MLA Format and Citation Style Guide 9th Edition Made Easy
The MLA Format and Citation Style Guide 9th Edition is an authoritative resource provided by the Modern Language Association for writers and researchers. This guide offers comprehensive instructions on formatting academic papers and properly citing sources according to MLA standards. The 9th edition, updated to reflect current practices and technologies, includes guidelines for in-text citations, the works cited list, and overall document formatting. It is widely used in the humanities, especially in fields such as literature, languages, and cultural studies, ensuring uniformity and professionalism in scholarly writing.
MLA General Principles of Formatting
- Use Times New Roman 12 pt. font (unless the instructions require a different font), double-spaced.
- Set 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins (all sides). This format applies to APA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, OSCOLA, and AMA.
- Page numbers have to be located in the upper-right corner.
- The last name should be in the upper-right header preceding the page number.
- MLA does not require a title page (but one may be included if required).
- In bibliographical entries, lines other than the first one are indented.
- On the first page, it is necessary to provide the MLA header in the top left corner (for papers without a title page):
The APA 6 guide was developed in line with the American Psychological Association in 2013. Publication manual of the American Read more
The APA Citation Style Guide (7th ed.) is a comprehensive manual for writers and researchers to follow when formatting and Read more
The Chicago Citation Style Guide (17th ed.) - Notes-Bibliography is a referencing guide developed in accordance with The Chicago Manual Read more
The Chicago Citation Style Guide (17th ed.)-Author-Date is a referencing format developed in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style, Read more
Title Page
The title page of MLA format contains student information and the paper’s title, as shown below.
Headings
Headings in the paper must be formatted the following way:
Heading Level 1: bold, flush left
Heading Level 2: italics, flush left
Works Cited List
All sources used in papers written following MLA style should be mentioned under the “Works Cited” heading on a separate page. Each entry is written separately, and it consists of core elements that are included in a specific order. Some optional elements may also be added, depending on the situation.
The Core Elements
Below is the list of the core elements in the order of how they should appear on a reference page.
1. Author
2. Title of source
3. Title of container
4. Other contributors
5. Version
6. Number
7. Publisher
8. Publication date
Author
The author’s last name is followed by a comma, and all other full names as they are mentioned in the work. The element ends with a period in the reference list, such as Jameson or Carl. The in-text variant is (Jameson 44).
Title of Source
Title is the next element after the author, and it is in italics (e.g., book or journal titles) or in quotation marks, not italicized (e.g., article titles). Every word in this entry and Title of Container is capitalized apart from articles and prepositions.
Title of Container
This constituent indicates if the work was a part of a larger volume or journal.
Other Contributors
This element states other contributors. Such descriptions precede their names:
adapted by
directed by
edited by
illustrated by
introduction by
narrated by
performance by
translated by
Version
Version is commonly referred to as an edition and may appear in the reference list entry as 8th ed.
Number
This element shows the volume used (vol. 2) or issue number of a journal (vol. 4, no. 3).
Publisher
This information can be found on the source’s copyright page, which shows the publisher’s name followed by a comma. When an organization is both author and publisher of a work, the organization’s name is given only once, usually as the publisher. No author is stated.
Publication Date
This element indicates when the publication was produced (South-Western Cengage Learning, 2010). These aspects are the most common elements used in MLA citation style, but their format depends on the type of publication and citation (in-text or reference list).
Works Cited
Citing Books
General book format
Structure:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
One author
Example:
Sepetys, Ruta. Salt to the Sea. Philomel Books, 2016.
Two authors
The second author should appear as they are mentioned in the book.
Example:
Grey, Ann, and Erin Bell. History on Television. Routledge, 2013.
Three or more authors
If there are three or more authors, the first author must be followed by “et al.”
Example:
White, Karen, et al. The Forgotten Room. Berkley, 2016.
Corporate/organization author
The corporation’s name should start the line and appear in the text instead of the author.
Example:
World Trade Organization. From GATT to the WTO: The Multilateral Trading System in the New
Millennium. Kluwer Law International, 2000.
Unknown author
Example:
Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather. Oxford UP, 2011.
Note:
• “University” and “Press” in the names of academic presses are abbreviated to “U” and “P”.
