Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

The following overview should help you better understand how to cite sources using MLA  9 th edition, including how to format the Works Cited page and in-text citations.

Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in MLA. See also our MLA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel .

Creating a Works Cited list using the ninth edition

MLA is a style of documentation that may be applied to many different types of writing. Since texts have become increasingly digital, and the same document may often be found in several different sources, following a set of rigid rules no longer suffices.

Thus, the current system is based on a few guiding principles, rather than an extensive list of specific rules. While the handbook still describes how to cite sources, it is organized according to the process of documentation, rather than by the sources themselves. This gives writers a flexible method that is near-universally applicable.

Once you are familiar with the method, you can use it to document any type of source, for any type of paper, in any field.

Here is an overview of the process:

When deciding how to cite your source, start by consulting the list of core elements. These are the general pieces of information that MLA suggests including in each Works Cited entry. In your citation, the elements should be listed in the following order:

  • Title of source.
  • Title of container,
  • Other contributors,
  • Publication date,

Each element should be followed by the corresponding punctuation mark shown above. Earlier editions of the handbook included the place of publication and required different punctuation (such as journal editions in parentheses and colons after issue numbers) depending on the type of source. In the current version, punctuation is simpler (only commas and periods separate the elements), and information about the source is kept to the basics.

Begin the entry with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name, as presented in the work. End this element with a period.

Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.

Title of source

The title of the source should follow the author’s name. Depending upon the type of source, it should be listed in italics or quotation marks.

A book should be in italics:

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House . MacMurray, 1999.

An individual webpage should be in quotation marks. The name of the parent website, which MLA treats as a "container," should follow in italics:

Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html.*

A periodical (journal, magazine, newspaper) article should be in quotation marks:

Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature , vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.

A song or piece of music on an album should be in quotation marks. The name of the album should then follow in italics:

Beyoncé. "Pray You Catch Me." Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.

*The MLA handbook recommends including URLs when citing online sources. For more information, see the “Optional Elements” section below.

Title of container

The eighth edition of the MLA handbook introduced what are referred to as "containers," which are the larger wholes in which the source is located. For example, if you want to cite a poem that is listed in a collection of poems, the individual poem is the source, while the larger collection is the container. The title of the container is usually italicized and followed by a comma, since the information that follows next describes the container.

Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.

The container may also be a television series, which is made up of episodes.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, performance by Amy Poehler, season 2, episode 21, Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2010.

The container may also be a website, which contains articles, postings, and other works.

Wise, DeWanda. “Why TV Shows Make Me Feel Less Alone.”  NAMI,  31 May 2019,  www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2019/How-TV-Shows-Make-Me-Feel-Less-Alone . Accessed 3 June 2019.

In some cases, a container might be within a larger container. You might have read a book of short stories on Google Books , or watched a television series on Netflix . You might have found the electronic version of a journal on JSTOR. It is important to cite these containers within containers so that your readers can find the exact source that you used.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation , season 2, episode 21, NBC , 29 Apr. 2010. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70152031?trackId=200256157&tctx=0%2C20%2C0974d361-27cd-44de-9c2a-2d9d868b9f64-12120962.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal , vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest, doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

Other contributors

In addition to the author, there may be other contributors to the source who should be credited, such as editors, illustrators, translators, etc. If their contributions are relevant to your research, or necessary to identify the source, include their names in your documentation.

Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. Translated by Richard Howard , Vintage-Random House, 1988.

Woolf, Virginia. Jacob’s Room . Annotated and with an introduction by Vara Neverow, Harcourt, Inc., 2008.

If a source is listed as an edition or version of a work, include it in your citation.

The Bible . Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.

Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.

If a source is part of a numbered sequence, such as a multi-volume book or journal with both volume and issue numbers, those numbers must be listed in your citation.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.

The publisher produces or distributes the source to the public. If there is more than one publisher, and they are all are relevant to your research, list them in your citation, separated by a forward slash (/).

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive, www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

Women's Health: Problems of the Digestive System . American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2006.

Daniels, Greg and Michael Schur, creators. Parks and Recreation . Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2015.

Note : The publisher’s name need not be included in the following sources: periodicals, works published by their author or editor, websites whose titles are the same name as their publisher, websites that make works available but do not actually publish them (such as  YouTube ,  WordPress , or  JSTOR ).

Publication date

The same source may have been published on more than one date, such as an online version of an original source. For example, a television series might have aired on a broadcast network on one date, but released on  Netflix  on a different date. When the source has more than one date, it is sufficient to use the date that is most relevant to your writing. If you’re unsure about which date to use, go with the date of the source’s original publication.

In the following example, Mutant Enemy is the primary production company, and “Hush” was released in 1999. Below is a general citation for this television episode:

“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer , created by Joss Whedon, performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, Mutant Enemy, 1999 .

However, if you are discussing, for example, the historical context in which the episode originally aired, you should cite the full date. Because you are specifying the date of airing, you would then use WB Television Network (rather than Mutant Enemy), because it was the network (rather than the production company) that aired the episode on the date you’re citing.

“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon, performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, episode 10, WB Television Network, 14 Dec. 1999 .

You should be as specific as possible in identifying a work’s location.

An essay in a book or an article in a journal should include page numbers.

Adiche, Chimamanda Ngozi. “On Monday of Last Week.” The Thing around Your Neck, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, pp. 74-94 .

The location of an online work should include a URL.  Remove any "http://" or "https://" tag from the beginning of the URL.

Wheelis, Mark. "Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention." Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

When citing a physical object that you experienced firsthand, identify the place of location.

Matisse, Henri. The Swimming Pool. 1952, Museum of Modern Art, New York .

Optional elements

The ninth edition is designed to be as streamlined as possible. The author should include any information that helps readers easily identify the source, without including unnecessary information that may be distracting. The following is a list of optional elements that can be included in a documented source at the writer’s discretion.

Date of original publication:

If a source has been published on more than one date, the writer may want to include both dates if it will provide the reader with necessary or helpful information.

Erdrich, Louise. Love Medicine. 1984. Perennial-Harper, 1993.

City of publication:

The seventh edition handbook required the city in which a publisher is located, but the eighth edition states that this is only necessary in particular instances, such as in a work published before 1900. Since pre-1900 works were usually associated with the city in which they were published, your documentation may substitute the city name for the publisher’s name.

Thoreau, Henry David. Excursions . Boston, 1863.

Date of access:

When you cite an online source, the MLA Handbook recommends including a date of access on which you accessed the material, since an online work may change or move at any time.

Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

As mentioned above, while the MLA handbook recommends including URLs when you cite online sources, you should always check with your instructor or editor and include URLs at their discretion.

A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a series of digits and letters that leads to the location of an online source. Articles in journals are often assigned DOIs to ensure that the source is locatable, even if the URL changes. If your source is listed with a DOI, use that instead of a URL.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. "Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates." Environmental Toxicology , vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library, doi: 10.1002/tox.20155.

Creating in-text citations using the previous (eighth) edition

Although the MLA handbook is currently in its ninth edition, some information about citing in the text using the older (eighth) edition is being retained. The in-text citation is a brief reference within your text that indicates the source you consulted. It should properly attribute any ideas, paraphrases, or direct quotations to your source, and should direct readers to the entry in the Works Cited list. For the most part, an in-text citation is the  author’s name and the page number (or just the page number, if the author is named in the sentence) in parentheses :

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

Again, your goal is to attribute your source and provide a reference without interrupting your text. Your readers should be able to follow the flow of your argument without becoming distracted by extra information.

How to Cite the Purdue OWL in MLA

Entire Website

The Purdue OWL . Purdue U Writing Lab, 2019.

Individual Resources

Contributors' names. "Title of Resource." The Purdue OWL , Purdue U Writing Lab, Last edited date.

The new OWL no longer lists most pages' authors or publication dates. Thus, in most cases, citations will begin with the title of the resource, rather than the developer's name.

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab. Accessed 18 Jun. 2018.

Using MLA Format

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Document Sources

Works cited quick guide.

Learn how to use the MLA format template.

Digital Citation Tool

Build citations with our interactive template.

In-Text Citations

Get help with in-text citations.

Endnotes and Footnotes

Read our guide about using notes in MLA style.

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Set Up Your Paper

Setting up a research paper.

Get our guidelines for setting up academic research papers.

Formatting Captions

Learn how to format captions.

Sample Papers

Read sample papers written in MLA style.

Annotated Bibliographies

Learn how to set up an annotated bibliography.

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Get Writing and Teaching Tips

Ask the mla.

Browse answers and ask MLA editors questions.

Writing Tips

Improve your writing with these suggestions.

Teaching Resources and Advice

Get teaching advice, lesson plans, and activities.

Test your knowledge with these fun quizzes.

Recent questions from Ask the MLA

How do i cite one person’s testimony in a congressional hearing.

Your source for congressional testimony may be a transcript, audio recording, or video recording of all or part of a hearing. Style each source using… Read More

How do I cite a video game?

To cite a video game, follow the template of core elements, as you would for any other source. Below we provide in-depth explanations for each… Read More

In a quotation from a play, how do I show that material has been omitted?

The answer depends on the nature of the quotation. If you quote dialogue from more than one speaker in a play, set the material as… Read More

How do I cite a source that uses “supplement” as part of its Number element?

This post explains how to cite a work that uses "supplement" in its Number element Read More

How do I cite a debate?

How you cite remarks made in the context of a debate will depend on how you access the material. For example, you might cite a… Read More

When altering a quotation in a language other than English, should the alteration be in the language of the quotation?

