Use this page and other links to assist in citing sources. Please refer to your instructors citation guidelines if different from MLA style as listed below. Print versions of this page are available in the Library. You may also visit the Learning Center for assistance. Numbers after each heading refer to MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
MLA - Works cited page | MLA - In text citing | Additional Resources
List the MLA entries in alphabetical order and double space all entries. The first line of an entry should begin at the left margin. If the entry is more than one line long, all succeeding lines should be indented one Tab.
*These examples may not display as formating requires.
Citing Books
Basic form for citing books:
Author. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication.A Book by One Author (5.6.1)
Burns, Eric. The Spirits of America: a Social History of Alcohol. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004.A Book with Two or More Authors (5.6.4)
Jakobson, Roman, and Linda R. Waugh. The Sound Shape of Language. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1979.
A Book with a Corporate Author
American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children. New York: Random, 1998.
If there are four or more authors, you only need to list the first author, followed by et al.
A Signed Article in a Reference Book (5.6.8)LaDue, Robin A. "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome." Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior. Ed. Rosalyn
Carson-DeWitt. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2001.
A Work in an Anthology (5.6.7)
Blake, William. "Grey Monk." Poems to Read: a New Favorite Poem Project Anthology. Ed. Robert Pinsky and
Maggie Dietz. New York: Norton, 2002. 166-167.
An Introduction, a Preface, a Foreword, or an Afterward (5.6.9)
Doctorow, E. L. Introduction. Sister Carrie. By Theodore Dreiser. New York: Bantam, 1985. vii-xvii.
CQ Researcher (5.6.8)
Jost, Kenneth. “Property Rights: Should the Use of Eminent Domain be Limited.” CQ Researcher. 4 Mar.
2005: 217-219.
Government Document – unknown author (5.6.12)
United States. Department of Labor. Child Care: A Workforce Issue. Washington: GPO, 1999.
An Electronic Book from netLibrary (5.9.3)
Fry, Ron. “Ace” Any Test. Franklin Lakes, NJ.: Career Press, 2000. NetLibrary. ECC Library, Union. 29 Aug.
2008 <http://www.netLibrary.com>.
An Electronic Book from Oxford Reference Collection (5.9.3)
"Coeliac Disease" Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Michael Kent. Oxford University Press,
1997. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. ECC Library, Union. 24 July 2006;
http://www.oxfordreference.com>.
Citing Articles (Print)
Basic form for citing journal articles:
Author. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume number.Issue number (Year):Number of pages.Article in a Magazine or Journal (5.7.2)
Norton, Colleen K, et al. “Trauma and Intraabdominal Hypertension.” American Journal of Nursing 106:7 July
2006: 51-55.
An Anonymous Article (5.7.2)
“Five Ways to Ace that Teacher Interview.” Instructor May –June 2006: 10.
A Newspaper Article (5.7.5)
Feder, Barnaby J. “For Job Seekers, a Toll-Free Gift of Expert Advice.” New York Times 30 Dec. 1993:D3.
Citing Full-Text Articles (Online)
Basic form for citing full-text journal articles (you do not need volume and issue number with magazine articles)Author. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume number.Issue number (Year):Number of pages. Database
name. Supplier. Name of Library. Access date <URL of online service>.
EBSCOhost Databases (5.9.7)
Nuechterlein, Donald E. "The Reagan Doctrine in Perspective." Perspectives on Political Science 19.1 (1990):
18+. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. ECC Library, Union. 12 Aug. 2006
<http://search.epnet.com/>.
Lexis-Nexis (5.9.7)
Boustany, Nora. "Roses Are Red, Bombs Leave You Dead." Washington Post 1 July 1998, Wednesday final ed.:
A27. Academic Universe. Lexis-Nexis. ECC Library, Union. 2 Aug. 2006 <http://web.lexis-
nexis.com/universe/>.
Citing WWW Sources
Document from an Internet Site (5.9.1)
“City Profile: San Francisco.” CNN.com. 2002. Cable News Network. 14 May 2006
<http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/atevo/city/SanFrancisco/intro.html>
"Plagiarism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 22 Jul 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Aug 2006
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plagiarism&oldid=5139350>
Citing Internet Resources changes quickly, please verify the citation format at the official MLA page. Click on MLA Style, access a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that addresses how to cite Internet sources.
**Blogs, Wikipedia, and other dictionaries or encyclopedias do not count as official sources**
Basic form for citing using the parenthetical method.
(Author, Page)
(Hacker, 56)
(Fowler, Aaron, and Okoomian 78)If the author's name is present in the cited information, only use the page number(s) in the citation.
If using an article and the author name is not present, use the first item in the MLA works cited entry. If it is an article title, use enough of the title to distinguish it from other sources. Format the article title using quotes.
If using a Website or online source, and you do not have a page, use the author. If the author is not present, use the article or page title. If using the entire website, use the website's title.
If the first item is a website title, book title, or journal title, format the citation as on your works cited entry.
When you do not have an author or page number, and you mention the title in the text, technically you do not need the citation at the end. But it is a good idea to bracket paraphrased information with a signal phrase and the citation. Vary your signal phrases when citing in-text.
*Always provide a citation in the text of the essay itself and on the Works Cited page when using a direct quote, a paraphrase, and a summary of anything that is not common knowledge.
Example: Online Article Without an Author Named
"Judge Rules in Favor of Marine Life in Navy Sonar Case." The Humane Society of the United
States. 10 Jan. 2008. HSUS. 15 Jan. 2008 < http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/
marine_mammals_news/01_08_sonar_ruling.html>.
Parenthetical Citation used in a Paraphrase
Recently a federal judge ruled to expand the limits of Navy radar use of the coast of Southern California ("Judge Rules in Favor").Parenthetical Citation used in a Direct Quote
On Jan. 3, a federal judge decision "bars the Navy from using mid-frequency sonar within 12 nautical miles of the California coast, [which] expands the 'shut-down' zone—an area in which sonar must be turned off in the presence of marine mammals—from 1,100 yards to 2,200 yards and forbids sonar use in the Catalina Basin, among other restrictions" ("Judge Rules in Favor").In-text Source using a Signal Phrase
According to the article, "Judge Rules in Favor of Marine Life in Navy Sonar Case", recently a federal judge ruled to expand the limits of Navy radar use of the coast of Southern California.
For more information on MLA citations try the following books and links:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Landmark College - MLA Citation Guide
*Examples of citations are courtesy of Josh Stroup, Dean Brown ECC English Faculty and ECC Library.
East Central College 1964 Prairie Dell Rd, Union, Missouri 63084 (636) 583-5193 x2248 Contact web editor at: library@eastcentral.eduLast Update: July 18, 2008
