Guide to MLA Reference Lists

Introduction
Books
Journals/Magazine/Newspapers
Interviews
Electronic Resources
Internet

Introduction

Below are examples of citations for common types of resources. If a type of citation that you need is not included here, please ask for the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at the Reference Desk or the Current Periodicals/Reserve Desk, or ask us.

Basically, the MLA form of citing sources lists in parentheses within the content of the paper the author's last name and the page number of the source used. Following the text of the paper is a list (Works Cited) of the sources referred to in the text. Below is an example.

While learning to do research for your academic classes, you will gain skills that will prepare you to do research in your career within business, government, or other professional areas (Gibaldi 5).

This paraphrase is based on information found on page 5 of a book by the author Gibaldi. In the list of Works Cited is the following entry for Gibaldi's book.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York:

MLA, 2003.

The margins of the paper should be one inch at the top and bottom and on either side. Paragraphs should be indented one-half inch (computer) or five spaces (typewriter) and set off quotations should be indented one inch or ten spaces. Text of the paper should be double-spaced. Entries in Works Cited should begin flush with the left margin. Second and subsequent lines in the entry should be indented one-half inch or five spaces. Double space between and within entries.

Books

Book by a Single Author:

Gibson, Mary Ellis. Epic Reinvented: Ezra Pound and the Victorians. Ithaca:

Cornell UP, 1995.

Book by Two or More Authors:

Rodman, Hyman, Susan H. Lewis, and Saralyn B. Griffith. The Sexual Rights of Adolescents:

Competence, Vulnerability. And Parental Control. New York: Columbia UP, 1984.

Article or Essay in a Collection or Anthology:

Bracci, Sharon L. "The Fragile Hope of Seyla Benhabib's Interactive Universalism." Moral

Engagement in Public Life: Theorists for Contemporary Ethics. Ed. Sharon L. Bracci and

Clifford G. Christians. New York: P. Lang, 2002. 123-149.

Encyclopedia Article (unsigned) from Familiar Encyclopedia:

"Flagellation." The Encyclopedia Americana. 1999 ed.

Journals/Magazines/Newspapers

Journal Article with Continuous Pagination:

Donaldson, Scott. "Protecting the Troops from Hemingway: An Episode in Censorship." The

Hemingway Review 15 (1995): 87-93.

Journal article (scholarly journal that pages each issue separately):

Mitchell, Diana. "Teaching Ideas: Approaching Race and Gender Issues in the Context of the

Language Arts Classroom." English Journal 85.8 (1996): 77.

Magazine article (If the article is unsigned, begin the entry with the title.)

Leland, John and Allison Samuels. "The New Generation Gap." Newsweek 17 Mar. 1997:

52+.

Newspaper Article (If the newspaper is published in only one edition, omit the comma and edition information.):

Broad, William J. "The Comet's Gift: Hints of How Earth Came to Life." New York Times

1 Apr. 1997, late ed.: C1+.

Interviews

Interviews – personal, telephone, or email – conducted by you need three elements: name of person interviewed, type of interview, and the date the interview was conducted.

Fogarty, N. Personal interview. 2 July 2003.

Electronic Resources:

Electronic formats of materials also published in print format and available from an online service such as InfoTrac or Ebsco.

Include the following information if available:
1. Author's name
2. Title of the work or material in quotation marks
3. Name of the periodical
4. Volume number, issue number, or other identifying number
5. Date of publication
6. The number range or total number of pages, paragraphs, or other sections, if they are
numbered
7. Date of access and URL (Gibaldi 221)

Mallin, Irwin and, Karrin Vasby Anderson. "Inviting Constructive Argument." Argumentation and Advocacy

36 (2000): 120, Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. UNC Greensboro. 7 July 2003.

<http://search.epnet.com>.

Basic Entry for a Document from an Internet Site:

Include the following information if available:
1. Author's name (if given)
2. Title of the work
3. Publication information
5. Date of access and URL (Gibaldi 208-211)

Cristall, Ann Batten. Poetical Sketches. London: J. Johnson, 1795. The Electronic Text Center. Alderman Lib.,

University of Virginia. 13 August 2001. <http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/britpo.html>.

See pp 214-215 of Gibaldi for a complete list of information needed for other types of Internet materials

The MLA website on citing electronic resources is available at: http://www.mla.org/style_faq4

Complied by Nancy Fogarty and maintained by Michael Ingram. Last updated .