MLA referencing style

MLA Style
BY- SANJU SAH
St. Xavier’s college, Maitighar, Kathmandu
Department of Microbiology

MLA Format
MLA is a citation style developed by the Modern
Language Association to help researchers accurately
cite their sources when it’s time to write their final
paper. Primarily used when citing sources for
humanities papers, MLA 7 uses formatting guidelines
for citing virtually every type of resource, from an
article to a music score.

In-Text Citation
Parenthetical references
The list of Works Cited at the end of your paper tells your reader
what resources you used to write your paper. To avoid plagiarism
or taking credit for ideas that are not your own, you must also
indicate in the text of your paper precisely what is borrowed from
a source and where to locate that information in the source.
The in-text citation usually appears in parentheses and
corresponds directly to an entry in your list of Works Cited.
The author's last name and the page number are usually enough
to indicate the location in the source.

Citing a book in print
Book – A written work or composition that has been published – typically
printed on pages bound together.
Last, First M. Book. City: Publisher, Year Published. Medium.
Carley, Michael J. 1939: The Alliance That Never Was and the Coming of World
War II. Chicago: Dee, 1999. Print.
Book with One Author
Author’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available]. Italicize Title.
Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year. Print.
Example (5.5.2): -return to topKoenig, Gloria. Iconic LA: Stories of LA’s Most
Memorable Buildings. Glendale: Balcony, 2000. Print.

• Book with Two Or Three Authors
First author’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available], Second
author's First name and Last name, and Third author's First name and Last
name. Italicize Title. Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year. Print.
Example (5.5.4): -return to topLandau, Robert, and John Pashdag.
Outrageous L.A. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1984. Print.
• Book with More Than Three Authors
First author’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available], et al.
Italicize Title. Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year. Print.
Example (5.5.4): -return to topGebhard, David, et al. A Guide to Architecture
in San Francisco & Northern California. Santa Barbara: Peregrine, 1973. Print.

Citing a book found in a database
Note: Some ebooks may be available online through your library’s
databases.
Last, First M. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year Published. Database Name.
Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Lichter, S. Robert, and Stanley Rothman. Environmental Cancer-A
Political Disease?. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1999. eBook Collection.
Web. 1 Apr. 2013.

Book with Editor’s & No Author
Editor’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available], ed. Italicize Title.
Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year. Print.
Example (5.3.5 & 5.5.4): -return to topWeisser, Susan Ostrov, ed. Women and
Romance: A Reader. New York: New York UP, 2001. Print.
Book with Author & Editor
Author’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available]. “Title of Work in
Quotations.” Italicize Book Title. Ed. Editor’s First name Middle initial [if
available] and Last name. Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year.
Pages. Print.
Example (5.5.6): -return to topSheppard, Michael. “Assessment: From
Reflectivity to Process Knowledge.” Handbook for Practice Learning in
Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. Ed. Joyce Lishman.
London: Jessica Kingsley, 2007. 128-137. Print.

Book with Two Editor
Editor’s last name, First name and Middle initial [if available], Editor’s First
name Last name, eds [editors]. Title of Book. Publication Location:
Publishing Company, Year. Print.
Example (5.5.14): -return to topTownsend, Tony, and Richard Bates, eds.
Handbook of Teacher Education: Globalization, Standards and
Professionalism in Times of Change. Dordrecht: Springer, 2007. Print.

Reference Books
If the article or entry is signed, place the author's name first; if it is unsigned, give
the title first. For well-known reference works, it is not necessary to include full
publication information. Include only the title of the reference source, edition, and
date of publication.
Encyclopedia
"Title of Article or Entry." Title of Reference Work. Edition. Year. Format.
Example (5.5.7): -return to top- "Los Angeles." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica:
Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1998. Print.
Dictionary – signed
Author's last name, First name and Middle initial. "Title of Article or Entry." Title of
Reference Work. Editor's First name and Last name. Edition. Number of volumes in
set. Publication Location: Publishing Company, Year. Format.
Example (5.5.7): -return to topTurner, Thornton F. "Mission." A Dictionary of
Architecture and Building. Ed. Russell Sturgis. 1st ed. 3 Vols. New York: Macmillan,
1902. Print.

Cite a chapter in print
Chapter – A section of a book that is generally numbered or titled.
Last, First M. “Section Title.” Book/Anthology. Ed. First M. Last. City:
Publisher, Year Published. Page(s). Print.
Serviss, Garrett P. “A Trip of Terror.” A Columbus of Space. New York:
Appleton, 1911. 17-32. Print.
Note: Essays, shorts stories, and poems are put in quotes. Works
originally published independently such as plays and novels generally
are italicized.

Cite a chapter of a book that was found online
Last, First M. “Section Title.” Book/Anthology. Ed. First M. Last.
City: Publisher, Year Published. Page(s). Website Title. Web. Date Month Year
Accessed.
Serviss, Garrett P. “A Trip of Terror.” A Columbus of Space. New York:
Appleton, 1911. 17-32. Google Books. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.
• Note: Additional publication information can be found on the title page of
the e-book.
• Date accessed: The date that you accessed and read the content.
• Note: When citing sources reproduced online from their print versions, it is
not necessary to include online information such as the website publisher or
the date of electronic publication.

Citing an E-book
E-book – Written work or composition that has been digitized and is
readable through computers or e-readers (Kindles, iPads, nooks etc.).
*Note: Some E-books may be available for download through your
library.
*Note: MLA7 does not require the publisher’s state in an E-book
citation. If the edition, volume or series is not available, leave it out.
Last, First M. Book Title. Edition. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Series. Medium.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Mineola: Dover Publications, 2000. Kindle
Edition.

Journal – A periodical published by a special group or professional organization.
Often focused around a particular area of study or interest. Can be scholarly in
nature (featuring peer-reviewed articles), or popular (such as trade publications).
Citing a journal article found through a database*
• *Note: Online databases provide access to thousands of journal articles. It is
important to identify the database name when citing a journal article found
through a database.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Journal Title Series Volume.Issue (Year Published):
Page(s). Database Name. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Date accessed: This is the day that the article was found and read.
Manning, Paul. “YouTube, ‘Drug Videos’ and Drugs Education.” Drugs: Education,
Prevention & Policy 20.2 (2013): 120-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Apr.
2013.

Citing a journal article in print
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Journal Title Series Volume.Issue (Year
Published): Page-Page. Print.
Anand, Raktima, Akhilesh Gupta, Anshu Gupta, Sonia Wadhawan, and
Poonam Bhadoria. “Management of Swine-flu Patients in the Intensive
Care Unit: Our Experience.” Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical
Pharmacology 28.1 (2012): 51-55. Print.

Citing a journal article not found using a database*
*Note: Some journal articles are accessible online without the use of a
database. Citing an online journal article is similar to citing a print journal
article, except that you include the date you found it.
Last, First M. “Article title.” Journal Title. Series Volume.Issue (Year
Published): Page(s). Website Publication Year. Web. Date Month Year
Accessed.
*Note: If you cannot identify a series, leave it out of the citation.
Date Accessed: This is the day that the article was found and read.
Marsh, Joanne, and Gill Evans. “Generating Research Income: Library
Involvement in Academic Research.” Library and Information
Research 36.113 (2012): 48-61. 2013. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

Newspaper – A daily or weekly publication that contains news; often
featuring articles on political events, crime, business, art,
entertainment, society, and sports. Only include [City] if it is not in the
Newspaper’s title. Do not include if the paper is well known or
nationally published.
Citing a newspaper in print
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title [City] Date Month Year
Published: Page(s). Print.
Bowman, Lee. “Bills Target Lake Erie Mussels.” Pittsburgh Press 7 Mar.
1990: A4. Print.

