mla citation style essay

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The MLA Style Center

What is mla style.

Building confidence in the information and ideas we share with one another is perhaps more important today than ever before, and for nearly a century it has been the driving principle behind MLA style, a set of standards for writing and documentation used by writers to find and evaluate information, alert their audience to the trustworthiness of their findings through citation, and shape the expression of their ideas in conversation with others. 

Resources for MLA Style

Our new, subscription-based digital platform, MLA Handbook Plus is

• Trusted : The only authorized subscription-based digital resource featuring the latest edition of the MLA Handbook is available for unlimited simultaneous users.
• Evolving : Get the same content as the print edition, plus seamless annual updates and forthcoming additional resources such as videos and companion titles.
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Watch a video about  MLA Handbook Plus  or contact [email protected] for more info.

MLA Handbook , 9th Edition

The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook , published in spring 2021, builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The new edition offers

• New chapters on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, abbreviations, and principles of inclusive language
• Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group projects
• Revised, comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format that are easier to learn and use than ever before
• A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more
• Detailed examples of how to find publication information for a variety of sources
• Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including comprehensive advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work
• Detailed guidance on using notes in MLA style
• Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism
• Annotated bibliography examples
• Numbered sections throughout for quick navigation
• Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars

The MLA Style Center offers free online resources on MLA style, including an interactive MLA format template, answers to common questions on Ask the MLA, advice from the MLA editors, and more. Get updates by signing up for The Source newsletter, and follow us on X @MLAstyle .

• Free Tools for Students
• MLA Citation Generator

Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

😕 What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Writing and Citation Guide - Indianapolis

• Understanding Academic Writing
• Types of Academic Writing
• Academic Style & Mechanics

What is MLA?

Mla in-text citations, mla works cited page (bibliography).

• Books (Print + Digital)

MLA Template & Example

Click to download and customize our MLA paper template.

• MLA (9th ed.) Essay Template

Click below to see an example MLA paper with tips for document formatting.

• Purdue OWL - Sample MLA Essay

MLA Video Tutorial

Relevant Writing Center Handouts

• MLA In-Text Citations & Works Cited - Handout
• Creating Hanging Indent - Handout

Click for Writing Tutoring

Click for Research Help

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a leading professional organization that promotes the scholarship and teaching of language and literature. MLA offers a variety of resources, publications, and standards for research and writing in the humanities.

Students often encounter MLA when asked to complete academic writing assignments in MLA style, which is frequently utilized in disciplines such as English and literature. 

To learn more about MLA as an organization and as a style guide, visit the official MLA website:

• Modern Language Association The official MLA website, providing resources on relevant publications, writing style, career opportunities, and advocacy work.

Writers use in-text citations (sometimes called parenthetical citations) to give credit to quoted, paraphrased, or summarized source material. In MLA style, there are two required pieces of information to include in an in-text citation:

• Author's last name
• Page number of cited material (if applicable)

How these pieces of information are formatted in an essay depends on whether or not the writer uses a signal phrase to introduce the upcoming source, as shown in the examples below. 

To learn more about formatting MLA in-text citations in your writing, visit these highly respected websites:

• Purdue OWL - MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics Provides explanations and examples for formatting MLA in-text citations
• Purdue OWL - MLA Formatting Quotations Provides guidelines and examples for formatting short and long quotations in MLA style
• MLA Style Center - In-Text Citations: An Overview Provides the Official MLA Style guidelines for in-text citations

A Works Cited page, which is an alphabetical list of all sources that are cited throughout your essay, will be the last page of your paper. 

MLA style has specific guidelines for how to format each type of source on your Works Cited page. To learn how to format MLA Works Cited entries for different types of sources, visit these highly respected websites:

• Purdue OWL - MLA Works Cited: Basic Format Provides an overview for formatting and organizing a Works Cited page
• Purdue OWL - MLA Works Cited: Books Provides Works Cited formatting guidelines for books, an article in an anthology collection, and muti-edition and volume works
• Purdue OWL - MLA Works Cited: Periodicals Provides Works Cited formatting guidelines for articles in journals, magazines, newspapers, and reviews
• Purdue OWL - MLA WOrks Cited: Electronic Sources Provides Works Cited formatting guidelines for webpages; E-Books; articles in online journals, databases, magazines, and newspapers; social media posts, and YouTube videos
• Purdue OWL - MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources Provides Works Cited formatting guidelines for an interview, speech or lecture, conference proceedings, art, song or music album, films or tv series, and podcasts
• MLA Style Center - Works Cited List Entries Provides the Official MLA Style guidelines for Works Cited entries
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Home / MLA Sample Paper

MLA Sample Paper

Mla sample paper #1.

If you’ve been wondering how to produce a research paper that is strong in both formatting and writing, you’ve come to the right place.

Check out our first sample paper below. It is a helpful and clearly labeled visual aid to refer to. Note that while these sample papers do not include MLA abstracts , you should check with your instructor to see if an abstract should be included.

Visual Sample Paper

The example research paper below is one that was written in college for a course on the Inklings. The Inklings were a group of writers in England before WWII, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The abbreviated MLA paper below (linked here without annotations) is about J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and how the author used myth, story, and song to link all of his works together. Tolkien is famous for creating a fantasy universe called Middle-earth, which readers can’t truly understand until they read all of the books about Middle-earth ( The Silmarillian, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings ).

Since we’re here to learn how to format an essay, we’ve pointed out some important things about the paper to help you write a correctly formatted essay.

For starters, the essay is in MLA format. That means it follows the style manual of the Modern Language Association, which tells you how to format the paper itself and every source you cite. You’ll also see notes like how long a paragraph should be, how to use commas properly, and how to correctly punctuate a title. Some of these guidelines are different from those in APA format , so be sure to confirm you are using the correct style in your paper.

Pay special attention to the MLA format works cited. We only used one type of source (books), but both citations are correct according to the 9th edition of MLA, published in 2021. When you’re writing your own paper, you need to make sure you always use the most recent edition of the style manual. You’ll also want to check with your instructor to see if you need to include an MLA annotated bibliography with your paper, which contains additional information summarizing and evaluating each source after the regular citation.

Whether you need MLA, APA citations , or Chicago style notes, look up the latest edition before turning in a paper.

MLA Sample Paper #2

See below for an example paper or click below to download it as a Word Document.

The MLA header should be one inch from the top and left margins. The heading and the entire paper should be double spaced.

Eli YaffarabeProfessor Rapheor

28 August 2018

Privatization of Prisons in Texas

              The privatization of governmental services has increased dramatically in the past decade as local, state, and federal agencies have searched for ways to cut costs while still meeting their mandated responsibility to provide various public services. This privatizing trend has particularly affected the criminal justice system. Since the early 1990s, privatized correctional facilities have increased significantly, nationally and statewide. This policy has far-ranging consequences not only within the criminal justice system, but as an instructive example for government officials when considering the costs and benefits of privatization as a public policy option. By 2001, thirty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had privately-operated correctional facilities (Austin and Coventry 4). This movement has incited considerable debate and controversy, mainly because prison privatization calls for giving the private sector direct control over the lives of a captive human population.

