MLA Quick Citation Guide

Purpose: provides a list of all of the sources you cited in your writing, so that others can find the same information.

Works Cited entries should include:

• Core Elements (facts common to most works)
  • Author
  • Title of Source
  • Title of Container (Journal, Anthology, Book, Website, etc.)
  • Contributor (Editors, Translators, etc.)
  • Version (Volume or Edition)
  • Number (Issue)
  • Publisher
  • Publication Date
  • Location (name of the database, DOI, URL, page range, etc.)

  Formatting the Works Cited:

  • Start on a new page.
  • Center the title (Works Cited). Do not bold, italicize, or underline.
  • Double-spaced.
  • Hanging indent (the first line of each entry lines up on the left; if the entry is longer than one line, additional lines are indented)
  • Alphabetical by the first word in the citation (usually author’s last name; if there is no author, this is usually the first word of the title).
  • Title and Subtitles:
    • Capitalize all words except for articles (the, a, an), prepositions (at, by, in, of, on, with), and conjunctions (and, or, but).
    • Italicize titles of full works (books, journals, websites, films, etc.)
    • Use quotation marks for titles of parts of works (articles, chapters, short stories, essays, poems, web pages, etc.).
    • Dates: abbreviate months to three letters.
      • Oct.
      • Last-name, First-name.
        • Smith, John.
        • Do not include the https:// portion of the link.
        • If a DOI is available, always use that rather than the URL.
        • Use the permalink (shortened, stable version of the URL) if the source has one. You can often find permalinks under “share” or “cite this” options.
        • Use a period (.) after:
          • Author.
          • Title of Source.
          • Page range.
          • URL.
          • Access date.
          • Title of Container (journal, anthology, book, website, etc.),
          • Contributor (Editors),
          • Version (Volume or Edition),
          • Number (Issue),
          • Publisher,
          • Publication Date,

          Works Cited Entries

          Journal Articles:

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Article: Subtitle of article.” Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, pp. Page Range. Name of Database, www.doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxxxx or URL.

          Magazine Articles:

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Day Month Year, pp. Page Range.

          Newspaper Articles:

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, edition, Day Month Year, p. Page #.

          Newspaper Articles (local or lesser-known publications):

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper [City, State], Day Month Year, p. Page #.

          Books by authors:

          Last-name, First-name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

          Books with unknown authors:

          Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

          Books with translators:

          Last-name, First-name. Title of Book. Translated by First-name Last-name, Publisher, Year.

          Books with editors:

          Last-name, First-name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

          Books with authors, translators, and editors:

          Last-name, First-name. Title of Book. Translated by First-name Last-name, edited by First-name Last-name, Publisher, Year.

          Editions of books (beyond first edition):

          Last-name, First-name. Title of Book. #th ed., Publisher, Year.

          Book chapters (from edited collections/books):

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Chapter/Essay/Short Story.” Title of Book, edited by First-name Last-name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page Range.

          Webpage/Article on a Website:

          Last-name, First-name. “Title of Webpage/Article.” Title of Website, Day Month Year, URL.