Every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s work, you must tell us:
You give us this information in two places:
Check out our guidelines and examples in the left-hand column.
We also recommend these resources:
The official MLA Style Center includes several (free!) chapters of the MLA Handbook::
as well as 5 Sample Papers
The Excelsior Online Writing Lab also has MLA Sample Papers.
The phrase “annotated bibliography” can sound a little scary!
But it is really just an alphabetical list of citations to books, articles, and web documents (like a regular works cited page). Each citation is then typically followed by a descriptive and evaluative paragraph (the annotation). The purpose of the annotation paragraph is to give a brief description of the content of the source and to evaluate the source’s methods, conclusions, and usefulness to your research.
According to section 5.132 of the MLA Handbook (9th ed.),
From the MLA Handbook, Chapter 1.6: Placement of the List of Works Cite
MLA In-Text Citations Overview
In-text citations are brief references that direct readers to the works-cited-list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the source being cited.
When you quote or paraphrase from a source (book, article, or webpage) in your paper, you need to insert an in-text citation. This typically consists of author's last name and page numbers (if there are any) or "the title of article or web resource" and page numbers (if there are any).
The author's name can appear in a sentence (referred to as citation in prose) or in parentheses at the end of a sentence (referred to as parenthetical citation). The page number always appears in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
According to librarian Julie Chapman, "it is important for everyone, not just librarians, to critically evaluate information" (4).
According to a local librarian, "it is important for everyone, not just librarians, to critically evaluate information" (Chapman 4).
Direct Quoting - When you are using someone else's exact words.
The article goes on to say that “People don't do derby just for exercise but usually because it becomes a part of who they are” (Fagundes 1098).
Fagundes believes that roller derby gives participants "a chance to feel like a superstar" (1098).
He asserts the following:
More importantly, though, the notion of competing under derby names was a perfect fit with the recent reimagination of the sport as a punk-rock spectacle that allowed, and encouraged, participants to develop outrageous public personas. The story of derby-name emergence probably has more to do with coincidence and path dependence than with conscious design. Derby pioneer Ivanna S. Pankin’s classic derby name pre-dated her founding of Arizona Roller Derby in 2003. Rather, it was a handle and email address she used as a musician in Phoenix’s punk rock scene. When she publicized her nascent league using the alias Ivanna S. Pankin, and the entire Austin scene was already using skate names, the leagues that popped up in their wake followed suit, and the practice of using colorful nicknames has been used by virtually all derby leagues and skaters since. (Fagundes 1093-1094)
Paraphrasing or Referring to Works - Acknowledging the sources you used in your research.
Fagundes believes it is hard to pin down when the practice of skating under a pseudonym began (1104).
It is hard to pin down when the practice of skating under a pseudonym began (Fagundes 1104).
This is a separate page at the end of your paper. Each citation in the text must be listed on the Works Cited page; each listing on the Works Cited page must appear in the text.
From the MLA Handbook, Chapter 1.6: Placement of the List of Works Cited
OR
Go to the Paragraph ribbon in Word. Click the arrow in the bottom right hand corner. This opens a box: under “special”, click on “hanging”.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
This is an example of a book/e-book chapter for which the chapter's author(s) is different from the book's editor(s).
Article found in a library database
Article found elsewhere online
In general, MLA recommends the following:
Abbreviate all months with five or more letters
MLA does NOT require that you include a date of access for all online sources. It recommends including one if
Emanuel, Ekeziel J. "Big Pharma's Go-To Defense of Soaring Drug Prices Doesn't Add Up." The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/03/drug-prices-high-cost-research-and-development/585253/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2019.
Hallett, Vicky. "Prancercise, a Celebration of Self-Expression." The Washington Post, 18 Sept. 2013, p. 11. EbscoHost, ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.343280158&site=eds-live&scope=site.
In-text citation:
According to Hallett, "this is a citation" (11).
OR
"This is a citation" (Hallett 11).
Begley, Sharon. "Could This Be the End of Cancer?" Newsweek, vol. 158, no. 25, 19 Dec. 2011, pp. 36-39. EbscoHost, ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru e&db=f5h&AN=9707771&site=eds-live&scope=site.
In-text citation:
According to Begley, "this is a citation" (37).
OR
"This is a citation" (Begley 37).
Barlow, David H., and Katherine Ann Kennedy. "New Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment in Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders: A Focus on Temperament." Canadian Psychology, vol. 57, no. 1, 2016, pp. 8-20. ProQuest, https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000039.
In-text citation:
According to Barlow and Kennedy, "this is a citation" (9).
OR
"This is a citation" (Barlow and Kennedy 9).
Curthoys, Ann. "The Magic of History: Harry Potter and Historical Consciousness." Agora, vol. 49, no. 4, 2014, pp. 23-31. EbscoHost, ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh &AN=102630773&site=eds-live&scope=site.
In-text citation:
According to Curthoys, "this is a citation" (23).
OR
"This is a citation" (Curthoys 23).
Author. "Title of Specific Page." Title of Website, Publisher, date of publication, url.
DeSimone, Danielle. “A History of Military Service: Native Americans in the U.S. Military Yesterday and Today.” USO Stories, The USO, 2021, www.uso.org/stories/2914-a-history-of-military-service-native-americans-in-the-u-s-military-yesterday-and-today.
