The contents of this guide include general information and guidelines, in-text citations, and citations for a Works Cited page.
General Guidelines for an MLA Paper:
To ensure you are following assignment guidelines, please check with your professor.
Use the MLA Template in Word tab to access a completely formatted MLA paper in Microsoft Word.
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.
Types of Annotations
A summary annotation describes the source by answering the following questions: who wrote the document, what the document discusses, when and where was the document written, why was the document produced, and how was it provided to the public. The focus is on description.
An evaluative annotation includes a summary as listed above but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Evaluative annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. The focus is on description and evaluation.
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Basic Format for In-Text Citations The punctuation at the end of the sentence goes after and outside the parenthesis. Words go here (Smith 263). If you are using a direct quote, there is no comma between the end of the quotation and the in-text citation. "This is a quote" (Smith 263). If you are citing more than one page that ARE consecutive, use a dash between the numbers (Smith 263-265). If you are citing more than one page that are NOT consecutive, use a comma between the numbers (Smith 263, 265). If you are citing multiple sources in one in-text citation, use a semi-colon between the citations (Smith 263; Jones 138). |
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Basic Format using Direct Quote or Paraphrasing When directly quoting or paraphrasing, include author's last name and the page number(s) in parentheses with no comma after author. This is used for both directly quoting and paraphrasing the work. When paraphrasing, if the source has no page numbers or other ways to determine where the information is in the source, just use the author in parenthesis. Here is the information (Smith). Otherwise, always use the page number provided. (author's last name page number). Example: Besides avoiding plagiarism, "citing makes the paper more powerful" (Jones 55). Example: Citing sources is very important (Smith 263). |
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Author in Text using Direct Quote or Paraphrasing When using the author's name in your sentence, include the page number(s) in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. You do not include the author with the page number since they are already mentioned in the sentence. According to the author's last name, the information that they talked about (page number). Example: Jones mentions that "citing makes the paper more powerful" (55). Example: According to Smith, citing sources is very important (263). |
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No Author If there is no author, use the title of a work in place of the author. The title can be in "quotations" or italics; the style should match what is on the Works Cited page. For example, if the title is in quotations on the Works Cited page, then it should also be in quotations for the in-text citation. Shorten the title if it is longer than a noun phrase. For example, if the article title is "Some People Choose To Ignore the Threat of Aliens," then the shortened version would be "Some people'" ("Title of work" page number). Example: Very few people have read this work ("Some people" 526). |
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Two Authors If the source has two authors, include last names of both authors connected with "and" followed by the page number. (First author's last name and second author's last name page number). Example: Citations are academically honest (Smith and Jones 11). |
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Three or more Authors If the source has three or more authors, use only the last name of the first author followed by "et al." and the page number. [et al. is Latin for "and others" and has a period after the al. followed by the page number]. (First author's last name et al. page number). Example: Citations are the best thing in the world (Smith et al.15). |
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Group or Corporate Authors If the author is a group or corporate author, use the name of the group/company/agency in place of the author followed by page number. Shorten the group name to the shortest noun phrase and remove any articles (a, an, the). For example, The National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society would be listed in-text as (National Academy). (Group Name page number). Example: Failure to use citations is a threat to national security (National Security Agency 41). |
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Two or More Authors with the Same Last Name If two or more authors have the same last name, include the first name initial(s). Write the initial followed by a period and the last name followed by the page number. (Author's first initial. Author's last name page number). Example: The glass is half full (A. Smith 29). The glass is half empty (B. Smith 73). |
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No Pages If a website, online article, or other source has no page numbers, reference the paragraph number, section title, table number, slide number, etc. Some of the words are shortened for the in-text citations. For example: Paragraph 3 changes to (par. 3). Chapter 3 changes to (ch. 3). Scene 3 changes to (sc. 3) Line 3 stays as (line 3). Examples: No Numbered Page or Paragraph: Many people believe that a day will come when "everybody will know how to cite sources" (Smith). From paragraph 21: Citations are healthy and "have a positive impact on longevity" (Jones par. 21) From chapter 5: There is some evidence to suggest that "citations have the potential to end world hunger" (West ch. 5). |
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Personal Communications (Interviews) Last name of the person being interviewed. If the person being interviewed was Doe, then the citation would be: Example: Doe said that "many people like to be interviewed. I am not one of those people." |
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Print Book (One Author) Author Last Name, Full First Name. Title. Edition (if available)., editors (if available), Publisher, Year of publication. Example: Boyle, Terry. The Tortilla Curtain. Viking, 1995. |
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Print Book (Two Authors) Author Last Name, Full First Name, and 2nd Author Full First Name Last Name. Title. Edition (if available)., Editors (if available), Publisher, Year of publication. Example: Doyle, James, and David Johnson. The Quesadilla Drapes. Viking, 1995. |
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Print Book (Three or More Authors) 1st Author Last Name, 1st Author Full First Name, et al. Title. Edition (if available)., Editors (if available), Publisher, Year of publication. [et al. is Latin for "and others" and has a period after the al.]. If the authors are John Smith, Ted Bond, Brad Whitmore, and Terry Cruise, the citation would be: Example: Smith, John, et al. Sometimes the Wind Blows South. McGraw-Hill. 2020. |
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eBook (One Author) Author Last Name, First Name. Title. E-book ed., Edition (if available)., editors (if available), Publisher, Date of Publication. Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Arain, Faisal Manzoor. Construction Project Management Research Compendium. E-book ed., Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2014. Construction Project Management Research Compendium. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=844894&site=ehost-live. Note: A DOI (digital object identifier) is preferred over a Permalink or URL. Check the abstract/details page of most databases to find the DOI of an article. |
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eBook (Two Authors) Author Last Name, First Name, and 2nd Author First and Last Name. Title. E-book ed., Edition (if available), editors (if available), Publisher, Date of Publication. Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Montanari, Massimo, and Beth Archer Brombert. Medieval Tastes: Food, Cooking, And the Table. E-book ed., Columbia University Press, 2015. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=982222&site=ehost-live. |
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eBook (Three or More Authors) 1st Author Last Name, 1st Author First Name, et al. Title. E-book ed., Edition (if available), editors (if available), Publisher, Date of Publication. Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Thomas, Howard, et al. Promises Fulfilled and Unfulfilled in Management Education: Reflections on the Role, Impact and Future of Management Education: EFMD Perspectives. E-book ed., 1st ed, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2013. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=551086&site=ehost-live. |
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Book Published in App Title of Book. Version (if available). Publisher, version of software, Name of App, Date. App. Example: The Bible. King James Version. Bible Gateway, version 42, Bible Gateway / Zondervan, 2016. App. |
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Comic/Graphic Novel Main Author's Last Name, Full First Name, writer. Title of Comic/Graphic Novel. Art by First Name Last Name, illustrated by First Name Last Name, inked by First Name Last Name, colored by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date, URL (if electronic). Example: Waid, Marc, writer. Superman: Birthright. Art by Joy Divider, illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, inked by Gerry Alanguilan, colored by David McGraig, DC Comics, 2005. Note: If there is only one author, ignore all other contributions (Art, illustration, etc.) in citation. |
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Dictionary Entry (Print) "Word, Part of Speech. (# of dictionary meaning)." Title of Dictionary, Edition., Publisher, Date, Page #. Example: "Fun, Noun. (4)." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., Merriam-Webster, 2003, p. 269. |
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Dictionary Entry (Website) "Word, Part of Speech. (# of dictionary meaning)." Publisher, Date, URL. Example: "Funny, Adj. (4)." Merriam-Webster, 2020, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/content.
