Guides to Information Resources

Last revised: August 2006

Citing Sources Using the MLA Handbook

Scope: This guide is designed to help researchers learn how to cite sources using the Modern Languages Association (MLA) Handbook. This style is used in the arts and humanities. This guide is not a comprehensive list of all the types of materials that can be cited; for more information, refer to:

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed.
New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
McKeldin Library Reference Desk PN147.G53 2003

The FAQ section of the MLA Web site also addresses questions concerning style issues.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview
Constructing In-Text Parenthetical References
Documenting Sources in the Works Cited List

Dictionary Entry

Editorial & Letter to Editor

Encyclopedia Article

Government Document

Journal (Peer Reviewed) Article

Magazine Article

Newspaper Article

Videocassette & DVD

Sample Research Paper Using MLA

Overview

The MLA Handbook specifies the use of the in-text parenthetical reference system (as opposed to a footnote or endnote system, like Chicago/Turabian) to document sources used in a paper. These parenthetical references contain abbreviated source information since they are tied to an alphabetical list of Works Cited which contains full source information and appears at the end of the research paper. When constructing these in-text references, remember that all in-text parenthetical references must correspond to a source cited in the Works Cited list, and that the function of the parenthetical reference is to give the reader information that allows him or her to quickly locate the source in that list.

To illustrate what a parenthetical reference and its corresponding entry in the Works Cited list would look like, let's say that you are writing a paper on the "ideal" politician and are quoting a particular author's idea of which qualities are desirable in a politician. An exerpt from a sentence in a paper written using MLA style would look like this:

While some assert that the essential qualities a politician must possess are, "passion, a feeling of responsibility, and a sense of proportion" (Weber 33), others think that...

while the entry in the list of Works Cited (see sample paper) would look like this:

Weber, Max. "Politics as a Vocation." In Essays in Sociology Ed. Howard Garth and Carol Mills. New York: Macmillian, 1946. 26-45.

Constructing In-Text Parenthetical References

Source Details	Citation
Basic Form: Author's last name followed by the page reference If the author's last name is mentioned in the sentence, the page number alone is sufficient	(Smith 23) Weber asserts that the essential qualities a politician must possess are, "passion, a feeling of responsibility, and a sense of proportion" (33), others think that...
Two authors with the same last name: Add an initial to identify which author you're citing	(M. Smith 23)
Source has 2-3 authors	(Smith, Jones, and Murphy 23)
More than 3 authors: Either give the first author's name followed by "et al." or list all the names	(Smith et al. 23)
No author: Give the title, shortened or in full, using the form that that format requires (underline a book title, put an article in quotes, etc.) plus page number	(Basic Design 21)
Two sources by the same author: Give the author's last name plus the cited title and page number	(Bourdieu, "Three Soldiers," 21)
Multiple sources in a reference: Use semicolons to separate	(Census Bureau 2-4; Harris 56)

Documenting Sources in the Works Cited List

Book	Citation
1 Author: Use the form of the name given on the title page	Bagby, John W. Cyberlaw Handbook for E-Commerce. Westport: Thompson West, 2003.
3 Editors: Shorten names of publishers. See handbook for more information	Smith, John P., Janice Brown, and Chris W. Enkunde, eds. The History of the World Wide Web. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2004.
More than 3 authors/2nd edition: Acceptable to name all, or to just name the first and put "et al."	Baumer, David, et al. Cyberlaw and E-Commerce. 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw, 2002.
Chapter in an edited multiauthor book	Heller, Carol. "Gender Roles in Ethiopian Culture." Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Ed. Annabelle Gottlieb and George Franco. Boston: Faber, 2001. 46-73.
Online-from a subscription database (More on citing subscription databases)	Russell-Brown, Katheryn. Underground Codes: Race, Crime, and Related Fires. New York: New York U Press, 2004. NetLibrary. OCLC. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 16 Nov. 2005 <http://www.netlibrary.com>
Online-from a free scholarly project	Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. New York: D. Appleton, 1920. Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. April 2000. Bartleby.com, Inc. 16 Nov. 2005 <http://www.bartleby.com/br/1005.html>

Dictionary Entry	Citation
In print-unsigned entry in a well known source	"Internet." The Oxford English Dictionary. 3rd ed. 1999.
In print-signed entry in a less well known source	Edward, Samantha N. "Electronic Commerce." The Computer Glossary: The Complete Illustrated Dictionary. Ed. Allan Freedman. New York: ADACOM, 2001.
Online-from a Web site	"Electronic Commerce." Free Online Dictionary of Computing. Ed. Denis Howe. 2005. Imperial College Department of Computing. 14 March 2005 <http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/elec-comm.html>.