Torpey, Elka. “Earning Green by Working Green: Wages and Outlook in Careers Protecting the Planet.” Career Outlook, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019, www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/careers-protecting-the-planet.htm.
According to the MLA Handbook, when a nongovernmental organization is both the author and the publisher, begin the entry with the title of the source (sec. 5.19).
Tuning Out: Americans on the Edge of Politics. Pew Research Center, 9 Jan. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/01/09/tuning-out-americans-on-the-edge-of-politics/.
According to the MLA Handbook, when a government agency/department/entity is both the author and the publisher, and the writer [you!] is a non-specialist/student, you can start the citation with the name of the specific government entity (sec. 5.20).
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Is Diabetes? 5 Sept. 2023, www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html.
Title of Web Site. Publisher, Publication date, URL [remove the https://].
American Nurses Association. American Nurses Association, 2016, nursingworld.org.
In-text citation:
According to the American Nurses Association, "this is a citation".
OR
"This is a citation" (American Nurses Association).
MLA does NOT require that you include a date of access; however, if your instructor asks you to include an access date, place the access date at the end of the entry:
Author. "Title of Video." YouTube, Publication Date, URL.
sayerb123. "Husky Puppy Talking Saying 'I Love You'." YouTube, 13 Dec. 2009, youtu.be/N_Qqs0Q2w5CE.
In-text citation: In the video posted by sayerb123, “this is a citation”. OR “This is a citation” (sayerb123).
"Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Name, Publication Date, URL.
"Capybara Meme". YouTube, uploaded by pigeonpartytime, 4 Oct. 2021, youtu.be/OHtyWD2934Q.
Author. "Title of Video." TED, Publication Date, URL.
Allende, Isabel. “Tales of Passion.” TED, Mar. 2007, www.ted.com/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion.
See the Tables and Illustrations section of the MLA Handbook for more details on formatting an image in the text of the paper.
Image Creator. "Title of Photo/Image/Picture." Name of Collection/Archive/Webpage, Publisher of Website (if different from Name of Webpage), Date, URL.
Notaro, Carlotta. "Overwork." Giphy, giphy.com/gifs/animation-work-job-pOZhmE42D1WrCWATLK.
Jose and Roxeanne. "Flowers." Flickr, 31 Dec. 2017, flic.kr/p/8bD3aP.
NOTE: If you find an image on Google images, visit the original site where the picture appears and cite that page, not Google.
"“Title of Document.” Name of Class, taught by Firstname Lastname. Canvas, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, 30. Apr. 2024, URL.
"MLA Citation Handout." Introduction to Library Science, taught by Julie Chapman. Canvas, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, 30. Apr. 2024, nwtc.instructure.com/courses/111/modules/items/000000.
Author. "Title of Blog Post." Name of Blog, date, URL. Accessed day month year.
Meinholz, Greg. "In Jordan Love We Trust." Packers Talk Blog, 12 May 2023, packerstalk.com/2023/05/12/in-jordan-love-we-trust/. Accessed 15 June 2023.
Guidance from the official MLA Style Center:
General rules for citing a Post (formerly known as a Tweet):
Example:
The MLA Style Center recently added examples of commonly-cited legal sources to Documenting Legal Works in MLA Style:
Rodrigo, Olivia. Personal interview with the author. 10 Aug. 2020.
Rodrigo, Olivia. Zoom interview with the author. 2 May 2024.
Xiong, Jo. Email to the author. 5 Dec. 2023.
"Evil Clown." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2017, 12:46 pm, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_clown. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Dissertation. Publication Date. Name of University, PhD Dissertation. Name of Repository, url.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Dissertation. Publication Date. Name of University, EdD Dissertation. Name of Repository, url.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Thesis. Publication Date. Name of University, MA Thesis. Name of Repository, url.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Thesis. Publication Date. Name of University, MS Thesis. Name of Repository, url.
Last Name, First Name. Title of Thesis. Publication Date. Name of University, MFA Thesis. Name of Repository, url.
Examples
Rivera, Luis Eduardo. Dual Enrollment Participation in the United States: Findings from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. 2017. U of Texas at El Paso, EdD Dissertation. UTEP ScholarWorks, scholarworks.utep.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1539&context=open_etd.
Lindmark, Sarah Allison. "Watching Their Souls Speak": Interpreting the New Music Videos of Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. 2019. UC Irvine, MFA Thesis. University of California eScholarship, escholarship.org/content/qt5gw3v7bf/qt5gw3v7bf.pdf.
MLA style does not have an official format to acknowledge Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers as a reference; however, NorQuest College Librarian Lorisia MacLeod and NorQuest College Indigenous Student Centre staff have designed templates to meet this need. While not officially adopted into the MLA citation style guide, MacLeod’s templates are supported by many universities and colleges across North America. (source)
Format:
Last name, First name. Nation/Community. Treaty Territory if applicable. City/Community they live in if applicable. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Date Month Year.
Example:
Cardinal, Delores. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. 4 April 2004.
Template Source: NorQuest College's First Nations and Indigenous Studies Research Guide (CC BY-NC 4.0)
MLA issued preliminary guidance on March 17, 2023:
How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?
The basics:
Scroll down to find examples for in-text citations and works cited list entries for: