MLA 9 Citation Style
The Modern Language Association (MLA) is one of the most commonly used citation styles. MLA is generally used in the humanities, and MLA 9 is the latest version. There are some differences between MLA 9 and earlier versions of this citation style.
In-Text Citations
There are are three basic ways to cite when explicitly quoting or paraphrasing from a source text: 1) Use the author's last name to introduce the quote and include the source text page number in parentheses; 2) Include both the last name of the author and the source text page number in parentheses; and 3) Paraphrase the author's original words, and include the source text page number in parentheses.
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
or
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
or
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Citing References in MLA 9
Below are examples of sources as they would be cited in the references section of your paper. Notice that for each citation, regardless of the source, every line after the first is indented five spaces. For more information on citing sources in MLA 9 format, refer to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/
Books
The basic structure of a book citation in MLA 9 format is as follows:
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
One Author
Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, 1987. Print.
Two or More Authors
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston: Allyn, 2000. Print.
NOTE: There are two options for citing books with three or more authors: 1) List the first author followed by the phrase "et al." ('and others' in Latin); or 2) List all of the authors in the order in which they appear on the title page.
Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition.
Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2004. Print.
or
Wysocki, Anne Frances, Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Cynthia L. Selfe, and Geoffrey Sirc. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications
for Expanding the Teaching of Composition. Logan, UT: Utah State UP, 2004. Print.
Anthologies
An anthology is a collection of essays written by multiple authors.
Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, eds. Defining Visual Rhetorics.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. Print.
A Work in an Anthology (Essay from an Anthology)
Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One.
Ed. Ben Rafoth. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000. 24-34. Print.
Periodicals
Article in a Magazine
Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call." Time 20 Nov. 2000: 70-71. Print.
Buchman, Dana. "A Special Education." Good Housekeeping Mar. 2006: 143-48. Print.
Article in a Newspaper
Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients."
Washington Post 24 May 2007: LZ01. Print.
Krugman, Andrew. "Fear of Eating." New York Times 21 May 2007 late ed.: A1. Print.
Journal Article
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu."
Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 15.1 (1996): 41-50. Print.
Electronic Sources
Website
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003. Web. 10 May 2006.
A Page on a Website
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.
Article from an Online Database
Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.”
Historical Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.
Audiovisual Sources
Film
The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri,
Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.
Television or Radio Program
"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998. Television.
Click kn the links below for information on other citation styles: