MLA Style
MLA Source Citation Reference Sheet
Source citations appear in a Works Cited list at the end of your paper. A source citation gives your reader all the information she or he needs to find the information.
books
Book by a single author
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Quinn, Susan. Marie Curie: A Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Two or more books by the same author
Two or more books by the same author are listed together. The author�s name appears in the first entry only. Three hyphens followed by a period take the place of the author�s name for his or her other books. List books alphabetically by title.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
---. Title of book. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Green, Miranda. Images and Symbols in Celtic Religious Art. New York and London: Routledge, 1989.
---. Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1992.
Book by two or more authors
The names of the authors appear in the order in which they appear on the book�s title page. Only the first author�s name is reversed.
First author�s last name, First author�s first name, and Second author�s first name and Last name. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Bradlee, Benjamin C., and John F. Kennedy. Conversations with Kennedy. New York: Norton, 1975.
Book with no author
Title. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
1,000 Makers of the Millennium. New York: DK, 1999.
A book with an editor
The author and book title come first, then the abbreviation Ed. and the editor�s name.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Book Title. Ed. Editor�s name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick. Ed. Harrison Havford, Hershel Parker, and B. Thomas Tanselle. New York: Penguin, 2001.
Book in a series
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Book Title. Series name and number. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Note: If there is more than one author, the names of the authors appear in the order in which they appear on the book�s title page. Only the first author�s name is reversed.
Macleod, Jenny. Gallipoli: Making History. Cass Series: Military History and Policy 16. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Article in a reference book (encyclopedia or dictionary)
It isn�t necessary to include the name of the editor of the reference book.
�Article Title.� Reference Book Title. Edition number. year published.
�Obeisance.� The Pocket Webster School & Office Dictionary. 1st ed. 1990.
Book with association as author
(An association, committee, or commission, such as the American Medical Association, can author a book.)
When citing an association name, omit any initial article like A, An, or The.
If there�s an editor, the name goes after the book title.
Association name. Book title. Ed. first and last name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
American
Medical Association. The American Medical Association Family
Health Guide. Hoboken: John Wiley, 2004.
Work in an anthology
Add the following to the basic book entry:
� author, title and, if relevant, translator of the part of the book being cited
� name of editor or translator of the book being cited
� page numbers of the cited piece
If you are citing an essay, short story, or poem, the title of the piece is set in quotation marks; if it was published independently, such as a novel or play, the title is underlined. In the case of this example, the title is an _________.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Title of Piece.� Trans. first and last name. Title of Anthology. Ed. first and last name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication. Page numbers of cited piece.
Didion, Joan. �History Lesson.� The Best American Travel Writing. Ed. Pico Iyer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 49�51.
Translation
If a translation has an editor as well as a translator, the editor is cited after the translator.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Title. Trans. first and last name. Ed. first and last name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Mehmedinović, Semezdin. Sarajevo Blues. Trans. Ammiel Alcalay. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1998.
Multivolume work
If you use two or more volumes of a multivolume work, cite the total number of volumes (for example: 3 vols.). Use parenthetical source citations for specific references to the volume and page numbers of your source.
If there is an author and an editor, the author�s name is cited first and the editor�s name comes after the title. If there is only an editor, cite that name first.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Title. Number of vols. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Bloom, Harold. Women Writers of English and Their Works. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997.
Preface, Introduction, Foreword, or an Afterword
Begin with the author of the part being cited (Preface, Introduction, Foreword, or Afterword) followed by the part being cited. If the writer of the piece is different from the author of the complete work, cite the author of the work after the title, giving the full name preceded by the word By. If the writer of the piece is also the author of the complete work, use only the last name after By.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Name of part being cited (such as Foreword). Title. By Author�s first name and last name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication. Page numbers of cited piece.
Wilson, Mary Louise. Foreword. D.V. by Diana Vreeland. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1997. xi�xiii.
PERIODICALS
Newspaper article
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Article Title.� Newspaper Name day Month year, edition: page number or numbers.
McLaughlin, Moira E. �For Safety�s Sake.� Washington Post 10 Oct. 2007, late ed.: C14.
Magazine article
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Article Title.� Magazine Name day Month year: page numbers. (Note: Do not give volume or issue numbers even if they are listed.)
Lemonick, Michael D. �Souped-Up Telescope.� Time 8 Oct. 2007: 66.
Scholarly journal article with continuous pagination
Inclusive page numbers include the complete article not just the pages you used. If the article isn�t printed on consecutive pages, write the first page and a plus sign, for example, 8+.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Title.� Journal Title volume number (year of publication): inclusive page numbers.
Moye, J. Todd. �The Tuskeegee Airmen Oral History Project and Oral History in the National Park Service.� The Journal of American History 89 (2002): 580�587.
Scholarly journal article that pages each issue separately
If a scholarly journal begins each volume with page 1, you must add the issue number after the volume number with a period between them, for example, 10.5.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Title.� Journal Title volume number.issue number (year of publication): inclusive page numbers.
Ellis, Joseph J. �The Duel.� Reviews in American History 27.1 (1999): 41.
Review
The abbreviation Rev. of appears before the title of the review.