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Encyclopedia (Database or Website) Author Last Name, First Name (leave out if unavailable). "Title of Entry." Encyclopedia or Dictionary, Publisher, Publication or Update Date, URL. Example: "Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895." New World Encyclopedia, 15 Mar 2017, www.newworldencyclopedia.org. Note: If no author is listed, start with "Title of Entry." |
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Journal Article (Print) Author Last Name, Full First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number- Last Page Number. Example: Pappalardo, Salvatore. "The Cultures of Modernism." Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 38, no. 2, 12 Dec. 2015, pp. 191-199. |
Journal Article (Library Database): One AuthorAuthor Last Name, Full First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Philo, Joel. "Advances in Positive Organizational Psychology." Personnel Psychology, vol. 68, no. 3, 6 Sept. 2015, pp. 700-702. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/peps.12113_2. Note: A DOI (digital object identifier) is preferred over a Permalink or URL. Check the abstract/details page of most databases to find the DOI of an article. |
Journal Article (Library Database): Two AuthorsAuthor Last Name, Full First Name, and Second Author's Full First and Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: McAuley, Andrew, and Simon Pervan. "Celtic Marketing: Assessing the Authenticity of a Never Ending Story." Journal of Consumer Behaviour, vol. 13, no. 1, 18 Jan 2014, pp. 81-87. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/cb.1462. |
Journal Article (Library Database): Three or More AuthorsAuthor Last Name, Full First Name, et al. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, DOI, Permalink, or URL. [et al. is Latin for "and others" and has a period after the al.]. If the authors are John Smith, Ted Bond, Brad Whitmore, and Terry Cruise, the citation would be: Example: Smith, John, et al. "Can Sales Uncertainty Increase Firm Profits?" Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), vol. 53, no. 2, 29 Apr. 2016, pp. 199-206. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1509/jmr.13.0506. |
Newspaper Article (Library Database or Website)Author Last Name, Full First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Newspaper, Date of Publication, Database Name (if from library database), DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Williams, Randolph. “Bang for the Buck." State Legislatures, 15 Sept. 2011, ProQuest, search.proquest.com/docview/887755305?accountid=39001. |
Magazine (Library Database or Website)Author Last Name, Full First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, Date of Publication, Database Name (if from library database), DOI, Permalink, or URL. Example: Chou, Elaine Hsieh. "Carrot Legs." Guernica, 12 Sept. 2019, www.guernicamag.com/carrot-legs/. |
Article from a WebsiteAuthor Last Name, Full First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Website, Date of Publication, URL. Example: Bew, John. "The eclipse of the West." New Statesman, 31 Jan 2017, http://www.newstatesman.com/world/2017/01/eclipse-west |
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Website Author/Editor Last Name, Full First Name (If available), editor (if applicable). "Page or Article Title." Title of Website. Publisher Name, Date of Publication (if available), URL. Example: McDonneld, Ronald. "Hamburgers are Great!" Calories for You. Fast Food Franchise, 2019, www.fastfoodisgoodforu.net. Example (editor): Crane, Gregory R., editor. Perseus Digital Library. Tufts University, 2020, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu. Example (no author): Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Naropa University, 2017, www.naropa.edu/academics/jks/. Example (no date): Owner, Francis. "Building a Franchise With Purpose." Francis Owner Franchising, www.francisownerfran.com. Accessed 12 Jan. 2022. |
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Data Source (Charts, Maps, Tables, or Graph) Author Last Name, Full First Name (If available). Title of Chart, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, URL. Example: Goldberg, David, et al. Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2013. Modern Language Association, Feb. 2015, www.mla.org/enrollments_census. |
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Blog Post/Comment
Author Last Name, Full First Name OR Screen name. "Title of Post." Title of Website, Date of Publication, URL. Example (Post): Dise, Lisa. "Finding Voice in Digital Stories." Narrate Annotate, 17 July 2016, narrateannotate.wordpress.com. Example (Comment): Talky Tina. Comment on "Re: Talky Tina Semiprofessional Remix." Research - Instruction - Libraries, 16 July 2016, 6:06 p.m., batcheloro.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/talky-tina-semiprofessional-remix-ds106-mashup-assignment/#comments. |
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Film/Video Title of Video. Directed by Full First Name Last Name, Production Company, Date of Publication. Example: Beauty and the Beast. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, Walt Disney Pictures, 1991. |
