MLA Style Guide

When there are two authors your will include BOTH names. 

• Whomever is listed first in your source will be the first person on your citation. 
• First author is written out starting with the last name.
• Separate the two authors with comma and  (Smith, John, and Mary Jones).
• Second author is written out as we normally see it, first then last name.
• Don't forget to end the Author "sentence" with a period (.)!

For example:

Three or more authors:

When there are three or more authors, things can get very confusing and your citation could become really long. To avoid confusion and unnecessary length, your author element will look similar to that with two authors.

• Whomever is listed first in your source will be the first person on your citation. 
• First author is written out starting with the last name.
• Add a comma after the first name (,)
• Use the Latin word el al for "and others" (et al)
• Don't forget to end the Author "sentence" with a period (.)!

For example:

For more details see page 112 in the MLA Handbook.

Corporate Author

There are three ways to cite a corporate publication:

1. Corporation as an author.  Use this when the publisher is different than the author.
2. Corporation as a publisher.  If the corporation is both an author and a publisher, treat it as the publisher.
3. Government agency as author.

This is where you need to think more critically about your source. How is this information distributed?

• On the institution's website?
• In a book?
• In a journal?

This will affect where to place this element. So, if a corporation is the

• Author: type the name as listed at the beginning of the citation

  Corporate Name. "Article Title." Web Site or Book Title. Publisher, date, location.

• Publisher: skip the author and list the institutions in the publisher element.

• Government Agency:  Start with the name of the government, the country (United States), Add a comma (,) Followed by the name of the agency.

 If the agency is part of a larger organizational unit, include it between the government and the agency

For example:

For more details see pages 119-120 and 233 in the MLA Handbook.

No author:

After you have scoured your source and still can't find an author, what do you do?

1. Look at the other elements of the information and ask yourself, is this the BEST source or can you find another one that has more credibility?
2. Look for an alternative source.
3. Start the citation with the title; skip the author element and move on.
4. Be sure to add as much detail into your citation as possible.

For example:

Pen Names

Sometimes authors write under another name. Use the pen name like you would write a regular author's name. 

There are many widely known authors who are only known under their pseudonym, for example:

Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Everyman's Library, 1992.

If the author is not well known or better known under a different name, and you do know both the pen name and the real name, list both. Include the author's real name in square brackets, using normal name format.

For example:

Bachman, Richard [Stephen King]. Thinner. Signet, 2009.

Social Media

A modern take on pseudonyms are online usernames. We use these to identify ourselves in various social media platforms. This can be a way to offer people anonymity or simply as a function of participating in this form of communication. Blog and Twitter accounts use such names frequently.

Recap: If Both Names are Available...

1. If the author uses a pseudonym, use it. Include the real name in square brackets [], if available.

@gwenifill [Gwen Ifill]. "The candidates said the day was too somber to talk politics. And then they did." @tamarakeithNPR & @amyewalter tackle tonight @NewsHour." Twitter, 13 June 2016, 2:37 p.m., twitter.com/gwenifill/status/742471058301816832.

@careersherpa. "43 Best Job Search Websites 2016 http://careersherpa.net/43-best-job-search-websites-2016/." Twitter, 19 Jan. 2016, 10:51 p.m., twitter.com/careersherpa/status/689520486322057216.
 

2. If the author is writing under a pseudonym, but his or her proper name is found on the page, use the pseudonym and add the real name in square brackets [].
   
   The Rock [Dwayne Johnson]. The Scorpion King. Directed by Chuck Russell, Universal Pictures, 2002.
    
3. If you are citing multiple works where the author writes under both pseudonym and proper name you can either consolidate the citations under the most popularly known name, or cross-reference each other.
   
   Dr. Seuss [see also Geisel, Theodor].

For more details see pages 115-118 in the MLA Handbook.

Film and TV

When using media works as a source, you have to consider your focus in using this work in order to name the contributor. 