Yes: use the language of the quotation, rather than the language of the surrounding prose, to make necessary alterations to quoted material. The following example… Read More

MLA Citation Guide: Citing in the body of your paper

  • "Works Cited" List Outlined
  • MLA Online Tutorials
  • Citing in the body of your paper
  • Books and book chapters
  • Periodicals

In-Text Citations (see pages 54 - 58, 116 - 128 of the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition)

In the body of your paper, use parenthetical documentation (Chapter 5 of MLA Handbook ). The purpose of your documentation is for your readers to be able to locate the sources which you cite in your text when they look at your bibliography ("Works Cited") located at the end of your paper. You give the minimum of information necessary for your readers to do this, such as just the author's last name and the page(s) to which you refer.

  • When you omit the author's name in your sentence:

This point has already been argued (Tannen 178-85).

  • When you include the author's name in your sentence:

Tannen has argued this point (178-85).

  • When you cite more than one work by the same author (shortened version of title is acceptable, using first words:

Shakespeare's King Lear has been called a "comedy of the grotesque" (Frye,  Anatomy 237).

  • When the work has more than one author:

Others hold the opposite point of view (e.g., Kerrigan and Braden 210-15).

  • When the work has no author, use title (shortened form is ok) of article or book:

A New York Times editorial called Ralph Ellison "a writer of universal reach" ("Death").

  • If your source uses explicit paragraph numbers rather than page numbers -- as some publications on the web do -- give the relevant number or numbers, preceded by the label par. or pars .  Change the label appropriately if another kind of part is numbered in the source instead of pages, such as sections ( sec., secs .) or chapters ( ch., chs .). If the author's name begins such a citation, place a comma after the name.

There is little evidence here for the claim that "Eagleton has belittled the gains of postmodernism" (Chan, par.41).

  • When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation.  Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.

"As we read we . . . construct the terrain of a book" (Hollmichel), something that is more difficult when the text reflows on a screen.

  • In parenthetical citations of a literary work available in multiple editions, such as commonly studied novel, play, or poem, it is often helpful to provide division numbers in addition to, or instead of, page numbers, so that readers can find references in any edition of the work.

Austen begins the final chapter of Mansfield Park with a dismissive "Let other pens dwell," thereby announcing her decision to avoid dwelling on the professions of love made by Fanny and Edmund (533; vol.3, ch.17).

  • For works in time-based media, such as audio and video recordings, cite relevant time or range of times.  Give the numbers of the hours, minutes and seconds as displayed on your media player, separating the numbers with colons.

Buffy's promise that "there's not going to be incidents like at my old school" is obviously not one on which she can follow through ("Buffy" 00:03:16-17).

Subject Guide

Profile Photo

  • << Previous: MLA Online Tutorials
  • Next: Books and book chapters >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 11, 2023 5:51 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/MLA

Fresno State Library

Citation Help

  • About Citing and Citation Styles

MLA Style Online Resources

Mla style books.

  • Other Citation Styles
  • Citing Artificial Intelligence Tools
  • Citation Managers

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is most commonly used for papers in the liberal arts and humanities.

QUICK LINKS:  *Links to Purdue OWL MLA 9th Edition*

MLA General Format

In-text Citations

Footnotes & Endnotes

Works Cited Page

Sample Works Cited Page

Sample Paper

QUICK GUIDE:

Fresno State library MLA Citation Guide (4-page pdf)   *MLA 8th Edition - update pending*

F resno State Library’s MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site.  TUTORIALS:

MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper in Word)

Cover Art

  • << Previous: About Citing and Citation Styles
  • Next: APA 7th >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 23, 2024 11:06 AM
  • URL: https://guides.library.fresnostate.edu/citationhelp

ORU Library logo

  • Books vs. Articles

General Information (MLA 9th ed.) & Citing Generative AI (ChatGPT)

Modern language association style manual, additional mla resources, mla in-text citations, song lyrics and tv scripts citation examples (mla).

  • Turabian, SBL & Chicago
  • ORU Theology Dept. Style Guides
  • Zotero & Free Citation Tools
  • Cited References

For articles in databases, when a DOI  ( opens new window Digital Object Identifier ) is not available, use the permalink, if available. A permalink is a URL that is static, persistent, or permanent. To get a permalink in EBSCOhost, click "Permalink" in the right sidebar under "Tools."

In MLA, the accessed date is not required, but may be provided if you wish. Check with your professor's guidelines.

  • For an online work , use a DOI, permalink, or URL.
  • Precede a DOI with http:// or https:// . (i.e., https://doi.org/10.1111/jch.12223.) (MLA Handbook, 9th ed., p. 194 [5.93])
  • For a URL https:// or http:// at the beginning may be omitted. (MLA Handbook, 9th ed., p. 195 [5.95])
  • For a web source , copy the URL from the browser. The http:// or https:// may be omitted. (MLA Handbook, 9th ed., p. 195 [5.95])
  • For articles in EBSCOhos t , if the work is available in full text (not just the article abstract or record), use EBSCOhos t as the container.   Note: Databases within the EBSCOhost platform, such as Academic Search Complete or ERIC, are considered "filters," not the container. ( MLA Handbook , 9th ed., pp. 134-137 [5.31-34], for notes on website containers.)

How do I cite ChatGPT and other generative AI?

See the MLA Style Center at  https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/

See Citation Examples: COMP-102 MLA Citations

Cover Art

Digital Object Identifiers, or DOIs, are persistent links used in scientific and scholarly publishing to provide a permanent electronic address to avoid the problems of broken, outdated or changed links. opens new window The DOI System provides a means for managing information in changing digital environments.

A DOI consists of digits and letters that lead to the source location. Journal articles are often assigned DOIs. So, for MLA documentation, if a source has a DOI,use it instead of the persistent link (or URL).

MLA Style Center (Modern Language Association)

To organize key elements in your citation, use the opens new window MLA Interactive Practice Template from MLA Handbook (8th ed.), PDF, by the Modern Language Association (style.mla.org),

- opens new window How to cite an online video? - opens new window Using MLA Format - opens new window Works Cited: A Quick guide - FAQs, MLA Style Center

  • MLA Citation Style 8th edition HD (Hayden Memorial Library)
  • opens new window Citation Help for MLA, 8th Edition (College of St. Scholastica)
  • opens new window MLA Documentation Guide (The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
  • opens new window Scribbr - Provides interactive MLA citation generator

MLA format for in-text citations follows the author-page method. The author's last name may be included with the page number(s) in parenthesis following the quote or paraphrase, or used in the sentence with the page number(s) following in parenthesis. Examples:

Smith noted that fake news... (27). (Smith 27)

When page numbers are not fixed (the numbers are not the same in all formats) or not available , use a label identifying abbreviation for the number reference. Use a comma to separate the author from a reference that is not a page number . Examples:

(Smith, par. 6) paragraph 6 (Smith, pars. 6-7) paragraphs 6 and 7 (Smith, ch. 4) chapter 4

See: MLA Handbook , 8th edition (pp. 36, 123-127) - Call # opens new window LB2369.G53 2016 The Little, Brown Handbook , 13th edition (pp. 638-640) - Call # opens new window PE1112.F644 2016 .

The examples below show elements to include in the citation. Use the print style manual and your professor's requirement to correctly format the citations.

SONG LYRICS (from an album or CD) Writer / lyricist last name, first name. “Song title.” Recording date. Album name. Recording label. Year of release.

Child, Desmond, Jon Bon Jovi, and Richard Sambora. “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Slippery When Wet. Island/Mercury, 2017.

SONG LYRICS (from a website) Writer / lyricist last name, first name. “Song title.”Website name,URL

Child, Desmond, Jon Bon Jovi, and Richard Sambora. “Livin’ on a Prayer.” SongLyrics , songlyrics.com/bon-jovi/livin-on-a-prayer-lyrics/.

TELEVISION SCRIPT Writer. "Title of source." Title of container (in italics), series, episode, Title of second container (in italics), publisher, location.

Litt, Davidand Lee Aronsohn. "The Luminious Fish Effect." Big Bang Theory , story by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, series 01, episode 04. Big Bang Theory Transcripts , WordPress, bigbangtrans.wordpress.com/.

"The Big Bran Hypothesis." Big Bang Theory , series 01, episode 02, 5 Oct. 2007. Big Bang Theory Transcripts , Forever Dreaming, transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?f=159&t=8537.

  • << Previous: APA
  • Next: Turabian, SBL & Chicago >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 4:38 PM
  • URL: https://library.oru.edu/citing-sources

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Guide on How to Cite a Research Paper Using MLA Format: Best Tips

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Understanding What is MLA Formatting

If you are a high school or college student, there will be a time when you find yourself in an ambiguous situation on how to cite a research paper in MLA. There are various formatting styles, but the most commonly used are the MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. In the article, our writers will teach you how to cite a research paper using MLA format correctly.

Created by college educators in the late 1800s, the MLA format was intended to encourage American students to study modern languages as classical languages were becoming less popular. Thus, they developed the format for MLA citing in research paper to determine if it would successfully promote learning modern languages.

In a nutshell, MLA is the formatting style of the Modern Language Association used in areas such as English studies, comparative literature, foreign language, and literature or cultural studies. This academic style guides extensively used in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

Research Paper in MLA Format

So, how to format a research paper in MLA style? There are four key components that a research paper in MLA format includes.

Except for the running head, page margins should be precisely 1 inch on both sides of the text as well as on top and bottom.

Text Formatting

When writing a research paper or another academic assignment, it is recommended to use Times New Roman typeface as it is easily readable. Set the standard size, which is usually 12 points.

Change the line spacing from single to double-spaced. That makes reading less crammed on the eye and allows the professor to make essential comments in a neat and organized manner. Also, make sure to indent the first line of a paragraph ½ inch from the left margin.

Enter the required course information on the top-left corner of the front page. The MLA format research paper title page should look like this:

Guide on How to Cite a Research Paper

  • Name of Teacher/Professor
  • Name of Course
  • Due Date for Assignment

Type your title below the date after double spacing and align it centered with no period at the end. You shouldn't make your title bold, italicized, or underlined. There is only one exception from the rule: use italics if the title of another source is included in yours. Make sure you follow the capitalization rules. Check if it's correct in MLA Handbook (67–68) .