Surprisingly, there has been little objective and concrete analysis of the privatization of prisons in the United States. This is probably for two reasons: first, ideological arguments on the matter have pushed out substantive research, and second, because this trend has only recently accelerated in the U.S. and mainly on a state level. However, case studies and statistics at the state level are more accessible. With capacity for over 30,000 prisoners in 43 facilities, the state of Texas has privatized more of its prison system than any state in the nation (McDonald and Patten Jr. iv).

Yaffarabe 2

              Public policy concerning the criminal justice system has become more daunting and important in the last decade. The problems in the system are twofold: an overcrowding prison population, mainly due to “three strikes” legislation and reducing early parole; and the costs of operating prisons with this growing population (Austin and Coventry). According to the most recent U.S. Department of Justice survey, slightly over 2.2 million people were incarcerated in correctional facilities in this country in 2003. In comparison, in 1993, 1.37 million people were imprisoned in this country (Beck and Harrison 1).

At the same time, the growth of privately operated correctional facilities has increased significantly in this country. Private prisons now hold 95,522 inmates in this country, which is 6.5 percent of total prisoners (Beck and Harrison 5). In Texas, 16,570 inmates (10 percent of its prison population) are held in private facilities, about 10,000 more than the next highest state. Furthermore, six states had at least 25 percent of their prison population housed in private prisons, led by New Mexico (44%), Alaska (31%), and Montana (29%). These current statistics show that while state governments have been forced to manage and operate overcrowded and over-capacity prisons at considerable costs, many have turned to the private sector to operate prisons (McDonald and Patten Jr.). According to the General Accounting Office, prison operating costs have grown steadily since 1980, increasing almost 550 percent since 1980 based on inflation-adjusted dollars (Austin and Coventry 1).

Prison privatization started in the early 1980s, ostensibly to ease the burden on taxpayers by offering financial relief to private companies to run state prisons. Thomas Beasley founded Corrections Corporation of America in 1983, “the nation’s leader in the construction and management of private prisons” (Darling). That year, Corrections Corporation of America set up the first privately-operated prison in Tennessee. Since then, the number of private

Yaffarabe 3

correctional facility firms has grown to 14 (Austin and Coventry 3). The privatization of prisons occurs in two ways. First, state government can contract out (or outsource) specific services in a correctional facility to a private company after a bidding process. Second, and more radically, private companies build their own privately-managed prisons and contract with state governments to house their inmates. This latter approach, giving private correctional facility firms wide latitude over inmates, is taken in the Texas criminal justice system. In fact, many of these privately operated facilities “have no relationship at all with the state governments in these states, other than an obligation to pay corporate income taxes” (McDonald and Patten Jr. v).

(Due to its length, the remainder of this sample paper is omitted).

Yaffarabe 4

Works Cited Page

Austin, James, and Garry Coventry. Emerging Issues on Privatized Prisons . Bureau of Justice Assistance, Feb. 2001, www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181249.pdf.

Beck, Allen J., and Paige Harrison. Prisoners in 2003 . Bureau of Justice Statistics, Nov. 2004, www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p03.pdf.

McDonald, Douglas, and Carl Patten Jr. Governments’ Management of Private Prisons . Abt Associates, 15 Sept. 2003, www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/203968.pdf.

Darling, Michael. “Pitt News: University of Pittsburgh Shouldn’t Lend Its Name to Prison Privatization.” CorpWatch , 15 Nov. 2004, corpwatch.org/article/pitt-news-univeristy-pittsburgh-shouldnt-lend-its-name-prison-privatization.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

Citation in prose

Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry. An example of the first citation in prose for a source with one author is given below:

Doug Barry explains the status of the UK.

Parenthetical

Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses. An example of a parenthetical citation is given below:

The status of the UK is explained (Barry).

Examples of in-text citations

Here are a few examples of in-text citations for works with various numbers and types of authors:

Use both the first name and surname of the author if you are mentioning the author for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the author’s surname. Always use only the author’s surname in parenthetical citations.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Stephen George asserts …. (17).

Subsequent occurrences: George argues …. (17).

Parenthetical:

…. (George 17).

Two authors

Use the first name and surname of both authors if you are mentioning the work for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the surnames of the two authors. Always use only the authors’ surnames in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Kane Williams and Clark Ronald ….

Subsequent occurrences: Williams and Ronald ….

…. (Williams and Ronald).

Three or more authors

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” For parenthetical citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Krishnan Sethu and colleagues…. or Krishnan Sethu and others ….

…. (Sethu et al.).

Corporate author

For citations in prose, treat the corporate author like you would treat the author’s name. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name to the shortest noun phrase. For example, shorten the Modern Language Association of America to Modern Language Association.

The Language Literary Association of Canada….

…. (Language Literary Association).

If there is no author for the source, use the source’s title in place of the author’s name for both citations in prose and parenthetical citations.

When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, shorten the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to Fantastic Beasts .

Endgame explains …. (121).

…. ( Endgame 121).

In MLA style, two types of citations are used to cite a source: a short citation used within the text (called the in-text citation) and a full citation (called the works cited list entry) within the works cited list, which appears at the end of a paper.

The works cited list entry provides the complete details of a source. An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The in-text citation lets the reader know that the information is derived from the cited source, and helps the reader find the full citation within the works cited list.

In order to properly cite a source in MLA style, you must have both citation types in your paper. Every in-text citation has a works cited list entry. Every works cited list entry has at least one (maybe more) corresponding in-text citation.

In-text citations

The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s surname . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited.

First mention: Sian Anderson studies ….

Subsequent occurrences: Anderson analyzes ….

….(Anderson)

or if quoting directly:

…(Anderson 9)

First mention: Paul Fin and Anna Gabriel ….

Subsequent occurrences: Fin and Gabriel ….

….(Fin and Gabriel)

…(Fin and Gabriel 27)

Paul Hill and colleagues…. or Paul Hill and others ….

….(Hill et al.)

…(Hill et al. 138)

Examples of works cited list entries

Below are a few examples of different types of works cited list entries. The examples given are for one author.

Steinman, Louise. The Knowing Body: Elements of Contemporary Performance and Dance . Shambhala Publications, 1986.

Journal article                                      

Barad, K. “Nature’s Queer Performativity.” Qui Parle , vol. 19, no. 2, 2011, pp. 121–58.

Webpage of a website

Midgelow, Vida L. “Experiences and Perceptions of the Artistic Doctorate: A Survey Report.” Artistic Doctorates in Europe,  5 Feb. 2018, www.artisticdoctorates.com/2017/12/28/experiences-and-perceptions-of-the-artistic-doctorate-survey-report/ .

YouTube video

“Behind the Scenes Chili’s Baby Back Ribs Spot.” YouTube , uploaded by Alvin Chea, 11 Sept. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTDLh7gNRYA .

MLA Citation Examples

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Research Process: A Step-By-Step Guide: MLA Citation

• Get Started
• Develop Research Questions
• Identifying Keywords
• Find Background Information
• Refine a Topic
• Books & eBooks
• Videos & Images
• Search Strategies
• Evaluate Sources
• Primary vs. Secondary
• Types of Periodicals
• Outline the Paper
• Incorporate Source Material
• Avoid Plagiarism
• Consequences of Plagiarism
• Citing Your Sources
• APA Citation
• MLA Citation
• Annotated Bibliographies

About the Examples

This page provides examples of works cited entries in MLA Citation Style for a variety of common sources. These examples should not be considered exhaustive.  

If you are unsure how to cite a particular source, talk to your instructor or a  librarian , or consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers .

Works Cited Examples - Books and Anthologies

Book by one author (Brophy 45)

Brophy, Robert J. Robinson Jeffers: Dimensions of a Poet . New York: Fordham UP,

     1995. Print.

Book with two or three authors  (Werther and Davis 288) (Edginton, Hudson, and Lankford 210-25)

Werther, William B., Jr. and Keith Davis. Human Resources and Personnel

     Management . 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. Print.

Edington, Christopher R., Susan D. Hudson, and Samuel V. Lankford. Managing

     Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services: An Introduction. Champaign:

     Sagamore, 2001. Print.

Book with more than three authors (Gilman et al. 314)

Gilman, Sander, et al. Hysteria beyond Freud . Berkeley: U of California P,

     1993. Print.

Multiple books, same author (Brophy, Dimensions 45) (Brophy, Myth 143)

---. Robinson Jeffers: Myth, Ritual, and Symbol in His Narrative Poems . Cleveland:

     P of Case Western Reserve U, 1973. Print.

Edited book (Nuwer xii)

Nuwer, Hank, ed. The Hazing Reader . Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2004. Print.

Chapter in an edited book (Arnold 52, 85-87) Note: When citing multiple pages, insert a comma in between.

Arnold, James C. “Hazing and Alcohol in a College Fraternity.” The Hazing Reader .

     Ed. Hank Nuwer. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2004. 51-105. Print.

Book with a corporate author (ESRI 210-15)

ESRI Business Information Solutions. The Sourcebook of ZIP Code Demographics .

     17th ed. [Redlands]: ESRI Business Information Solutions, 2003. Print.

Recipe from a cookbook with one author (Hazan)

Hazan, Marcella. "Filetti Farciti di Pesce Turchino." Recipe. Marcella’s Italian Kitchen .

     New York: Knopf, 1996. 17-23. Print.

Recipe from an edited cookbook including recipes by many authors (Parseghian)

Parseghian, Pam. "Pork Chops Provencal." Recipe. The Best of Cook's Magazine:

     Volume Two. Ed. Olga Rigsby. Bridgeport, CT: Pennington, 1989. 159. Print.

Dictionary entry (“Palapa”) Note: since there is no author listed, you are only citing the word.

“Palapa.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language .

     4th ed. 2000. Print.

Works Cited Examples - Articles

Journal article, one author (Kozak 295-96)

Kozak, Metin. “Introducing Destination Benchmarking: A Conceptual Approach.”

     Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 28.2 (2004): 281-97. Print.

Journal article, two authors (Kelley and Turley 400)

Kelley, Scott W., and L. W. Turley. “The Effect of Content on Perceived Affect of

     Super Bowl Commercials.” Journal of Sport Management 18.3 (2004):

     398-420. Print.

Article, monthly magazine (Booe 133)

Booe, Martin. “The Wizards of Oz.” Bon Appetit Mar. 2005: 130-37. Print.

Article, monthly magazine, two authors (Foster and Bradach 98)

Foster, William, and Jeffrey Bradach. “Should Nonprofits Seek Profits?”

     Harvard Business Review Feb. 2005: 92-100. Print.

Article, weekly magazine (Lipper and Hirsh 28-29)

Lipper, Tamara, and Michael Hirsh. “Stepping into the Fray.” Newsweek 16

     June 2003: 26-29. Print.

Newspaper article, edition stated on masthead (Chang F1) Note: F1+ should be read as section F, beginning on page 1, and then + means that the article continues on nonconsecutive pages.

Chang, Kenneth. “The Melting (Freezing) of Antarctica.” New York Times 2 Apr. 2002,

     late ed.: F1+. Print.

Newspaper article, no edition stated (Grant)

Grant, Peter. “Offers for Adelphia’s Assets Pour In.” Wall Street Journal 1 Feb. 2005:

     A5. Print.

Newspaper editorial, with no author (“Federal Deficit”) Note: If the editorial has an author, intext citation should follow the same format as a newspaper article. If the editorial has an author, include the author’s name in the citation before the editorial title as: Last_Name, First_name.

“Federal Deficit Will Stress Bush Agenda.” Editorial. Denver Post 2 Feb. 2005:

     6B. Print.

Recipe in a magazine (Touchet)

Touchet, Alexis. “Fennel and Endive Salad with Orange Vinaigrette.” Recipe.

     Gourmet Feb. 2005: 70. Print.

Recipe in a magazine with no author ("Crumb-Crusted")

"Crumb-Crusted Trout with Spinach and Mushroom Stuffing." Recipe. Gourmet

     Apr. 2005: 30. Print.

Works Cited Examples - Electronic Resources

Article, Web magazine (Gleadle)

Article, newspaper Web site ("Scientists Speak")

"The Scientists Speak." Editorial. New York Times. New York Times, 20 Nov. 2007.

      Web. 3 Dec. 2007.

Chart, Web site ("Verb Tenses")

"Verb Tenses." Chart. The OWL at Purdue . Purdue U Online Writing Lab, 2001. Web.

      26 Jan. 2009.

Home page (Liu)

Liu, Alan, ed. Home Page. Voice of the Shuttle . Dept. of English, U of California, Santa

     Barbara, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

Company Web site ("Wedding Cake")

"Wedding Cake Cutting Guide." Wilton.com . Wilton Group, Inc., 2005. Web. 19 Feb.

     2005.

Magazine article, full-text online database (“Call”) Note: n. pag. is an abbreviation for "no pagination."

“Call of the East.” The Economist 19 Feb. 2005., U.S. ed.: n. pag. LexisNexis . Web.

     19 Feb. 2005.

Journal article, full-text online database (Zadek 130) Note: 82.12 should be read as volume 82, issue 12.

Zadek, Simon. "The Path to Corporate Responsibility." Harvard Business Review

     82.12 (2004): 125-133. Business Source Premier . Web. 16 Feb. 2005 .

