetic music in a film (background music) should be cited like a regular song, using the film's soundtrack album or album of original release.
Zimmer, Hans. "Rise." The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack. WaterTower Records, 2012.
Zimmer, Hans. "Rise." The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack. WaterTower Records, 2012.
For radio broadcasts, list "Segment name (if applicable)." Series name, hosted by names. Studio call numbers, air date.
The BJ and Jamie Show, hosted by BJ Harris and Jamie White. KALC Denver, 2 June 2016.
The BJ and Jamie Show, hosted by BJ Harris and Jamie White. KALC Denver, 2 June 2016.
For online audio podcasts, list Host names. "Episode title." Podcast name, episode #. Publisher, date when published, web address.
Smith, Kevin and Scott Mosier. "The Walrus and the Carpenter." Smodcast, no. 259. Smodco, 4 March 2014, smodcast.com/channel/smodcast?audio=259.
Smith, Kevin and Scott Mosier. "The Walrus and the Carpenter." Smodcast, no. 259. Smodco, 4 March 2014, smodcast.com/channel/smodcast?audio=259.
ARTWORK AND IMAGES
Physical Art (painting, sculpture, or photograph)
Artist’s Name. Title of Work, Year created. Institution that owns artwork, City where it's located.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night, 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night, 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
A personal interview
Interviewee name. Personal interview. Date of the interview.
Benton, John. Personal interview. 13 August 2011.
Benton, John. Personal interview. 13 August 2011.
A live speech, lecture, concert, or comedy show
Presenter name. "Name of Lecture or Tour." Location of event (City, State), Date of event. Live show or Live address.
Smith, Kevin and Ralph Garmin. "Hollywood Babble-On." The Hollywood Improv (Hollywood, CA), 27 May 2016. Live show.
The Barenaked Ladies. "The Last Summer on Earth Tour." Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison, CO), 5 June 2016. Live show.
Smith, Kevin and Ralph Garmin. "Hollywood Babble-On." The Hollywood Improv (Hollywood, CA), 27 May 2016. Live show.
The Barenaked Ladies. "The Last Summer on Earth Tour." Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison, CO), 5 June 2016. Live show.
For a live dramatic performance, list Author. Name of Work, directed by name. Production Company Name (City, State), Date of Performance. Live show.
Simon, Neil. Rumors, directed by Erin Allen. Skyline High School (Longmont, CO), 5 November 2005. Live Show.
Simon, Neil. Rumors, directed by Erin Allen. Skyline High School (Longmont, CO), 5 November 2005. Live Show.
NOTE: The MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition emphasizes clarity and allows for some choice in citation, such as the citation of original publication dates and abbreviation of months. Keeping clarity and simplicity in mind, I fashioned the guidelines above to what I expect my own students to write, so you may find slight variances in other MLA resources elsewhere.