The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a style guide typically used in the humanities. MLA citations give credit to the original content and help authors avoid plagiarism. In-text citations indicate where source material begins and ends. A works cited page offers a full citation of the source for readers to reference. This handout uses the MLA handbook (9th edition) to explain these concepts. However, writers should customize their own work according to their audience and assignment guidelines.
In-text citations refer readers to sources and must be used for direct quotes, summaries, and paraphrases. There are two kinds of In-text citation: parenthetical and in prose. Parenthetical puts the author’s last name and the page number at the end of the sentence (e.g., (Jones 23)). A citation in prose names the author in the sentence itself (e.g., According to Jones,). When available, include the page number(s) for both styles.
Example: “. . .” (Tolkien 81).
Example: According to Tolkien, “. . .” (81).
In-Text Citation Examples
| Citation In Prose | Parenthetical citation | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Authors (6.5) | Dorris and Erdrich argue that . . . (23). | (Dorris and Erdrich 23). | Use the same order of names as the source. |
| Three or More Authors (6.5) | Burdick and others analyze | (Burdick et al. 42). | et al. is Latin for “and others” |
| Organization as Author (6.6) | The National Academy found . . . (114). | (National Academy 114). | Capitalize the organization's name. No additional formatting is required. |
| Same Author, Multiple Works (6.8) | In her book Jazz, Morrison says, “. . .” (76). | (Morrison, Jazz 76). | Add a comma after the author’s name(s), and then add the title. |
| Authors with Same Last Name (6.7) | J. Rogers opens with, “. . .” (654). | (J. Rogers 654). (Jack Rogers 654). |
Include the author’s first initial. If the initial is the same, include the entire first name. |
| Multiple Sources in One Sentence | Avoid in prose in this case since it could look like multiple authors for one text. | (Burdick et al. 42; Rogers 7). | Separate each source with a semicolon. |
| A Quote within a Quote (6.50) | Davidson uses Bennet’s theory to support his argument, “. . .” (129). | “. . . ‘. . .’ . . .” (qtd. in Davidson 129). Use single quotation marks when quotation marks appear in the source. | Whenever possible, use material from the original and not a secondhand source. |
| Quoting Poetry (6.22, 6.37) | The last lines of Williams poem are, “so sweet / and so cold” | The lines read, “so sweet / and so cold” (Williams lines 11-12). | A slash indicates a line break. Stanza breaks, use two slashes (//). |
The works cited page is a separate page included at the end of the paper. It lists a full citation for every source used, so readers may investigate them for further reading. Each citation is made up of core elements.
Core elements are used to create each citation. If a core element does not apply to the source being cited, omit it—unless it is the title, in which case you will provide a brief description of the source.
List multiple authors in the same order they are published in. If they are a different type of creator (editor, director, actor, etc.), specify after a comma. Sometimes, a work is authored by an organization.
To cite the same author for different works in a works cited page, substitute three hyphens or an em dash.
The title of the source should be formatted in italics for independent works and “quotation marks” for smaller works inside larger works. Capitalize every word except for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
A container holds a smaller work. This could include a periodical, anthology, website, etc. Citations can include more than one container, such as a journal that contains an article and the database that contains the journal. The second container may include additional core element information. Some sources, like novels, are self-contained. Container titles are usually italicized.
Always list translators, editors of collected works, film directors, music conductors, and performing groups. Put this element after the title of source if it applies to just the source and not the entire container.
If a work is released in more than one form, then it can be identified using the version. Versions could include book editions, unabridged versions, director’s cuts, etc.
Number elements include volume, issue, episode, or seasons. Include the common abbreviation of the division type before the number.
Publishers are often companies or organizations. Publishers include book publishers, film studios/companies/distributors/networks, theater companies, and government agencies.
Publication dates include release, composition, revision, forthcoming, or access dates. For sources with multiple dates, cite the most recent. Use all information available: day, month, year, time stamp, and date range.
Locations include page number(s), DOIs, permalinks, URLs, or physical location (for artwork or performance). A DOI (digital object identifier) is a permanent link provided by the publisher.
Contributors, original publication dates, and generic sections of a source should be placed after the title of source. Other supplemental elements go at the end of the entry such as access date, medium of publication, medium of access, dissertations and theses, publication history, etc.
Tip: Punctuation in citations
Use a period after author, title of source, supplemental elements, and the last element of a citation. List everything else with a comma.
Where possible, avoid using citations that are missing several citation elements. Besides the examples below, in the case that the source is missing information because of the source type, simply omit those elements.
If the source has no author, start the entry with the title. Use a shortened version of the title for in-text citations. If the source is from a group or organization, use their name in place of a first and last name in standard font.
For untitled works provide a brief description of the source instead (without using quotation marks or italics).
If the page numbers are not given, leave that information out. Do not count unnumbered pages.
