MLA BIBLIOGRAPHY GUIDELINES:  PRINT, ELECTRONIC & OTHER RESOURCES

updated 9 October 2007

 

The Modern Language Association does not mount its citation guidelines on the internet.  If you need guidance in citing a publication format not listed here, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers located in the library’s reference section, REF 808 Gib.

 

A generic format is provided in bold for each type of citation, followed by an example.  Note that all citations are double spaced on the Works Cited page. If an entry runs over one line, subsequent lines are indented one tab for a "hanging indent."

 

PRINT RESOURCES

 

Books

One author:

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
Jones, Royce. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Chicago: MacMillan, 1988.

 

Two authors:

Last name of 1st author, First name of 1^st author, and First name of 2nd author Last name of 2nd author. Title of Book.
       Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
Neal, Sandra Ann, and Susan Gray. The Women of Florence. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.   

 

More than two authors (et al. means "and others" in Latin):

Last name of 1st author, First name, et al. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
Ottoman, James, et al. Exploring Architecture. New York: Bantam, 1998.

 

One editor, but no author:

Last name of editor, First name, ed. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
Sanders, Ann, ed. Diary of a Friendship. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994.

 

No author or editor, but new edition:

Title of Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
Primary Reference Books. 2^nd ed. New York: Bowker, 1995.

 

 

Collections or Anthologies

 

A poem, short story, essay, or a chapter from a book that contains works by several authors:

Last name of poet, First name. "Title of Poem/Story/Essay/etc." Title of Anthology or Collection. Ed. Editor's name. Place of
       publication: Publisher, year of publication. Page/s.

Welty, Eudora. "At the Corner Store." American Poets. Ed. Gerald Levin. New York: Harcourt, 1995. 20-23.    

 

A poem, short story, essay, or a chapter from a collection of works by one author:

Last name, First name. "Title of Poem/Story/Essay/Chapter."  Title of Collection. Place of publication: Publisher, year of
      publication. Page/s.
Anson, Margaret. "My Mama." Poems. New York: Doubleday, 1989. 11-12.

 

 

Encyclopedia Articles

 

An encyclopedia article or entry with no author indicated:

"Title of article/entry." Title of Encyclopedia. Edition. Year of publication.
"The Dinner Party." Masterplots. 10^th ed. 1976.

 

An encyclopedia article with an author:

Last name, First name. " Title of article/entry."  Title of Encyclopedia.  Edition. Year of publication.
McKay, Nellie Y. "Angelou, Maya." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2^nd ed. 2006.

 

 

Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles

 

A magazine or journal article:

Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine/Journal. Date of issue: page/s.
Cain, William. "Big Business of the Nineties." Business Week. 16 Aug. 1998: 19-21.  

 

A newspaper article:

Last name, First name.  "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper. Date of paper, edition: section page/s.
James, Noah. "The Book Everyone Loves to Hate." New York Times. 22 Jan. 1998, national ed.: C12. 

 

 

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

 

Videotapes, DVDs, Slideshows, Filmstrips

 

With attributions:

Title of film.  Director's name.  Performers' names.  Year of original film's release. Format.  Name of distributor, year
        video/DVD/etc. produced.
Young Frankenstein. Dir. Mel Brooks. Perf. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars,
       and Madeline Kahn. 1974. DVD. Fox, 2004.

 

Without attributions:

Title of Film. Format.  Name of Distributor, year video/DVD produced.

Elusive Giant: The Blue Whale. Videocassette. American Educational Services, 1997.

 

 

CD-ROMs

 

Article from a CD-ROM encyclopedia:

"Title of Article/Entry."  Title of CD-Rom Encyclopedia. Format.  Place of publication: Name of Publisher, year of production.
"Rhinoceros." Multimedia Animals Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Westchester PA: Applied Optical Media, 1994. 
 

 

Subscription databases

 

Article found through a library’s subscription database (examples:  ProQuest, eLibrary, Lexis/Nexus, etc.):

Last name of author, First name [see above "Books" for more than one author format].  "Title of Article."  Title of original
      publication. Date of original publication: page number.  Name of database.  Name of subscriber to database, Place.  Date
      article was accessed <URL>.
Demore, Kelley, and Charlotte Dunlap. "Compaq Targets the Internet." Computer Reseller News. 25 Sept. 1995: 307. ProQuest.

      Mount Si High School, Snoqualmie. 25 Jan. 1996  <http://proquest.umi.com>.

 

 

Internet sources

 

A website with an author's name listed:

Last name of author, First name.  Title of Website.  Date of website.  Date website was accessed <URL>.
Carroll, Robert Todd. The Skeptic's Dictionary: Witches.  21 Dec. 2004. 7 Mar. 2005 <http://www.skepdic.com/witches.html>.

 

An article from an online encyclopedia:

"Title of Article/Entry." Title of Online Encyclopedia. Date article was accessed <URL>.
"Zygotes." Britannica Online. 14 Mar. 1999 <http://www.eb.com:180>. 

 

An internet website maintained by a professional organization:

Title of Website. Date of website. Name of organization sponsoring site. Date of access <URL>.
Einstein: Image and Impact. Aug. 1998. American Institute of Physics. 13 Mar. 1999 <http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/>.  

 

An article from an online magazine, newspaper, or journal:

Last name of author, First name.  "Title of Article." Title of Online Publication. Date of publication.  Date of access <URL>.
Sklaroff, Sara. "E-mail Nation." U. S. News Online. 22 Mar. 1999. 31 Mar. 1999
        <http://www2.USNews.com/usnews/issue/990322/22emai.htm>.     

 

An online government publication:

Name of Country.  Name of government agency.  Office responsible for publication.  Title of Website. Title of linked
       resource. Date of website.  Date of access <URL>.
United States. Center for Disease Control. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Diabetes
       Public Health. Resource: FAQ About Diabetes. 29 June 2000. 25 Feb. 2001 <http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faqs.htm>.

 

A personal web page:

Last name, First name. Home page. Date of website.  Date of access <URL>.
Lawson, Anne. Home page. 1 Mar. 1998. 7 Mar. 2005 <http://www.target.net:8080/~alaw/index.html>.

 

 A podcast of a television or radio program:

Last name, First name. Title of Program.  Name of transmitter.  Date of transmission.  Podcast. Date of access <URL>.

Harrison, Taylor.  “Interview.”  Voices of Diversity. KBCS, Bellevue WA.  1 April 2006.  Podcast.  18 May 2006

       <http://kbcs.fm/site/PageServer>.

 

 

OTHER TYPES OF RESOURCES

 

Interviews

Last name of person interviewed, First name.  Position/relation of person.  Personal interview.  Date of interview.

Mason, Robert.  President, Commercial Bank.  Personal interview. 26 Jan. 1999.

 

Musical compositions

Last name of composer, First name.  Title of piece, form, number, or key.

Berlioz, Hector.  Symphonie fantastique, op. 14.

 

Paintings, sculptures or photographs

Last name of artist, First name.  Title of Work of Art.  Year work was created.  Owner of work, place of owner.

Evans, Walker.  Penny Picture Display. 1936. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

 

Comic strips

Last name of cartoonist, First name.  "Title of Comic Strip." Comic strip.  Title of Newpaper/Magazine [Place of publication]
       Date of publication: page/s.

Trudeau, Garry. “Doonesbury.”  Comic strip.  Star-Ledger [Newark] 4 May 2002: 26.

updated 10/9/07
Mount Si High School
Snoqualmie WA