MLA Citation Guide

This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th Ed.
For each of the following examples there are two parts. The first one explains the format that should be used at the end of the research paper, providing complete information on the resource (Works Cited). The second part corresponds to the citation included in the paper, immediately after the quotation (Parenthetical).

NOTE: The MLA Handbook suggests underlining the title of the main work in a citation (book, journal) while other documentation styles use italics. MLA justifies this choice because “italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose, and you can avoid ambiguity by using underlining when you intend italics.” However, in order not to create confusion with possible active hypertext links, all the citations in this guide are given in italics. Please refer to the Handbook or to the PDF booklet to obtain the same examples in proper MLA style.

PRINTED SOURCES

Book (one author)

Work Cited:
Cantor, Norman. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. New York: Harper, 1994.

Parenthetical: (Cantor 274)

Book (two or three authors)

Work Cited:
Caciagli, Mario and Alan S. Zuckerman. Italian Politics: Emerging Themes and Institutional Responses. New York: Berghahn Books, 2001.

Parenthetical: (Caciagli and Zuckerman 143) *

* For more than 3 authors: (Caciagli et al.)

Anthology

Work Cited:
Abrams, M. H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 1968.

Parenthetical: (Abrams 97)

Works in an Anthology

Work Cited:
Browning, Robert. “The Lost Reader.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1968: 937

Parenthetical: (Browning 937)

Encyclopedia Article

Work Cited:
“Violence and Aggression.” Encyclopedia of Psychology. 2000.

Parenthetical: (“Violence and Aggression”)

Journal Article

Work Cited:
Labanca, Nicola. “Colonial Rule, Colonial Repression and War Crimes in the Italian Colonies.” Journal of Modern Italian Studies 9.3 (2004): 300-313

Parenthetical: (Labanca 305)

Magazine Article

Work Cited:
Hoffman, Ross H., “Controlling Hurricanes.” Scientific American Oct. 2004: 38-45.

Parenthetical: (Hoffman 43)

Newspaper Article

Work Cited:
Moffett, Sebastian. “As Yen surges, Tokyo remains on Sidelines.” Wall Street Journal Europe 26-28 Nov. 2004, M1.

Parenthetical: (Hoffman 43)

Review

Work Cited:
Antonette, Lesliee. Rev. of Asian North American Identities: Beyond the Hyphen, ed. by Eleanor Ty and Donald C. Goellenicht. Choice 42.3 (2004): 480.

Parenthetical: (Antonette)

Work of Art

Work Cited:
Vincent Van Gogh. Parisian Novels. Private collection. Van Gogh and Gauguin: the Studio of the South. Ed. by Douglas Druick and Peter Kort Zegers. Thames and Hudson, 2001. Plate 71.

Parenthetical: (Van Gogh)

.

AUDIOVISUAL SOURCES

When citing audiovisual sources (with the exception of music on CD), you need to specify the medium used and the publication date.

Video Recording (DVD/VHS)

Work Cited:
L’Avventura. Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni. Cino del Duca, 1960. DVD. Criterion Collection, 2001.

Parenthetical: (L'Avventura)

Sound Recording (CD)

Work Cited:
Mozart. Così Fan Tutte. Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus. Cond. Herbert von Karajan. EMI, 1999.

Parenthetical: (Mozart)

.

ON-LINE SOURCES

After the publication date, you need to add the following:

the name of the organization hosting the document

the name of the organization from which you accessed the document (only for restricted access documents such as EBSCO, JSTOR, WESTLAW articles)

the date you last accessed the information

the web address

WWW Homepage

Work Cited:
Herodotus and Thucydides Through the Lens of Aristotle. Ed. Ben Zarit. 9 May 1995. Perseus Digital Library. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Students/Ben/aristotle.html>

Parenthetical: (Herodotus)

Document from a WWW Site

Work Cited:
History Resources. Ed. John Dubuisson. 22 July 2004. Louisiana State University Libraries. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.lib.lsu/hum/history/index.html>

Parenthetical: (Dubuisson)

Item from a Library Database

Work Cited:
Curtis, Gregory. “Base Deception.” Smithsonian 34.7 (2003): 34. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOHost. John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 6 Jan. 2005.