Newspaper article, full-text online database (Hudson) Note: A1 refers to section A and page 1.

Hudson, Kris. “Center’s Lessons Added Up.” Denver Post 6 Dec. 2004, final ed.:

     A1. Lexis-Nexis . Web. 22 Feb. 2005 .

ESHA ("Ingredient: Rice, wild")

"Ingredient: Rice, wild, ckd." The Food Processor SQL. Vers. 10.6.3. Salem, OR:

     ESHA Research, 2010. Software.

MLA Handbook

Consult the guides below for examples of in-text citations and work cited entries.

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide - Purdue U Writing Lab
• MLA Style Center
• Works Cited - A Quick Guide

Citation Generators

• BibMe BibMe is a free automatic citation creator that supports MLA formatting. BibMe leverages external databases to quickly fill citation information for you (or you can enter it manually). BibMe will then format the citation and compile a bibliography according to the guidelines of the MLA style manual.
• Citation Machine Helps students and professional researchers to properly credit the information that they use. Simply click the MLA Style button, choose the resource you want to format, and enter the information.
• EasyBib Free automatic MLA citation style generator. Allows you to cite more than the usual assortment of sources including photographs, emails, patents, paintings, and more. It also lets you search by ISBN.
• Microsoft Word In Microsoft Word, you can automatically generate a bibliography based on the source information that you provide for the document.

Works Cited Examples - Social Media

Blog Post (Le) The generic form of a works cited entry for a blog post is: Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Blog Post Entry." Blog Title . Publisher. Date Posted. Web. Date Accessed.

Le, Stephanie. "Sunday Stuff." i am a food blog. WordPress. 20 July 2014. Web. 29 July 2014.

YouTube Video ("Finding Keywords")

The generic form of a works cited entry for a YouTube video is: Title of Video. Date of Publication of Video. YouTube. Web. Date Accessed.

Finding Keywords. 28 August 2013. YouTube. Web. 29 July 2014.

Tweet (JWD Library)

The generic form of a works cited entry for a Twitter post is: Last Name, First Name (Username). "Enter the tweet message here." Date Posted, Time Viewed. Tweet.

JWD Library (JWDLibrary). "Rare recordings of famous authors - enjoy! http://buff.ly/T7iPlz #jwudenver #mentalfloss." 18 June 2014, 29 July 2014. Tweet.

Facebook Post (Johnson & Wales University Denver Campus Library)

The generic form of a works cited entry for a Facebook post is: Last Name, First Name. "Enter Facebook post here." Facebook. Date Posted. [Date accessed. <web address>]

Johnson & Wales University Denver Campus Library. "Say goodbye! The Library gets new doors next week! #jwudenver #behindthescenes." Facebook. 17 July 2014. [29 July 2014. https://www.facebook.com/JWUDenverCampusLibrary]

Email (Smith)

The generic form of a works cited entry for an email is: Last Name, First Name. "Subject of Message." Message to Recipient's Name. Date of Message. Email.

Smith, John. "Library adds feature film collection." Message to Julia Cook. 16 May 2013. Email.

Borrowed from TeachBytes. c 2013.

Works Cited Examples - Other

Company Profile The generic format of a works cited entry for a company profile in Business and Company Resource Center is: "Company Name." Company Profile. Business Insights: Global . Web. Date of Access (date month year).

("company name")

"Darden Restaurants." Company Profile. Business and Company Resource Center .

     Web. 14 Sept. 2010.

Film or Video Recording The generic format of a works cited entry for a film or video is: Title of Film. Dir. Director_Name. Perf. Performer_Name. Distributor, Year of release.

Enemy at the Gates. Dir. JeanJacques Annaud. Perf. Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law,

     and Rachel Weisz. Paramount Pictures, 2001. DVD.

Personal Interview The generic format of a works cited entry for a personal interview that you conducted: Last_Name_interviewee, First_name interviewee. Kind of Interview (Personal, Telephone, Email). Date of interview.

Clinton, Bill. Personal interview. 4 July 2005.

ESHA Research's Food Processor database

("Ingredient")

"Ingredient: Rice, wild, ckd." The Food Processor SQL . Vers. 10.6.3. Salem, OR:

Personal Recipe Collection

Maykut, Lois. "Tofu and Mushroom Curry." Recipe. Personal collection.

     7 Sept. 2004.

Class Handout Quoting Another Source

The generic format of a works cited entry for a class handout quoting another source: Author of quoted source."Title of work from a published collection. (e.g. poem or article)." Title of Publication . (book or periodical). "Title of Handout."Handout. Title of Course. (Name of Instructor) Name of School. Date of handout.

Aldiss, Brian. "Flight 063." Icaurs Poems: A Selective Arachniography. Handout.

     Composition, Literature and Critical Thinking: English 110. (Professor Jeff

     Westall.) Skyline College. Feb. 2006. Print.

Professor's Video Lecture posted in Ulearn (Smith)

Smith, Joe. Foodservice Management: An Introduction. Kaltura. FSM1001:

     Blackboard, 2013.

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Citing Sources

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What is mla, mla handbook, mla citations for ai, acknowledgement.

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The STLCC Writing Center is your best source for citation help. Use the examples in this guide to supplement the ones on the Writing Center website. 

MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association of America. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers. There are two parts to MLA: In-text citations and the Works Cited list.

In MLA, you must cite sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.
• In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

The in-text citation points the reader to the full citation of the source in the Works Cited list. The Works Cited list is in alphabetical order. The in-text citation consists of the first part of the full citation, which is usually the author's last name, and the page number (if there is one) so that a reader can find the information in the source. 

• MLA Sample Sources STLCC Writing Center examples of Works Cited citations.
• MLA In-Text Citations and Sample Essay STLCC Writing Center's guide to creating in-text citations in MLA Style.

This citation guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (9th ed.).   A copy is available in each STLCC campus library. 

In March 2023, MLA provided guidance for citing responses from ChatGPT or output from another generative AI tool.

Format: "Description of chat" prompt.  Name of AI tool,  version of AI tool, Company, Date of chat, URL.

Example: .

"Examples of harm reduction initiatives" prompt.  ChatGPT, 23 Mar. version, OpenAI, 4 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

In-Text Citation Example:

("Examples of harm reduction")

If you create a shareable link to the chat transcript, include that instead of the tool's URL.

MLA also recommends acknowledging when you used the tool in a note or your text as well as verifying any sources or citations the tool supplies.

• How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? As of 17 March 2023

This guide has been adapted by St. Louis Community College Libraries with the with the permission of Seneca College Libraries  to provide further examples and resources. For information on the original guide from Seneca College Libraries, contact  [email protected] .

Note: When copying this guide, please retain this box.

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• Plagiarism and grammar
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Cite a Website in MLA

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in mla, how to create an mla website citation:.

