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Proper documentation of sources used, both in the text and in the bibliography (or "Works Cited"), is an important aspect of writing an academic paper. For one thing, it shows that the writer has done his/her research and lends credibility to what he/she has written. In addition, it demonstrates that the writer is intellectually honest, since he/she credits the relevant sources of information used in writing the paper. This is important, as writers want to present themselves as both knowledgeable and ethical.
MLA documentation style can be found in two sources: The MLA Style Manual, written primarily for undergraduates, and the
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, written for graduate students and more experienced researchers. Both works contain complete information on citing both print and online sources.
The following material is a compilation of the most frequently used types of bibliographic citations. For a more complete treatment, or for bibliographical entries for works not listed here, please see the relevant MLA handbook or manual listed above.
In-text citations
Rather than using foot- or endnotes, MLA Documentation Style calls for in-text citations. The only foot- or endnotes which MLA allows are textual ones, which add information to the text. Such textual endnotes should be kept to a minimum. In-text citations serve the purpose of identifying briefly the source of the information contained in a sentence or paragraph. Such citations must indicate the source in the "Works Cited" from which the information was taken and also the page(s) that contain the information. If there is no pagination in
the work, omit it in the in-text citation, and include "n. pag." in the "Works Cited" entry.
[Disclaimer: In this section and the following on bibliographical form, most of the works listed do not exist; they are included merely as examples of form.]
Paper sources
Citing longer works:
An entire work (book or article):
Fowles' "History of Information Literacy" represents a complete overview of the subject.
Leibiger's MLA Documentation for Dummies is a classic in its field.
A part of a work (i.e. a page or pages):
The most frequently requested reference information is the location of the restroom (Van Balen 15).
The author(s) is/are named in the text:
As Van Balen points out, the most frequently requested reference information is the location of the restroom (15).
One of several works by the author (listed in your "Works Cited"):
Almost any children's book can be used to teach science (Gauger, "Using the Caldecott Medal Books" 38).
[Use only enough of the title to distinguish it from other works by the same author. In this case, the title of the article is "Using the Caldecott Medal Books to Teach Science."]
Multiple citations:
Gibson and Cooper call attention to the superior library services of the Upper Midwest (32; "Archival Resources" 157).
[List the citation information in the order in which it corresponds to the authors' names, separated by semicolons.]
Electronic sources
Use the same citation styles as for print sources. Many electronic sources do not provide standard page numbers. MLA documentation style calls for the inclusion of page numbers if they are given. If they are unavailable, leave them out. The corresponding "Works Cited" entry should be marked "n. pag." (no pagination).
Works Cited
Paper sources
Citing books:
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One author: [Note how university presses are listed.] |
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Corporate author (i.e. an organization): I.D. Weeks Library. Annual Report. Vermillion, SD: I.D. Weeks Library, 2000. |
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More than one author: Fowles, Charlotte and Carol Leibiger. MLA Citations Made Easy. Vermillion, SD: I.D. Weeks Library, 2001. |
| No author listed on the title page: The Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervaan, 1987. |
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An edited or compiled book: Van Balen, John, ed. The World's Most Interesting Reference Questions. Freeman, SD: Pinehill Press, 2000. |
| Leibiger, Carol, comp. The Kensington Stone: A Bibliography. 2nd ed. Bloomington, IN: Indiana U Linguistics Club, 1996. |
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A reissued work: Miller, Margaret B. APA Documentation Style. 1991. Ed. Sue Benton. Vermillion, SD: I.D. Weeks Library, 2001. |
| [When citing multiple books by one author, list them in reverse order of publication, list the author's name in full in the first entry, and use --- (three dashes) in place of the name in all following entries.] |
| Citing shorter works contained within larger
works: A work in an anthology/collection: Johnson, Steve. "Sports Illustrated: An Invaluable Academic Reference Source." Essential Journals for Academic Librarians. Ed. J. Edelen. Greenwich, CT: Greenwood, 1999. 25-50. |
