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MLA (Modern Language Association)

MLA 7 is a citation style developed by the Modern Language Association to help researchers accurately cite their sources in humanities papers. It uses in-text citations that direct the reader to a corresponding Works Cited entry. MLA 7 provides guidelines for formatting citations for various source types, including books, journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, academic sources, and reference materials.

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100 views13 pages

MLA (Modern Language Association)

MLA 7 is a citation style developed by the Modern Language Association to help researchers accurately cite their sources in humanities papers. It uses in-text citations that direct the reader to a corresponding Works Cited entry. MLA 7 provides guidelines for formatting citations for various source types, including books, journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, academic sources, and reference materials.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MLA

(Modern Language Association)


Particularly, MLA 7 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.
MLA 7 uses in-text citations that direct the reader to a
corresponding entry on a Works Cited page. In most cases, the in-
text citation will contain the author’s name and the page number
where the cited information is located within the source.
FUNDAMENTALS OF MLA CITATION
Structure:
Contributor. Title. Secondary Contributors. Publication Information. Medium.

The main contributors to the source, normally the author, are placed before the title. If there is
more than one author, then arrange the authors in the same order found in the source.
Reverse only the name of the first author, and follow the rest in normal form.

E.G.

One author:
Cavendish, Terrance R. Title.

Two authors:
Cavendish, Terrance R., and Anthony C. Walpole. Title.

Three authors:
Cavendish, Terrance R., Anthony C. Walpole, and Steph G. Trueman. Title.

Four or more:
Cavendish, Terrance R., et al. Title.
Sometimes the main contributor is not an author, but another contributor type, such
as an editor for a book or conductor for a musical piece. In this instance, follow the
contributor by an abbreviation of the contributor type (i.e. ed. or cond.). If plural,
then change the abbreviation accordingly.

e.g.
Cavendish, Terrance R. ed. Title.

Authors with secondary contributors such as editors and conducors:


Cavendish, Terrance R. Title. ed. Anthony C. Walpole. cond. Steph G. Trueman.

When the author is a government department or a corporate assoiation, just put the
particular name of the department or association before the title.
Title Rules:
Generally, capitalize all principal words as well as the first word and last word in the title.
If citing a title for an entire source, such as a book or periodical title, place in italics. If
citing an article, essay, poem or short story within a larger work, place in quotes. If a
novel or published independently, then place in italics.
Publication Information:

Book:
Last, First M. Title. City: Publisher, Year Published. Medium.

Journal:
Last, First M. “Article.” Title Series Volume. Issue (Year Published): Page(s). Medium.

Magazine:
Last, First M. “Article.” Title Date Month Year Published: Page(s). Medium.

Newspaper:
Last, First M. “Article.” Title [City] Date Month Year Published, Edition, Section: Page(s).
Medium.

Website:
 Last, First M. “Article Title.”Website Title. Website Publisher, Date Month Year Published.

If you cannot find all publication information, use placeholders “N.p., n.p., n.d.” which
represents no place, no publisher, and no date. If there are no page numbers use “N.pag.”
Capitalize the abbreviations appropriately based on where they are placed.
Citing an Academic Source:
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.

 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.

e.g.
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.
Conference Paper:
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.

e.g.
Langley, Dawn. Global Warming or Global Meltdown? Global Environmental Summit, May
2008, Zurich, Switzerland. Unpublished conference paper. Northwestern University
Library, Evanston, 2008. Print.

Lecture:
Last, First M. “Presentation Title.” Event Name. Location, City. Date Month Year Presented.
Lecture.

e.g.
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.
Other source types:

Reports:
Last, First M. Report Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print. Series Number.
e.g.
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.

Printed Interview:
Interviewee Last, First M. “Interview Title.” Interview by First M. Last. Magazine
Name Date Month Year: Page(s).
e.g.
Obama, Michelle. “Oprah Talks to Michelle Obama.” Interview by Oprah Winfrey. O, The
Oprah MagazineApr. 2009: 116-125. Print.
Personal Interview:
Last Name of Interviewee, First Name M. Type of Interview (Personal Interview, Phone
Interview, Skype Interview, etc.). Date.
e.g.
Cloyd, Allison. Personal interview. 24 July 2014.
Reference Materials:
Printed encyclopedia:
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.

Online Encyclopedia:
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.
Online Dictionary:
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.

e.g.
“Food baby.” Def.1. OxfordDictionaries.com. Oxford Dictionaries, Aug. 2013. Web. 24
Sept. 2011.
Although MLA 8 is already available, many researchers are still using MLA 7 to cite
sources as they draft their final papers.

Source:
"MLA Format: The Complete MLA Citation Guide." Easybib. EasyBib, a Chegg service,
2001. Web. 31 July 2017.

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