When citing a website, you’re often actually citing a specific page on a website. You’re not actually citing the entire website.

Here is the most common way to cite a page on a website:

• Start the citation with the name of the author who wrote the information on the page. If there isn’t an author listed, do not include this information in the citation. Start the citation with the title.
• The title of the individual page is placed in quotation marks, followed by a period.
• Next, place the name of the website in italics, followed by a comma.
• If the name of the publisher matches the name of the author or the name of the title, do not include the publisher’s information in the citation.
• The date the page or website was published comes next.
• End the citation with the URL or DOI. When including the URL, copy the URL directly from the address bar or link in your browser window.

Last name, First name of author. “Title of Web Page.” Title of Website , Publisher, Date published, URL.

Rothfeld, Lindsay. “Smarter Education: The Rise of Big Data in the Classroom.” Mashable, 3 Sept. 2014, mashable.com/2014/09/03/education-data-video/#hViqdPbFbgqH.

You can usually leave out http:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them. For DOIs, use http:// or https:// before the DOI: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx.

If you’re still confused and feeling the urge to type “How to cite a website MLA” into Google, try out our free generator at the top of this page. Our citation generator MLA site is easy to use!

Social media:

If the user’s handle and real name are similar, you may include the real name and leave out the handle as long as a URL is also included. If the user’s real name and handle are different, include the hand in brackets after the real name.

Gates, Melinda. “Today, Bill and I were deeply humbled to accept France’s Legion of Honour award on behalf of all our foundation’s partners and grantees.” Twitter, 21 Apr. 2017, twitter.com/melindagates/status/855535625713459200.

Sandler, Adam. “California Strong celebrity softball game this Sunday at Pepperdine. All proceeds go to the victims of the wildfires and shooting in Thousand Oaks.” Facebook, 11 Jan. 2019, www.facebook.com/Sandler/.

Mizuhara, Kiko [@I_am_kiko]. “@vivi_mag_official shot by my sis @ashley_yuka.” Instagram, 25 June 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CB27SYahBpo.

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Overview of MLA Research Paper Format

Table of contents

• 1 Essential MLA Style Guidelines
• 2 The First Page Structure and Format
• 3 MLA Title Page Guidelines
• 4 How to Organize Section Headings and Subheadings?
• 5 Guidelines for In-Text Citations
• 6 Recommendations for the Works Cited Page
• 7 How to Incorporate Tables and Figures?
• 8 The Importance of Proofreading and Reviewing an Academic Paper in MLA Format
• 9 MLA Handbook and Additional Resources
• 10 Summing Up

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is widely recognized for writing and documenting research papers in the Humanities. The MLA format is particularly useful in Literature, Philosophy, and Cultural Studies.

It provides a standard approach to formatting academic papers and ensures sources are cited properly to avoid plagiarism. This standardized approach makes it easier for readers to understand the content and for writers to present their work professionally.

The MLA Handbook is the definitive guide to the MLA style. It outlines every aspect of MLA formatting, from the layout of the title page to the intricacies of parenthetical citations. Students and researchers can produce consistent, well-organized, and appropriately credited papers by adhering to these guidelines.

Essential MLA Style Guidelines

Before delving into specific formatting details, it’s important to grasp the general rules that govern MLA style. These guidelines are crucial for maintaining consistency throughout the paper.

1. Document Layout.

The MLA style requires using a standard font like Times New Roman, size 12. The entire document can’t have only one space; it should be double-spaced, including the cited list, block quotations, and works cited page. MLA recommends setting one-inch margins on all sides of the paper. The text should be aligned to the left margin, with the first line of each paragraph indented by half an inch. A page number should be included in the upper right-hand corner of each page, preceded by the author’s last name, creating the MLA header.

2. Language and Tone.

The MLA style emphasizes formal, academic language. Avoiding slang, contractions, or colloquial expressions is essential when writing a MLA paper. The paper should be written in the third person unless otherwise instructed. Capital letters are used for proper nouns and the first word of sentences. Titles within the text follow title case capitalization, with major words capitalized and minor words (like prepositions and conjunctions) in lowercase.

3. Titles and Subtitles

The paper’s title is centered on the first page without underlining, italicizing, or using quotation marks. If the paper includes subtitles, they are placed on the same line as the main title, separated by a colon, and centered. The MLA format does not require a separate title page unless specifically requested by the instructor.

The First Page Structure and Format

The first page of your MLA paper is crucial as it sets the tone for the rest of the document. The MLA heading includes your name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the due date, aligned to the left margin and double-spaced.

After the heading on the first page, double-space and center the paper’s title. Begin the body text on the same page, with the first paragraph indented. There are no extra spaces between the title and the start of the text. The page number in the upper right-hand corner continues from this page onwards to the second page and others.

MLA Title Page Guidelines

Unlike the ASA paper format, the MLA format does not generally require a separate title page. Still, some instructors might. If a title page is requested, center the relevant information both horizontally and vertically on the page. This includes the paper’s title, your name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the due date. Each element is located in the next line. The title should follow title case capitalization, and there should be no extra formatting like bold, italics, or quotation marks. The title page shouldn’t have a page number unless explicitly required.

How to Organize Section Headings and Subheadings?

Section headings and subheadings are vital in structuring a paper in MLA. They help readers navigate the document by clearly indicating different sections and their content.

• Use of Headings.

Like the ASA style guide, MLA style instructions allow up to five levels of headings, each distinguished by specific formatting. For example:

• Consistency.

Ensure that all headings and subheadings are consistently formatted throughout the paper. This consistency aids the reader’s understanding and maintains the paper’s professional appearance.

Guidelines for In-Text Citations

In-text citations in MLA format are used to credit sources within the body of the paper. Proper citation is essential to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to original authors. Remember to check the list of things you can’t copyright before working on citations in your document.

• Basic Format

MLA parenthetical citations typically include the author’s last name and the page number from which the information was taken, with no comma.

For example: (Smith 23).

• Multiple Authors

For works by two authors, include both names connected by “and.”

Example: (Smith and Jones 45).

For three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”

Example: (Smith et al. 56) .

If a source has no author, use a shortened version of the book title or article title instead of the author’s name.

Example: (“Climate Change” 12) .

• Citing Poetry and Drama.

For poetry, include the line numbers instead of page numbers.

Example: (Frost lines 14-16).

For drama, cite the act, scene, and line numbers.

Example: (Shakespeare 2.3.15-20) .

Recommendations for the Works Cited Page

The works cited page is a crucial part of any MLA paper. It provides full bibliographic details of all sources cited in the paper, allowing readers to locate the original works. Make sure you understand what can be copyrighted before you complete this page.

• Page Layout

The works cited page begins on a separate page at the end of the document. The title “Works Cited” should be centered at the top of the page. It’s better to avoid the right margin. Each entry is double spaced, with a hanging indent for the second and subsequent separate lines.

• Formatting Entries

Entries are indicated in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there is no author, alphabetize by the title. Each entry typically includes the author’s name, the title, the publication year, and other relevant details.

Example: Smith, John. The Art of Fiction . Penguin, 2020.

• Multiple Works by the Same Author.

If you use a cited list of multiple works by the same author, indicate them alphabetically by title. Instead of repeating the author’s name, use three hyphens followed by a period.

• Smith, John. Exploring Modern Poetry. HarperCollins, 2018.
• —.The Art of Fiction . Penguin, 2020.
• Citing Online Sources.

When citing websites, include the URL or DOI at the end of the citation. If a publication year is unavailable, include the date you accessed the material.

Johnson, Emily. “The Future of AI.” Tech Today , vol. 32, no. 4, 2023, pp. 45-58. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1234567 . Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.

How to Incorporate Tables and Figures?

Tables and figures can enhance your sample MLA paper by providing visual data representations. Incorporating tables and figures into a paper in MLA requires specific formatting to ensure clarity and adherence to MLA guidelines.

• Labeling Tables and Figures

Each table and figure should be labeled with a title and number (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1) placed above the content, using capital letters for the title. The title should be concise yet descriptive enough to understand the content without further detailed information.

The data source is cited directly below the table or figure, followed by Arabic numerals, with a parenthetical citation if necessary. When referencing these elements in the text, use their corresponding Arabic numeral (e.g., “see Table 1”) to maintain clarity and coherence. It’s better to avoid using Roman numerals.

Each table and figure has a descriptive title, and this information should be placed above the table or figure.

• Placement in the Text

For a sample MLA page, tables and figures should be positioned as close as possible to their first mention in the body of the text. Ensure they don’t interrupt the text flow and are referenced within the discussion in research paper. This might mean placing them on multiple pages, ensuring they are not scattered throughout the document.

On a separate page, include a brief caption below each table or figure, which explains the content and provides the source if it is not your work. The caption should be in an easily readable font and adhere to double spacing, consistent with the rest of your MLA paper.

• Formatting Requirements

If your group project includes complex data, ensure tables and figures are formatted to be easily readable. The first line of each table and figure’s title should have a double space from the content, and the entire table or figure should be formatted with double spacing for consistency.

Additionally, include full citations for any external sources used in the Works Cited page, formatted according to MLA guidelines. Proper paper formatting of tables and figures enhances the readability and professionalism of your MLA format paper, making your research project clearer and more accessible.

The Importance of Proofreading and Reviewing an Academic Paper in MLA Format

Proofreading and reviewing your group project are essential final steps to ensure it is polished, professional, and adheres to MLA format. After finishing your paper in MLA, carefully check for grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.

Review the overall structure, ensuring a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Pay special attention to your title page (if applicable), MLA header, and MLA heading on the first page. Confirm that your paper title is centered and properly capitalized in the title case without unnecessary formatting, such as quotation marks or italics. If you include section headings in your research project, ensure they are consistently formatted according to MLA guidelines.

• In-Text Citations;

Verify that each in-text citation matches an entry in the works cited page. Ensure citations include the correct author’s last name and page number or a shortened title if no author is listed. Confirm that the works cited entries are alphabetized, properly formatted with a hanging indent, and complete with publication details.

• Formatting;

Check that your entire document has a double space without extra spaces between paragraphs and that one-inch margins are maintained on all sides. Don’t use the right margin when it is not required. The MLA recommends using a readable font like Times New Roman in size 12, so verify that this is consistent throughout your paper. Ensure your page numbers are correctly placed in the upper right-hand corner and appear on every page after the first page.

• Quotations;

Review your use of block quotations and quotation marks. Block quotations should be applied sparingly and formatted correctly, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin and without quotation marks. Ensure other punctuation marks are used correctly, especially with quotes, citations, and MLA formatting rules.

• Readability;

Review the document’s visual appearance, including consistent font, inch margins, clear section headings, and properly formatted tables and figures. Ensure MLA headers and page numbers are correctly placed, and the paper is easily read.

• Final Check;

Using a word processor like Microsoft Word or Google Docs can help maintain proper formatting, but it’s still vital to manually check your work to ensure compliance with MLA standards.

If you’re unsure about any aspect of your formatting or content, seeking assistance from a research paper writing service or consulting, the MLA Style Center can provide valuable guidance. You can submit a well-organized and error-free document that reflects your research and writing skills by thoroughly proofreading and reviewing your paper.

MLA Handbook and Additional Resources

Mastering the intricacies of formatting an MLA research paper requires understanding the basic guidelines and staying updated with the latest practices and interpretations of this paper format.

A wealth of additional resources and further reading are available, both online and in print, to further hone your skills and deepen your knowledge. These resources can be invaluable for students, educators, and researchers aiming to produce high-quality, well-formatted MLA papers.

One of the most authoritative sources on paper formatting is the MLA Handbook, now in its ninth edition. This comprehensive guide provides detailed instructions on everything from in-text citations to the works cited page and is an essential reference for anyone regularly working within the MLA framework. The handbook covers basic formatting rules and addresses more complex issues like citing digital sources, handling multiple authors, and structuring entries for entire edited collections. Investing time in reading what MLA recommends can significantly improve your understanding of correctly formatting and citing sources in your papers.

The MLA Style Center is an excellent starting point for those who prefer online resources. This website, maintained by the Modern Language Association itself, offers a wealth of free resources, including:

• sample papers;
• instructional videos.

The MLA Style Center is particularly useful for finding up-to-date answers to specific formatting questions, such as how to cite a new type of digital media or format a group project in this writing style. Additionally, the site provides sample citations and MLA header examples, which can be immensely helpful when you’re unsure about the correct format.

Students seeking more interactive learning opportunities might consider online courses or webinars focused on MLA formatting. Many educational institutions and writing centers offer these resources, ranging from introductory courses on MLA basics to more advanced sessions that delve into the nuances of parenthetical citations and works cited entries. These courses often provide practical exercises and personalized feedback, making them a great way to reinforce your learning.

For ongoing support, consider using word processing software that offer MLA formatting templates, such as:

• Microsoft Word;
• Google Docs.

These tools can simplify setting up your MLA paper, ensuring your margins, readable font style, and page numbers adhere to the proper guidelines. However, while these templates are useful, they are not foolproof, so it’s important to cross-reference your work with the MLA Handbook or other reliable resources to catch any potential errors.

If you ever find yourself struggling with the complexities of MLA formatting or research writing in general, you might benefit from professional assistance. Research paper writing services can provide research paper help tailored to your needs, whether you require help with formatting, editing, or understanding what can and can’t be copyrighted. These services often employ experienced writers and editors who are well-versed in MLA style and can offer guidance on everything from the discussion section of a research paper to the proper formatting of tables and figures.

