1. Write down the citation information you need
when you find the resource.
2. If no author is given, write the title first.
3. Find as much citation information as possible. Look at the "home"
page of a web site to find more information. Omit information that
is not given.
4. Write dates like this, without punctuation: 4 Feb 2004
5. Abbreviate the names of all months except May, June and July.
6. The letters shown in italics on these pages should actually be
typed into the citation. Example: Ed. Editor’s first and last name
Write: Ed. James Smith
7. Indent the second line (and following lines) 5 spaces. This is an
inverted paragraph.
8. Arrange the citations alphabetically by the first word in each
citation.
Where to go for help:
1. Ask your teacher or librarian.
2. Look in the MLA Handbook in the library or in your English class,
especially if you do not find the kind of citation you need on these
pages.
3. Go to our library web page by
clicking here.
Click on "Research Help" and select a web site under "Citations."
Information needed in citations
for articles from subscription databases:
Library: Voorheesville MS-HS Lib.,
Voorheesville, NY
Gale – Junior Edition, Health & Wellness RC, Twaynes’ Authors, Custom Newspapers, New York Newspapers,
Business & Company RC, Informe, Gale Virtual Reference Library,
Student RC, Opposing Viewpoints RC <http://infotrac.galegroup.com>
General instructions: 1. Give the source and specific location of the information
being documented. Usually this is the author’s last name and the
page number.
2. Keep the reference as short as possible.
3. If the author’s name is used in the text, do not repeat it in the
reference.
4. When the work is listed by a long title, shorten the title using
the first word in the title.
5. Write the reference at the end of the sentence, before the
punctuation.
Author’s name in the reference (Author’s last name Page #).
Example: The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith 57).
Author’s name in the text (Page #).
Example: Smith feels that the king was a benevolent ruler (57).
Reference at the end of a quotation in the text (Author’s
last name Page #).
Example: It has been said that the king was a "benevolent ruler"
(Smith 57).
Reference at the end of a quotation that is set off from the text
(Author’s last name Page #)
Example: Although he had a reputation as a tyrant, King
Maxwell treated most of his people fairly. I agree
with the historians who have written that he was
actually a benevolent ruler. (Smith 56-57)
Reference for an entire work or a work without page numbers
(Author’s last name).
Example: The king’s life showed his continuing benevolence (Smith).
Reference for part of a work (Author’s last name Page #).
Example: The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith 56-57).
Reference for part of a multivolume work (Author’s last name
Volume #: Page #).
or (Author’s last name, vol. #).
Examples: The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith 8: 57).
The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith vol. 8).
References for two or more works by the same
author (Author’s last name, Title Page #).
Examples: The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith, King Maxwell 57).
The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith, "Benevolent Kings").
Reference for work with two or more authors (Authors’ last
names Page #).
Example: The king was a benevolent ruler (Smith, Johnson, and Foster
57).
Reference for a work listed by title (Full title or shortened
title Page #).
Example: The king was a benevolent ruler (Kings and Queens 459).
(The title was Kings and Queens of the Western Hemisphere.)
Print Publications
Book with a single author
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title of the book.
Publishing city:
Publisher, Publishing date.
Book with two or three authors
Author’s last name, Author’s first name, and other author’s first
name and last name. Title of the book. Publishing city: Publisher, Publishing date.
Book with more than three authors
Author’s last name, Author’s first name, et al. Title of the book.
Publishing city:
Publisher, Publishing date.
Book with no author Title of the book. Publishing city: Publisher, Publishing date.
Book with an editor
Editor’s last name, editor’s first name, ed. Title of the book.
Publishing city: Publisher, Publishing date.
Work in an anthology (collection)
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. "Title of article or
poem." Title of the book. Ed. Editor’s first and last name. Publishing city: Publisher,
Publishing date.
Pages. (The title of a play is underlined.)
Magazine or Newspaper Article
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. "Title of the article."
Title of the magazine or newspaper Publishing date: Pages.
Multivolume work – using one volume
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. "Title of the article."
Title of the Reference book.
Ed. Editor’s first and last name. Vol. #. Publishing city:
Publisher,
Publishing date.
Multivolume work – using more than one volume
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. "Title of the article."
Title of the Reference book.
Ed. Editor’s first and last name. # vols. Publishing city:
Publisher,
Publishing date.
Edition of a Play Playwright's last name, Playwright's first name. Title of the play.
Ed. Editor's first and
last Name.
Publishing city. Publisher, Publishing date.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS
Web page Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of the web
page.” Title of the web site.
Date of electronic publication or last update. Publisher. Date of
your access
<URL>.
Entire web site Title of the web site. Ed. Editor’s first and last name. Date of
electronic publication or
last update. Publisher. Date of your access <URL>.
Newspaper or magazine article from a subscription database
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of the article.”
Title of the magazine or newspaper. Publishing date: pages. Title of database. Publisher
of the
database. Library that subscribes to the database, Library’s
city, State. Date
of your access <URL>.
Article from a subscription encyclopedia or reference book
database
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of the article.”
Title of the encyclopedia or reference book. Publishing date. Title of the database. Publisher
of the
database. Library that subscribes to the database, Library’s city,
State.
Date of your access <URL>.
Online magazine or newspaper article
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of the article.”
Title of the magazine.
Publishing date. Date of your access <URL>.
Online book
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title of the book.
Publishing city:
Publisher, Publishing date. Title of Internet site. Ed. Editor’s
first and last
name. Date of electronic publication. Publisher. Date
of your access <URL>.
CD-ROM
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title of the publication.
Ed. Editor’s first
and last name.
CD-ROM. Edition or version. Publishing city: Publisher,
Publishing
date.
Interview: Personal interview, Telephone interview, E-mail
interview
Person’s last name, Person’s first name. Kind of interview. Date of
interview.
Television program
"Title of episode." Title of program. Dir. Director’s first and last
name. Name of
network.
Call letters of local station, City of local station. Date of
broadcast.
Film or DVD Title of film. Dir. Director’s first and last name. DVD.
Distributor. Year of release.