Two or more works by the same author
Three (3) hyphens and a period at the beginning of the following line represent the same author’s name.
Example:
Borroff, Marie. Language and the Poet: Verbal Artistry in Frost, Stevens, and Moore. U of Chicago P,
1979.
—. Pearl: A New Verse Translation. W. W. Norton, 1977.
Two or more works by the same author in the same year
Example:
Jones, Cal. Assessing Hypotheses. U of Western Sydney, 1999.
—. Forming Hypotheses. U of Western Sydney, 1999.
Author with an editor
The editors’ names should appear as it is presented in the book.
Example:
Howells, William Dean. Their Wedding Journey. Edited by John K. Reeves, Indiana UP, 1968.
Author with a translator
Example:
Eco, Umberto. The Prague Cemetery. Translated by Richard Dixon, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2010.
Editor with no author
Example:
Baker, Russell, editor. The Norton Book of Light Verse. W. W. Norton, 1986.
Work in an anthology (chapter in a book)
Example:
Arnold, Matthew. “Sweetness and Light.” Cultural Theory: An Anthology, edited by Imre Szeman and
Timothy Kaposy, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, pp. 12–17.
Edition other than the first
Example:
Tortora, Gerald J., and Bryan H. Derrickson. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 14th ed., Wiley
Global Education, 2013.
Multivolume work
Some book series may consist of several volumes. When citing such, it is necessary to state the volume of the book where the information was taken from. However, if the volume has its own name, it is formatted as a book.
Example:
Priestley, Joseph. Experiments and Observations on Different Types of Air. Vol. 2, Johnson, 1775.
Encyclopedia/dictionary
This entry should not include information about the publisher or page number.
Example:
“Activist Media.” A Dictionary of Journalism. 2nd ed., 2016.
Foreword, introduction, preface, or afterword
Example:
Priestley, Joseph. Preface. Experiments and Observations on Different Types of Air, by Priestley, vol. 2, Johnson, 1775, pp. v–xxviii.
Online book
The basic book format is used here, followed by the name of the electronic library (italicized) and the URL.
Example:
Gikandi, Simon. Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Cambridge UP, 2000. ACLS Humanities E-book, hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.07588.0001.001
NB!
- Omit https:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them or it’s a DOI link.
- If a URL runs more than three full lines, truncate to the host.
For example, hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.07588.0001.001 may become hdl.handle.net
Citing Articles in Periodicals
This section focuses on articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers. The month has to be
abbreviated if used (Jan., Feb., or Mar., except June, July, and Sept.). In general, the citation will look like this:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of an Article.” Title of Periodical, vol. #, no. #, YYYY, pp. #-#.
Scholarly journal article
Example:
Zhang, Qun. “Lean Six Sigma: A Literature Review.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, vol. 3, no. 10, 2012, pp. 599–605.
Note:
• Use “p.” if the article is located on one page.
Scholarly journal article (no author)
Example:
“Understanding Benefits and Limitations of Six Sigma.” International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, vol. 2, no. 1, 2012, pp. 1–9.
Magazine article
Example:
Park, Alice. “The Story about a Viral Photo of Opioid Overdose.” Time, 24 Jan. 2017, p. 45.
Baker, Aryn. “A Climate Solution Lies Deep Under the Ocean—But Accessing It Could Have Huge Environmental Costs.” Time, 13 Sept. 2021, time.com/6094560/deep-sea-miningenvironmental-costs-benefits.
Newspaper article
Example:
Mathews, David. “From Draft Town to Gray Skies.” The Chicago Defender, 28 Apr. 2015, pp. 2–6.
Timsit, Annabelle, et al. “Los Angeles school board to vote on vaccine mandate for students.” The Washington Post, 09 Sept. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/08/covid-delta variant-live-updates
Editorial in newspaper
An editorial is cited like any article in a periodical, but it is necessary to state that it is an “Editorial” after the work’s title.
Example:
“Who’s Afraid of Betsy DeVos.” Editorial. The Wall Street Journal, 17 Jan. 2017, p. 10.
Letter to the editor
Example:
“Rebellion against the Weird.” Letter. The Guardian, 27 Jan. 2017, p. 12.
It uses similar principles to an editorial in a newspaper and states the type of the publication—Letter.
Book or film review
To cite a review, include the title of the review (if available), then the phrase “Review of,” and provide the title of the work (in italics for books, plays, and films; in quotation marks for articles, poems, and short stories). Finally, provide performance and/or publication information.
Examples:
Review Author. “Title of Review (if there is one).” Review of Performance Title by Author/Director/Artist/Editor. Title of Periodical, Day Month Year, page.
Seitz, Matt Zoller. “Life in the Sprawling Suburbs, If You Can Really Call It Living.” Review of Radiant City, directed by Gary Burns and Jim Brown. New York Times, 30 May 2007, p. E1.
Weiller, K. H. Review of Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender: Historical Perspectives and Media Representations, edited by Linda K. Fuller. Choice, Apr. 2007, p. 1377.
Article in an online journal
Example:
Dufresne, Christopher, et al. “Broad-Scale Genetic Diversity of Cannabis for Forensic Applications.” PLoS ONE, vol. 12, no. 1, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170522.
If the article can also be found in print, it is necessary to mention page numbers.
Example:
Dufresne, Christopher, et al. “Broad-Scale Genetic Diversity of Cannabis for Forensic Applications.” PLoS ONE, vol. 12, no. 1, 2017, pp. 458–471, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170522.
Article from an online database (or other electronic subscription service)
Cite online databases (e.g., LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the database title italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.
Examples:
Chan, Evans. “Postmodernism and Hong Kong Cinema.” Postmodern Culture, vol. 10, no. 3, May 2000. Project Muse, https://doi.org/10.1353/pmc.2000.0021
Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173–96. ProQuest, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966.
Article in an online magazine/newspaper
Example:
Kwakkel, Erik. “The Beauty of the Injured Book.” Medieval Fragments, 02 May 2014, medievalfragments.com/2014/05/02/the-beauty-of-the-injured-book.
PDF of an online journal article
Example:
Jamali, Hamid R. and Majid Nabavi. “Open access and sources of full-text articles in Google Scholar in different subject fields.” Scientometrics, vol. 105, no. 3, 2015, pp.1635-1651. ResearchGate, www.researchgate.net/publication/280303439_Open_access_and_sources_of_fulltext_articles_in_Google_Scholar_in_different_subject_fields. PDF download.
Citing Web Sources
General format
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI, or permalink. Date of access (mentioned only if there is no publication date!).
Entire website
When citing an entire website, it is necessary to provide the full URL (without https://) and the date when the source was accessed.
Example:
Starbucks: Coffee and Espresso. Starbucks Coffee Company, 2016, www.starbucks.com/.
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/.
Page from the website (no publication date)
Example:
Pereira, Rachel. “How to Make an Interesting Art Piece Using Tree Branches.” eHow, www.ehow.com/how_2227693_art-piece-using-tree-branches.html. Accessed 24 Jan. 2017.
In this case, only the date of access is known.
Page from the website with an unknown author
Example:
“Antibiotic Resistant STDs: FAQs.” WebMD, 12 Jan. 2017, www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/antibioticresistant-std-faq.
Image from website
This format can be used when citing famous paintings, sculptures, and artworks that are available online. Provide the artist’s name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, and the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the website in italics and the date of access.
Example:
Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. MoMA Learning, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/vincent-van-gogh-the-starry-night-1889.
If the work is cited on the web only, provide the artist’s name and the title in quotation marks, and follow the website citation format. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.
Example:
Burtinsky, Edward. “Silver Lake Operations #16. Lake Lefroy, Western Australia.” Picture Stories, National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/01/edward-burtynsky-earth-humanlandscapes/.
Entire blog
The date can usually be found at the bottom of the web window, along with the copyright information.
Example:
Daniels, Clair. Easy Recipes. 2016, www.easyrecipes.com.
Single blog entry
Example:
Daniels, Clair. “Pumpkin Pie.” Easy Recipes, 25 Apr. 2016, www.easyrecipes.com/04/25/2016/pumpkinpie.
Video or film
If there is a general discussion of a film, the film title should be followed by the names of creators and performers. The name of the distributor is also required.
Example:
Die Hard. Directed by John McTiernan, Twentieth Century Fox, 1988.
Television Episode
Examples:
“The Iron Throne.” Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 6, HBO, 19 May 2019.