The MLA title for an MLA format research paper looks like this:

Sarah E. Johnson

Professor Lumpur

Biology 201

How Does Human Memory Work?

Page Numbers

If you wonder how do you cite a page number in research paper in MLA format, consider setting the automatic page numbering in the top right-hand corner. That is done to keep track of the page order, and it also looks pleasing to the eye. Leave a margin of ½ inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

To buy online essay and properly include the MLA format in a research paper, just leave us a notice ' write essays for me ,' and our professional writers will help you.

Snatch Up Your MLA Formatted Research Paper Today!

Purchase your perfectly formatted MLA research paper today and enhance your academic results!

Our service offers the option to pay to do a research paper , providing a seamless and stress-free way to ensure your academic tasks are expertly handled while you focus on other priorities.

How to Cite a Research Paper with In-Text Citations

In-text citations are often subordinate, meaning that information is always added to the end of the sentence in parentheses. But if you include that necessary information in the language of the sentence itself, you should not include the parenthetical citation.

Guide on How to Cite a Research Paper

For example, if the author's name is found within the in-text citation, there is no need to add it at the end; insert the page number, and you are all done referencing.

Having two sources from the same author may confuse the reader. When they check the source, they will find two different articles. To avoid this confusion, you must include a short title of the research citation so the readers know which citations to look for.

You should include all authors' last names when a source has two or three authors. Whereas, when you have four or more authors, then you have to write them all out following the last name of the first Author.

When citing a research paper in MLA style, include references within two sections:

  • The quotes used within the essay
  • The Works Cited page at the end

To further enhance your understanding of citation practices, consider exploring our detailed article on research paper citation .

The citation information in the body of the paper itself is called the 'in-text citation.' The most obvious time to use it in the text is when you use a quote from a source directly or refer to it by title or author.

Generally, you must list the writer's last name and page number enclosed within parentheses straight after the quote. If the author's name is included as a feature of your sentence, you only have to add the page number in the bracket.

Example: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference" (Frost 1).

Kenneth Burke has described human beings as "symbol-using animals" (3).

As you can see, Burke's name was included in the sentence, so there is no need for repetition in the citation.

The Works Cited page

References: When providing references in a research paper in MLA style, you must inform the readers about the sources you used to cite this information. The reference page is known as the 'Works Cited.' This page is where the author gives credit to the source. Things that are placed within a citation include alphabetical order of the author's last name, the title of the article, and the publication date.

  • Follow this format exactly: Author(s)-> 'Title of Article.' ->Title of Journal Volume.->Issue (Year): pages
  • Electronic Sources. For electronic sources, utilize the inventor's name, page number, or area number for in-substance references. This is only if the information does not have page or section numbers by any method. By then, you would include the author's name in the section after you have referred to the recorded information.

If you need help from a custom essay service , address our professionals.

Guide on How to Cite a Research Paper

Research Paper MLA Format Example

The human memory remains an interesting research subject for psychologists. Typically, human beings live in the present. However, the past constitutes an integral component of life, and this makes the memory a fundamental element in daily operations. According to Zimmerman and Kelley (2010)...

Also, for a better understanding in essay writing formats, we recommend that you read about the APA essay format and the difference between APA and MLA .

Extra Academic Assistance

Crafting an MLA citation in a research paper is a time-consuming endeavor. All these minor and bothersome regulations can be disheartening for a student. We have invested a lot of effort in familiarizing ourselves with different formatting styles, and we have a thorough understanding of each one. It can often be simpler to shell out a nominal cost for a professionally made sample research paper in MLA style instead of having to do it yourself. Feel free to leave it to our essay writing company . Just send us your request, and we will solve your formatting problems swiftly and efficiently!

Need Help in Formatting Your Paper?

Hire our professional research paper writers to get a task of high quality!

FAQs on MLA Format Citation in Research Paper

We realize that mastering MLA citation may require more knowledge than the information given above can supply. Therefore, we've compiled some additional details below to provide you with a deeper understanding of how to cite a research paper MLA.

What is the Basic MLA Format in a Research Paper?

Can i give my opinion in a mla research paper, how to format a title of a book in a research paper mla, related articles.

Vancouver Style Citation Ultimate Handbook

Quetext

How To Cite a Research Paper: MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

  • Posted on January 25, 2022

When you’re writing a research paper, you’ll use a variety of sources to find information. You might find that you end up using other people’s research papers as sources of information for your own work. You need to know how to cite a research paper properly.

Using text citations tells readers where you got your information, and help build a sense of trust, allowing the reader to feel confident that you haven’t falsified the information. You have to prove that you’ve done the research and found data to back up the claims you’re making.

Writing a paper without giving credit to people whose work you’re using is plagiarism. Unless you’re citing a direct quote you want to change the language enough, by putting the quote in your own words, so it sounds like original content. Quetext’s plagiarism checker  helps you search for similar content across the web so you can turn in a completely original paper.

Whether you’re submitting a research paper to school or for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, you’re required to cite your sources. Editors often reread the work of writers and researchers to ensure the information is factual. A teacher or professor will definitely check that your sources are accurate, so using tools like Quetext will help avoid unintentional plagiarism errors or wrongfully cited information.

Why Text Citations are Important

If you don’t have sources to back up your research, others might accuse you of spreading false information or plagiarism. Any journal publishing papers should verify what they’re printing, but ultimately, as the author, the buck stops with you.

In general, it’s a kindness to cite your sources. The people who created them did a lot of work, so it’s wrong to claim ownership of their ideas and information. But it’s also an ethical issue that can have major repercussions.

There have been cases where researchers  make up information  or falsify their sources and must face the consequences. People depend on factual information and don’t react well when they realize you lied to them or falsely paraphrase information.

That’s why it’s common knowledge to write a well-researched paper with text citations. If anyone claims your information is incorrect, you can point them to the source where you found the data. This doesn’t guarantee that the information you cited is correct, but you’ll be able to provide readers with a source of where you gathered your information.

When you’re citing other people’s research papers, make sure the source is legitimate. You should only use peer-reviewed journals so you know the article has gone through edits and fact-checking. Something identified as a research paper that is only on a blog or message board isn’t always a reliable source.

Many students like to use  Wikipedia  because there’s so much information available from one source. However, Wikipedia allows users to edit the information. What you read in a specific entry might not be true. It’s best to scroll down to the works cited and go to the original source yourself. If you can’t find a reliable, original source for the information, you shouldn’t use it.

Using the Various Citation Styles

The information used in any citation is basically the same across each style guide. The formatting and order of some elements may vary, so it’s important to know the difference between Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Styles.

The style you use depends on what type of writing you’re doing. All will use these basic elements in some form or another:

Source name

Volume and edition

Publication date

Page numbers

Publisher name

City and country of the publisher

URL and DOI for web pages and digital sources

The date you accessed the material

In addition to a reference list at the end of your work, you’ll also use in-text citations. Whenever you reference an idea or data that isn’t yours, you cite it. Each style has different types of in-text citations as well. Read on to find out about each citation format.

You’ll likely use the  MLA citation guide  if you’re writing papers in the humanities, such as for language arts, literary criticism, cultural studies, and more. The current edition of the MLA Handbook is the ninth because the style constantly evolves. As new technology creates new potential sources, MLA adds information to help students and researchers cite everything correctly.

The MLA Handbook has instructions on how to cite song lyrics, social media posts, and digital images, along with all of the standard research outlets. The book also gives detailed information on how to cite a research paper.

The MLA Handbook includes information about how to format your reference page. Use a 12-pt standard font like Times New Roman, so the text in italics is clearly different from the regular font. Center the title, Works Cited, at the top of the page. Your last name and page number are in the top right corner, and the reference page always comes at the end of your document.

Alphabetize citations according to the last name of the author. Left-align the citations and double-space them with no extra lines between each entry. When a citation goes beyond a single line, use a hanging indent to format it correctly. This lets the reader know it’s still the same citation continuing on.

Now that you know the basic format for the Works Cited page read on to find out how to cite a research paper for inclusion on this list.

Citing a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re citing a research paper in MLA style, you start with the author’s full name, putting the last name of the author first, followed by the title of the research paper in quotation marks. Next comes the the title of the journal that published the paper in italics, followed by the volume number, issue number, and date of publication.

You’ll also include the page number since the paper is in a journal with many pages. If you found the source online, include the digital object identifier or DOI. The DOI is a way to give a document a permanent web address so people reading your work can easily find the source.

MLA format also asks you to include the date you accessed online materials. Doing so gives your reader more information about when you read the research if it changed since that date. Here is an example of a research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal, vol 3, no. 4, 2020, pp. 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34. Accessed 13 March 2021.

If the work wasn’t published online, you could stop your citation after the page numbers.

Sometimes you might find research papers that aren’t published in a scholarly journal. You can still use those in your work, but the MLA citation will look different. You’ll still put the last name of the author first, but instead of putting the title of the research paper in quotation marks, you’ll put it in italics.

Here is an example of an unpublished research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. My Research Paper. 2020, http://websiteused.com . Accessed 13 March 2021.

These two examples show you how to document the source on your Works Cited page. In-text citations look different.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re working with the MLA format, an in-text reference requires a parenthetical citation.

If you refer to someone else’s research in a sentence, either with a direct quote or by paraphrasing, you need to give that author credit. At the end of the sentence where you use the information, you’ll put the author’s information in parenthesis and then put the sentence’s ending punctuation.

You use the author’s last name and the page number where you found the information for in-text citations. Then anyone reading your work can go to your Works Cited page, find the entry by the author’s last name, and access the document themselves. The page number directs them to where you got the specific information, so they don’t have to read the whole paper to find it. Here is an example of an in-text citation in MLA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage ended up in the ocean (Writer, 8).