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A chapter in a reference work: Cooper, Amy. "Archival Resources on Gender in the West." Gender in the West: Approaches and Resources. Ed. Janet Dean. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. 27-39. |
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An introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword: Lef, Yuliya. Foreword. Essential Computer Literacy for Librarians. Ed. David Hulkonen. New York: Neal & Schuman, 2000. i-ix. |
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An article in a scholarly journal: Gauger, Barbara. "How to Find Anything Online." Science Librarian 6 (2000): 77-89. |
| An article in a newspaper: Gibson, Tess. "Kansas City Libraries." Kansas City Star 3 Apr. 1999. evening ed. C1+. |
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An article in a magazine (monthly or less frequently): Myers, Nancy. "Departmental Approval Plans and Departmental Politics." Library Friends Magazine Feb. 2001: 146-50. [If the magazine is published every week or every two weeks, include the entire date after the magazine's name.] |
| Citing a government publication/document: United States. Dept. of Labor. Child Care for Librarians: A Workforce Issue. Washington, DC: GPO, 1988. |
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Electronic sources Citing larger works: |
| A scholarly project: Pioneer Women Writers Project. Ed. Tess Gibson. Nov. 1999. U of South Dakota. 22 Jan. 2001 <http://www.usd.edu/~pwwp/tg/>. |
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An online database (non-subscription): Pioneer Women's Web. Ed. Margaret Miller. U of South Dakota. 22 Jan. 2001. <http://www.usd.edu/projects/web/pioneer/mmiller.html>. |
| A professional website: Women's Studies Program. U of South Dakota. 22 Jan. 2001 <http://www.usd.edu/womst/>. |
| A personal website: Van Balen, John. Home page. 23 Jan. 2001 <http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/1010/>. |
| An online book: Dickens, C[harles]. Great Expectations. London, 1861. Project Gutenberg. 6 Feb. 2001 <ftp:uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu/pub/etext/Gutenberg/etext98/grexp10.txt>. |
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Citing shorter works contained within larger works: An article in an online scholarly journal: Myers, Nancy. "The Art of Acquisition." Collections in Libraries 2.3 (March 1996). 30 Jan. 2001 <http://www.uning.uc.ca:8091/9/e-sources/cil/02-3/myers.htm>. |
| An article in an online magazine: Fowles, Charlotte. "Educational Practices in Japan: What Works and What Does Not." English Education in Japan 6 (1998). 28 Jan. 2001 <http://www.eigo.ed.jp/i9802.html>. |
| An article in an online newspaper: Johnson, Steve. "Spreadsheets Can Do It All." New York Times on the Web 4 Feb 2001. 6 Feb. 2001. <http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/09/biztech/articles/06tick.html>. |
| A full-text article from a subscription database
(e.g. Academic Search Elite from EBSCOhost): Leibiger, Carol. "Modern Languages: An Essential Key to Globalization." U.S. News & World Report 8 Jan. 2001: 130. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO host. I.D. Weeks Library, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD. 14 Feb. 2001 <http://www.usd.edu/library/weeksd.html>. |
[Full-text articles' citations must contain
the following additional information:
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| Private and public e-mail communication: E-mail communication: Leibiger, Carol. "Re: Restructuring English Composition Information Literacy Instruction." E-mail to Charlotte Fowles. 14 Feb. 2001. [Because e-mail is considered to be personal correspondence, it should never be used without permission.] |
| Online posting to a listserv: Lef, Yuliya. "Spamming." Online posting. 27 Jan. 2001. Humanist Discussion Group. 28 Jan 2001 <http://lists.village.virginia.edu/lists_archive/Humanist/v14/0031.html>. |
| CD-ROMs |
| A nonperiodical CD-ROM: Mid-west Trade Outlook. 2nd ed. CD-ROM. Omaha: Nebraska UP, 1996. |
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A periodically published database CD-ROM: Gauger, Barbara. "One Day in the Life of an Amoeba." Washington Post. CD-ROM. 30 Apr. 2000, final ed.: A31. 14 Feb. 2001. |
This brochure is a compilation of the most frequently used MLA citation forms. It is not a comprehensive summary of MLA style.
For more complete information on citation forms, please consult:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th
ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 1999.
[call number: Ref LB 2369 .G53 1999; location: I.D. Weeks Reference Desk]
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing.
2nd ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 1998.
[call number: Ref LB 2369 .G444 1998; location: I.D. Weeks Reference Desk]
MLA on the Web. 1997. Modern Language Association. 15 Feb. 2001 <http://www.mla.org>.
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No Frames Version Send Comments to weeksref@usd.edu |