• Is the actor's performance the important to you using it in your paper?  use the actor's name in the author position.
• Are the ideas and themes created by the screenwriter important?  use the screenwriter's name in the author position.
• Is the cinematography the highlighted feature?  use the director's name in the author position.

Include the person's name and a label of that person's role in the production.

Here are some examples:

No specific focus? No worries! Begin the citation with the Title, include the names of the director and other participants in the other contributor element.

For more details see pages 145-197 in the MLA Handbook.

1. Do I include the author's title, like Lady, Father, Dr. or PhD?
   No, omit any titles. The only time would be if the title were essential to the person's name, add a comma between the given name and the title (MLA 103-104). For example:
   
   
   Downey, Robert, Jr., performer. Iron Man. Marvel Studios, 2008.       
   Tyson, Neil deGrasse. "The Cosmic Perspective." Natural History, vol. 116, no. 3, 2007, pp. 22-27. Academic Search Complete, lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cpid&custid=s1088435&db=a9h&AN=24476968&site=ehost-live.

   Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). The Cat in the Hat. Random House, 1957.

   Geisel, Theodor (Dr. Seuss). Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel. New Press, 2001. 

2. The author only has initials for the first name and middle name, can I use that?
   Yes, abbreviations are normal. When the name is abbreviated make sure that you have a period and a space between each initial, unless the name is entirely initials (MLA 95 & MLA 37-38).
   
   Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009. 
   NASA. NASA's Juno Mission Provides Infrared Tour of Jupiter's North Pole. Edited by Tony Greicius, 11 Apr. 2018, www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-juno-mission-provides-infrared-tour-of-jupiter-s-north-pole.

1. What do I do with names from a different language? Which one is the first and last name?
   The MLA Handbook has some really good explanations for names, below are the pages to which you should refer:
   1. Asian languages, see pages 63-64.
   2. French names, see page 64.
   3. German names, see page 64.
   4. Italian, see page 65.
   5. Latin, see page 65.
   6. Spanish, see page 66.
      ​
2. What if I have several sources with the same author? How do I include each source in my Works Cited?
   Make sure that you have alphabetized your list by author. When the same author is grouped together, you will want to alphabetize the author's works by title. Keep the author's name in the first citation. Replace the (same) author's name in all subsequent ones with three hyphens (---).
   
   Tolkien, J. R.. The Hobbit. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
   ---. The Fellowship of the Ring. Del Rey, 2012.
   ---. The Return of the King. Del Rey, 2012.
   ---. The Two Towers. Del Rey, 2012.

According to the MLA Handbook, it is expected that you "capitalize the first word, the last word, and all principal words" (67). 

 Do NOT capitalize the following words, unless it is the first word in the sentence:

• Articles (the, an, a)
• Prepositions (between, of, in, as)
• Coordinating conjunctions (and, for, or, so, but, yet, nor)

​

For more details see pages 54-58 in the MLA Handbook.

Subtitles

Use a colon and space to separate the title from the subtitle.

Other punctuation

Use the given punctuation where appropriate.

For more details see page 59-65 in the MLA Handbook.

A poem often does not have a title. You may also want to cite untitled social media communication, like Twitter. In both cases, you will write out the first line, or the full tweet (it's only 140 characters after all!). 

Be sure to format the title as follows.:

• The punctuation will reflect the original text.
• Use quotation marks around the title.
• Make sure to include a period, or given punctuation before the end quotation mark.

For example:

Emails

For emails, use the subject line as the title. The container should name the email recipient.

If the title of the work that you are citing includes the title of another original work, you're going to do some extra formatting around the original title. This will depend on the source:

1. If the source is self-contained, the title will be in Italics. Place "quotation marks" around the original text
   Like: a book about a novel, play, or poem.

   Title of Source with an "Original Title."

   For example:

    

   Van Nees, Sara J. "Watchmen" as Literature: A Critical Study of the Graphic Novel. McFarland & Co., 2010.

