9.9–Citation Formatting

Most students are familiar with at least one or two citation styles – perhaps you have used MLA format in the past, or have some experience using Chicago style. There are actually thousands of citation styles. They typically contain most of the same information, but they each present citation information a little bit differently. Some citation formats include the author’s full name, while others use only initials. Some citation formats use title case, meaning they capitalize the first letter of every word; other citation formats use sentence case, in which they only capitalize the first letter of the sentence and any proper nouns. There are many subtle formatting differences between citation styles, and it takes careful attention to detail to ensure that you have each of your citations formatted correctly.

In this section, you’ll find a set of examples to get you started with Modern Languages Association, or MLA, format. This section is not intended to be a citation manual. For in-depth questions, consult the MLA Handbook (9th ed.).

Properly formatted MLA citations include two main elements: the works cited entry and the in-text citation. Below you will find sample citations for a variety of commonly-used reference types.

Works Cited

The Works Cited page is found at the end of your paper or project, and it includes all of the sources used when developing your paper or project. References are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, and if the source does not have an author, the source should be listed alphabetically according to its title. Each reference will have a hanging indent to make it easier to visually distinguish between each reference. The Works Cited page should have the title “Works Cited” centered at the top of the page, and the Works Cited page, like the rest of the document, should be double-spaced.

No Author

If there is no author, the title moves into the place of the author. The reference should then be alphabetized by the first word in the title within the reference list.

Single Author

In MLA style, when there is a single author, you should list them with the last name first, followed by the full first and (if available) middle name or initial.

Two Authors

When there are two authors, the first author with their last name first, followed by their first name and (if available) middle name or initial. The name order is reversed with the second author, and the word and is used to connect the two. Be sure to keep the authors in the order in which they appear on the source.

Three or More Authors

When there are more than three authors, list the first author’s last name, followed by et al. This is a Latin phrase meaning “and others” and is used in some citation formats as a way to abbreviate a list of names.

Institutional Author

Sometimes the author isn’t a person – instead, it’s authored by an organization. In this case, you’ll list the organization as the author. If the organization and the publisher are the same, only list the organization as the publisher and use the title as the author.

Book

In MLA format, books list the author, followed by the title in italics. MLA, unlike APA, does not typically include the place of publication. If the book is accessed electronically, note that it is an e-book (usually after the title).

Article from Database

You will commonly access articles from online databases like JSTOR or Project Muse databases, as opposed to finding them directly via a journal or in print. In this case, MLA format requires that you include the name of the article, name of the journal, and the name of the database in your citation.

To help the reader access the article, always include the doi (permanent url) if there is one available. It is generally listed near the top of the article. It may appear as doi: or https://dx.doi.org/ followed by a sequence of numbers and/or letters. The doi number typically starts with the number 10, as in the example below. If there is a doi available, include it in your citation using the format https://doi.org/[insert doi number]. If a permalink is available instead of a doi, it can be used instead.

Newspaper Article

Website

YouTube Video

Interview

MLA includes unpublished interviews in the Works Cited. Key details to include are the name of the person interviewed and the date of the interview.

Lecture

MLA format also includes lectures and lecture slides in the Works Cited.

In-Text Citations

MLA in-text citations use the last name(s) of the author followed by a space and the page number for the source material, when available. Only use the page number if the source is paginated (e.g., a book chapter or article that has a page number in the corner).

In MLA format, you can also embed the author name directly into your sentence (e.g., Smith found that…), in which case the parenthetical at the end of the sentence should include only the page number.

No Author

As with the Works Cited entry, the in-text citation will use the title if there is no author available. Use the first few words of the title if it is long, and place it in quotation marks.

Single Author

Two Authors

When there are two authors, list the last names of both connected by the word and. Be sure to keep the authors in the order in which they appear on the source.

Three or More Authors

When there are more than three authors, list the first author’s last name, followed by et al. This is a Latin phrase meaning “and others” and is used in some citation formats as a way to abbreviate a list of names.

Institutional Author

As with the reference list, you’ll list the organization as the author in the in-text citation.

Two or More Works by the Same Author

When you use two or more works by the same author in your essay, provide a shorthand version of each title to differentiate them from one another. Include the author’s last name, a comma, the shorthand version of the title, and the page number, if applicable, in the parenthetical citation. The author’s name should not be included in the citation if you introduce the author’s name in your sentence.

Non-Paginated Sources

Web sources that are not paginated should include a stable indicator of location such as chapter number, if available.

Formatting Long Quotations

Long quotes are indented and blocked off from the text of the essay. The distinction between short quotes and long ones is somewhat arbitrary, but quotes of more than about three lines should be set off from the rest of the essay in the manner illustrated here.

Note that the quotation marks have been eliminated. The indentation indicates that the material is quoted directly from a secondary source. Quotation marks are used only if the original uses quotation marks. Note also that after a short quote comes the parenthetical citation followed by a period, but in the long, indented quote, like this one, the period precedes the parenthetical citation. (Author 39)

Most instructors do not appreciate too many long direct quotes in student essays, especially if the quotes create the impression that students are turning in a “cut and paste” assignment.