The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is one of the major formatting styles used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities. When writing a research paper, it is important to properly cite sources using the MLA format. This includes both in-text citations within the body of the paper, as well as a full bibliography listing all sources at the end.
The MLA format bibliography, or Works Cited list as it is sometimes called, provides publishers with important bibliographic information so readers can easily locate and retrieve any source cited within a paper. Every source referenced in the main text must appear in alphabetical order by author’s last name on the Works Cited page. This guide will outline the proper formatting for the most common types of sources that students will encounter when writing a research paper in MLA style.
Books
For a book with a single author, list the author’s last name, first name, book title in italics, place of publication, publisher, and year of publication.
Smith, John. The History of Science Fiction. New York, Penguin Books, 2021.
For a book with two authors, list both last names and first initials, separated by an ampersand:
Johnson, David J., and Mark Z. Smith. The Evolution of Space Travel. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2019.
For a book with three or more authors, list only the first author, followed by “et al.”:
Bernstein, Sara E., et al. Women in Political Theory. Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 2017.
If citing a specific chapter or essay from an edited book, include the chapter/essay title in “quotation marks”, the book editor(s), title in italics, place, publisher, year:
Knight, Sarah. “Feminist Political Theory.” Edited by Joanne B. Smith, Theories of Modern Feminism. New York, Routledge, 2020, pp. 50-75.
Magazine and Newspaper Articles
For magazines and newspapers, list the author(s), article title in “quotation marks”, periodical title in italics, date published, and page numbers:
Jones, Linda. “Predictions for the Future of Space Technology.” Scientific American, 1 Sept. 2021, pp. 24-30.
Smith, Mark. “Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact.” New York Times, 12 Aug. 2021, pp. A1, A12.
Journal Articles
For scholarly journal articles, follow a similar pattern as magazine articles but include the volume and issue numbers as well:
Greene, Amanda. “Using AI to Improve Educational Outcomes.” Journal of Educational Technology Vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 15-25.
Williams, Sarah. “Social Media and Body Image Issues in Teen Girls.” Pediatrics Vol. 145, no. 5, 2020, e20200503.
Websites
For online sources, include author name(s) if available, page title in “quotation marks” if applicable, website name in italics, publication/sponsoring organization if relevant, date published/updated, and URL:
“Modern Language Association (MLA) – What is MLA Style?” Purdue OWL, 20 Oct. 2021, owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Nov. 2021, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Government Documents
For government documents, include authoring government agency, title of document in italics, publication/report details, year:
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report for 2021. Washington: GPO, 2022.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fighting the Opioid Epidemic. Washington: GPO, 2021.
Works of Literature
For classic works of literature, include the author’s name, work title in italics, place of publication, publisher, year:
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York, Dover Publications, 1994.
The key components for any MLA bibliography entry are author, title, publisher/source, and date. All sources should be cited in a consistent format, in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. Properly citing sources and including a Works Cited page is crucial for avoiding plagiarism and giving credit where credit is due in academic research. Careful attention to MLA style guidelines ensures accuracy and ease of locating sources used.