“Tradition.” Grey’s Anatomy, created by Shonda Rhimes et al., season 17, episode 15, ABC, 20 May 2021.
Podcast/YouTube
The video’s name is followed by the hosting website’s name (italicized). The uploader’s name or username should be mentioned along with the download date.
Example:
“Planet Earth II Continues: Official Trailer.” YouTube, uploaded by BBC Earth, 25 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8yo_Sp-rGY.
Social Media
Structure:
Author [@author’s handle]. “Title.” Social Media Platform, DD Mon. Year, link.
Examples:
APA Style [@APAStyle]. “A new way to master APA Style is here!” Facebook, 01 Sept. 2021, www.facebook.com/APAStyle/posts/6734360253256004.
APA Style [@APAStyle]. “The Mastering APA Style Student Workbook engages users online with interactive questions to learn and apply principles of #7thEdition #APAStyle and scholarly writing.” Twitter, 01 Sept. 2021, twitter.com/APA_Style/status/1433128273068838920.
If the title is too long, you can shorten it, but ensure that the identification of the work is unambiguous.
Citing Dissertations / Theses
Dissertation
The main elements of a dissertation citation are the same as those of a book. Conclude with an indication of the document type (e.g., “PhD dissertation”). The degree-granting institution may be included before the document type (though this is not required). If the dissertation was accessed through an online repository, include it as the second container after all the other elements.
Example:
Bishop, Karen Lynn. Documenting Institutional Identity: Strategic Writing in the IUPUI Comprehensive Campaign. 2002. Purdue U, PhD dissertation.
Dissertation available online
Mitchell, Mark. The Impact of Product Quality Reducing Events on the Value of Brand-Name Capital: Evidence from Airline Crashes and the 1982 Tylenol Poisonings. 1987. PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Citing Learning Environment
Lecture
The city must be mentioned if a lecture or other live performance is cited. However, this should be left out if it is already in the name of the event. The name of the organization should follow the name of the meeting. The speech title is enclosed in quotation marks. A lecture or other address heard in person may be indicated as such at the end of the entry.
Example:
Atwood, Margaret. “Silencing the Scream.” Boundaries of the Imagination Forum. MLA Annual Convention, 29 Dec. 1993, Royal York Hotel, Toronto. Lecture.
Citing Governmental Sources
Government publication
If the author is unknown, mention the government and the department. The name of the publishing office must follow the title of the document.
Example:
Great Britain, Ministry of Transport. Increasing Security in London Airports: Strategies for Future. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 2003.
In-Text Citations
The main scheme for an in-text citation is the first name that appears in the source listing (usually an author’s name) followed by a page number, which is always put in parentheses.
A source without page numbers or any other form of explicit, fixed part numbering must be cited as a whole: include in the text or in parentheses enough information for the reader to find the corresponding entry in the works-cited list—usually the author’s last name.
An author named in a signal phrase
Mention the author in the sentence, and end the sentence with a page number for paraphrased information:
Example: According to Barton, teenagers are influenced by marketing campaigns in social media (68).
The author is not named in a signal phrase.
Note that there is no comma between the author’s name and the page number. Example: Teenagers are influenced by marketing campaigns in social media (Barton 68).
Unknown author
If the author is unknown, the title that appears first in the source entry should be used with the same formatting and punctuation. If it is too long, reduce to the first several words in parentheses:
Example: Many young people attended Woodstock in the 1970s (Readings on the Past Century 89).
Example: Readings on the Past Century: Music and Protest mentions that many young people attended Woodstock in the 1970s (89).
Unknown page number
If there is no page number and the source is not divided by chapters, paragraphs, or other sections, do not include it in the in-text citation. Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.
Example: Young parents tend to have higher levels of stress for their children than experienced couples (Ford).
More than one work by the same author
When you are referring to more than one work by an author, it is necessary to state a shortened version of the title. The examples show how to represent an article (title is in quotation marks):
Example: (Kotler, “Kotler on Marketing” 65), (Kotler, “Marketing Management” 76).
However, when the author’s last name is used in the sentence, the in-text reference will be formatted this way:
Example: (“Kotler on Marketing” 65), (“Marketing Management” 76).
For books, titles are provided in italics.
Two authors
When making a reference to two co-authors, it is necessary to use “and” to connect their last names.