In conclusion, mastering MLA format is an ongoing process, and utilizing a variety of resources will strengthen your ability to produce a well-organized, correctly formatted MLA paper. Whether you rely on the MLA Handbook, online tutorials, or professional writing services, these resources will support your academic and professional writing endeavors.

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Quick Citation Guides

Handbooks at the library, hanging indent.

• Evaluating Web Resources

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, particularly by disciplines that study literature, arts, and critical theory.

• MLA Style Guide (9th ed.) This printable handout from Cal State LA Library explains how to create in-text citations, gives examples of how to create references for different formats, and presents a checklist for formatting your paper.
• MLA Interactive Practice Template Use this digital template from MLA to help you create citations.
• Sample MLA Style Papers See sample student papers and works cited lists at the MLA Style Center .
• MLA Style from Excelsior OWL Learn the basics of MLA style including in-text citations and works cited lists from Excelsior University Online Writing Lab.

Introduction to Citation Styles: MLA 9th ed.

This video (3:39) from California State University Dominguez Hills Library reviews basic citation principles for MLA 9th edition.

" Introduction to Citation Styles: MLA 9th ed ." courtesy of  CSU Dominguez Hills  licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (reuse allowed).

• MLA Style Tutorial Practice your MLA skills with this interactive tutorial from the Modern Language Association.

Formatting checklist:

• Use 1” margins at the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the page.
• Right-align the running head at the top of every page, include your last name and page numbers.
• Use a readable typeface like Times New Roman in 11-13 points.
• Align the text at the left margin only.
• Double-space the entire paper, including quotations, notes, and the list of works cited.
• Indent .5” from the left margin at beginning of each paragraph.
• Leave one space not two after a period or other concluding punctuation.

Title formatting:

• In the top left write your name, instructor’s name, course, and date (Day Month Year with no commas ie. 3 January 2023). Start a new line for each item.
• Double-space between the date and the title.
• The title is centered with no bold, underlining, quotation marks, or end punctuation marks.

Works Cited Checklist:

• Place the works cited list at the end of the paper and after endnotes if they are included.
• Title the page Work Cited if the list contains only one entry.
• Double-space between the title heading (Works Cited) and first entry.
• Begin each entry flush with the left margin.
• If the entry is more than one line, create a hanging indent with subsequent lines indented .5” from the left margin.
• Entries are arranged alphabetically by author's last name or by the title if the author name is missing.
• If you are using multiple works by the same author, write the author name for the first entry and use an em dash (---three hyphens) in the author element in subsequent entries. List the entries alphabetically by the title of the source. 

A hanging indent is used to format the list of references at the end of an academic paper. If the reference is longer than one line, the first line aligns with the left margin, but the subsequent lines are indented a half inch. This video (2:17) explains how to automate hanging indents in Microsoft 365 Word and Google Docs.

The MLA Handbook 9th ed. was published in 2021 and is the latest style guide from the Modern Language Association. Ask your instructor which edition you should use for your assignments.

• What's New in MLA 9th ed.? This Cal State LA handout lists the most significant changes in the MLA Handbook 9th ed.

The MLA Handbook 8th ed. was published in 2018. Ask your instructor if you should use the newest edition or the 8th ed. because many instructors continue to use older editions despite new publications.

• What’s New in the MLA 8th Ed.? Briefly explains changes and additions that came with the 8th edition in 2016.
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What are Citation Styles? Which Citation Style to Use? 

Table of Contents

Citations are fundamental to maintaining the integrity and continuity of academic discussions. They allow researchers to guide readers to literary sources that they may have consulted during their study. Over the years, as the scope of academia and science grew and evolved, so did the need to ensure clarity and consistency in academic communication.

Consequently, different types of citation styles were created to address the needs and conventions of various fields of study. Understanding these different citation styles is crucial for early-career researchers if they are to correctly attribute concepts to original authors and enhance the credibility of their work.  

Types of citation styles  

• Parenthetical Citations, or in-text citations, are typically used within the body of the text. They state the author’s last name and the publication year, allowing readers to locate the full citation easily in the reference list. This style is prevalent in APA and MLA formats. 
• Numerical Citations involve assigning a number to a source, which corresponds to a numbered reference list at the end of the document. Used in engineering and scientific fields, this style helps readers to identify sources without disrupting the flow of the text. 
• Note: Citations use footnotes or endnotes to provide source information. While this citation style usually carries more details, it could interrupt the reading experience, as notes appear at the bottom of the page. This style is associated with Chicago and Turabian formats. 
• Social media citations are typically done using permalinks, timestamps, and archive tools to link back to the social media content. Researchers who quote or paraphrase information from online sources must provide a reference list entry (with the URL mentioned in parenthesis) along with in-text citations.   

Which citation styles are used in academia?  

Different academic disciplines favor specific citation styles, each with its unique rules and formats.  Let us take a look at some of the most common citation styles in academia: 

APA Style  

Developed by the American Psychological Association, the APA style guide is widely used for citing sources in academia. The recently updated 7th edition provides guidelines for citing various types of sources, including books, journal articles, and online information.   

• Subjects covered: Mostly behavioral sciences and humanities  
• Citation format: Using in-text citations, the APA style guide allows readers to quickly locate the full reference in the reference list corresponding to each in-text citation. The general structure for a reference entry includes the author’s name, publication date, title of the work, and source information  

MLA Style  

The Modern Language Association developed this set of guidelines for writing and documenting research. It focuses on accurately citing sources to give credit to original authors, which helps avoid inadvertent plagiarism. The guide provides instructions on creating in-text citations and a “Works Cited” page , with entries arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. This ensures that all references are clearly documented for ease of use. 

• Subjects covered : Humanities, particularly literature, language, and liberal arts. 
• Format : The MLA format focuses on authorship and page numbers, showcasing the importance of specific textual references for in-text citations. Full citations are listed in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name. 

Chicago Style  

The updated 17th edition of the Chicago style manual has two main citation systems: the notes and bibliography system and the author-date system. This flexibility to choose the format that best suits specific writing needs makes it a popular choice among early career researchers. 

• Subjects covered : History, some social sciences, and humanities. 
• Format : The notes and bibliography system allows researchers to create footnotes or endnotes with information on the source. It also includes a bibliography at the end. The author-date system, on the other hand, features in-text citations that include the author’s last name and year of publication and a reference list at the end of the document. 

IEEE Style (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)  

This style provides researchers with guidance on how to format technical articles. It gives an outline of how to create different sections in a paper, accurately cite figures and tables, and ensure adherence to specific grammar rules. 

• Subjects covered : Technical fields such as engineering and information technology. 
• Format : The IEEE style guide uses numerical citations with bracketed references, which correspond to a numbered reference list, which is usually found at the end of the document. The reference list is organized numerically in the order in which sources are cited in the text, allowing for quick access to sources. 

How to choose the appropriate citation style?  

Early career researchers must gain an understanding of how to choose the right citation style. Start by checking if your department or institution has a preferred citation style. Similarly, when submitting a manuscript to a journal, ensure that you check on and review their specific citation style requirements.  Also, citation styles will differ depending on your subject of study and the style guide you will be using. For example, if your field of research is psychology, you will be using the APA style guide and its citation format. 

How to use AI tools for citation management?

While choosing and managing citation styles can prove daunting, the good news is that there are various online tools available today to simplify the process. With an integrated reference finder and citation generator, Paperpal allows you to get factual insights from 250M+ research articles, save relevant papers to the citation library, and style and cite these correctly in 10,000+ styles in your writing with a click.

Paperpal’s free citation generator allows to search for specific papers by looking up their title or DOI in the search bar. It also has an in-built citation library that lets you to save your citations, and retrieve them and cite later in your work. 

Using Paperpal for citation management is quick and easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide: 

• Start by creating an account or logging in to Paperpal
• Paste text on the online document or start writing from scratch in the Paperpal editor 

• Ask a question on Search or Search for a reference by Title or DOI for more targeted results    
• Paperpal fetches the answers scouring from 250Mn+ articles and shares a summary of each answer with an option to Cite or Save the reference to Citation Library

• To change the default citation style, click on the quotation icon to choose a citation style 
• Once you have filled in the details, add the citation to your document. Paperpal will automatically format it according to the chosen style

In conclusion, mastering citation styles is a crucial part of academic writing, ensuring that research is appropriately credited and presented professionally. Choosing the appropriate citation style depends on your field of study and institutional guidelines. Still, it’s important to know when and how to apply the right style to add credibility to your work. Here, using reliable citation management tools like Paperpal can simplify the process and save time.  

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 22+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$25 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!

Related Reads:

• MLA Works Cited Page: Format, Template & Examples
• Cite Sources Accurately in 10,000+ Styles with Paperpal’s New Citation Generator
• How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition): Citation Style Guide
• 4 Types of Transition Words for Research Papers 

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MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

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According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text.

Basic rules

• Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
• Only the title should be centered. The citation entries themselves should be aligned with the left margin.
• Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
• List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as pp. 225-50 (Note: MLA style dictates that you should omit the first sets of repeated digits. In our example, the digit in the hundreds place is repeated between 2 25 and 2 50, so you omit the 2 from 250 in the citation: pp. 225-50). If the excerpt spans multiple pages, use “pp.”   Note that MLA style uses a hyphen in a span of pages.
• If only one page of a print source is used, mark it with the abbreviation “p.” before the page number (e.g., p. 157). If a span of pages is used, mark it with the abbreviation “pp.” before the page number (e.g., pp. 157-68).
• If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved from an online database, you should type the online database name in italics. You do not need to provide subscription information in addition to the database name.
• For online sources, you should include a location to show readers where you found the source. Many scholarly databases use a DOI (digital object identifier). Use a DOI in your citation if you can; otherwise use a URL. Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation and should be followed by a period.
• All works cited entries end with a period.

Additional basic rules new to MLA 2021

New to MLA 2021:

• Apps and databases should be cited only when they are containers of the particular works you are citing, such as when they are the platforms of publication of the works in their entirety, and not an intermediary that redirects your access to a source published somewhere else, such as another platform. For example, the Philosophy Books app should be cited as a container when you use one of its many works, since the app contains them in their entirety. However, a PDF article saved to the Dropbox app is published somewhere else, and so the app should not be cited as a container.
• If it is important that your readers know an author’s/person’s pseudonym, stage-name, or various other names,  then you should generally cite the better-known form of author’s/person’s name. For example, since the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is better-known by his pseudonym, cite Lewis Carroll opposed to Charles Dodgson (real name).
• For annotated bibliographies , annotations should be appended at the end of a source/entry with one-inch indentations from where the entry begins. Annotations may be written as concise phrases or complete sentences, generally not exceeding one paragraph in length.

Capitalization and punctuation

• Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, There Is Nothing Left to Lose .
• Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) and quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)

Listing author names

Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written with the last name first, then the first name, and then the middle name or middle initial when needed:

Do not  list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A book listing an author named "John Bigbrain, PhD" appears simply as "Bigbrain, John." Do, however, include suffixes like "Jr." or "II." Putting it all together, a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be cited as "King, Martin Luther, Jr." Here the suffix following the first or middle name and a comma.

More than one work by an author

If you have cited more than one work by a particular author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author's name for every entry after the first:

Burke, Kenneth. A Grammar of Motives . [...]

---. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...]

When an author or collection editor appears both as the sole author of a text and as the first author of a group, list solo-author entries first:

Heller, Steven, ed. The Education of an E-Designer .

Heller, Steven, and Karen Pomeroy. Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design.

Work with no known author

Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. In this case, Boring Postcards USA has no known author:

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulations.  [...]

Boring Postcards USA  [...]

Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...] 

Work by an author using a pseudonym or stage-name

New to MLA 9th edition, there are now steps to take for citing works by an author or authors using a pseudonym, stage-name, or different name. 

If the person you wish to cite is well-known, cite the better-known form of the name of the author. For example, since Lewis Carroll is  not only a pseudonym of Charles Dodgson , but also the better-known form of the author’s name, cite the former name opposed to the latter. 

If the real name of the author is less well-known than their pseudonym, cite the author’s pseudonym in square brackets following the citation of their real name: “Christie, Agatha [Mary Westmacott].”

Authors who published various works under many names may be cited under a single form of the author’s name. When the form of the name you wish to cite differs from that which appears on the author’s work, include the latter in square brackets following an italicized published as : “Irving, Washington [ published as Knickerbocker, Diedrich].”.

Another acceptable option, in cases where there are only two forms of the author’s name, is to cite both forms of the author’s names as separate entries along with cross-references in square brackets: “Eliot, George [ see also Evans, Mary Anne].”.

How do I cite an article in a library database with no DOI?

As noted in section 5.84 of the MLA Handbook , for works consulted online, “the location, in order of preference, is the DOI, permalink, or URL.” If you are citing an article found in a library database (or other type of database), and the article does not include a DOI, you can give a permalink or, in the absence of a permalink, a URL, even if the permalink or URL leads to gated content.

Remember that DOIs should always be preceded by https://doi.org/ ( MLA Handbook 5.93), as in the following example:

Bockelman ,  Brian . “ Buenos Aires  Bohème : Argentina and the Transatlantic Bohemian Renaissance, 1890–1910 .”  Modernism/Modernity , vol.  23 , no.  1 ,  Jan.   2016 , pp.  37 – 63 .  Project Muse , https://doi.org/10.1353/mod.2016.0011 .

However, http:// and https:// can usually be omitted in permalinks and URLs (5.96).

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021. MLA Handbook Plus , 2021, mlahandbookplus.org/.