You might mention the author’s name in your sentence. In that case, the parenthetical citation only needs to have the page numbers for reference. Here is an example:

According to Maria Writer, over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (8).

Researchers in the social science field, like sociology, anthropology, and psychology, use the  APA style  in their work. Like the MLA Handbook, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has gone through changes over the years. It’s currently on the 7th edition.

In addition to helping you understand how to cite research, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has information about how to format your paper to include tables, figures, and headings that often accompany scientific journal articles.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association also tells you how to format your reference page. In MLA style, this is the Works Cited page. For APA style, it’s either the Reference List or Reference Page.

This page uses the same font style as the rest of the paper but starts on its own page with a number in the top right corner. The title of the page is bold and centered at the top and should simply read “References.”

List citations in alphabetical order by author’s last name regardless of the type of source. Each citation is double-spaced and has a hanging indent if it goes beyond one line.

Now that you understand how to properly format your APA reference page, learn how to cite a research paper to include on the list.

Citing a Research Paper in APA Style

When you use a research paper in your work, you need to include it on your APA references page at the end of your document.

An APA citation includes the same information as the MLA format but in a different order. The citation starts with the author’s last name but only uses their first initial. Then comes the year of publication in parenthesis.

The paper’s title follows, then the title of the journal in italics. You also include the journal volume, issue number, and page numbers. As with MLA citations, include a DOI if you found the research paper online. Here is an example of a published research paper cited in APA format:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper. Research Journal, 3(4), 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34

If the paper isn’t published in a journal, you can still use it in your work with a proper citation. Here is an example:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper [PDF]. Retrieved from http://websiteused.com

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in APA Style

In-text citations in the APA format differ from MLA style. You still put it in parenthesis, but you include different information. For APA parentheticals, include the author’s last name and the paper’s year of publication. This method applies when you’re summarizing or paraphrasing the author’s idea. Here is an example of an in-text citation for a research paper in APA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (Writer, 2020).

If you’re using a direct quote from the work you need to include the page number so the reader can find the quotation. Here is an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, p. 8).

Chicago Style

Chicago Style  got its name from the University of Chicago, where the style originated. Writers use this format for works in the field of history, but you can also use it for the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

MLA style has a Works Cited page, APA has References, and Chicago Style differs because it includes a Bibliography. The page comes at the end of your work with a page number in the top right corner. The title, “Bibliography,” is bold and centered at the top.

You will single-space your citations, but you’ll add an extra line between each entry. As with the other reference pages, you’ll left-align the work and use a hanging indent when a citation continues onto a second line.

Having an overview of how to format the bibliography will help you understand the citation styles for a research paper.

Citing a Research Paper in Chicago Style

Citations in Chicago Style are a mix of MLA and APA formats. It’s easiest to follow this template:

Writer, Maria. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

As with other styles, you can reference an unpublished research paper as a document. Here is an example:

Writer, Maria. 2020. My Research Paper. PDF. http://websiteused.com .

In both instances, if there are multiple authors for a paper, list the rest of the authors in normal format. For example:

Author, Alan, Stanley Sample, and Maria Writer. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in Chicago Style

An in-text citation in Chicago Style is much simpler than both MLA and APA formats. You only need to include the last name of the author and year of publication in parenthesis with no comma in between them. For example:

Almost 80% of the city’s garbage goes into the ocean (Writer 2020).

You’ll include the page number for specificity if you’re quoting the author. Here’s an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, 8).

You can also use endnotes in Chicago Style. A citation refers the reader to your source, but an endnote includes a bit of an explanation of why you used it. The information included in an endnote would disrupt the flow of your paper, but it’s still something you want the reader to know.

Make Text Citations Easy

Knowing when you need to cite a source helps you manage your research. Anytime you find information that you’re going to paraphrase, summarize, or quote in your work, you need to cite the source. The full citation will go on your reference page, but you’ll need an in-text citation where you use the information in your paper.

When you’re stating something that is  common knowledge , there’s no need to make a citation. Common knowledge is something that your reader would believe without needing proof. You can check if something is common knowledge by searching for it and finding it mentioned, without a citation, in at least five sources.

Once you learn the basics about citing a research paper in MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles, you’ll feel more confident in your work. The important thing is to pay attention to small details, like capitalization, italics and the use of abbreviations. But there’s no need to do it all on your own—Quetext has a  citation assistant  waiting to help. Give Quetext citation generator a try on your next project.

Sign Up for Quetext Today!

Click below to find a pricing plan that fits your needs.

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

You May Also Like

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

The Crucial Role of Grammar and Spell Check in Student Assignments

  • Posted on February 23, 2024 February 23, 2024

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Revolutionizing Education: The Role of AI Detection in Academic Integrity

  • Posted on February 15, 2024

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

How Reliable are AI Content Detectors? Which is Most Reliable?

  • Posted on February 8, 2024 February 8, 2024

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

What Is an Article Spinner?

  • Posted on February 2, 2024 February 2, 2024

Woman writing in her notebook near computer

Recognizing & Avoiding Plagiarism in Your Research Paper

  • Posted on January 26, 2024 January 26, 2024

Close up of a person's hand writing a letter with an ink pen.

How to Cite a Letter: APA, MLA, and Chicago Style

  • Posted on January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Is Using AI Content Plagiarism?

  • Posted on January 10, 2024 January 10, 2024

Image of CD resting on top of a stack of newspapers.

Famous Plagiarism Cases (And How They Could’ve Been Avoided)

  • Posted on January 5, 2024 January 5, 2024

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

In-text citation

  • Works Cited
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Audiovisual
  • Encyclopaedias and dictionaries
  • Government and organisation publications
  • Interviews / speeches
  • Journals / periodicals
  • Live performances
  • Music scores / recordings
  • Online communication / social media
  • Other sources
  • Print this page
  • Other styles AGLC4 APA 7th Chicago 17th (A) Notes Chicago 17th (B) Author-Date Harvard MLA 9th Vancouver
  • Referencing home

The MLA 9th style uses author-date in-text citations, used when quoting or paraphrasing people’s work. 

Two types of in-text citations

1. author prominent format .

Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," wrote Charles Dickens of the eighteenth century (5).

2. Information prominent format

Use this format if you want to emphasise the information. It cites the author’s name, typically at the end of a sentence.

as demonstrated in the opening line, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" (Dickens 5).

Examples of in-text citations

Less than three lines of text.

If a prose quotation is no more than four lines and does not require special emphasis, put it in quotation marks and incorporate it into the text. Include the page number(s) in brackets.

"It was the best of times it was the worst of times" wrote Charles Dickens of the eighteenth century (5).

  • See Plays and Poetry sections below for how to cite these in-text.

More than three lines of text

If a quotation is longer than three lines, set it off from your text by beginning a new line, indenting half an inch from the left margin. Quotation marks around the text are not required. Introduce the quotation with a colon. Place the parenthetical reference after the last line. For example, the above discusses John Corner in his book, The Art of Record: A Critical Introduction to Documentary , which refers to Brian Winston's revaluation of the documentary tradition in the writings of John Grierson.

Winston's reassessment of Grierson finds the play-off between creativity and realness unconvincing: Grierson's taxonomic triumph was to make his particular species of non-fiction film, the non-fiction genre while at the same time allowing the films to use the significant fictionalising technique of dramatisation. (Winston 103)

This is a usefully provocative point, though agreement with it will largely rest on certain, contestable ideas about 'fictionalisation' and 'dramatisation'. The issue is dealt with directly in Chapter Two, as part of considering the debate around drama-documentary forms, and it occurs in relation to specific works throughout this book.

Two authors

In prose, the first time the two authors are mentioned, use both first and second names. In a parenthetical citation use 'and', not '&' to connect the two surnames.

Others, like Cheryl Brown and Laura Czerniewicz argue that the idea of a generation of ‘digital natives’ is flawed (359). The Brown and Czerniewicz article focuses on…

(Brown and Czerniewicz 359)

Three or more authors

When citing a source with three or more authors in prose you only refer to the first coauthor and can follow the additional authors by “and others“ or “and colleagues.” A parenthetical citation requires the first author's surname, followed by et al.

Laura Czerniewicz and colleagues argue…

(Czerniewicz et al. 53)

Different authors, same surname

If you use works from more than one author with the same last name, eliminate any ambiguity by including the author's first initial as well (or if the initial is also the same, the full first name).

(N. Palmer 45)

(N. Palmer 45; M. Palmer 102)

Citing more than one author

If you are citing more than one source at the same point, place them in the same parentheses, separated by a semi-colon.

(Jackson 41; Smith 150)

Same author, two or more works

If you cite multiple works by the same author, include a shortened title in each in-text citation to establish which work you are referring to. To avoid overly lengthy in-text citations, shorten the title to a simple noun phrase, or a few words.

The first example references Said's book, so the title is italicised. The second example references Said's journal article, so it is in quotation marks.

For more tips on how to abbreviate titles of sources, see 6.10 of the MLA Handbook .

..."the Orient was a scholar's word, signifying what modern Europe had recently made of the still peculiar East" (Said, Orientalism 92).

..."there is something basically unworkable or at least drastically changed about the traditional frameworks in which we study literature" (Said, "Globalizing Literary Study" 64).

Anonymous or no author

For works that are anonymously authored, or have no author, include a shortened version of the title in the in-text citation (do not list the author as "anonymous", nor as "anon.").

It has been argued that the hat symbolised freedom (Wandering Merchant 157).

Corporate author

Abbreviate terms that are commonly abbreviated (e.g. Department becomes Dept.), so as to not disrupt the flow of your text with overly long in-text citations.

If the corporate author is identified in the works-cited list by the names of administrative units separated by commas, give all the names in the parenthetical citation.

The Australian Research Council found that there are limited policies and procedures in place to manage foreign interference (4).

(Monash University 176)

Citing an author within another source

An indirect source is a source that is cited in another source. To quote this second-hand source, use “qtd. in” (quoted in), and then include the information of the source you actually consulted. Similarly, for the reference list use the source that you actually consulted (i.e. the indirect source). Keep in mind that it is good academic practice to seek out and use the original source, rather than the second-hand one, however this is not always possible.

For the below example, the student is using Petrarch's quote which is found in Hui. The page number refers to the source actually consulted (Hui), and the reference list would only list Hui, as shown below:

Hui, Andrew. The Poetics of Ruins in Renaissance Literature. Fordham UP, 2016.

For more information, see section 6.77 of the MLA Handbook .

Petrarch laments that Cicero’s manuscripts are “in such fragmentary and mutilated condition that it would perhaps have been better for them to have perished” (qtd. in Hui 4).

Author in a translation

If you think your audience would require a translation for your quoted material, then provide one. Give the source of the translation, as well as the source of the quote.

If you did the translation yourself, then insert my trans. where you would usually put the translation source, as shown in the example above.

If you're quoting in a language that does not use the Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, etc.), then consistently use the original writing system for your quotes or romanisation. Note that proper nouns are usually romanised.

For more information, see 6.75 Translations of Quotations in the MLA Style Guide .

Mme d'Aulnoy's heroine is "la chatte blanche" ("the white cat"; my trans.; 56)

Poetry - Short quotations

Quotations from poetry from part of a line up to three lines in length, which do not need particular emphasis, may be added, placed in quotation marks, within your text as part of a sentence. Use a slash with a space on either side ( / ) to indicate a new line of poetry.

If the poem you are referencing has line numbers, then omit page numbers all-together and cite by line number instead. Do not use the abbreviation l. or ll. , but instead in your first citation, use the word line, or lines as shown in the example below. After the first citation, it can be assumed that the numbers refer to lines, so you can include the numbers alone.

More's distress that she had not written about the problems of the slave trade earlier are expressed in the poem: "Whene'er to Afric's shores I turn my eyes, / Horrors of deepest, deadliest guilt arise" (line 5).

Poetry - Block quotations

When quoting a block of poetry, introduce it in the same manner as a prose block quotation, i.e. begin the quote on a new line and indent each line as below. There is no need to add quotation marks. A reference to the page or line number should be included in parenthesis at the end of the last line. If the original text is creatively spaced or indented, then try to replicate the original as best you can.

Judith Wright 's poetry explores the Australian environment:

And have we eaten in the heart of the yellow wheat the sullen unforgetting seed of fire? And now, set free by the climate of man's hate, that seed sets time ablaze (14)

If you quote the lines of more than one actor or if the piece you are quoting is long, the quotation should not be integrated into your text. The rules in MLA for presenting this text are:

  • Leave a line between your text and the quotation
  • Begin each part of the dialogue with the character's name, indented half an inch from the margin, in upper case and with a full-stop, e.g. BODYGUARDS.
  • Start dialogue after full-stop or match spacing shown in original source
  • Indent all dialogue an additional amount, as shown below
  • End each piece of dialogue with a full-stop
  • End the last line of the quotation with a full-stop and then add the section and line numbers in parentheses.

For more information, see section 6.40 of the MLA 9th Handbook .

TARTUFFE. Yes, my brother, I am a sinner, a guilty man. An unhappy sinner full of iniquity. (III. vi.)

In-text citation general checklist

  • << Previous: Getting started
  • Next: Works Cited >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 11:03 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.monash.edu/mla9
  • PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EDIT Edit this Article
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • This Or That Game New
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Education and Communications
  • College University and Postgraduate
  • Academic Writing
  • MLA Style Manual

How to Cite Sources in MLA Format

Last Updated: March 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 260,021 times.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has its own guidelines for citing sources, and you may be required to use them by your instructor or field. The standards are laid out in the MLA Handbook . The MLA's guidelines are frequently updated, however, and keeping track of the details can be a handful. The eighth edition (2016) is the latest version, designed to more intuitively deal with both traditional print and electronic media with the concepts of “sources” and "containers."

Template and Examples of MLA Citations

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Including In-Text Citations

Step 1 Place the author’s name and the page number in parentheses.

  • For example, if you are quoting from page 28 of John Francis’ book Planetwalker , you would reference this as (Francis 28).
  • If the work has multiple authors, list them. For example: (Ohlin and Upson 127)
  • If the source has more than three authors, just use the first one and the abbreviation “et al.”: (Ohlin et al. 127)

Step 2 Include the most relevant information for non-print sources.

  • If you are citing an article by Frank Miller from CNN.com called “Midnight in Gotham City” that does not have page numbers, your parenthetical citation can be simply (Miller).
  • Since page numbers for ebooks will vary from device to device, include the chapter number or other section heading instead, if possible: (Miller ch. 2).

Step 3 Place the parenthetical citation at the end of the line of text.

  • If you are including a long, indented block quote, however, place the parenthetical citation after the final period.

Step 4 Alter the basic format if necessary.

  • (“Report on International Banking Regulations”), for a website with this title but no listed author or page numbers.
  • (Franken “Wake Up!” 99) and (Franken “Dawn in America” 87), if you are citing two works by Franken.

Step 5 Use a limited citation if your text contains signal words.

  • For instance, you may have a sentence that looks something like: “Jasmine Whitaker discusses the concept of ‘hyperspeed reading’ in her second book, Read ‘til You Drop (45).”

Step 6 Keep track of consecutive citations.

  • ”The concept of ‘hyperspeed reading’ describes a method for reading far more quickly than normal (Whitaker 45). It asks that readers ‘guess what a text will say before they actually read each line’ (47). Other scholars doubt that readers can make substantial use of this technique, citing concerns like ‘the lack of attention given to things one hasn’t seen yet’ (Jackson 128).”

Step 7 Check the MLA style guide if you are doing more advanced research.

  • The MLA Handbook contains official guidelines on more specialized citation needs.
  • If you are a student, check with your teacher about what kind of citation requirements you may need to follow.

Creating Works Cited Entries

Step 1 Gather the information that identifies each source.

  • Publication date
  • Location (where you found the source)

A wikiHow reader asked: "How do you set up an MLA works cited page?"

Christopher Taylor, PhD

Christopher Taylor, PhD

Christopher Taylor, English professor, advises: "Start by typing "Works Cited" and centering it at the top of a blank page. Then include all of your bibliographic citations in alphabetical order, indenting every line after the first line for each bibliographic entry."

Step 2 Put the author and title of the source first.

  • Generally, the titles of things like songs, poems, and articles are given in quotation marks. Books, films, television series and other large works are italicized.
  • If a work has multiple authors, list them in the same order they are given in the source. Put only the first author in last name, first name order.

Step 3 Indicate if the source is located in a “container.”

  • An article in a journal title (follow the article title in quotation marks with the journal title in italics: Jacobus, Francis. "Early American Pottery Designs." American Historical Review. )
  • A website hosting an article (follow the article title in quotation marks with the brief web address in italics: Miller, Frank. "Gotham City at Night." CNN.com. )
  • A poem in a poetry collection (list the title of the collection in italics after the title of the poem in quotation marks: Yeats, William Butler. "Sailing to Byzantium." Twentieth Century Poetry. )
  • A television series (list the television series in italics after the episode title in quotation marks: "Hush." Buffy the Vampire Slayer. )

Step 4 List other contributors, if applicable.

  • For example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Translated by Constance Garnett.

Step 5 Provide the edition, version, volume, and number information, if present.

  • For example: Jacobus, Francis. "Early American Pottery Designs." American Historical Review. Vol. 6, no. 2.

Step 6 Identify the publisher and date.

  • For some media, like books or journal articles, the publication date may be given as a year. For example: Francis, John. Planetwalker. National Geographic Society, 2005.
  • For others, like newspaper articles, the full date is provided in date/month/year format. For example: Frankl, Jo. “Killer Bees are on the Rise.” Dallas Times . 14 June 2017.

Step 7 List location information.

  • The MLA now recommends including URLs for internet sources. If you are a student, your teacher may or may not ask for these.
  • You can include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) instead of a URL, if one is provided.
  • For example: Jacobus, Francis. "Early American Pottery Designs." American Historical Review. Vol. 6, no. 2, 2016. DOI: 10.1326/history.1064107

Step 8 Indicate whether the source has a second container.

  • For example: Jacobus, Francis. "Early American Pottery Designs." American Historical Review. Vol. 6, no. 2, 2016. JSTOR. DOI: 10.1326/history.1064107

Step 9 Format your works cited page.

Expert Q&A

Christopher Taylor, PhD

  • Always check with your teacher, publisher, scholarly organization, or other authority about which precise details they would like included in citations, and to see if they have any special guidelines you should follow. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

You Might Also Like

Cite the WHO in APA

  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
  • ↑ MLA Handbook. Eighth Edition. The Modern Language Association of America, 2016.
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
  • ↑ https://library.nic.bc.ca/c.php?g=705605&p=5032741
  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_basic_format.html
  • ↑ https://libguides.southernct.edu/mla/core/other
  • ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-geneseo-guidetowriting/chapter/mla-works-cited-page-formatting/
  • ↑ https://otis.libguides.com/mla_citations/websites
  • ↑ https://library.nwacc.edu/mla/container2

About This Article

Christopher Taylor, PhD

To cite sources in the Modern Language Association format, you’ll need to include a brief in-text citation whenever you quote another work. You only need to include the author’s last name and the page number of the text in brackets. Put this at the end of your sentence. At the end of your essay, you’ll also need to include a “Works Cited” page. Here you should include the author’s last name, then first named, followed by the title of the work. If it’s a book, film, or other long-form work, italicize the title. Or, if it’s a song, poem, article, or short story contained within a larger work, put the title in quotation marks, followed by the book, album, or journal in italics. After that, write the edition number, publisher, date of publication, then page numbers. List your citations alphabetically by the authors’ last names. For more tips from our Teaching co-author, including how to cite texts written by multiple authors in MLA format, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

  • Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Anonymous

Mar 4, 2017

Did this article help you?