Example: (Grey and Bell 45).
Three or more authors
If the Works Cited entry shows that a work has three or more than three authors, “et al.” is used starting from the first quote or reference.
Example: (White et al. 456).
Corporate Author
If the author is an organization or corporate entity, include its full name in the in-text citation. If you refer to the organization often, mention the title in full at least once and use an abbreviation in the subsequent in-text citations.
Example: (World Trade Organization 56).
Authors with the same last name
To differentiate between authors with the same last name in in-text citations, use their initials.
Example: (R. Smith 45), (J. Smith 56).
Encyclopedia
When citing an encyclopedia or a part of it, it is necessary to put the article in quotation marks as it is stated in the reference list entry.
Example: (“Activist Media” 5).
Multivolume work
When citing information from different volumes, it is necessary to indicate a volume number. However, this is not necessary if only one volume is used.
Example: (Priestley 1: 45).
Two or more works in the same parentheses
It is necessary to use a semicolon to divide references and list them in alphabetical order.
Example: (Clark 45; Roberts 65).
Indirect sources
Provide the author of the original source in a signal phrase and include a citation of the secondary source in parentheses. Note that only the secondary source has to be included in the Works Cited.
Example: Smith argues that “personalistic systems provide the most accurate representation of a patient’s identity” (. Jones 82).
An entire work/website
When citing an entire website, book, or any other long source, the title will be shortened and presented in
italics (if the author is unknown).
Example: (Starbucks).
Work in anthology
A work in an anthology is cited using the principles of general MLA format. In this case, the information in parentheses will reflect the last name of the author of the short work, along with the page number.
Example: (Arnold 12).
Government publication
Governmental publications are cited as corporate authors. In this case, the in-text citation must include the full name of the department and the page or paragraph number.
Example: (United States Department of Labor 5).
Dissertation
If the author is known, use common citation rules.
Example: (Jameson 65).
Lecture
In most cases, the information about the lecturer is known.
Example: (Green 1).
Multimedia sources
Sometimes, it will be necessary to reference various multimedia sources such as a video, film, podcast, YouTube video, or image. For sources that have a particular length, it may be necessary to state particular minutes that the quotation or text refers to, such as (00:01:23-00:01:56). However, this is not a requirement.
Video or film
General rules for MLA referencing are applied when citing a video or a film. In the first example below, the title of the film is italicized as in the Works Cited (refer to example 1 in Works Cited). In the second example, the last name of the director is provided (refer to example 2 in Works Cited).
Example: (Die Hard) or (McTiernan).
Podcast/YouTube
Citing this type of source also depends on how it appears on the Works Cited page. In this case, it is reasonable to state the author (user name) if known or provide the title of the work in quotation marks.
Example: (Andersen 00:01:23-00:01:56).
Image from website
In the case of a picture or photograph, if the author is known, it is reasonable to state the author, such as (Gogh) or (Burtinsky). With an unknown author, present it the same way as it is stated in Works Cited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the latest edition of the MLA Handbook?
The latest edition is the 9th edition, published in 2021.
How do I format block quotes in MLA?
Indent block quotes one inch from the left margin. Do not use quotation marks, and double-space the text.
Can I use footnotes in MLA format?
Yes, but it is not necessary. MLA allows the use of footnotes or endnotes for supplementary information. However, in-text citations are the primary method for citing sources.
How do I cite a source with no author in MLA?
Use a shortened title of the work in place of the author’s name. For example, (“Impact of Global Warming” 45).
What if multiple works by the same author are cited?
Include a shortened title of the work along with the author’s last name and page number. For example, (Smith, Art of Writing 123).
How should I format the works cited page?
Center the title “Works Cited” at the top of the page, and use a hanging indent for each entry. Alphabetize entries by the author’s last name.
The APA 6 guide was developed in line with the American Psychological Association in 2013. Publication manual of the American Read more
The APA Citation Style Guide (7th ed.) is a comprehensive manual for writers and researchers to follow when formatting and Read more
The Chicago Citation Style Guide (17th ed.) - Notes-Bibliography is a referencing guide developed in accordance with The Chicago Manual Read more
The Chicago Citation Style Guide (17th ed.)-Author-Date is a referencing format developed in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style, Read more