MLA Format
 

The following examples show proper MLA format for some of the most common sources used (make sure to double space citations):

·         Book by one author

Sparks, Casey. The Wonderful Man in My Life. Chicago:
    Doubleday, 1998.

When using a quote within the paper, write author’s last name and page number within parentheses at end of quote: (called parenthetical documentation) Example:
(Sparks 25)

  • Book by two or more authors

Schneider, Paul, Henry Shaw, and David Ireland. The Mountain
    Biker’s Greatest Moments. Seattle: Sasquatch Press, 1999.

  • Book (with an editor, as in a textbook)

Vinson, James, ed. The Plague. New York:
    McGraw-Hill, 1991.

  • Dictionary (or Almanac)

"Talc." Webster's New World Dictionary. 1998.
(No page number needed for a dictionary because entries are alphabetical.)

  • Encyclopedia

"Civil War." Encyclopedia Americana. 1990 ed.

Parenthetical documentation
("Civil" 143)

  • Magazine (article with an author)

Siegel, Ronald. "Jungle Climates." National Geographic.
    Mar. 1986: 70-74+.
When using Proquest on-line database, include Proquest in the entry, after the magazine title, followed by a period.

Parenthetical documentation- (Siegel 73)

  • Magazine (article with no author)

"Can Americans Understand China?" Time.
    7 Oct. 1998: 28.
Parenthetical documentation - ("Can Americans" 28)
**Remember to list the day before the month- International style

  • Newspaper (article with an author)

Truman, Jane. "Biodiversity Weakens."
    USA Today 13 Oct. 1999: 1A.

  • Newspaper (article with no author)

"Blue Whales One Year Later." Seattle Times.
    5 Dec. 2000: 6B.

  • Online Sources

The documentation of web sources is often changing, but a typical entry should include the following information (in this order):

    • Author (if applicable).
    • Title.
    • Date of publication or latest update:
    • Name of the sponsoring institution or organization.
    • Date of access - day, month, year.
    • Electronic address or URL, [optional use of brackets ].

Example:
Jones, Mary. Abortion Issues. 1998. Dept. of Human Services.
    7 Feb. 1999. [http://www.princeton.edu/~healthdept/].

  • Interview

Morgan, Jean. Personal interview. 10 May
    1984.

If you conducted the interview over the phone, use "Telephone interview" in your entry.

  • Issue and Controversies

"Nicaragua Protests Rebel Air Attacks." Issues and Controversies.
    21 Oct. 1983.

  • Television Show

"WTO Revisted." 60 Minutes. CBS.
    KTCS, Seattle, Wa. 9 Dec. 2000.

  • Video or DVD

Title. Dir. and name. the distributor. year of release. (if you are citing the contribution of a particular individual, begin with that person's name).

Song Title

Steele, Peter. "Everyone I Love Is Dead."
    The Least Worst of Type O Negative. Roadrunner, 2000.

MLA states that the following information is necessary in a song citation:
The name of the artist
The name of the song
The title of the album
The manufacturer (e.g., EMI, Tommy Boy, Warner Brothers)
The year it was produced

Microfilm or Microfiche

Begin the citation with the usual information, then add information from the microfilm as follows: title of source, volume number, year (in parenthesis), and appropriate identifying numbers (fiche 14, grids 4-5).

Rhodes, Michael. "Bio-Terrorism Expert Warns of Crises to Come." Valley
    News 19 Sept. 2001: A1-2, Newsbank: Social Problems 12 (2001): fiche 5, grids 8-11.

 

Adapted from Meadowdale http://staff.edmonds.wednet.edu/mdhs/libexamples.html