Anonymous

Featured Articles

Make a Balsamic Reduction

Trending Articles

How to Take the Perfect Thirst Trap

Watch Articles

Wrap a Round Gift

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

institution logo

ERH 102: Writing and Rhetoric, Lt. Col. Ticen

  • Your Assignment - Briefly
  • Find Newspapers
  • Find Books & Articles
  • Cite Your Sources MLA Style
  • Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to Borrow What VMI Doesn't Own This link opens in a new window

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

Citation and the lack thereof, plagiarism is the academic version of copyright. Plagiarism occurs when you borrow another's words (or ideas) and do not acknowledge that you have done so. In this culture, we consider our words and ideas intellectual property; like a car or any other possession, we believe our words belong to us and cannot be used without our permission. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper.

You must cite:

  • Facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge
  • Ideas, words, theories, or exact language that another person used in other publications
  • Publications that must be cited include:  books, book chapters, articles, web pages, theses, etc.
  • Another person's exact words should be quoted and cited to show proper credit 

When in doubt, be safe and cite your source!

About MLA Style

MLA (Modern Language Association) citation style is primarily used in modern languages, cultural and humanities disciplines.

The most current edition (9th) of the MLA Handbook was published in 2021.

Cover Art

  • MLA Handbook This link opens in a new window Provides the fulltext for the most current edition of the MLA (Modern Language Assocation) Handbook and the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy. The MLA Handbook is the official, authoritative source to use for formatting papers and creating citations in correct MLA format.
  • MLA Formatting and Style Guide : Purdue OWL Includes examples of in-text citations, sample papers, and guidelines for creating bibliographies/Works Cited pages.
  • << Previous: Find Books & Articles
  • Next: Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to Borrow What VMI Doesn't Own >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 21, 2024 7:48 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.vmi.edu/ERH102-Ticen-cg

Banner

COMP110: Laura Sass-Germain: Citation Format: MLA

  • Essay #4: Technology
  • Library Catalog
  • Databases/eBooks
  • Citation Format: MLA

Why It is Important to Cite Sources

Citing your sources  means telling where you got particular ideas or bits of information that did not originate in your own head; sometimes called  giving credit, attributing, or referencing.

A Works Cited page (MLA format) must be included with a research paper/project. Academic standards require all writers to acknowledge the authors whose work they use when preparing papers and reports. As you research, you should build on the work of previous writers and researchers. Whenever you draw on another's work, you must document your source by indicating what you borrowed--whether facts, opinions, quotations or information and ideas. You MUST indicate the source of the appropriated material so that readers do not mistake them for your own.

Citation or documentation is NOT needed when:

  • General information and ideas are broadly known by readers and accepted by scholars (ex. b asic  biography of an author or the dates of an historical event)
  • Proverbs, sayings, and clichés are seldom documented by scholars

DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM:

Derived from the Latin word  plagiarius  ("kidnapper"), to  plagiarize  means "to commit literary theft" and to "present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source ( Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary , 11th ed., 2003) If you have any doubt, cite your sources to avoid committing plagiarism.

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

ADDITIONAL HELP

  • BCCC Academic Success Center MLA Documentation Guide
  • Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab):  MLA Formatting and Style Guide

Sample Works Cited

  • Works Cited

Reference Librarian

Profile Photo

Embedded Librarian

COMP110 Brian Johnstone [email protected] 215.504.8554 Library 122

  • << Previous: Databases/eBooks
  • Next: Help >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 12:51 PM
  • URL: https://bucks.libguides.com/sass-germain

Dallas College Library Research Guides

Automotive Technology

  • Books (Catalog)
  • Articles (Databases)
  • Web Resources
  • How to Research
  • Citation Help

Citation Formats

What Are Citation Formats?

Citation formats are rules and guidelines that make writing styles uniform within a specific work or publication. They cover the following:

  • Layout of paper. Includes   margins, spaces between lines, font size, etc.
  • Full documentation of source used. Added to end-of-paper list named Works Cited for MLA and References for APA.
  • In-Text documentation of sources. Small part of full documentation that goes near used information.

There are many citation formats. Some of the more commonly used ones are MLA format, APA format and Chicago format.

Why Cite Sources?

There are several reasons why you would want to cite your sources:

  • Lend authority  and  credibility to your work
  • Allow readers (including your instructor) to cross‐reference sources easily
  • Provide consistent format
  • Acknowledge academic debts and avoid plagiarism

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is giving the impression that you wrote or thought something that you borrowed from someone else.

  • Even accidental plagiarism can lead to failing your class or being expelled .
  • Plagiarism in your professional career can result in being sued, fired, and publicly embarrassed.

How Can You Avoid Plagiarism ? Cite your sources using a citation format.

What Must Be Cited?

  • Directly Quoted Information – Info straight from a source, which goes in quotation marks
  • Paraphrased Information – Ideas from source but phrasing changed to your words
  • Summarized Information – Ideas from large passage of source condensed using your words
  • Factual Information – Factual information that is NOT common knowledge

Material is probably common knowledge if:

  • Same info is undocumented in at least five other sources
  • Your readers probably already know the info
  • Facts found in many places and likely known by a lot of people

From: The Online Writing Lab. Purdue University

Frequently Used Formats

  • MLA Format – Created by the Modern Language Association. Used for research papers in many college and academic classes, including English classes.
  • APA Format – Created by the American Psychological Association.
  • Chicago Format – Published by the University of Chicago Press in The Chicago Manual of Style.
  • AMA Format  – Made by the American Medical Association for writing medical research.

How do you know which format to use? Your instructor will let you know the required format for your class and assignments.

Opens in New Window

Citation Management Tools

Citation management tools can help you create citations in various formats. Click on the link below for more information about the citation management tool available through the library.

Requires Account Setup

  • << Previous: How to Research
  • Next: Ask Us >>
  •  Report an Online Accessibility Issue
  • Report a Problem
  • URL: https://libguides.dcccd.edu/automotivetechnology
  • Last Updated: Feb 21, 2024 8:46 AM
  • Login to LibApps
  • Search this Guide Search

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Journal Article Citation

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

This page is a how-to guide for using scholarly journals as sources and citing them correctly in your papers. Academic journals publish scholarly, peer-reviewed articles written by experts in a specific field. This guide will help you understand what journals are and why they are valuable for your research.

Quickly cite a journal article by using our online form here .

Citing a journal article in mla:, the importance of peer-reviewed academic journals, how journals are organized, where to find journal articles.

  • In-text citations
  • Works cited references
  • Citation with one author
  • Citation with two authors
  • Citation with three or more authors
  • Citation with no known author
  • Citation Structures and Examples: Web
  • Citation Structures and Examples: Print

Our guide will show you how to cite the journal article both in the text and in the Works Cited page following the guidelines of the Modern Language Association Handbook, 9th Edition.

What is an Academic Journal?

Academic or scholarly journals are periodicals published by universities and other research organizations to present the findings of original research conducted in a particular field. These journals contain highly specific knowledge and are written by experts in that field.

Journals are different from other periodicals such as newspapers or magazines, which cover a broad range of topics and are written in easy to read prose.

Because  journals are written by experts for other experts, they can be difficult to read. The writers often use jargon and other complex language that students may not understand. But that doesn’t mean you should not use journals in your research. Journals are where the most recent research is published and provide in-depth information on a topic.

Tip : Reading the abstract and the conclusion first may help you to understand the article as you read.

Journals are good sources for academic research not only because they are written by experts, but because most (but not all) are also reviewed by other experts before the article is published.

Journals that are peer-reviewed have a board of experts in the field that review articles submitted to the journal. The peer reviewers scrutinize every article closely to validate its findings and ensure that the research was done properly. The process of peer review gives credibility to the journal because it means that every article published has been approved by other experts in the field.

Academic journals are organized in volumes and issues.

  • Volume: The volume is all of the editions of the journal published in a calendar year.
  • Issue(s):   The issues are all the specific editions of the journal published in that year.
Tip : Journals frequently publish issues around a certain theme, so all of the articles in that issue will relate to a certain topic. This means that there may be other articles in a particular issue that you can use for your research. It pays to check the table of contents for the issue when you find an article that fits your needs.

You will need to include the volume and the issue numbers, and the page numbers in your citations so make sure to write those down when you take notes from a journal.

When you are doing scholarly research, you can’t use popular search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. These will lead you to popular sources that may not work for a school paper. You need to search for information using an academic database which will lead you to scholarly articles.

Databases are organized computer-based collections of data that allow researchers to find a large number of articles quickly and easily.

Examples of popular general academic databases include:

  • Academic Search Premier
  • Google Scholar

Examples of popular academic databases focused on specific subjects:

  • MEDLINE, PubMed Central — focus on biomedical and life sciences
  • Lexis Web — focus on legal information
  • Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) — focus on education

Many of these databases charge fees for use. The good news? Many can be accessed through a school or university library. Check your library’s website to see what databases it subscribes to and how you can access them.

Using a Journal Article in a Paper

You can use information from your research in three ways:

  • Paraphrase: Take the information from a specific paragraph or section of the article and rewrite it in your own words.
  • Summarize: Write a broad overview of the section or the article in your own words.
  • Quote: Repeat the exact words used by the author using quotation marks.

Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information in your paper, you need to follow that information with an in-text citation and create a corresponding reference for the source (in the Works Cited).

