Skip to Main Content

Citation: MLA Style 9th ed.

Formatting Rules for the Works Cited Page

Formatting Rules for the Works Cited Page

  • The words Works Cited should be centered at the top of the page
  • Double space all citations
  • 12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri are the preferred fonts
  • All citations should have a hanging indent
    • this means that each line after the first line of your citation should be indented by .5 inches. (see a sample at the link below)
  • List citations in alphabetical order by the first word of each citation

Core Elements of MLA 9 : Citation Building Basics

Citation Core Elements

(1) Identify elements in your source

(2) Build a citation in the order below.

     Use the punctuation mark listed for each element. If it is the final element, it should end with a period.

(3) Leave out any elements that are not relevant to the work being cited.

 

Elements Explanations Examples
1. Author. Authors (s) of the source. If more than two authors use et al. Don’t use organization as author IF they are also the publisher.

United States, Department of Labor.

Jones, George.

Jones, George, and Harriet Feder.

White, Karen, et al.
2.Title of Source. Prominent name on item. (Web page, article, book chapter, book, video, etc.)  Place title in quotes if part of larger work (journal article or book chapter) or italics otherwise (book).

“Homeschooling Comes of Age.”

The Fault in our Stars.
3.Title of Container, Title of any periodical (journal, magazine, or newspaper), database, website, book, etc. that contains your source. Usually in italics. Time Magazine,
4.Other contributors, Other people credited on the item. Precede each name with a description of their role.

edited by George Siegel,

uploaded by Mary Carter,

illustrated by Eric Carle,
5.Version, If the version is other than the original. (e.g. book edition)

8th ed.,

Updated ed.,
6.Number, Volume and number of a periodical or a book. (if available) vol. 42, no.3,
7.Publisher, Full name of publisher of website or book, if applicable. Do not include city on a book. Leave out Co.

St. Martin’s Press,

National Library of Medicine,
8.Publication date, Publication date of source (book copyright date, periodical issue date, Web page updated date, etc.)

23 Feb. 2016,

2016,

spring 2016,
9.Location. Page numbers of print sources. For electronic sources a DOI* if available or a web site address (URL).  For websites don’t put http:// but do use www

pp.27-35.

doi: 10.1007/s11013-013-9347-6.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuOyjbW_18wbe.

*A DOI  is a digital object identifier. Online journal articles are often given a DOI, consisting of a series of digits and

letters. The DOI should always be used if there is one, instead of the URL-see the example in the location core element.

 

Order of Core Elements:

Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

Print Source Citation Examples in MLA 9

Printed Book Format:

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title (in italics). Publisher, Publication Year.

For books with three or more authors cite the first author’s last name, then first name and follow it with a comma and et al.

Examples:

Book by One Author

Heos, Bridget. Vampires in Literature. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2012.

Book by Two Authors

Lyons, Tony, and Kim Stagliano. 101 Tips for the Parents of Girls with Autism. Skyhorse Publishing, 2015.

Book by Three or More Authors

Ginsberg, Benjamin, et al. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics. 9th Georgia Essentials Ed., W.W. Norton, 2013.

Literature in a Collection e.g. Short Story, Poem, etc. with Authors of Each Section/Chapter of the Book plus an Editor (include page numbers of the work or chapter) 

O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”  The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays,  Portable 11th ed.,

W. W. Norton, 2014, pp. 404-418.

Dictionary Entry-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary in Italics, edited by Editor's First Name, Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, Publisher Name, Year of

             Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

Example:

"Diversity." Concise Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2014, p.262.

Academic (Peer-Reviewed) Journal Article Citation Format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Journal Title (in italics), vol.#, no. #, Day Month Year, pp.xx-xx.

If the journal issue is numbered, insert the abbreviated labels for volume: vol. and number: no. with the numbers listed.

Examples:

Caponi, Vincenzo,  and Miana Plesca.  "Empirical Characteristics of Legal And Illegal Immigrants in the USA." Journal of Population

 Economics,  Oct. 2014, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 923-960.

