MLA Style Help Guide

There are two editions of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers: MLA 7th and MLA 8th editions. Please check with your instructor regarding which edition you are to use.

For MLA 7th Edition: Use this research guide. 

FOR MLA 8th Edition: Please refer to the OWL Purdue website. 

Below are sample citations for the most common print resources, based on the 7thedition. Please refer to the M L A Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for clarification or additional information about citing other resources.

Basic Book Works Citation Format

Author's last name, Author's first name. Title of the Book. Location: Publisher, Year. Medium of publication.

Basic Journal Article Citation Format

Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the Article". Name of Publication. volume.issue (Year): pages. Medium of publication.

Book

Jenkins, Henry. Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture.

     New York: New York UP, 2006. Print.

 

Book by Nongovernmental Agency

Institute of Medicine. Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America.

     Washington: Natl. Acad., 2003. Print.

 

 

Second or Subsequent Editions of a Book

Kim, Hesook S., and Ingrid Kollak, eds. Nursing Theories: Conceptual &

     Philosophical Foundations. 2nd ed. New York: Springer, 2006. Print.

 

 

Chapter of an Edited Book

Smith, Tara. "No Tributes to Caesar: Good or Evil in Atlas Shrugged." Essays on

     Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Ed. Robert Mayhew. Lanham:

     Rowman, 2009. 275-98. Print.

 

• Refer to Section 5.5.6. 'A Work in an Anthology' on pages 157-159 of the M L A Handbook.

 

Encyclopedia Entry

• If author is listed, include their name(s) before the title of the entry.
• If edition is listed, include it before the volume information..

 

Journal Article

Knutson, John F., Christina R. Johnson, and Patricia M. Sullivan. "Disciplinary

     Choices of Mothers of Deaf Children and Mothers of Normally Hearing

     Children." Child Abuse & Neglect, 28.9 (2004): 925-37. Print.

 

Magazine

Grunwald, Michael, and Michael Scherer. "The Main Streeters vs. the Wall

    Streeters." Time 10 Feb. 2010: 30-31. Print.

 

• If the article is not on consecutive pages (i.e. 30-35), list the first page number and a plus (+) sign.

 

Newspaper

 

Kritz, Francesca L. "Asthma Study Cites Misuse of Inhalers." Washington

     Post 14 Jul. 2009: HE06. Print.

 

• Do not include the word "The" if it is at the beginning of a newspaper title.

 

• If the city name is not included in the name of a local newspaper, add the city in brackets -- i.e. [Des Moines] -- after the name of the newspaper. For national newspapers, you do not need to include the city information.

 

• If the newspaper article has a page with a section letter, such as D1, include the section letter as part of the page number. If the article if in a section that is numbered and/or in a specific edition, include the name of the edition and/or the section number after the date and before the page number -- example: 26 Sept. 2010, late ed., sec. 4: 8. Note the edition comes first if you also have a section number.

• If the article is not on consecutive pages (i.e. 30-35), list the first page number and a plus (+) sign.

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook 

United States. Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

     "Librarians." Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2010-2011 ed.

     Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2010. 270-273. Print.