The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (9th Edition) is a guideline for writing scholarly work using Modern Language Association Style. In addition to rules for presenting information, the guideline also contains rules for physical formatting of the scholarly work itself and the documentation of sources if the author has relied on them to construct the scholarly work. Documentation includes acknowledgements in the body of the work (in-text citations and narrative citations) and formal listing in a Works Cited section of the work (bibliographic citation). Each type of acknowledgment consists of correct placement of specific information in a specific order using specific physical formatting.
Think of this MLA Citation Guide as a box filled with documentation recipes for all kinds of sources–books, magazines, websites, professional journals, media, and more.
NOTE: We have included sample citations (in-text and bibliographic) for the most commonly used types of sources. Please see the official MLA Handbook (9th Edition) for the most up-to-date information.
Book (Basic/Print)
One Author
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I.. Title of Work. Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Gumperz, John J.. Discourse Strategies. Cambridge University Press, 1982.
In-text citation:
(Gumperz # or ##-#)
Narrative citation:
Gumperz argues …. (#-##)
Two Authors
List the authors in the order that their names appear on the title page.
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I., and AuFirstName I. LastName. Title of Work. Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Collins, James, and Richard K. Blot. Literacy and Literacies: Texts, Power, and Identity. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
In-text citation:
(Collins & Blot # or ##-#)
Narrative citation:
James Collins and Richard Blot (#-##) [1st mention; thereafter, just last names]
Three or More Authors
When the work has more than two authors, MLA only requires that the first author is acknowledged and that you add “et al.” after the author’s name to indicate that there are additional authors.
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I., et al. Title of Work. Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Smith, Ann, et al. Overcoming Adversity. Harris Press, 2010.
In-text citation:
(Smith et al. # or ##-#)
Narrative citation:
Smith and colleagues (#-##) [1st mention; thereafter, Smith et al. (#-##)]
Unknown Author
When the work has no author, MLA only requires the name of the work, the publisher, and the year published.
Formula:
Title of Work. Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Beowulf. MarySue Press, 2010.
In-text citation:
(Beowulf #-##)
Narrative citation:
In Beowulf (#-##)
Corporate or Private Organization Publication Published by Same Organization
Formula:
Title of work. Location, Company Name, YEAR.
Example:
My Access! User’s Guide. New Hope, PA, Vantage Learning, 2006.
In-text citation:
(Vantage Learning xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Vantage Learning (xxx-xxx)
Corporate or Private Organization Publication Published by Different Entity
Formula:
Title of work. Company Name, YEAR.
Example:
My Access! User’s Guide. Vantage Learning, 2006.
In-text citation:
(Vantage Learning xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Vantage Learning (xxx-xxx)
Self-Published Book
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName. Title of work. YEAR.
Example:
Smith, Millie. Beyond Words, 2006.
In-text citation:
(Smith xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Smith (xxx-xxx)
Book (Edited, Translated, or Reprinted)
Edited Work(s) of a Single Author (Usually a Reprint)
Some reprinted books have editors or translators. Typically, persons with these roles will write a foreword explaining ways in which the reprinted book differs from the original. If there is no editor, translator, or other “role” for a reprinted edition, see the formulas for books by number of authors.
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName, I. Title of Work. Edited by FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Ogden, Ferris. Meaning of Discourse. Edited by Leon Harris, McGooley Publishing, 2004.
In-text citation:
(Ogden, xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Ogden (xxx-xxx)
Translated or Edited and Translated (Usually a Reprint)
Some reprinted books have editors or translators. Typically, persons with these roles will write a foreword explaining ways in which the reprinted book differs from the original. If there is no editor, translator, or other “role” for the reprinted edition, see the formulas for books by number of authors.
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName, I. Title of Work. Edited and Translated by FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR.
Example:
Ogden, Ferris. Meaning of Discourse. Edited and translated by Leon Harris, McGooley Publishing, 2004.
In-text citation:
(Ogden, xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Ogden (xxx-xxx)
Edited and/or Translated Reprinted Book with Original Publication Date
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName. Title of work. YEAR originally published. Publisher, YEAR of this version.
Example:
Smith, Millie. Beyond Words. 2001. Jones and Company, 2006.
In-text citation:
(Smith xxx-xxx)
Narrative citation:
Smith (xxx-xxx)
Contributions to a Book
A Word about Partial Sources (Edited Works)
Some books with multiple authors are actually “curated”—that is, an editor collects chapters, stories, essays, or poems that individual authors have written and organizes them to present a variety of perspectives and a broad range of sub-topics or examples of a subject. A writer might use information from a single chapter in an edited book, and in that case, both the chapter and the book should be cited in a single entry in a Works Cited list. Similarly, the author of the chapter and the editor(s) will receive acknowledgment in the citation. Note that in books with both an author and editor, the initials and last name of an editor appear in reverse order from those of the author. The title of editor, translator, director, or other “role” holder is capitalized in a bibliographic reference citation, and the name of the editor follows the role performed.