Citing a newspaper article found online
• Note: URL is optional. Consult your teacher.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title Date Month Year
Published: Page(s). Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Date Accessed: This is the date that you found and read the article.
When did you access the source? Web sources may change and must
be considered unique.
Bowman, Lee. “Bills Target Lake Erie Mussels.” Pittsburgh Press 7 Mar.
1990: A4. Google News. Web. 16 Mar. 2010.

Newspaper article found on a database
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title[City] Date Month Year
Published, Edition ed.: Database Name. Web. Date Month Year
Accessed.
Date Accessed: This is the date that you found and read the article.
When did you access the source? Web sources may change and must
be considered unique.
Anand, Geeta. “Fire and Fumes Can’t Drive Indians from Hellish
Village.” Wall Street Journal 2 Apr. 2010, Eastern ed.: A1. Proquest
Newspapers. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.

Newspaper article published online
Note: CNN.com does not have a print publication of its content. They
produce their content directly online.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Website Title. Website Publisher, Date
Month Year Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Jensen, Elizabeth. “Sesame Workshop Tackles Literacy With
Technology.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 19
Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

Newspaper content published directly or simultaneously online
Note: URL is optional. Consult your teacher.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Website Title. Website Publisher, Date Month
Year Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Date Accessed: This is the date that you found and read the article. When
did you access the source? Web sources may change and must be
considered unique.
Online Newspaper or Website? Because we cannot identify separate in
print publication information, we can assume this source was published
either online only, or concurrently online and in print. We therefore do not
need to account for standard newspaper publication information (such as
page numbers), but instead, website information. This will help your reader
identify the source.
Hernandez, Javier C. “Sharp Rise in Home Sales in February.” New York
Times. New York Times, 5 Apr. 2010. Web. 7 Apr. 2010.

Citing a Magazine found in print
Magazine: A publication that is issued periodically and contains items
such as articles, essays, poems, or pictures. Essays, short stories, and
poems are put in quotes. Works originally published independently,
such as plays and novels, are generally italicized.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Magazine Title Date Month Year Published:
Page(s). Print.
Pressman, Aaron. “Bottom Fishing in Rough Waters.” BusinessWeek 29
Sept. 2008: 27. Print.

Citing magazine articles found on a website
Note: When citing sources reproduced online from their inprint version,
it is not necessary to include online information such as the website
publisher or the date of electronic publication.
Note: The date that you found and read the article.
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Magazine Title Date Month Year Published:
Page(s). Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Rothbart, Davy. “How I Caught up with Dad.” Men’s Health Oct. 2008:
108-13. Google Books. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.

Website – A collection of informational pages on the Internet that
typically include an article title, author and publisher.
Citing a Website with author
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Website Title. Website Publisher, Date
Month Year Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Satalkar, Bhakti. “Water Aerobics.” Buzzle.com. 15 July 2010. Web. 16
July 2010.
Note: URL is optional unless the source cannot be located without it or if
required by your instructor.

Citing a website with no author
Note: Depending on the content, credible websites do not always
include authors.
“Website Article.” Website Title. Website Publisher, Date Month Year
Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Date Accessed: This is the day the article was read and found.
“India.” Travel.State.Gov. Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department
of State, 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 4 May 2010.

Photograph – An image produced by a camera.
Citing a photograph displayed in a museum or institution
Last, First M. Photograph Title. Year Created. Photograph.
Museum/Institution, Location.
Museum/collection: Where the photo is taken
City: City where the photo is located
• Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France. 1938. Photograph. The
Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Citing a photograph from a book
Last, First M. Photograph Title. Year Created.
Photograph. Museum/Institution, Location. Book Title. City: Publisher,
Year Published. Page(s). Print
Bennett, Peter. Antique Shop, East Village. New York City: A Photogenic
Portrait. Massachusetts: Twin Lights, 2004. 8. Print.