Parenthetical: (Curtis)




	MLA Citation Guide This guide is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th Ed. For each of the following examples there are two parts. The first one explains the format that should be used at the end of the research paper, providing complete information on the resource (Works Cited). The second part corresponds to the citation included in the paper, immediately after the quotation (Parenthetical). NOTE: The MLA Handbook suggests underlining the title of the main work in a citation (book, journal) while other documentation styles use italics. MLA justifies this choice because “italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose, and you can avoid ambiguity by using underlining when you intend italics.” However, in order not to create confusion with possible active hypertext links, all the citations in this guide are given in italics. Please refer to the Handbook or to the PDF booklet to obtain the same examples in proper MLA style. PRINTED SOURCES Book (one author) Work Cited: Cantor, Norman. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. New York: Harper, 1994. Parenthetical: (Cantor 274) Book (two or three authors) Work Cited: Caciagli, Mario and Alan S. Zuckerman. Italian Politics: Emerging Themes and Institutional Responses. New York: Berghahn Books, 2001. Parenthetical: (Caciagli and Zuckerman 143) * * For more than 3 authors: (Caciagli et al.) Anthology Work Cited: Abrams, M. H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 1968. Parenthetical: (Abrams 97) Works in an Anthology Work Cited: Browning, Robert. “The Lost Reader.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1968: 937 Parenthetical: (Browning 937) Encyclopedia Article Work Cited: “Violence and Aggression.” Encyclopedia of Psychology. 2000. Parenthetical: (“Violence and Aggression”) Journal Article Work Cited: Labanca, Nicola. “Colonial Rule, Colonial Repression and War Crimes in the Italian Colonies.” Journal of Modern Italian Studies 9.3 (2004): 300-313 Parenthetical: (Labanca 305) Magazine Article Work Cited: Hoffman, Ross H., “Controlling Hurricanes.” Scientific American Oct. 2004: 38-45. Parenthetical: (Hoffman 43) Newspaper Article Work Cited: Moffett, Sebastian. “As Yen surges, Tokyo remains on Sidelines.” Wall Street Journal Europe 26-28 Nov. 2004, M1. Parenthetical: (Hoffman 43) Review Work Cited: Antonette, Lesliee. Rev. of Asian North American Identities: Beyond the Hyphen, ed. by Eleanor Ty and Donald C. Goellenicht. Choice 42.3 (2004): 480. Parenthetical: (Antonette) Work of Art Work Cited: Vincent Van Gogh. Parisian Novels. Private collection. Van Gogh and Gauguin: the Studio of the South. Ed. by Douglas Druick and Peter Kort Zegers. Thames and Hudson, 2001. Plate 71. Parenthetical: (Van Gogh) . AUDIOVISUAL SOURCES When citing audiovisual sources (with the exception of music on CD), you need to specify the medium used and the publication date. Video Recording (DVD/VHS) Work Cited: L’Avventura. Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni. Cino del Duca, 1960. DVD. Criterion Collection, 2001. Parenthetical: (L'Avventura) Sound Recording (CD) Work Cited: Mozart. Così Fan Tutte. Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus. Cond. Herbert von Karajan. EMI, 1999. Parenthetical: (Mozart) . ON-LINE SOURCES After the publication date, you need to add the following: the name of the organization hosting the document the name of the organization from which you accessed the document (only for restricted access documents such as EBSCO, JSTOR, WESTLAW articles) the date you last accessed the information the web address WWW Homepage Work Cited: Herodotus and Thucydides Through the Lens of Aristotle. Ed. Ben Zarit. 9 May 1995. Perseus Digital Library. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Students/Ben/aristotle.html> Parenthetical: (Herodotus) Document from a WWW Site Work Cited: History Resources. Ed. John Dubuisson. 22 July 2004. Louisiana State University Libraries. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.lib.lsu/hum/history/index.html> Parenthetical: (Dubuisson) Item from a Library Database Work Cited: Curtis, Gregory. “Base Deception.” Smithsonian 34.7 (2003): 34. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOHost. John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 6 Jan. 2005. Parenthetical: (Curtis)