Three or More Authors:

Karwowksi, Mateusz P., et al. "Zika Virus Disease: A CDC Update for Pediatric Health Care Providers." Pediatrics, vol. 137, no.5,

May 2016, pp.1-13.

Examples of Electronic Source Citations

Article Citation in an Academic (Peer-Reviewed) Journal, Periodical, or Newspaper in Galileo:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of Journal or Periodical or Newspaper in italics, vol.#, no. x, Day Month Year,

 pp.xx-xx. Name of Database in italics, DOI* or URL (Permalink*, if available).

  • The location of an online work is typically indicated by a URL or DOI. You should always use the DOI* if it is included with the article.
  • If there is no DOI for a journal article, include the permalink*.
  • If there is no permalink given use whatever URL is present.
  • If the publication date includes a season, do not capitalize it. Example: fall 2021
  • If the journal issue is numbered, insert the abbreviated labels for volume: vol. and number: no. with the numbers listed.
  • When you use the URL, copy it in full but omit http:// or https://. Do include www if that is part of the URL.
  • When an article has 3 or more authors, reverse the first of the names, last name, first name, and follow it with a comma and et al.     e.g.  Brown, Charles, et al.   See the example below for a full citation.

*What's a DOI?   A DOI is a digital object identifier. Online academic journal articles are often give a DOI, consisting of a series of digits and  numbers. 

*What's a permalink?  *Permalinks (permanent URLs) are often found for articles in databases. The permalink is a shortened, stable version of a URL and can usually be found in the list of tools to the right of an article when it is pulled up.

Examples:

Article with No DOI:

Flora, Joseph M.  "Desire, Faith, and Flannery O'Connor." Mississippi Quarterly, vol. 67, no.2, spring 2014, pp. 327-333. 

            Academic Search Complete, eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=d139efe4-90b5-413a-862c-a20e46538cf8%-.

           40sessionmgr4010&vid=21&hid=4108&bdata=#AN=114322313&db=a9h.

Article with a DOI and 3 or More Authors:

Becker, Nir, et al. "Consumers’ Preferences Toward Organic Tomatoes: A Combined Two-Phase Revealed-Stated Approach."

         Journal Of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, vol. 28, no.1 , Jan. 2016, pp. 1-17. Academic Search Complete,

         doi:10.1080/08974438.2014.940.

Newspaper Article in a Daily Newspaper with no Page Numbers or DOI, but Permalink is included:

Laufer, Peter. "Five Myths about Organic Food." The Washington Post,  20 Jun. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

       proxygsu-cht2.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

       direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.372137072&site=eds-live&scope=site

Tips for citing a Webpage:

  • Include an author, if available.
  • Include the article name, often the website page, in quotation marks.
  •  A website or another work may be "created by a corporate author-an institution, an association, a government agency, or another kind or organization.
  • When an entry starts with the government agency as the author, begin the entry with the name of the government, followed by a comma and the name of the agency." (MLA Handbook 104)
  • The publisher's name..and publishing date... can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site." (MLA Handbook 41)
  • If the publisher's name is the same as the website name, only list it once.
  • Remember to omit the http:// when listing the website.
  • Including the date of access is now Optional: Since online works at websites do change, the date of access may be important to include. "The date of access is especially crucial if the source provides no date of publication."(MLA Handbook 53) Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access.

Webpage Citation Format:

Author Last Name, First Name (if different from organization/company responsible for the site). "Title of the Article/Web Page."

Website Name in Italics, Publisher (Name of Organization or Company Responsible for Website), Day Month Year of

Publication or Last Update, URL.

With date website was accessed:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Web Page." Website Name in Italics, Publisher, Day Month Year of Pubication or Last Update, URL.

       Accessed Day Month Year.

Examples:

Website with a Publisher

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Zika Virus Disease." Mayo Clinic,  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Aug. 2016,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/zika-virus/home/ovc-20189269. 

Online Government Website with Different Author and Website Name  Example: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers." Occupational Outlook Handbook, 

30 Jan. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm. Accessed 19 March 2018.

Government Agency Website with the Same Publisher, Author, and Website Name

"Safe and Drug-Free Schools." Georgia Department of Education,  2015,   www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-   

         Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Safe-and-Drug-Free-Schools.aspx.

Government Agency with Different Website and Publisher

"Total Water Use." U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2 May 2016, water.usgs.gov/watuse/wuto.html.

Tips for citing an Article in a Library Database:

  • Include an author, if available.
  • Include the article name in quotation marks.
  • Next comes the title of the database in italics.
  • Then the publisher's name..and publishing date... can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the page.
  • The URL. Remember to omit the http://
  • Including the date of access is now optional: If the online information in the database gets updated and will cahnge over time, the date of access may be important to include.  Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access.

Database Article Citation Format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of the Database in Italics, Publisher's Name, Publication Date, URL, Date of Access.

Example:

Colgan, Alex. ""Austria: Country Snapshot." Global Road Warrior, World Trade Press, 2017,

www.globalroadwarrior.com/#mode=country&regionId=8&uri=country-content&nid=65&key=snapshot-overview, 13 July 2017.

The general format for citing online videos:

"Title of video." YouTube, uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

If the author of the video is not the same as the person who uploaded the video:

Author last name, First Name. "Title of video." YouTube, uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Example of citation with different author and uploader:

Beyoncé. "Sorry." YouTube, uploaded by BeyFan123, 17 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Example of citation with no known author or same author and uploader:

"Day in the Life." YouTube, uploaded by janedoe, 19 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Your in-text citation will depend on whether you have the author's last name. Basically, you will want to cite in-text whatever appears first in the citation on your Works Cited page. If you are referencing a specific part of the video, MLA format also requires that you specify the time in the video when that part begins.

In-text citation with author:

(Last name, 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

In-text citation with no author or same author and uploader:

("Title of video," 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

Note that the title of the entry is the prompt used for the AI search.

The in-text citation would be ("Describe the symbolism").

 

For more information, visit "How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?" found on the MLA Style Center website.

 

Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia Article from a Library Database-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Italics, Publication or Update Date,  Database Name in Italics, URL.

Example:

"Charles Dickens." Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Jan. 2018, Britannica Academic, academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Charles-

            Dickens/1083.

Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia Article from a Website-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary or Encyclopedia in Italics, Publication or Update Date, Website Name in Italics, URL. Accessed Day Month Year (access date is optional).

Example:

"Diversity." Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 10 July 2018, Merriam Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity.  

 

 

EBook from a Database Citation Format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book in Italics. Publisher, Year. Name of Database in Italics,  URL-Permalink.

Remember that when you include a URL you do not include the http://

Examples:

One author:

Figone, Albert J. Cheating the Spread : Gamblers, Point Shavers, and Game Fixers in College Football and Basketball . University of

Illinois Press, 2012. ProQuest ebrary,  site.ebrary.com/lib/chattcollege/detail.action?docID=10634379.

Two authors:

Novik, Eric, and Timothy J. Maguire. Methods In Bioengineering : Alternatives To Animal Testing. Artech House, Inc, 2010. eBook

Collection (EBSCOhost), proxygsu-cht2.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

 direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=339510.

Chapter in an EBook:

Phillips, Morrigan. “The Long Memory.”  Octavia's Brood : Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, edited

by Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown, AK Press, 2015, pp.  46-61. ProQuest ebrary,

site.ebrary.com/lib/chattcollege/reader.action?docID=11199626&ppg=12.

One Page in an EBook that is not the First Edition:

Kawasaki, Guy. The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything. 2nd ed., Penguin, 2015, p.16.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip, shib&db=nlebk&AN=400668&custid=cht2.

 

For a Film or Movie that you are Dealing with as a Whole:

Film Title. Directed by [First Name Last Name], performances by [name featured actors], Film Studio,  release year.

     Example:

Pride & Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, performances by Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen, Focus Features, 2005.

When you Watch/Use a Movie from any Streaming Service, including Netflix, Google Play, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.: 

Film Title. Directed by [First name Last name], performances by [name featured actors], Film Studio,  release year. Streaming Service Name, URL.

     Example:

Beauty and the Beast. Directed by Bill Condon, performances by Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, and Josh Gad, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2017. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/798356483?

To feature a particular performance of an actor or direction by a director, begin the citation with their name, followed by the appropriate title for that person.

     Examples:

Kurosawa, Akira, director. Seven Samurai. Performances by Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Keiko Tsushima, Toho Company, 1956.

Craig, Daniel, actor. Knives Out. Directed by Rian Johnson, Lionsgate, 2019.

Online Image Citation (For a Photograph, Painting, or Sculpture) :

Creator's Name. Work of Art in Italics. Date of Creation. The Institution, City where the work is housed. Website or Database in Italics,

       URL.  Date of Access.

*Remember: do not include the http:// with the URL

Example:

Painting

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive,

www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed 7 Sept. 2016.

 

If a work is found only on the web, then provide the name of the artist if available, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website or database.

Example:

Photograph found in a Database with no Author

"Honeysuckle Flowers Open." Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopedia Britannica,  25 May 2016, 

 quest.eb.com/search/132_1333315/1/132_1333315/cite .

Photograph found on a Website with no Author

"Jamaican National Bird-The Doctor Bird." Jamaica Foundation of Houston, www.jamaicafoundationofhouston.org/national-bird/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

 

 

 

Recorded Television Episode:

“Episode Name.” Series Name, written by [First Name Last Name], directed by [First Name Last Name], Distributor Name, year.

     Example:

"Encounter at Farpoint." Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season, written by D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry, directed by                     Corey Allen, Paramount, 2016.

Broadcast TV or Radio Program

Begin with the title of the episode in quotation marks. Provide the name of the series or program in italics. Also include the network name, call letters of the station, followed by the city and date of broadcast:

“Episode.” Series/Program Name. Network, Station Call Letters, City, broadcast date.

        Examples:

“The Rising Sea.” Georgia Outdoors. PBS, GPB, Atlanta, 26 June 2019.

“Succession.” The Windsors. CNN, Atlanta, 9 Jan. 2020.

Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, Amazon Prime, etc. (Video streaming Services)

Generally, when citing a specific episode use the Broadcast TV template and add the Streaming Service Name (italicized), URL:

“Top Banana.” Arrested Development, season 1, episode 2, Fox, 6 June 2004. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70152031.

An Entire TV Series or Season of a TV Series

When citing the entire series of a TV show or a season of a TV show, use the following format:

[Creator’s Last name, First], creator. Title. Production Company, year.

       Example:

Roddenberry, Gene, creator. Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season. Paramount, 2016.

A Specific Performance or Aspect of a TV Show

To emphasize a performance by a specific character in a particular episode:

"Encounter at Farpoint." Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season, written by D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry,

             performance by Patrick Stewart, directed by Corey Allen, Paramount, 2016.

Performance of a particular character through an entire series:

Stewart, Patrick, performer. Star Trek: The Next Generation. Paramount, 1987-1994.

Electronic Source Citation Tips

From the OWL at Purdue:

  • "Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources.
  • Since web addresses change often MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as YouTube, a GALILEO database, etc. in order to easily access and verify sources.
  • MLA only requires the www. address so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs."
  • Including the date of access is now Optional: Since online works at websites do change, the date of access may be important to include for websites. "The date of access is especially crucial if the source provides no date of publication."(MLA Handbook 53) Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access.
  • A date of access is usually not needed for a journal article, or online article from a database, unless the information from a particular source is likely to change over time.

Personal Interview Citation in MLA 9

Personal interviews refer to those interviews that you conduct yourself. List the interview by the name of the interviewee (the person you have interviewed). Include the descriptor Personal interview and the date of the interview.

Format:

Last name, First Name of Person Interviewed. Personal interview. Day Month Year.

Example:

McDuff, James. Personal interview. 19 March 2017.