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MLA Style

MLA (Modern Language Association) is most commonly used to format papers and document sources in humanities and literature disciplines. The following examples use MLA 7th edition.

Citation Examples

Parenthetical Citations

MLA format uses a parenthetical citation, which is brief mention in the text of your paper that leads the reader to the complete information about that reference. It usually appears at the end of a sentence. A parenthetical citation involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase. The author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your works cited page.

Examples

Seed says of Dracula "in short, he is a combination of Gothic villain, Regency rake, and monster" (62).

OR

Dracula, "...is a combination of Gothic villain, Regency rake, and monster" (Seed 62).

OR

Seed believes that Dracula is a mix of scoundrel, ogre, and devilish man (62).

Works Cited Page

MLA uses a works cited page: a list of works cited at the end of an article, paper, or chapter. References are listed in alphabetical order, using the author's last name (if there are multiple authors, follow the order provided in the source). Each reference citation will include the author's name, date of publication, title, publisher, and place of publication.

Interactive Example

Here is a simple example citation in MLA format. Move your mouse over the different parts of the citation to see what they represent:

Smith, Jane. author's name "Student Search Strategies." title of article College Research Quarterly name of magazine or journal

79. volume number 23 issue number (2010): year 42-49. page numbers Print. medium (electronic or print)

Examples by Type of Source

(Click to show)

Articles

Articles in library databases

Seed, David. "The Narrative Method of Dracula." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 41.1 (1985): 61-75. JSTOR Database. Web. 9 May 2011.

Print articles

Smith, Jane. "Student Search Strategies." College Research Quarterly. 79. 23 (2010): 42-49. Print.

Books

Hopkins, Lisa. Bram Stoker: A Literary Life. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Print.

If there is no author, begin the entry with the work's title:

New concise world atlas. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print.

eBooks

eBook

Collins, Wilkie, and Steve Farmer. Moonstone. n.p.: Broadview Press, 1999. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web.05 Nov. 2012.

Kindle eBook

Rowley, Hazel. Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage. New York: Farrar, 2010. Kindle file.

Online Book

Milton, John. Paradise Lost: Book I. Poetryfoundation.org. Poetry Foundation, 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.

Websites

Miller, Elizabeth. "Dracula: The History of Myth and the Myth of History." Dracula's Homepage. 2005. Web. 9 May 2011.

You may need to use an organization as the author. If there is no author, begin the citation with the work's title. Include as much information as you can find:

Solar System Exploration. NASA, 10 June 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.

Videos

Streaming Video

Mongolia I: On the Edge of the Gobi—Disappearing World. Films Media Group, 1974. Films On Demand. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.

DVD

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Dir. Stanley Kramer. 1967. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2008. DVD.

Images

Online work of art

Hessing, Valjean. Caddo Myth. 1976. Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha. Joslyn Art Museum. Web. 1 Feb. 2013.

Online map or chart

"Serbia." Map. Syrena Maps.Syrena, 2 Feb. 2001. Web. 1 Feb. 2013.

Video Tutorial

Style Guides & Additional Writing Resources

For a comprehensive overview of MLA paper and source citation format, we recommend you use these style guide websites:

MLA 6th Edition

MLA 5th Edition