If the review is for a performance, add information about the production, such as theater company and where it was performed.
Reviewer�s last name, Reviewer�s first name. Rev. of Title, by Author�s first and last name. Periodical name volume number or day Month year of periodical publication: inclusive pages.
Watts, Sarah Lyon. Rev. of Rough Rider in the White House: Theodore Roosevelt and the Politics of Desire by Serge Ricard. Journal of Military History 69.2 (2005): 536�537.
Editorial
If the editorial is signed, begin with the author; if not, start with the title. The word Editorial appears after the title.
Editorial from Periodical
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Title.� Editorial. Periodical name day Month year of periodical publication or volume number.issue number: inclusive pages.
Thistlewood, David. �The Case for Fine Art as a Protected Subject in Higher Education.� Editorial. Journal of Art and Design Education 6.1 (1987): 3�7.
Editorial from Newspaper
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Title.� Editorial. Periodical name day Month year of� publication, edition: page number or numbers.
�How Not to Adapt to the Internet.� Editorial. Los Angeles Times 11 Dec. 2007, late ed.: A24.
Letter to the editor
Add the word Letter after the author�s name.
From a periodical:
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Letter. Periodical Name day Month year of periodical publication: inclusive pages.
Larison, Daniel. Letter. Current History. Feb. 2003: 96�97.
From a scholarly journal
with continuous pagination:
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Letter. Journal Title volume number (year of publication): inclusive page numbers.
Williams, Paul D. Letter. International Affairs. 82 (2006): 785�786.
Government publication
From the Congressional
Record:
Cong. Rec. day month year: page numbers.
Cong. Rec. 31 July 1996: 104�193.
Other government documents:
Author, if known; otherwise: Name of government. Name of agency. Title. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
Alaska. Dept. of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish. Sport Fishing in Alaska Sport Fishing Guide. Juneau: Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, 2004.
OTHER SOURCES
TV or radio program
�Episode Title.� Program Title. Title of the Series. (Note: If there are several remakes of a program, the names of performers, writers, directors, or producers can be included between the title and distributor to distinguish the versions from each other.) Network Name. Call letters, City of the local station. Broadcast day Month year.
�New Artifacts Brought up from Pirate Shipwreck.� All Things Considered. NPR. WCAI, Woods Hole. 8 Aug. 2007.
Digital video disc (DVD) recording
Film Title. Dir. first and last name. (Note: If there are several remakes of a program, the names of performers, writers, or producers can be included between the title and distributor to distinguish the versions from each other.) DVD. Distributor, year released.
To the Moon. Dir. Kirk Wolfinger. DVD. NOVA Production by Lone Wolf Pictures. WGBH Education Foundation, 2000.
Videocassette (VHS) recording
Film Title. Dir. first and last name. (Note: If there are several remakes of a program, the names of performers, writers, or producers can be included between the title and distributor to distinguish the versions from each other.) VHS. Distributor, year released.
D-Day. Dir. Charles Guggenheim. VHS. PBS Video, 1994.
Work of art (painting, sculpture, or photograph)
Artist�s last name, Artist�s first name. Title of Artwork. Name of museum or private collection that owns the artwork, City where museum or private collection is located.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Irises. Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
Sound recording
Last name, First name of composer, conductor, performer, or group of performers. Title. (Note: If other than CD, such as audiocassette, LP, and so on, list here.) Manufacturer, year of issue.
O�Dette, Paul. John Dowland Complete Lute Works, Vol 1. Harmonia Mundi, 1995.
Film or film clip
Film title.
Dir. first and last name. Distributor,
year of release. (Note: Names of
performers, writers, and producers can be included between the title and
distributor if there are several versions of a movie.)
Merry Melodies: Falling Hare. Dir. Robert Clampett. Warner Bros and Vitaphone Corporation, 1943.
Interview done by the researcher
Last name, First name of person interviewed. Personal, Telephone, E-mail interview. day Month year of interview.
Springsteen, Bruce. Personal interview. 3 Dec. 2007.
Interview broadcast on TV or radio
Last name, First name of person interviewed. Name of interviewer. Title of Show. Name of the network. Call letters of local station, City of local station. day Month year of interview.
Ward, Jim. Interview with David Boeri. Radio Boston. Natl. Public Radio. WBUR, Boston. 18 Oct. 2007.
Interview published or recorded
Last name, First name of person interviewed. Interview with Name of interviewer. �Title of Interview.� Title of Publication. day Month year of interview. pages if necessary.
Thomas, Clarence. Interview with Juan Williams. �This Is Not About Us.� Time. Oct. 2007. 15�17.
Performance
The title of the piece usually begins an entry for a performance. It�s followed by important information such as director, performers etc. each separated by a period. It ends with the site of the performance, usually the theater and city, and the date of the performance.
Title. Dir. first and last name. Performer(s). Theater, City. day Month year.
Monty Python�s Spamalot. Dir. Mike Nichols. Perf. Jonathon Hadary, Marin Mazzie, Lewis Cleale, Rick Holmes, David Hibbard, Martin Moran, Tom Deckman, Jeffrey Kuhn, Brad Bradley, Thomas Cannizzaro, Callie Carter, Kevin Covert, Mathew Crowle, Jennifer Frankel, Jenny Hill, Anthony Holds, Emily Hsu, Beth Johnson, Brian J. Marcum, Abby O�Brien, Ariel Reed, Pamela Reed, Greg Reuter. Shubert Theater, New York. 3 Dec. 2007.
Comic strip
Artist�s last name, Artist�s first name. �Strip Title.� (If a single cartoon, just use the word Cartoon.) Periodical name day Month year of periodical publication: page(s).
Barsotti, C. Cartoon. New Yorker 3 Dec. 2007: 51.
Advertisement
State the name of the product, company, or institution that is the subject of the advertisement. It�s followed by the descriptive Advertisement.
Product, company, or institution. Advertisement. Periodical title. Month year of publication: page(s).
Chevrolet. Advertisement. Blueprint. Sept/Oct 2007: 69.
Note: Publication information is based on where the advertisement appears. In this case, it�s a periodical, but it could be a TV ad.
Letters
There are 3 general categories for letters:
� Published letters
� Unpublished letters in archives
� Letters received by the researcher
Published letter
The title names the recipient and begins with the word To.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �To Title.� day Month year of letter. Book Title. Ed. first and last name. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication. Page numbers of cited piece.
Hanff, Helene. �To Frank Doel.� 5 Oct. 1949. 84, Charing Cross Road. Ed. Helene Hanff. New York, Penguine Books, 1970. 1.
Unpublished letter in
archive
Instead of title, indicate who received the letter, starting with Letter to. Do not place in quotes.
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. Letter to _____. Date month year of letter. Short description of letters. Name of library, college or research institution where letters are stored, and the location.
Brooks, Margaret. Letter to Eleanor Brooks and Charles Franklin Brooks. 11 January 1940. Letter mentions Margaret�s engagement to Philip Weber Morse. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Personal letter
Last name of recipient, first name of recipient. Short description. day Month year letter received.
Whitacre, Andrew. Letter to congratulate on new job. 26 Nov. 2006.
Work in a CD-ROM, diskette or magnetic tape
Author�s last name, Author�s first name (if known). Title. Medium. Editors if known. City of publication: Publisher�s name, year of publication.
NetLibrary, Inc. Backpacking Safety Tips: A Guide to Enjoying Any Trip Safely. CD-ROM. Chichester: Summersdale, 2006.
ONLINE SOURCES
Citing online sources has the same goal as citing print sources: to give the reader enough information to find the source.
Document within a Web site
Author�s last name, Author�s first name (if known). �Document Title.� Title of Web site. Date of publication (or last update). Name of Sponsoring Institution. day Month year of access <URL>.
�Universal Declaration of Human Rights.� UN Briefing Papers/Human Rights Today. 2001. United Nations. 18 Oct. 2008 <www.un.org/rights/HRToday/>.
Personal Web page
Last name,
First name of person who created site. Title of the Web site or the words Home
page. day Month year of last update (if given).
day Month year you accessed the site <URL>.
Wood, Lloyd. Lloyd�s Satellite Constellations. 22 Oct. 2005. 23 Oct. 2008 <http://personal.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/constellations/>.
Online newspaper or newswire article
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Article Title.� Newspaper or Newswire Name day Month year. day Month year of access <URL>.
Johnston,
Cynthia, �Tutankhamun�s Face Goes on Public Display in Tomb.� Reuters 4 Nov. 2007. 5 Nov. 2008
<http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL0435787420071104>.
Online magazine
article
Author�s last name, Author�s first name. �Article Title.� Periodical Name Month year. day Month year of access <URL>.
Dickerman, Sara. �Twisted Desire: An Eater�s Guide to Pretzels.� Slate Oct. 2007. 18 Oct. 2008 <http://www.slate.com/id/2175228/fr/flyout>.
E-mail communication
Writer�s last name, Writer�s first name. �Title of message, if any, taken from subject line.� E-mail to First name Last name of recipient. day Month year of message.
Hughes, Ruth. �19th century comic Valentines available online.� E-mail to EXLIBRIS-L Listserv. 31 Jan. 2008.
Podcast
�Title or description of podcast.� Date of podcast. �Title of Podcast Show.� Title of Larger Site (if it applies) date Month year of download <URL>.
�The Birth of the Frito.� 18 Oct. 2007. �Hidden Kitchens.� NPR Morning Edition 30 Oct. 2008 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15377830>.
Wikipedia entry
�Entry title.� Wikipedia. day Month year information retrieved <URL>.
�Rosie the Riveter.� Wikipedia. 19 Oct. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter>.
Part of an online book
Place the title of the part between the author�s name and book title. The title is in quotes if the part is a poem or essay. Do not underline or place it in quotes if the part is a division of a book, like a preface or introduction. The URL should refer to the part of the book, not the whole book site.
Author last name, Author first name. �Part.� Title. day Month year of access <URL>.
Beeton,
Isabella. �The Rearing, Management and Diseases of Infancy
and Childhood.� The Book of
Household Management. 3 Dec. 2008
<http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/beeton/isabella/household/chapter42.html>.