Journal Article In-text Citations

Citations within your text are important. Each in-text citation:

  • Alerts your reader that you are using information from an outside source.
  • Usually appears in parentheses at the end of a sentence.
  • Is short and only has enough information to help the reader find the complete reference listed in the Works Cited page at the end of the paper.

A MLA style in-text citation has two parts (MLA Handbook 227-228):

  • If there is no author listed, include a shortened version of the title
  • While many online sources do not have a page number, academic journals almost always do, even when they are available online.

In most cases, the in-text citation is at the end of the sentence in parentheses. If you use the author’s name in the text, you don’t have to repeat it in the parenthesis at the end. Do not separate the author’s name and the page number with a comma. See below for examples.

Works Cited References for Journal Articles

A Works Cited page is included at the end of your paper. It lists full references/citations for all of the sources mentioned in your paper via your in-text citations.

MLA Containers

In the 9th edition of the official Handbook, MLA includes a new term for citing references, which was first introduced in the 8th edition — containers (134). Periodicals like journals are considered “containers” because they contain the articles that are part of a larger whole.

The container holds the source article and is crucial in identifying the source. The title of the first container, the journal name, is printed in italics and follows the article name. When accessing journals through a database, the database is considered the second container. This title is also printed in italics.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Another feature in citing sources is the DOI (Handbook 188) . DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier, which is used to permanently identify an article or document and link to it on the web.

Although a website or database may change names, the DOI will not change and will help your readers locate the document from your citation. Whenever possible, list the DOI in place of the URL. When you have a DOI, you do not need to give the URL of the website. Indicate that a reference is a DOI by adding “https://doi.org/” before the DOI number of your source.

Another way to identify an online location is with a permalink. Permalinks are URLs that are identified as a stable link that the publisher promises not to change.

For journal references, the following elements need to be included in your Work(s) Cited entries: 

  • The name of the author or authors. Since journal articles often have more than one author, it is helpful to know when to use et al. in MLA .
  • Title of article
  • Title of journal (the container)
  • Volume and issue number
  • Date of publication
  • Page numbers
  • Database (the 2nd container)
  • DOI, permalink, or URL
  • Date of access (supplemental, but should be included if the information has no publication date listed)

Citing a Journal Article in MLA (found in databases)

The following are examples of how to cite a journal in MLA 9, both in text and as a full reference in the Works Cited. These were all found via a database.

Note that “Date Accessed” is the day that the journal article was found and read. This information is supplemental and does not always need to be included.

Journal Article Citation With One Author

Cite your source

Journal Article Citation With Two Authors

*Note:  When a source has multiple authors, you should always list them in your citation in the same order they are listed in the source.

Journal Article Citation With Three or More Authors

Journal article citation with no known author, citing a journal article in mla (print).

Citing a journal from a print source requires less information than an online source. For a print source, you need the following information:

  • The name of the author or authors for articles with one or two authors. For articles with three or more authors, only the first author’s name is used followed by et al.
  • The name of the article in quotation marks
  • The name of the journal in italics
  • The volume and issue numbers of the journal
  • The year of publication
  • The page number(s)

View Screenshot | Cite your source

Citing an Online Journal Article (not found using a database)

Some journal articles are accessible online without the use of a database. Citing an online journal article not found in a database requires that you cite the website that you used to access the article as the second container. Do not include the https:// in the web address.

*Note : Since journals are usually stable and credible sources, including an access date is supplemental and not required (“When Should I Include an Access Date for an Online Work”).

  • Works Cited

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.  

“When should I include an access date for an online work?” MLA Style Center , Modern Language Association, 29 Dec. 2016, style.mla.org/access-dates/.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated June 6, 2021.

Written by Catherine Sigler. Catherine has a Ph.D. in English Education and has taught college-level writing for 15 years.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Sample Paper
  • MLA 8 Updates
  • MLA 9 Updates
  • View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all MLA Examples

citing journal article in print

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

It’s 100% free to create MLA citations. The EasyBib Citation Generator also supports 7,000+ other citation styles. These other styles—including APA, Chicago, and Harvard—are accessible for anyone with an EasyBib Plus subscription.

No matter what citation style you’re using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) the EasyBib Citation Generator can help you create the right bibliography quickly.

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Creating an account is not a requirement for generating MLA citations. However, registering for an EasyBib account is free and an account is how you can save all the citation you create. This can help make it easier to manage your citations and bibliographies.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

It supports MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7,000 total citation styles.

To cite a magazine with multiple authors and no page numbers in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, the article’s title, the magazine’s title, the publication date, and the DOI, permalink, or URL. The templates and examples for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of a book written by multiple authors are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” for sources with three or more authors. In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Citation in prose:

First mention: Han Ong and colleagues…. or Han Ong and others ….

Subsequent occurrences: Ong and colleagues…. or Ong and others ….

Parenthetical:

….( Ong et al.).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside double quotation marks. The title of the magazine is set in italics and title case. Follow the format given in the template and example for setting the day, month, and year.

Surname, First., et al. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Magazine , Publication Date, DOI/permalink/URL.

Ong, Han, et al. “The Monkey Who Speaks.” The New Yorker , 13 Sept. 2021, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/the-monkey-who-speaks.

Use only the first author’s name in surname–first name order in the entry followed by “et al.”

To cite an online journal or magazine article in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author, the article’s title, the journal or magazine’s title, the publication date, and the DOI, permalink, or URL. If available, also include a volume and an issue number of the journal or magazine. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of an online journal article and examples are given below for a source with one author:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author.

First mention: Elizabeth Garber ….

Subsequent occurrences: Garber ….

….(Garber).

The title of the journal or magazine article is set in plain roman text and title case; it is placed inside double quotation marks. The title of the journal or magazine is set in italics and title case. Follow the format given in the template and example for writing the publication month or season and year.

Surname, First. “Title of the Article.” Journal or Magazine Title , Volume, Issue, Publication Date, DOI/permalink/URL.

Garber, Elizabeth. “Craft as Activism.” The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education , vol. 33, no.1, spring 2013, www.scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jstae/vol33/iss1/6/ .

MLA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

Generate accurate MLA citations for free

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to cite a website in MLA

How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on July 17, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on January 17, 2024.

An MLA website citation includes the author’s name , the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date , and the URL (without “https://”).

If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead. If the publication date is unknown, or if the content is likely to change over time, add an access date at the end instead.

Websites don’t usually have page numbers, so the in-text citation is just the author name in parentheses. If you already named the author in your sentence, you don’t need to add a parenthetical citation.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

The format differs for other types of online content, such as YouTube videos , TED Talks , and podcasts .

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

Citing online articles, citing web pages with no author or date, citing an entire website, publishers in mla website citations, frequently asked questions about mla style.

The format for citing an article from an online newspaper , magazine, or blog is the same as a general web page citation. If the article is a PDF of a print article, the format differs slightly .

Write the article title in title case (all major words capitalized). Use the most recent publication date on the page, including the day, month, and year if available.

Note, however, that a different format is used when citing online articles from academic journals.

Learn how to cite journal articles in MLA

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

  • Academic style
  • Vague sentences
  • Style consistency

See an example

how do you cite in a research paper mla format

If no author is credited, leave out this element, and start with the title of the page or article instead.

Use a shortened version of the title in your in-text citation. The shortened title must match the first words of your Works Cited entry.

If no publication date is available, leave out this element, and include the date on which you accessed the page at the end.

Note that a specific format exists for citing online dictionary entries .

If you cite a whole website, there is usually no named author, so the Works Cited entry begins with the name of the website in italics.

If the website has a publication or copyright date (usually found in the footer), include this; if not, add the date when you accessed the website at the end of the citation.

When should you cite a whole website?

Most of the time, you should cite the specific page or article where you found the information. However, you might have to cite the entire website if you are giving a general overview of its content, referring only to the homepage, or quoting text that appears on many different pages across the site (such as a company’s slogan).

If you cite multiple pages or articles from the same website, you should include a separate Works Cited entry for each one.

Website publisher in an MLA website citation

If the publisher is the same as the name of the website, you leave it out of the citation to avoid repetition.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title . Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation .

If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only the author’s name (or the title).

If you already named the author or title in your sentence, and there is no locator available, you don’t need a parenthetical citation:

  • Rajaram  argues that representations of migration are shaped by “cultural, political, and ideological interests.”
  • The homepage of The Correspondent describes it as “a movement for radically different news.”

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Website in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/website-citation/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, a complete guide to mla in-text citations, how to cite a youtube video in mla, how to cite an image in mla, what is your plagiarism score.

  • University Libraries
  • Research Guides
  • Topic Guides
  • AI: Tips & Tools from Your Librarians
  • Using (and Citing) AI

AI: Tips & Tools from Your Librarians: Using (and Citing) AI

  • What is AI?
  • Resources, Tools & More
  • Guidance & Policies

This page outlines how to cite AI tools and points to consider, especially for research articles.  For students, we recommend the same citation and disclosure tips, but be sure to check with your instructor about AI policies for your class!

Note: citation and journal policies are constantly evolving - be sure to check before start your research and before you submit, guidelines for using artificial intelligence (ai).

  • Citing & Noting Use
  • Example Citations
  • Publishing Considerations

Overall publishers and institutions are still setting policies around citing and disclosing use of AI, but you will need to do one or both in your publications (and it is good practice to do so).  See the other tabs for more information too!

