Examples are based on the MLA Handbook, 8th edition.
- General Guidelines
- Book with one author
- Book with multiple authors
- Book with an editor or translator
- Reprinted article or chapter in an edited book
- Original article or chapter in an edited book
- eBook
- Dictionary entry or encyclopedia article
- Journal article
- Newspaper article
- Magazine article
- Page or document from a website
- Government publication
- Image - Painting, Photograph, Sculpture
- Image - Only on the Internet
- Video - From a Database
Related Pages
General Guidelines
- The works cited page should be double-spaced and entries should have a hanging indent.
- Alphabetize sources by the last name of the first author.
- Alphabetize sources with no author by the first significant word in the title.
- Preferred typefaces are Times New Roman (12-pt.) and Courier (12-pt.)
- Capitalize all words in titles except prepositions, conjunctions, and articles, unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle, e.g. Brown v. Board: A Dream Deferred.
- Italicize the titles of longer works (books, magazines, journals) and put quotes around the titles of shorter works (articles, poems).
Book with one Author
Example
Weart, Spencer R. The Discovery of Global Warming. Harvard UP, 2003.
Parts of Citation
Name of author. Title of book. Name of publisher, year of publication.
Book with Multiple Authors
Two Authors
Example
Cowan, Ruth Schwartz, and Matthew H. Hersch. A Social History of American Technology. Oxford UP, 2018.
Parts of Citation
Name of author. Title of book. Name of publisher, year of publication.
Three or More Authors
For three or more authors, list only the 1st author's name and add et. al.
Example
May, David A., et. al. Identity Theft. Lang, 2004.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name, et. al. Title of book. Name of publisher, year of publication.
Book with an editor or translator
Example
Murray, John A., editor. American Nature Writing. Fulcrum Publishing, 2001.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name, editor. Title. Publisher, Publication date.
Reprinted article or chapter in an edited book
Example
Kaye, Julian B. "The Wings of Daedalus: Two Stories in 'Dubliners'." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Edited by Paula Kepos, vol. 25, Gale, 1990, pp. 155-59. Originally published in Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, 1958, pp. 31-41.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Book title, Edited by Editor's name, vol. number, Publisher, Publication date, Page range. Originally published in Original Publication Title, vol. number, no. issue, Publication year, Page range.
Original article in an Edited Book
Example
Califano, Joseph A. "Drinking Is a Serious Health Problem for Teens." Alcohol, Edited by Karen F. Balkin, Greenhaven Press, 2004, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/EJ3010217241/OVIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=OVIC&xid=ccd92e59. Accessed 24 May 2017. Originally published as "Teen Tipplers: American's Underage Drinking Epidemic," Report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2002.
Goldberg, Vicki. "Death Takes a Holiday, Sort of." Why We Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment, Edited by Jeffrey Goldstein. Oxford UP, 1998. pp. 27-52.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Book Title, Edited by Editor's name. Publisher, Publication year. Page range. Database name, URL Accessed Day Month Year. Originally published as "Original article title," Original book title, Publication year.
E-BOOK
Example
Atkinson, Alan. Camden. Oxford UP, 1988. ACLS Humanities E-Book, hdl.handle.net.idm. oclc.org/2027/heb.03356.0001.001. Accessed 17 May 2017.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. Book title. Publisher, Publication year. Database name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia ARTICLE
Example
Holten, Brigitte. "Brazilian Anti-Slavery Society." Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Edited by Junius P. Rodriguez, 1997.
Levy, Alan. "Symphony Orchestras." Dictionary of American History, Edited by Stanley I. Kutler, 3rd ed., vol. 8, 2003, pp. 38-39. Gale Virtual Reference Library, link.galegroup.com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/CX3401804111/GVRL?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=GVRL&xid=683260e6. Accessed 23 May 2017.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Book title, Edited by Editor's name, Edition, vol. number, Publication Year, Page range. Database name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Journal ARTICLE
Example
Frank, Thomas H. "The Interpretation of Limits: Doctors and Novelists in the Fiction of Philip Roth." Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 28, no. 4, 1995, pp. 67-80.