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Film/Video (Co-publishers) Title of Video. Directed by Director First and Last Name, Production Company / Production Company, Date of Publication. Example: Sairat. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Zee Studios / Aatpat Productions, 2016. |
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Film/Video (Viewed through app) Title of Video. Production Company, Date of Publication. Name of App app. Example: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Universal Studios, 1982. Netflix app. |
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TV Show Episode (Viewed through app) “Title of episode.” Directed by Full First Name Last Name (if available). Title of Show, created by Full First Name Last Name, season number, episode number, Production Company, Date of Publication. Name of App app. Example: “New Normal." Directed by Dan Attias. Homeland, created by Marjorie Marlowe, season 5, episode 10, Showtime, 24 July 2016. Amazon Prime Video app. |
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Music (Album) Artist. Title of Album, Record Label, Date of Publication. Format of album. Example: Beatles. Rubber Soul, Parlophone, 1965. Vinyl. |
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Music (Song) Artist. “Title of Song.” Title of Album, Record Label, Date of Publication, URL (if online) or Name of App app (if listened through app). Example: Beatles. “In My Life.” Rubber Soul, Parlophone, 1965, Spotify app. |
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YouTube Video “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Name of Company or Person Full First Name Last Name, Date of Publication, URL. Example: “Astronauts in Space." YouTube, uploaded by Steve McQueen, 20 Dec. 2022, youtu.be/a-59IEz-MNxc. |
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Podcast “Title of podcast segment.” Title of the podcast, Hosted by Host Full First Name Last Name, podcast ed., Name of Publisher / Radio Station, Publication Date. Name of App app. Example: "Yiyun Li Reads 'On the Street Where You Live." The Writer's Voice: New Fiction from the New Yorker, hosted by Deborah Treisman, podcast ed., The New Yorker / WNYC, 3 Jan. 2017. iTunes app. |
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Audiobook Author Last Name, Full First Name. Title of Audiobook. Narrated by Full First Name Last Name, audiobook ed., unabridged ed., Publisher of Audiobook, Publication Date. Example: Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Narrated by Sissy Spacek, audiobook ed., unabridged ed., HarperAudio, 8 July 2014. |
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Photograph or Artwork (Viewed In-Person) Creator's Last name, Full First Name. Title of Photo or Artwork. Date of Creation, Name of Institution or Museum, Institution or Museum City. Example: Cameron, Julia Margaret. Alfred, Lord Tennyson. 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Note: Paintings and sculptures are cited in the same way as photographs. |
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Photograph or Artwork (Viewed Online)
Creator's Last name, Full First Name. Title of photo. Date of Creation. Name of Website, URL. Example: Silver, Walter. Factory. 1986. New York Public Library Digital Collections, digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/51fd9310-ea71-0131-8221-58d385a7bbd0. Note: Paintings and sculptures are cited in the same way as photographs. |
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Illustrated Work or Cartoon Last name, Full First Name. "Title of Work." Title of Publisher, URL. Accessed Date DD Month YYYY. Example: Beaton, Kate. "The Secret Garden." Hark! A Vagrant, www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=350. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. |
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PowerPoint Slides of Photograph or Artwork Creator or Author Last name, Full First Name. Title of Work. Date of Creation. Name of Class, taught by Professor Full First Name Last Name, Date, Name of College or University. Slide Number. Example: Monet, Claude. Bridge over a Pond of Water Lillies, 1899. Introduction to the History of Art, taught by Jane Ford, 4 Apr. 2016, Bates College. Slide 2. |
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X (Formerly Twitter) Name on profile or Last Name, Full First Name [@X handle]. "Tweet text." X, Date, URL. Example (Tweet): Chaucer Doth Tweet [@LeVostreGC]. "A daye wythout anachronism ys lyke Emily Dickinson wythout her lightsaber." X. 7 Apr. 2018, x.com/LeVostreGC/status/982829987286827009. Example (Image Tweet): Ng, Celeste [@pronounced_ing]. Photo of a letter from Shirley Jackson. X, 22 Jan. 2018, x.com/pronounced_ing/status/955528799357231104. |
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Facebook Name. “Text of post or Title of repost.” Facebook, Date, URL. Example: World Wildlife Fund. "Five Things to Know on Shark Awareness Day." Facebook, 14 July 2020, www.facebook.com/worldwildlifefund/videos/745925785979440/.