Virginia tech does provide some guidance  (see "authorship, plagiarism, and reproducibility" under "ethical and compliance dimensions":, transparency and complete reporting for your research are essential just like anything else in your research, report clearly when ai is used for writing, data analysis, image generation and more, disclosures or citations should describe the tools used and how they were used to support the research, ai cannot be listed as an author per the current consensus among journals and research communities - as (legally) ai cannot be responsible/accountable for the work (see cope's position statement for details ), how to cite and include use of genai and other tools in your publications and projects:, example citation via asking chatgpt about citing itself ("how should i cite this conversation") provides the response:, since this conversation is informal and doesn't adhere to a specific citation style like mla or apa, you can cite it in a way that includes the essential information for your context. for example:, in-text citation: (chatgpt, 2024), if you need a reference list entry, you could include the date of the conversation and a brief description:, chatgpt. (2024, february 16). conversation with [your name] about citation formatting., or you might use the following text as a disclosure of chatgpt's use:, the author generated this text in part with gpt-3, openai’s large-scale language-generation model. upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication (openai publication policy, 2022), last, where possible, it is recommended to include prompts and responses in your appendices as you would for any code or other tool:, prompt: (what you ask the genai tool), response: (what the genai tool gives you), mla recommendations :, acknowledging use, citing whenever paraphrasing, quoting or using any content created by genai, and checking what the genai tool is citing, not treating the tool as an author (as it cannot be responsible for its own work), references format:, “your prompt” prompt.  name of tool , version date. version, publisher/company, date used, website for tool., apa recommendations :, describe how used genai in any section of paper that it was used for the research, provide the prompt and any relevant part of the output, place the entire prompt and response in an appendix for other researchers since genai typically produce different responses every time, publisher/owner of tool. (2023).  name of tool  (date version) [type of tool (i.e. llm)]. website for tool., chicago recommendations :, must credit genai when reproducing it within your own word, use a note or include in the text to credit your genai tool, references formats:, footnote/endnote: text generated by (name of tool), prompt, company, date used, website for tool. (prompt is optional if already included in text.), can cite in a similar format, but only if can include a publicly available link (try sharegpt for example), (ieee has no specific recommendations yet for citing, but see the "publishing considerations" tab for what they do recommend.), some journals may require explicit disclosure of ai or even restrict its use, so be sure to check before you submit to avoid lengthy submission time and/or possible retractions.  for students, be sure to ask your instructor if there is not a policy in the syllabus - they may even encourage use for editorial purposes, for researchers, here is an example policy statement from ieee regarding ai use in submissions.  we recommend looking for this type of statement from your journal and/or publisher of choice:, "guidelines for artificial intelligence (ai)-generated text, the use of content generated by artificial intelligence (ai) in an article (including but not limited to text, figures, images, and code) shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of any article submitted to an ieee publication. the ai system used shall be identified, and specific sections of the article that use ai-generated content shall be identified and accompanied by a brief explanation regarding the level at which the ai system was used to generate the content., the use of ai systems for editing and grammar enhancement is common practice and, as such, is generally outside the intent of the above policy. in this case, disclosure as noted above is recommended.", confused on how to cite, if you have looked at the information on the left of this page and are still not sure, here is what we recommend - try data, software and/or personal communication formats  genai is somewhat all three..., for example - matlab is a software that changes regularly and mathworks recommends citing matlab  in ieee style like this (other styles see the link):, the mathworks, inc. (2022). matlab version: 9.13.0 (r2022b) . accessed: january 01, 2023. available: https://www.mathworks.com., so, you might just edit this citation to be for your genai tool of choice., have something else to add  or have a question  reach out to our ai support group .

  • << Previous: What is AI?
  • Next: Resources, Tools & More >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 8:41 PM

IMAGES

  1. How to Cite MLA in Your Paper: a Complete Guide from Flowcie

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

  2. MLA Paper Format

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

  3. MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

  4. How to Cite a Picture in MLA

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

  5. How to Write an MLA Format Research Essay

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

  6. Mla Citation In Research Paper

    how do you cite in a research paper mla format

VIDEO

  1. How to Cite Podcast Episodes MLA Works Cited

  2. MLA Citations

  3. mla format google docs

  4. How do you cite Titus Andronicus?

  5. 7 Essential Qualities Of Highly Cited Research

  6. How do I cite a website in my essay?

COMMENTS

  1. MLA Formatting and Style Guide

    Using citation machines responsibly Powered by Creating a Works Cited list using the ninth edition MLA is a style of documentation that may be applied to many different types of writing.

  2. MLA Format

    Works Cited page Creating MLA Style citations Headings and subheadings Tables and figures Frequently asked questions about MLA format How to set up MLA format in Google Docs Header and title The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes Your full name Your instructor's or supervisor's name

  3. MLA: Citing Within Your Paper

    1. Put all the citation information at the end of the sentence: 2. Include author name as part of the sentence (if author name unavailable, include title of work): Each source cited in-text must also be listed on your Works Cited page. RefWorks includes a citation builder tool that can help you to easily set up both in-text and reference citations.

  4. PDF Formatting a Research Paper

    Double-space the entire research paper, including quotations, notes, and the list of works cited. Indent the first line of a paragraph half an inch from the left margin. Indent set-off quotations half an inch as well (for examples, see 76-80 in the MLA Handbook).

  5. Student's Guide to MLA Style (2021)

    To cite sources in MLA style, you need In-text citations that give the author's last name and a page number. A list of Works Cited that gives full details of every source. Make sure your paper also adheres to MLA format: one-inch margins, double spacing, and indented paragraphs, with an MLA style heading on the first page.

  6. MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

    Formatting the Header in MLA. To create a header for your first page, follow these steps: Begin one inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin. Type your name, your instructor's name, the course name and number, and the date on separate lines, using double spaces between each.

  7. Using MLA Format

    Works Cited Quick Guide Learn how to use the MLA format template. Digital Citation Tool Build citations with our interactive template. In-Text Citations Get help with in-text citations. Endnotes and Footnotes Read our guide about using notes in MLA style. Set Up Your Paper Setting Up a Research Paper

  8. MLA In-text Citations

    An MLA in-text citation provides the author's last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by " et al. " If the part you're citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.

  9. MLA Citation Guide: Citing in the body of your paper

    In-Text Citations (see pages 54 - 58, 116 - 128 of the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition) In the body of your paper, use parenthetical documentation (Chapter 5 of MLA Handbook).The purpose of your documentation is for your readers to be able to locate the sources which you cite in your text when they look at your bibliography ("Works Cited") located at the end of your paper.

  10. MLA

    Fresno State Library's MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site. TUTORIALS: MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper ...

  11. MLA

    MLA Handbook, 9th edition by The Modern Language; The Modern Language Association of America Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbookis published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources ...

  12. How to Cite a Research Paper in MLA with a Sample Paper

    Guide on How to Cite a Research Paper Using MLA Format: Best Tips Written by Samantha W. March 22, 2023 5 min read Share the article Table of Contents Understanding What is MLA Formatting If you are a high school or college student, there will be a time when you find yourself in an ambiguous situation on how to cite a research paper in MLA.

  13. How To Cite a Research Paper: MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

    The paper's title follows, then the title of the journal in italics. You also include the journal volume, issue number, and page numbers. As with MLA citations, include a DOI if you found the research paper online. Here is an example of a published research paper cited in APA format: Writer, M. (2020).

  14. How to Cite an Essay in MLA

    In-text citation template and example: For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine). For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick). For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by "and ...

  15. In-text citation

    In-text citation. The MLA 9th style uses author-date in-text citations, used when quoting or paraphrasing people's work. Two types of in-text citations 1. Author prominent format . Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

  16. How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

    An MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article contains the author (s); article title; journal name; volume and issue; month and year; page range; and a DOI if accessed online. In the in-text citation, include the author's last name and the page number. Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

  17. 3 Ways to Cite Sources in MLA Format

    Put only the first author in last name, first name order. 3. Indicate if the source is located in a "container.". Some sources are contained within other other works. This applies to both traditional and new media, so for simplicity the MLA now refers to the works sources are nested in as "containers.".

  18. How to Cite a Report in MLA

    To cite a report in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author or the organization name, title of the report, and publication year. The templates for in-text citations and works-cited-list entries of a report, along with examples, are given below: Report created and published by the same organization.

  19. Cite Your Sources MLA Style

    The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper. You must cite: Facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge; Ideas, words, theories, or exact language that another person used in other publications

  20. LibGuides: COMP110: Laura Sass-Germain: Citation Format: MLA

    Citing your sources means telling where you got particular ideas or bits of information that did not originate in your own head; sometimes called giving credit, attributing, or referencing.. A Works Cited page (MLA format) must be included with a research paper/project. Academic standards require all writers to acknowledge the authors whose work they use when preparing papers and reports.

  21. Research Guides: Automotive Technology: Citation Help

    Frequently Used Formats. MLA Format - Created by the Modern Language Association. Used for research papers in many college and academic classes, including English classes. APA Format - Created by the American Psychological Association.; Chicago Format - Published by the University of Chicago Press in The Chicago Manual of Style.; AMA Format - Made by the American Medical Association ...

  22. How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

    For a print source, you need the following information: The name of the author or authors for articles with one or two authors. For articles with three or more authors, only the first author's name is used followed by et al. The name of the article in quotation marks. The name of the journal in italics.

  23. PDF MLA 8th ed. Sample Paper

    MLA. style is in-text citation. In this style, you place the author's last name and the page number where the information came from in parentheses. This is the example sentence (Rogers 16). If you have already provided the author's name in the sentence you are citing, you may leave their name out of the in-text citation and simply include

  24. How to Cite a Website in MLA

    An MLA website citation includes the author's name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the website (in italics), the publication date, and the URL (without "https://"). If the author is unknown, start with the title of the page instead.

  25. AI: Tips & Tools from Your Librarians: Using (and Citing) AI

    Since this conversation is informal and doesn't adhere to a specific citation style like MLA or APA, you can cite it in a way that includes the essential information for your context. For example: In-text citation: (ChatGPT, 2024) If you need a reference list entry, you could include the date of the conversation and a brief description: ChatGPT.