Frank, Thomas H. "The Interpretation of Limits: Doctors and Novelists in the Fiction of Philip Roth." Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 28, no. 4, 1995, pp. 67-80. ProQuest Central. search-proquest-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/docview/195361646?accountid=1599. Accessed 17 May 2017.
Smeaton, George L., Bharath M. Josiam, and Uta C. Dietrich. "College Students' Binge Drinking at a Beach-Front Destination during Spring Break." Journal of American College Health, vol. 46, no. 6, 1998, pp. 247-254. ProQuest Central. search-proquest-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/docview/213082657?accountid=1599. Accessed 5 June 2018.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Journal title, vol. number, no. issue number, Publication year, page range. Database name. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Newspaper Article
Example
Peterson, Scott. "Asia Hungry for Nuclear Power." Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2004, p. 6.
Trevisani, Paulo. "Brazil Truck Driver's Strike Over Fuel Prices." Wall Street Journal, 22 May 2018. ProQuest Central. search-proquest-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/docview/2042311343?accountid=1599. Accessed 28 May 2018.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Newspaper title, Publication Day Month Year, page range. Database name. Accessed Day Month Year.
Magazine ARTICLE
Example
Cose, Ellis. "Brown v. Board: A Dream Deferred." Newsweek, 17 May 2004, pp. 52-59.
"The Methane Mystery: Climate Change." The Economist, 28 April 2018, p. 72. General OneFile. link.galegroup.com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A536297876/ITOF?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=ITOF&xid=014f5dbb. Accessed 28 May 2018.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Magazine title, Date Month Year, Page range. Database name. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Page or Document from a Website
Example
Hopson, Krista. "Mott Children's Hospital Ranked Top Children's Hospital in State by Child's Magazine." The University Record Online, ur. umichedu/0607/Jan15_07/10.shtml. Accessed 17 May 2017.
Kane, E. "Dendroica Kirtlandii." Animal Diversity Web, 1999. animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dendroica_kirtlandii. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019.
Parts of Citation
Author's last name, first name. "Page title." Website title, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Government Publication
Example
United States, Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Creative Partnerships: Supporting Youth, Building Communities. Government Printing Office, 2002. ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0046pub.pdf. Accessed 24 May 2017.
Parts of Citation
Author (if available). Name of government, Name of agency. Publication title. Government Printing Office, Date of Publication. URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Image - Painting, photograph, sculpture
Example
Blake, William. Urizen as the Creator of the Material World. 1794. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. World Treasures of the Library of Congress. loc.gov/exhibits/world/accounts.html#blake. Accessed 29 May 2018.
Dali, Salvador. The Persistence of Memory. 1931. Museum of Modern Art, New York. moma.org/collection/works/79018. Accessed 29 May 2018
Parts of Citation
Creator of image. Title of image. Date of creation (use N.d. if not available). Institution and city where the work is housed. URL. Date of access.
IMAGE - Only on the Internet
Many times images on the internet are posted with a username. In these cases, the username is the creator.
Example
Ocampo, Michael. Beans and Bacon. 24 Nov. 2011. Photograph. Flickr. www.flickr.com/photos/coolmikeol/6632181545. Accessed 7 July 2014.
Quinn, Liam. Black-browed Albatross and Chick. 12 Jan. 2011. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black-browed_Albatross_and_Chick_(5545816726).jpg. Accessed 12 Jan. 2015.
Timetrax23. Library Books. 2 Jan. 2007. Photograph. Flickr. flickr.com/photos/timetrax/37615268. Accessed 12 Jan. 2015.
Parts of Citation
Creator of image. Title of image. Date of publication or last update (use N.d. if not available). Medium of work. Title of overall Web site. URL. Date of access.
Video - from a Database
Example
Snow Monkeys. Directed by Joe Pontecorvo, PBS, 2014. Kanopy, lcc.kanopy.com/video/snow-monkeys. Accessed 2 Feb. 2019.
Parts of Citation
Title of video. Contributors (director, producer, etc.), Publisher, Date. Database name, URL, Accessed day month year.

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