The Learning Hub MLA 7th Ed. Citation Guide Writing Handout Series Citation Styles
What is MLA? Modern Language Association A method of citing references in research papers Parenthetical citations in text Works Cited page
The Basics
I. Quotes MLA allows the use of both direct quotes and paraphrases; however, quotations are often necessary to preserve the original author’s syntax, diction, and meaning. Short Quotations Shorter than 4 lines of text (not sentences) Formatted: As stated by Johnson, “quote goes here” (93).
Block Quotations Longer than 4 lines of text (not sentences) Formatted: Must list author’s name prior to quote with context. Quote goes on new line after your Running Acknowledgment. No quotation marks. Double spaced. Page number goes after the period. As stated by Johnson: (indented 1 inch) Quote goes here. The entire quote is indented to show that it is all the same quote. (97) Never drop a quote in by itself. Always introduce it in some way, either using a Running Acknowledgment or another means. If you use a quote that begins a sentence, lowercase the first letter so it flows with your own writing Johnson (2010) anticipated that “nonetheless, The Hunger Games will exceed expectations” (p. 97).
II. Structural Requirements No more URL’s in citations Every entry must include a publication medium. The most common publication media are Print and Web. Other examples are: DVD, Performance, or Television. Many web source entries now require a publisher name, a date of publication, and/or page numbers. No publisher name? Write N.p. for no publisher given. No date of publication? Write n.d. for no date. No pages listed? Write n.p. for no pagination.
Parenthetical Citations
I. Basic Info Required anytime you use information from a source (direct quotations or paraphrases). Basic structure is always (Author #) – “Author” is their last name and “#” is page number(s). If you have multiple authors, always use “and” to separate them (never use “&”). If you use information from multiple pages, page numbers can be condensed: Pages 419 to 425 can be written as: (419-25) Pages 489 to 512, however, need to be written as: (489-512) Parenthetical citations can take two forms: Acknowledgement in Text or No Acknowledgement in Text Acknowledgment in Text is called a “Running Acknowledgment.” The author’s(s’) name(s) appears in the sentence, not inside the parentheses. No Acknowledgment in Text means all information goes in the parentheses.
II. Authors One Author Acknowledgment in Text Author… (#). Frye has argued this point before (#).
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub Page 2 of 6 No Acknowledgment in Text … (Author #). This point has been argued before (Frye 197). Two Authors Acknowledgment in Text Author and Author… (#). Warren and Wellek hold an opposite view (310-15). No Acknowledgment in Text … (Author and Author #). Others hold an opposite view (Warren and Wellek 310-15). Three Authors Acknowledgment in Text Author, Author, and Author argue… (#). Smith, Taylor, and Todd argue intrapersonal relationships ensure emotional intelligence (14-15). No Acknowledgment in Text … (Author, Author, and Author #). Intrapersonal relationships enhance emotional intelligence (Smith, Taylor, and Todd 14-15). More than Three Authors Always cite all the authors the first time the text is used. Thereafter, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”1 First Mention Acknowledgment in Text . Author, Author, Author, and Author… (#). . Carter, Jameson, Boston, and Williams argue… (67). No Acknowledgment in Text . … (Author, Author, Author, and Author #). . Many have argued that … (Carter, Jameson, Boston, and Williams 67). Subsequent Mentions Acknowledgment in Text . Author et al. … (#). . Carter et al. argue that … (158).2 No Acknowledgment in Text . … (Author et al. #). . Emotional security varies depending on … (Carter et al. 158). No Author When there is no author listed for a source, cite the title. Italicize the title of a book. . (Title of Book #) . The studies show … (Examinations of Recidivation Rates 37). Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter. . (“Article/Chapter Title,” Year) . Statistics show … (“Adolescent Recidivism: Study Results” 42). Works Cited
I. Basic Info Used to indicate where information presented in the essay can be retrieved. Only include texts cited in the essay. Listed alphabetically by author or title. List begins on a new page, with “Works Cited” centered at top of page.
1 “et al.” is a Latin phrase meaning “and all the rest” – it signifies there are more authors than are listed, but allows you to not have to list them every time. It’s a great tool! 2 Note that when you use “et al.” in the sentence, you need to make your verb plural. No singular verbs!
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub Page 3 of 6 The first line of an entry is at the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented ½”. This is called a hanging indent, and should look like this. 3 Citations should be double-spaced.
Electronic Sources in the Works Cited Page URL’s are no longer part of the parenthetical reference or Works Cited page. “You should include a URL as supplementary information only when the reader probably cannot locate the source without it or when your instructor requires it” (MLA handbook 7th Edition). The URL that you are referencing should ONLY be found on the Works Cited page at the end of your document following the date of access, if indeed required.