Dissertation	Citation
In print-unpublished	Fitzpatrick, Kerry J. "Effects of Mowing on the Selection of Raptor Foraging Habitat." Diss. U of Maryland, 2003.
Abstract of a dissertation from a library subscription database (More on citing subscription databases)	Golden, Nancy Heather. "Monitoring of Organic and Heavy Metal Contaminants in Wildlife: Nonlethal Methods and Species Selection. Diss. University of Hawaii, 2003. Abstract. Digital Dissertations. UMI. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 24 Mar. 2004 <http://www.umi.com/>.

Editorial & Letter to the Editor	Citation
In Print-no author	"Death to NAFTA." Editorial. Baltimore Sun 20 May 2003, late ed.: B3
In Print-known author	Smith, Chris G. Letter. Washington Times 2 Feb. 2004, late ed.: A21
Online-from a Web site	Krall, Ronald L. Letter. New York Times. 9 June 2005. 10 June 2005 <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/09/opinion/l09glaxo.html>.
Online-found using a library subscription database (More on citing subscription databases)	"Drowning in Spam." Editorial. Washington Times. 12 Feb 2004: A22. LexisNexis Academic. LexisNexis. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 23 Mar. 2004 <http://www.lexis-nexis.com.html>.

E-Mail Message	Citation
E-Mail	Antonisse, Peggy J. "Re: Training for Teaching Assistants." E-mail to Maggie Cunningham. 12 Dec. 2003.

Encyclopedia	Citation
In print	"Sagan, Carl Edward." The Encyclopedia Americana. 56th ed. 2002.
Online-from a Web site	"Carl Sagan." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica. 10 March 2004 <http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article?eu=66404>.

Government Document	Citation
In print	United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. Irrigation: A National Research Plan. Washington: GPO, 2001.
Online-from a Web site-corporate and individual author	United States Dept. of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Trends in Violent Victimization: 1980-2000. By Georgia Harrison. Sept. 2001. 14 Apr. 2005 <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/huy00.pdf>.

Interview	Citation
Unpublished (personal communication)	Yow, Debbie. Telephone interview. 15 Mar. 2004. Gilchrist, John. E-mail interview. 12-14 Apr. 2004
Published (or broadcast)	Washington, Denzel. Interview with James Lipton. Inside the Actor's Studio. Bravo. NBC Universal, New York. 18 Feb. 2001.

Journal (Peer Reviewed) Article	Citation
Journal with continuous pagination throughout the annual volume: Include volume number	Smith, Jack, and Cynthia Farmer. "Ways of Coping with Obesity: A Ten Year Study." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 291 (2004): 527-529.
Journal without continuous pagination: Include volume and issue number	Owens, Sherry Lynn, Bobbie C. Smothers, and Faye E. Love. "Are Girls Victims of Gender biases in Our Nation's Schools?" Journal of Instructional Psychology 30.2 (2003): 131-136.
Journal that uses issue numbers only: Place issue number where volume would be	James, Earl W. T. "Obesity in American School Children: An Epidemic." Nursing 34 (2000): 65-68.
Online-found through the library subscription database Academic Search Premier (More on citing subscription databases)	Stem, Caroline J., James P. Lassoie, David R. Lee, and David J. Deshler. "How 'Eco' is Ecotourism? A Comparative Case Study of Ecotourism in Costa Rica." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 11 (2003): 322-348. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 23 Mar. 2004 <http://www.epnet.com/>.

Legal Source	Citation
Federal Act	Children's Internet Protection Act. Pub. L. 106-554. 21 Dec. 2000. Stat. 114.2763.
Supreme Court Case	United States v. Patane. No. 02-1183. Supreme Court of the US. 28 June 2004.

Magazine Article	Citation
In print-weekly-author unknown	"Business Ethics for the Rich and Famous?" Time 15 June 1992: 24.
In print-weekly-author known	Lavell, Louis, and Amy Borrus. "Ethics 101 for CEOs." Business Week 26 Jan. 2004: 88.
In print-monthly	Elliott, Michael. "Embracing the Enemy is Good Business." Smithsonian Aug. 2001: 43-44.
*Online-found through the subscription library database Academic Search Premier* (More on citing subscription databases)**	Roman, Monica. "Son of NAFTA?" Business Week 29 Dec. 2003: 50. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 24 Mar. 2004 <http://www.epnet.com/>.

Newspaper Article	Citation
In Print	Epstein, Edward. "It's That Time Again: Lawmakers Revisit Daylight Saving." San Francisco Chronicle 9 Apr. 2005, final ed.: A1+.
Article from a news Web site-no author	"Bankruptcy Bill Passes in House". 14 Apr. 2005. CNN.com. Cable News Network. 16 Apr. 2005 <http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/13/pf/bankruptcy_bill/index.html>.
Online-found through the subscription library database Lexis Nexis Academic(More on citing library databases)	Howden, Daniel. "Polio at Mecca Sparks Fear for Muslim Thousands." Independent [London] 12 Feb. 2005, first ed.: 31. LexisNexis Academic. Lexis Nexis. University of Maryland Libraries, College Park. 14 Apr. 2005 <http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe>.

Online Posting	Citation
E-mail Discussion Group	Hossberg, John. "Rites of Passage in Contemporary American Culture." Online posting. 23 Mar. 2003. H-Amsty. 14 Apr. 2004 <http://www.h-net.org/~amstdy/>.

Videocassette and DVD	Citation
Videocassette	Power! 1967-1968. Dir. Louis Massiah and Terry Kay Rockefeller. 1990. Videocassette. PBS Video, 1999.
DVD	Heavy Traffic. Dir. Ralph Bakshi. 1973. DVD. MGM Home Entertainment, 2000.

Web Site	Citation
Citing a document from the open web Sources found on the Web are less stable than those found in any other format. Therefore, MLA requires citations that are as comprehensive as possible. If you are unable to identify some of the key elements needed in the citation (such as the author, affiliated institution, and update information), you may want to reconsider using the site as a source. Remember that literally anyone can publish information on the Web. Refer to UM's guide Evaluating Web sites for more information. URLs are mandatory for sources from the open Web (as opposed to library subscription databases where they aren't strictly mandatory.) If the URL is lengthy, you can put the URL of the search page accompanied by the keyword assigned to your source or the path a reader would take to retrieve the source.
Basic format: May contain many* elements depending on the site. A complete list is available on MLA's Web site under FAQ .* Print publication information is available: Information about print publication (see appropriate source type above). Information about electronic publication (Title of the site. Editor [if available]. Version number [if available]. Date of electronic publication or the latest update. Name of any institution or organization that sponsors the site.) Access information (date you accessed it <URL>). No print publication information is available: Author's name. "Title of the Document." Information about electronic publication (Title of the site. Date of electronic publication or the latest update. Editor [if available]. Version number [if available]. Name of any institution or organization that sponsors the site.) Access information (date you accessed it <URL>).
Print publication information is available:	Lessig, Lawrence. "The People Own Ideas!" Technology Review. June 2005: 46-53. Technology Review.com. Ed. Wade Roush. June 2005. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 12 Feb. 2006 <http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/feature_people.asp>.
Document from a Web site-no print publication info. available-author and editor identical	Sullivan, Danny. "Boolean Searching." SearchEngineWatch.com. Ed. Danny Sullivan. Oct. 2001. Jupitermedia. 14 Apr. 2005 <http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/article.php/2155991>.
Author unknown: Begin with the title	"Fundamental Buddhism Explained Summary." 1997. Fundamental Buddhism Explained. Buddhist Instruction Ministry. 23 Mar. 2005 <http://www.fundamentalbuddhism.com/buddhism.htm>.

Sample Research Paper Using MLA*

*Not necessarily relevant subject content for MLA style. Sample paper is only presented to illustrate the formatting conventions of MLA.

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Last modified: August 8, 2006

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