MLA (Modern Language Association) Style Guide
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MLA style is typically used in humanities fields – Art, Music, English, foreign languages. Check with your professor.
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*Citation information is from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th Edition, 3 copies of which can be found in the library-
LB2369 .G53 2003
Book (5.6.1. and 5.6.4)
Okuda, Michael. Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future. New York: Pocket,
1993.
Hutcheon, Linda, and Michael Hutcheon. Bodily Charm: Living Opera. Lincoln: U of
Nebraska Press, 2000.
Work in an Anthology (5.6.7)
James, Nancy E. "Two Sides of Paradise: The Eden Myth According to Kirk and
Spock." Spectrum of the Fantastic. Ed. Donald Palumbo. Westport: Greenwood,
1988. 219-223.
Journal Article (5.7.1)
Wilcox, Rhonda V. "Shifting Roles and Synthetic Women in Star Trek: The Next
Generation." Studies in Popular Culture 13 (1991): 53-65.
Journal Article in an Online Database (5.9.4a)
Tolson, Nancy. "Making Books Available: The Role of Early Libaries, Librarians, and
Booksellers in the Promotion of African American Children's Literature." African
American Review 32 (1998): 9-16. JSTOR. 1 Oct. 2002 <http://www.jstor.org/search>.
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Newspaper or Magazine Article (5.7.5 and 5.7.6)
Di Rado, Alicia. "Trekking through College: Classes Explore Modern Society Using the
World of Star Trek." Los Angeles Times 15 Mar. 1995: A3.
Mehta, Pratap Bhanu. "Exploding Myths." New Republic 6 June 1998: 17-19.
Newspaper or Magazine Article on the Internet (5.4.9b and c)
Achenbach, Joel. "America's River." Washington Post 5 May 2002. 20 May 2002
<http://www.washintonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13425-2202May1.html>.
Andreadis, Athena. "The Enterprise Finds Twin Earths Everywhere It Goes, But Future
Colonizers of Distant Planets Won't Be So Lucky." Astronomy Jan. 1999. 64-67.
Lexis-Nexis. 7 Feb. 2006 <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>.
Encyclopedia Article (well known reference books) (5.6.8)
"Science Fiction." The Encyclopedia Americana. International ed. 1995.
Encyclopedia Article (less familiar reference books) (5.6.8)
Horn, Maurice. "Flash Gordon." The World Encyclopedia of Comics. Ed. Maurice
Horn. 2 vols. New York: Chelsea, 1976.
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Website (5.9.2)
Victorian Women Writers Project. Ed. Perry Willett. May 2000. Indiana U. 26 June 2002
<http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/>.
Web Discussion Forum (Listserv) (5.9.9.k)
Colleen. "Climbing Questions." Online posting. 20 Mar. 1999. Climbing Forum. 27 May
1999 <http://www2.gorp.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=55&Message_ID=
18596>.
Sound Recording (5.9.9.b)
McFerrin, Bobby. "Kalimba Suite." Beyond Words. Blue Note, 2002. 21 May 2002
<http://www.liquid.com/promo/fulfill?key=3e9976876>.
Film or Film Clip (5.9.9.c)
Kurosawa, Akira, dir. Throne of Blood. 1957. Macbeth. By William Shakespeare. Ed. A. R.
Braunmuller. DVD. New York: Voyager, 2004.
Work of Art (5.9.9.d)
Kahlo, Frida. Self-Portrait with Monkey. 1938.
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York,
USA. Art Museum Image Gallery. 12 June, 2007 <http://0
vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.piocat.cc.edu/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_
requestid=35708>.
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Citing sources in your paper
- In MLA style, you cite your sources by adding brief parenthetical citations in your text as well as using an alphabetical works cited list. Here is a typical parenthetical citation example:
Ancient writers attributed the invention of the monochord to Pythagoras, who lived in the sixth century BC (Marcuse 197).
- The citation (Marcuse 197) tells the reader that the information in that particular sentence comes from page 197 by a work by an author named Marcuse. If readers want more information about that source, they consult your works cited list and they would find the following information:
Marcuse, Sibyl. A Survey of Musical Instruments. New York: Harper, 1975.
Notes & Tips
- Arrange the items on your reference list alphabetically by author, interfiling books, articles, etc.
- Doublespace all lines.
- Indent the second and following lines 5 spaces (or one half inch).
- If no author is given, start with the title.
- Abbreviate the names of all months except May, June, and July.
- If the paging of a magazine or newspaper article is continued elswhere in the issue, include only the first page followed by a plus sign (ex. 25+.).
- If the encyclopedia does not arrange its articles alphabetically, treat the encyclopedia article as if it were a book article. Specific volume and page numbers are cited in the text, not in the list of references.
- Gale Reference Book: cite the original source being reprinted as shown under Book, Journal Article, Newspaper or Magazine Article, etc. The example shows a Magazine Article. Then include the citation information for the reference book.
- Websites: include the title of the web page, the name of the entire web site, the organization that posted it (this may be the same as the name of the website). Also include the full date the page was created or last updated (day, month, year if available) and the date you looked at it.
- Any online articles need:
- The name of the database (underlined) and the company that created it and its home webpage;
- The full date of the article (day, month, year if available) and the date you looked at it;
- If you are citing a journal instead of a magazine, include the volume (and issue number) and date as shown under the Journal Style above.
- As for page numbers, different databases will provide different information. Include the range of pages (ex. 25-28.); or the starting page followed by a hyphen, a blank space, and a period (ex. 64- .); or the total number of pages or paragraphs (ex. 12 pp. or 33 pars.). If no page information is given, then leave it out.
- The rules concerning a title within a title are not displayed here for purposes of clarity. See the printed version of the manual for details.
- For documents and situations not listed here, see the printed version of the manual.
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