Author’s Names Use last names, then first names with the first author’s name List all other authors’ names as “first name last name” in the order in which they appear, regardless of quantity. One Author: . Last name, first name(s). . Mills, Stephen Richard. Two Authors: . Last name, first name(s), and First name(s) Last Name. . Mills, Stephen Richard, and Bert Griggs. Three or More Authors: . Last name, first name(s), First name(s) Last name, First name(s) Last name, and First name(s) Last name. . Mills, Stephen Richard, Bert Griggs, Rudolph Holland, and Landon Jarvis. No Author: . Begin the citation with the title . Alphabetize the entry according to the first significant word of the title . The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Print.
Citing two or more texts by same author Give author name(s) in the first entry only; in subsequent entries, use three hyphens and a period First Citation: . Last name, first name. . Van Delay, Art. Seinfeld: The Show about Nothing. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Print. Subsequent Citations: . ---. . ---. Venetian Blinds: Contemporary Study of Compulsive Lying. New York: Pendant Publishing, 1994. Print.
Special Treatment of Titles Capitalize all nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns (do not capitalize conjunctions, articles, or prepositions unless they are the first word of a title). Place shorter works in double quotation marks This includes poems, short stories, essays, articles, TV episodes, short films, etc. “Heaven and Hell.” Supernatural. TV. Italicize titles of longer works This includes journals, books, plays, TV series, films, etc. The Old Man and the Sea Do not drop A, An, or The as the first word of a title; however, alphabetize according to the next word after the article, if it is the first part of a citation.
3 A hanging indent can easily be achieved by first writing out your citations without any formatting. Then, highlight all your citations, and hit “Control+T” on your keyboard. Word will automatically create a hanging indent for you!
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub Page 4 of 6 II. Common Print Sources
NOTE: Publication Information PLACE Give only the first city listed for the place of publication Do not list state names, regardless how obscure the city . City of publication: Publisher name, . Malden: Blackwell, DATE Abbreviate all publication months except May, June, and July First three letters followed by a period (Dec.) except for September (Sept.) . Dates are always formatted: Day Month Year . 16 Apr. 2007 MEDIUM After the date you must add the format of the source, Ex: Print or Web. . “Print” is for any source you acquire in hard copy . “Web” is for electronic resources you access online Other common mediums may be: TV, DVD, Podcast, etc. Books Basic Citation Last name, first name(s). Title. City: Press, Date. Medium. . Bradway, B. Pink Houses and Family Taverns. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. Print. Edition Other than the First Last name, first name(s). Title. # ed. City: Press, Date. Medium. . Helfer, Meredith. Russel Kempe, and Richard Krugman. The Battered Child. 5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Print. Article or Chapter in an Edited Book Last name, First name, and First name Last name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book. Ed. Editor Name and Editor Name. Location: Publisher, Date. Pages of Chapter. Medium. . Boquet, Edith. Intellectual Tug-of-War: Snapshots of Life in the Center. The St. Martin’s Sourcebook for Writing Tutors. 3rd ed. Ed. Christina Murphy and Steve Sherwood. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 116-29. Print. Citing Journal Articles Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume (Year): Page Numbers. Medium. Tyson, Phyllis A., and Michael G. Gordon. “The Psychology of Women.” Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 46 (1998): 361-64. Print. Bernstein, Barton J. “Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Diplomatic History 28.3 (1991): 126-129. Print. Magazine/Newspaper Article Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical Day Month Year: Page Numbers. Medium. Kramer, Cosmo F. “A Health Threat Baffling for Its Lack of a Pattern.” New York Times 22 June 2003, natl. ed.: A14. Print. Peterman, Jay S. “Eat This Now!” US News and World Report 28 Mar. 2005: 56-58. Print.
III. Common Electronic Sources
NOTE: Basic Info If a web source has an author, list it the same as you would for a print source. If no author is listed, then use the most specific title of the work as the identifying, first part of the citation. The date listed is either the Date Last Updated or Date Posted. Date Posted is preferred Date Last Updated is next best, if no Date Posted can be found4 URLs are no longer necessary unless it is required to locate the source (i.e. you cannot find the web page through a Google search with the information provided in the citation).
4 For most web-based sources (except journal articles), Date Posted is often found near the title of the source. Date Last Updated can often be found in the footer of the page next to the copyright symbol: ©
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub Page 5 of 6 Websites Citing Entire Websites Name of Site. Website Publisher, Date Last Updated. Medium. Date of Access. . The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University, 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Citing a Page on a Website “Name of Page.” Name of Site. Website Publisher, Date Posted/Last Updated. Medium. Date of Access. . “Panic Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, N.d. Web. 16 January 2013. Magazine/Newspaper Articles Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Online Publication. Website Publisher, Date of Publication. Medium. Date of Access. Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. A List Apart & Our Authors, 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2006. Journal Articles Accessed through Library Database Author, and Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Publication Volume (Year of publication): Pages. Name of Database. Medium. Date of Access. . Jackson, Gabriel. “Multiple Historic Meanings of the Spanish Civil War.” Science and Society 68.3 (2004): 272-76. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Sept. 2002. Not Accessed through Library Database Author, and Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Publication Volume (Year of Publication): Pages. Date of Access. . Jackson, Gabriel. “Multiple Historic Meanings of the Spanish Civil War.” Science and Society 68.3 (2004): 272-76. Web. 27 Sept. 2002.
IV. Other Common Sources
Film and TV Motion Picture Title. Name of Director. Names of Relevant Actors. Production Company, Year Released. Medium. . Kill Bill (Vol. 1). Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Perf. Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah. Miramax, 2003. DVD. TV Television Show . Name of Show: Season. Name of Creator. Names of Relevant Actors. Production Company, Year Released. Medium. . Mad Men: Season One. Created by Matthew Weiner. Perf. John Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser. Lionsgate, 2008. DVD. Television Show Episode . “Name of Episode.” Name of Show: Season. Name of Creator. Names of Relevant Actors. Production Company, Year Released. Medium. . “Heaven and Hell.” Supernatural: Season Four. Created by Eric Kripke. Perf. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Warner Bros. Television, 2008. DVD. Interviews Recorded/Published (not an interview you conducted) Interviewee Name. Interviewed by Interviewer Name. Title of Show. Distributor/Network, Date Broadcasted. Medium. Date Accessed. Wiesel, Elie. Interview by Ted Koppel. Nightline, ABC. WABC, New York. 18 Apr. 2002. Television. Personal/Original (an interview you conducted) Interviewee Name. Type of interview. Date Conducted. . Johnson, Jacob. Telephone Interview. 25 March 2012. . Barry, Michael. Personal Interview. 9 August 2014.
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub Page 6 of 6 Sample Works Cited Page Works Cited American Association for Artificial Intelligence. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2001. Barry, Michael. Personal Interview. 9 August 2014. Bernstein, Barton J. “Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Diplomatic History 28.3 (1991): 126-29. Print. Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites. A List Apart & Our Authors, 16 Aug. 2002. Web. 4 May 2006. Bradway, B. Pink Houses and Family Taverns. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. Print. The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Print. Colbert, Stephen. “Home.” Colbert Nation. Comedy Partners, 2013. Web. 1 Nov. 2006. Crane, Niles F. “Anarchy at Sea.” Atlantic Monthly Sept. 2003: 50-80. Print. The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of the Modern Communications. Los Angeles: Houghton-Mifflin, 1922. Print. Foreman, Red, Elizabeth Bennett, and Tom Collins. “In Forecasting Their Emotions, Most People Flunk Out.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 16 Feb. 1999. Web. 21 Nov. 2000. “Heaven and Hell.” Supernatural: Season Four. Created by Eric Kripke. Perf. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Warner Bros. Television, 2008. DVD. Helfer, Meredith. Russel Kempe, and Richard Krugman. The Battered Child. 5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Print. Jackson, Gabriel. “Multiple Historic Meanings of the Spanish Civil War.” Science and Society 68.3 (2004): 272-76. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Sept.2002. Johnson, Jacob. Telephone Interview. 25 March 2012. Kill Bill (Vol. 1). Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Perf. Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah. Miramax, 2003. DVD. Kramer, Cosmo F. “A Health Threat Baffling for Its Lack of a Pattern.” The New York Times. 22 June 2003, natl. ed.: A14. Print. Mad Men: Season One. Created by Matthew Weiner. Perf. John Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser. Lionsgate, 2008. DVD. “Panic Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, N.d. Web. 16 January 2013. Peterman, Jay S. “Eat This Now!” US News and World Report 28 Mar. 2005: 56-58. Print. Van Delay, Art. Seinfeld: The Show about Nothing. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Print. ---. Venetian Blinds: Contemporary Study of Compulsive Lying. New York: Pendant Publishing, 1994. Print. Wiesel, Elie. Interview by Ted Koppel. Nightline, ABC. WABC, New York. 18 Apr. 2002. Television.
Last Edited: 8/2/2016 [email protected] | (217) 206-6503 By: SC BRK 460 | www.uis.edu/thelearninghub #thehub