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Username. Review of Title of Work, by Author Full First Name Last Name. Reddit, Date of Post, URL. Example (Forum Post): U/reggiew07. Review of King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa, by Adam Hochschild. Reddit, 31 Oct. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/jlbrs4/king_leopolds_ghost_a_story_of_greed_terror_and/. Example (Forum Comment): Varro-reatinus. Comment on U/reggiew07’s review of King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa, by Adam Hochschild. Reddit, 31 Oct. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/jlbrs4/king_leopolds_ghost_a_story_of_greed_terror_and/. |
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Last name, Full First Name or Creator. "Post text including hashtags." Instagram, Date, URL. Example (Post): Chabon, Michael. “#rip Milton Glaser. I grew up in his work. So hard to pick a favorite, maybe this, which also features one of the many awesome typefaces he designed, Baby Teeth. #mahaliajackson #miltonglaser.” Instagram, 28 June 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CB-E9gngVwo/. Example (Photograph): Thomas, Angie. Photo of burned copy of The Hate U Give. Instagram, 4 Dec. 2018, www.instagram.com/p/Bq_PaXKgqPw/. Example (Video): Hamilton Videos [@hamilton.vods]. Video of King George in Hamilton. Instagram, 5 July 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CCPEUJLDz0l/. |
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TikTok Last name, Full First Name or Creator. [@Username]. "Transcript of audio and text." TikTok, Date, URL. Example: Lilly [@uvisaa]. “[I]f u like dark academia there’s a good chance you’ve seen my tumblr #darkacademia.” TikTok, 2020, www.tiktok.com/@uvisaa/video/6815708894900391173. |
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Personal Communications Personal interviews refer to those interviews, conversations, emails, or other communications that you conduct yourself. Interviewee Last Name, Full First Name. Personal Interview. By Interviewer's Full First Name Last Name. Date of Interview. If John Doe was interviewed by Grant Hill on February 16, 2018, the citation would be: Example: Doe, John. Personal Interview. By Grant Hill. 16 February 2018.
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Interviews
Citing a published interview can look different depending on whether the interview has a title. If no title is given, use the descriptor "Interview with" before the name of the interviewer. Interviewee Last Name, First name. "Title of Interview." Title of Book, Publisher Name, Date, Page # as pp. for multiple pages or p. for single page. Example (Book or text): Deloria, Vina. “Vina Deloria, Native American Author and Teacher.” The Studs Terkel Reader: My American Century, New Press, 1997, pp. 34-37. Interviewee Last Name, First Name. Title of Interview. Title of Website, uploaded by Name of Company or Creator, Date, URL. Example (Streaming Online): West, Kanye. Jimmy Kimmel’s Full Interview with Kanye West. YouTube, uploaded by Jimmy Kimmel Live, 10 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZjaYdS3fA. Interviewee Last Name, First Name. "Title of Interview." Title of Website, Conducted by Full First Name Last Name of Interviewer, Date, URL. Example (Website): Bacon, Francis. "Interviews with Francis Bacon." Art Theory, Conducted by David Sylvester, 1962, https://theoria.art-zoo.com/interview-with-david-sylvester-francis-bacon/. |
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Oral History/Narrative Interviewee Last name, Full First name. Nation/Community. Treaty Territory (if applicable). City/Community they live in (if applicable). Topic/subject of communication (if applicable). Date Month Year. Examples: Cardinal, Delores. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. 4 April 2004. |