Entry, Essay, or Chapter in an Edited and/or Translated Book
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I. “Work Title.” Title of Larger Work, edited by FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR, pp. ##-###.
Example:
Gumperz, John J. “Interviewing Intercultural Situations.” Talk at Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings, edited by Paul Drew and John Heritage, Cambridge University Press, 1992. pp. 99-107.
In-text citation:
(Gumperz # or ##-#)
Narrative citation:
Gumperz (##-###)
Play in an Edited and/or Translated Book
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I. Play Title. Title of Edited or Translated Book, edited by FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR, pp. ##-###.
Example:
Johnson, Theodore. The Crux of the Matter. Relationships in Ten Plays of the Nineties, edited by Joan Jetison and Janis Missou, Your University Press, 2002, pp. 3-52.
In-text citation:
(Johnson, #; act 1)
Narrative citation:
Johnson (#; act 1)
Poem in an Edited and/or Translated Book
Formula:
PoetLastName, FirstName I. “Poem Title.” Title of Larger Work, FirstName SecondInitial. LastName, general editor, # ed., vol. #, Publisher, YEAR, p. # or pp. ##-###.
Example:
Kraftworth, Mary. “Waking Dreams.” Fantasies and Other Fantasies, Peter Hunter, general editor, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Howston and Jones Press, 1994. p. 47.
In-text citation:
(Kraftworth 47; line 6)
Narrative citation:
Kraftworth (47; line 6)
Short Story in an Edited and/or Translated Book
Formula:
AuLastName, FirstName I. “Story Title.” Title of Edited or Translated Book, edited by FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR, p. # or pp. ##-###.
Example:
Montrose, Theodore. “The Death of Montrose.” Tales of Authorial Death, edited by Robert Robbins, vol. 1, My University Press, 2002, pp. 3-18.
In-text citation:
(Montrose #-##)
Narrative citation:
Montrose (#-##)
Journal Article
Article in a Journal or Periodical
Rules for formatting of author names and article/periodical titles are essentially the same as those for a chapter in a book.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. “Article Title.” Title of Periodical, vol. #, no. #, YEAR, ##-##.
Example:
Valencia, S.W. “Inside English/Language Arts Standards: What’s in a Grade?” Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 4, 2001, pp. 202-17.
In-text citation:
(Valencia # or ##-##)
Narrative citation:
Valencia (##-##)
Article in an Online-Only Scholarly Journal
Rules for formatting of author names and article/periodical titles are essentially the same as those for a print version of a journal article.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. “Article Title.” Title of Periodical, vol. #, no. #, YEAR, URL.
Example:
Sikes, R.K. “Pathogenesis of Rabies in Wildlife. I. Comparative Effect of Varying Doses of Rabies Virus Inoculated into Foxes and Skunks.” American Journal of Veterinary Research, vol. 23, no. 1, 2022, https://ajvetr/23.1/sikes.html.
In-text citation:
(Sikes)
Narrative citation:
Sikes
Article in a Database with a DOI
Rules for formatting of author names and article/periodical titles are essentially the same as those for an article in an online-only scholarly journal. For volume and issue numbers, use abbreviations and numbers (vol. # or no. #).
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. “Article Title.” Title of Periodical, vol #, no. #, YEAR, pp. #-##. Database Name, https://doi.org/##.####/mod.YEAR.####.
Example:
Levin, Steven M., Elizabeth P. Kahn, and Michael B. Lax. “Medical Examination for Asbestos Related Disease.” American Journal of Industrial Medicine, vol. 31, no.1, 2000, pp. 476-489, JSTOR, https://doi.org/##.####/mod.2001.####.
In-text citation:
(Levin et al #-##)
Narrative citation:
Levin et al (#-##)
Article (Other)
Newspaper or Magazine Article (Print)
Rules for formatting of author names and article/newspaper titles are essentially the same as those for scholarly journal article. Do not use the words “Section” or “Page.” If a page is located in a section, just provide the section letter followed by the page in that section (i.e., p. A7). Volume and issue numbers, if used, should be noted after the year of publication with vol. #, no. #.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. “Article Title.” Title of Newspaper, Numeric DAY Alphabetic MONTHabbrev. YEAR, p. #.
Example:
Schwartz, Barry. “For Better Politicians, Lower Their Salaries.” Philadelphia Inquirer, 24 Dec. 1998, p. 9.
In-text citation:
(Schwartz 9)
Narrative citation:
Schwartz (9)
Newspaper or Magazine Article (Accessed Online)
Rules for formatting of author names and article/newspaper/magazine titles are essentially the same as those for a scholarly journal article. Online newspapers and magazines rarely have page numbers.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. “Article Title.” Title of Newspaper, Numeric DAY Alphabetic MONTHabbrev. YEAR, URL.
Example:
Martin, Allen. “Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?.” New York Times, 21 Mar. 2009, https://nyt.2009.martinA.food.html
In-text citation:
(Martin)
Narrative citation:
Martin
Dissertations and Other Scholarly Projects
Dissertation or Thesis (Unpublished)
Rules for formatting of author name and dissertation titles are essentially the same as those for a book.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. Dissertation Title. YEAR. University, PhD dissertation (or Masters thesis).
Example:
Smyrkin, Lynnette Q. Virtual Life: The Acculturation of Our Children Through Gaming. 2006. Grayson University, PhD dissertation
In-text citation:
(Smyrkin)
Narrative citation:
Smyrkin …
Dissertation (Published, Abstracted in Database)
Rules for formatting of author name and dissertation titles are essentially the same as those for a book.
Formula:
LastName, FirstName I. Dissertation Title. YEAR. Name of University, PhD dissertation (or Master thesis). DatabaseName, URL.
Example:
Chomsky, Noam. The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory. 1956. U of PA, PhD dissertation. ProQuest, search.proquest.com/docview/123456789.
In-text citation:
(Chomsky)
Narrative citation:
Chomsky …
Website Content
Website Written and Published by an Organization
Rules for formatting content from an organization’s website are essentially the same as those for an online magazine.
Formula:
“Article Title.” Website or Organization Name, NumericDay MonthAbbreviation Year, URL.
Example:
“Thought of the Week.” All Change, 20 June 2007, https://allchange.org/thought.
In-text citation:
(Thought)
Narrative citation:
In “Thought of the Week,”
Website with Editors and No Publisher
Formula:
EditorLastName, EditorFirstName, et al, editors. Website Name. Range of copyright years on site, SiteURL.
Example:
Brodkin, Jon, et al. editors. Network World. 2007 – 2009, https://networkworld.org.
In-text citation:
(Brodkin)
Narrative citation:
Brodkin …
Blog Post (sent via newsletter)
Blog posts are formatted essentially like magazine articles. If the post is sent via a periodic newsletter, the name of the newsletter is appended to the bibliographic citation.
Formula:
AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName. “Article Title.” Blog or Website Name, NumericDate MonthAbbreviation Year, URL. Newsletter Title.
Example:
Carey, Jennifer. “20 Tips for New Teachers.” Hufflepuff Post, 19 Oct. 2014, https://hppost.com/careyj. Teaching Daily.
In-text citation:
(Carey)
Narrative citation:
Carey …
Films and Videos
Films and Videos
Rules for formatting film titles are essentially the same as those for a book. Names of directors are listed. If there is more than one studio or distributor, separate their names with a slash (ex., First Studio / Second Studio)
Formula:
Film Title. Directed by FirstName LastName, Studio or Distributor Name, Year.
Example:
Flubber. Directed by Les Mayfield, Walt Disney Pictures, 1997.
In-text citation:
(Flubber)
Narrative citation:
In Flubber, …
Personal Communications
Email, Text Message, or Personal Communication
Rules for formatting email or text citations are basic. They citations do not require titles, just sender, recipient, type of communication, and date.
Formula:
AuthorLastName, FirstName. Email (or “Text message”) to RecipientFirstName RecipientLastName (or “to the author”). NumericDate MonthAbbreviation Year.
Example:
Wilson, Bernard. Text message to Jane Potter. 12 May 2009.
Wilson, Bernard. Email message to the author. 12 May 2009.
In-text citation:
(Wilson)
Narrative citation:
Wilson …
Social Media (Twitter)
Rules for formatting social media content varies according to platform. Shown below as an example is the relevant content for a Twitter post. You should consult the MLA Handbook 9th edition for other social media content.
Formula:
FirstName LastName Tweet [Handle]. “Full post with identical spacing and hashtags.” Twitter, NumericDate MonthAbbreviation Year, URL of post.
Example:
(Mandela, Nelson. (NelsonMandela). “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people & his country, he can rest in peace #Mandiba.” 5 Dec. 2013, twitter.com/nelsonmandela/status/#######.
In-text citation:
(Mandela)
Narrative citation:
Mandela ..
Special Cases
Citing More than One Source in a Sentence
When citing more than one source in a sentence, both authors and page numbers are cited within the parentheses separated by a semicolon (;). The citation appears before the closing punctuation.
Formula:
Paraphrase…”quotation” (LastName 1 ##-##; LastName2 ##-##).
Citing Multiple Works by a Single Author
When citing multiple works for the same author, include an abbreviated title in each citation.
Formula:
Paraphrase…”quotation” (LastName, short title ##-##).