Citing a photograph found on a website
Photograph. Museum/Institution, Location. Website Title. Web. Date
Month Year Accessed.
Note: When citing sources reproduced online from their original
versions, it is not necessary to include online information such as the
website publisher or the date of electronic publication.
Note: This is the day that you found the image.
Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France. 1938. The Museum of Modern
Art, New York City. MoMa. Web. 24 June 2010.

Citing a photograph from a database
Photograph. Museum/Institution, Location. Database Title. Web. Date
Collection/Museum and City: N/A
Data Accessed: This is the day that you found the image.
Freed, Leonard. Holidaymaker Stuck in Traffic Jam. 1965. ARTstor. Web.
1 July 2010.

Citing a digital image
Digital Image – A picture which can be viewed electronically by a
computer.
Last, First M. Title of Work. Digital Image. Website Title. Website
Publisher, Date Month Year Published. Web. Date Month Year
Accessed.
Data Accessed: This is the day that you found the image.
Guggenheim Museum in Spain. Digital image. HowStuffWorks.
HowStuffWorks. Web. 22 July 2010.

Thesis – A document submitted to earn a degree at a university.
Dissertation – A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a
doctorate, at a university.
Thesis Structure:
Last, First M. Title. MA or MS Thesis. Name of University, Year Published. Web.
Date accessed.
Dissertation Structure:
Last name, First Name. Title. Diss. Name of University, Year Published. Web.
Date accessed.
Note: MLA7 does not require the URL in the citation. Your teacher or professor
will advise you to include the URL or not. The URL belongs in a bracket and
goes at the end of the citation.
Wilson, Peggy Lynn. Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language
in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County. Diss. University of Maryland,
2011. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.

Unpublished conference paper
Like a normal conference proceedings, we want to include the name of the entire
proceedings, and if there is a specific presentation or paper being cited, include this
information as well. We also want to include conference information (name of conference,
date, and location) if not already stated in the name of the proceedings.
Because the conference proceedings / paper is unpublished, we will not include any
publication information, but instead a description of the type of document and the year it
was published. Additionally, as it is important to describe where the document can be
found since there is no formal publisher, we have to include the location of the document.
Like all citations in a works cited, try to incorporate as much information as you can find.
Last, First M. Title of Unpublished Conference Paper. Title of Conference, Location, Date of
Conference. Unpublished Conference Paper. Institution Holding the Document, Location of
Institution, Year of Access. Print.
Langley, Dawn. Global Warming or Global Meltdown? Global Environmental Summit, May
2008, Zurich, Switzerland. Unpublished conference paper. Northwestern University Library,
Evanston, 2008. Print.

Lecture – An oral presentation intended to present information about a
particular subject; can be a speech, reading, or address.
Last, First M. “Presentation Title.” Event Name. Location, City. Date
Month Year Presented. Lecture.
Note: The event title, city, and location are not always specified in the
lecture, but the information can be found elsewhere (like event
programs).
Hamilton, Buffy J. “Illuminating Learning Communities Through School
Libraries and Makerspaces: Creating, Constructing, Collaborating,
Contributing.” Texas Library Association Conference. Fort Worth
Convention Center, Fort Worth. 29 Aug. 2011. Lecture.

Report – A document containing the findings of an individual or group.
Can include a technical paper, publication, issue brief, or working paper.
Last, First M. Report Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print. Series Number.
Note: Author and City information taken from the “Acknowledgements”
page at the end of the document. No number, volume, edition, or series
number information available.
Gorbunova, Yulia, Konstantin Baranov. Laws of Attrition: Crackdown on
Russia’s Civil Society After Putin’s Return to the Presidency. New York:
Human Rights Watch. Print.

Interview – Published in a magazine, newspaper, website, or on
TV/radio.
Citing an interview in print
Interviewee Last, First M. “Interview Title.” Interview by First M.
Last. Magazine Name Date Month Year: Page(s).
Obama, Michelle. “Oprah Talks to Michelle Obama.” Interview by Oprah
Winfrey. O, The Oprah MagazineApr. 2009: 116-125. Print.

Citing a personal interview
Last Name of Interviewee, First Name M. Type of Interview (Personal
Interview, Phone Interview, Skype Interview, etc.). Date.
Cloyd, Allison. Personal interview. 24 July 2014.

Encyclopedia – A book or a series of books used for reference on a
range of materials or numerous information typically around one
subject.
Encyclopedia in Print
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Encyclopedia Name. City: Publisher, Year
Published. Page(s). Print.
Note: Well-known publications only require edition and year, and no
other publication information.
McGhee, Karen, and George McKay. “Old World
Monkeys.” Encyclopedia of Animals. Washington, D.C.: National
Geographic Society, 2007. 30. Print.

Encyclopedia found online
Last, First M. “Article Title.” Encyclopedia Name. City: Publisher, Year
Published. Page(s).Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Note: When citing sources reproduced online from their print versions,
it is not necessary to include online information such as the website
publisher or the date of the electronic publication. The date of the
online publication was not available and was not included in the
citation.
McGhee, Karen, and George McKay. “Old World
Monkeys.” Encyclopedia of Animals. Washington, D.C.: National
Geographic Society, 2007. 170-71. Google Books. Web. 2 July 2010.

Encyclopedia article found in a database
Last, First M. “Article Title.”Encyclopedia Name. Ed. First M. Last. Vol.
City: Publisher, Year Published. Page(s). Database Name. Web. Date
Date accessed: This is the date you accessed the source.
Note: If no edition or volume number is given, leave it out.
Holmes, Heather. “Advertising of Food.”Encyclopedia of Food and
Culture. Ed. Soloman H. Katz.Vol. 1. New York: Scriber’s, 2003. 16-
20. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 July 2010.

Dictionary – Definitions in print, on a website, or on an online database.
Citing a dictionary entry from a website
Author Last, First M. “Entry Name.” Def.Number.Website Title. Ed. First
M. Last. Comp. First M. Last. Trans. First M. Last. Publisher/Sponsor,
Date Month Year Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
Contributor Note: Not all types of contributors will be relevant to each
entry.
Date Note: The date of publication may not be available. If there is no
date of publication, put (n.d.) in place of the date.
“Food baby.” Def.1. OxfordDictionaries.com. Oxford Dictionaries, Aug.
2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

Citing a TV/Radio Program
“Episode.” Contributors. Program. Network. Call Letter, City, Date.
Medium.
“The Saudi Experience.” Prod. Mary Walsh. Sixty Minutes. CBS. WCBS,
New York, 5 May 2009. Television.

Citing a Film
Title. Dir. First M. Last and First M. Last. Perf. First M. Last, First M. Last,
and First M. Last. Distributor, Year Published. Media Type.
The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Christian Bale, Heath
Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart. Warner Bros., 2008. DVD.

Citing a Sound Recording
Contributors. “Song.” Album. Band. Manufacturer, Year. Medium.
Corgan, Billy, and Butch Vig. “Today.” Siamese Dream. Smashing
Pumpkins. Virgins Records America, 1993. CD.

Citing Visual Art/Photograph
Last, First M. Title. Year Created. Medium. Museum/Institution,
Location.
Picasso, Pablo. Three Musicians. 1921. Oil on panel. Museum of
Modern Art, New York.

Citing a Lecture/Speech
Last, First M. “Speech.” Meeting / Organization. Location. Date.
Description
Obama, Barack H. “Inaugural Address.” 2009 Presidential Inaugural.
Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 20 Jan. 2009. Address.

Citing a Cartoon
Last, First M. “Title.” Cartoon / Comic strip. Publication information.
Medium.
Trudeau, Garry. “Doonesbury.” Comic strip. New York Times 8 May
2008: 12. Print.

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