    

2. If the source is part of a larger product, the full title will be in quotation marks. The original text should be in italics [I]. 
   Like an article.

• Notice that the period is located WITHIN the quote. In this circumstance, you will include the first example in the container portion of the citation.

  "Title of Source with an Original Title."

  
  For example:
  
  Blake, Brandy Ball. "Watchmen: The Graphic Novel as Trauma Fiction." ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2010, www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v5_1/blake/.
  1. A title within a title, where both would normally be italicized, requires you to un-italicize the subject title.

For more details see pages 73-76 in the MLA Handbook.

The specific rules for the container's title are:

1. The title container will always be italicized [I].
2. End the title with a comma (,).

See the Title box (above) for general details about how to format your title.

For example:

Article published by a magazine or newspaper, and found in a library database.

For more details see pages 134-145 in the MLA Handbook.

Sometimes, a source of information has other people contribute to the creation of the larger content. Include the people that are "important to your research" (MLA 37), followed by a descriptor of their role. These descriptors may include:

• Edited by
• Translated by
• Performed by
• introduction by
• illustrated by

For example:

For more details see pages 145-153 in the MLA Handbook.

If there are multiple versions or editions where the information is published, you will want to indicate which edition you used. This is important because newer editions typically include updated information.

More often, you're going to encounter an edition of a book. Make sure to do the following

1. Use the numbers, not the word with the ordinal indicator (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
2. Abbreviate the word edition (ed.)
3. Make sure the abbreviations has a period after it (.)
4. End the element with a comma (,)

Versions may be called the following:

• book editions (use: ed.)
• expanded editions (that may include commentaries or annotations to the information by an editor)
• [simply listed as] updated edition (use: updated ed.)
• director's cut [of a film]
• unabridged version [of a composition]

For example:

For more details see pages 154-157 in the MLA Handbook.

Information may be packages within a container that is part of a series. This is important to list to make it easy for you and your reader to find that specific volume of a book, issue of a magazine, newspaper, or journal; or episode of a show. Possible numbers and the proper abbreviations are:

Sometimes you have to include a combination of numbers, like volume and issue for a magazine or journal article.

1. Start with the larger entity, like the volume (vol.) --> With all abbreviations, add the appropriate punctuation: a period.
2. Add the volume number.
3. Separate the two Numbers with a comma (,).
4. Repeat the above steps for the issue:
   1. Start with the label of the entity: (no.)
   2. Add the issue number.
   3. Finish the clause with a comma (,).

For example:

Post, Stephen, editor. "Informed Consent." Encyclopedia of Bioethics, 3rd ed., vol. 3, Thomson Gale, 1271-313.

For more details see pages 158-164 in the MLA Handbook.

The organization responsible for distributing the information publicly is the publisher (MLA 40). Include the publisher information for books, TV, movies, and websites.

 Academic presses can be abbreviated if it has the words University and/or Press. Replace with the abbreviations: U and P. Common business words can be omitted from the Publisher's name, like Company (Co.), Corporation (Corp.), Limited (Ltd.), and Incorporated (Inc.) (MLA 97).

For example:

Harold, Franklin M. In Search of Cell History: The Evolution of Life's Building Blocks. U of Chicago P, 2014.

film/tv

Casablanca. Directed by Michael Curtiz, Warner Brothers, 1941.

For more details see pages 164-172 in the MLA Handbook.

The publication date is the date that this information was made available. This can be a little confusing depending on the amount of information available and/or how you are using the information. To keep it as simple as possible here are some points to think about:

• Books have copyright () dates, use the most recent year.
• Articles have publication dates, use all the given information in this order: day, month (or month range or season), and year.
  • Months with more than four letters need to be abbreviated to the first three or four letters. Like: January = Jan.  or September = Sept.
  • If the article is a reprint, the original publication information will be collected in the first container. The reprinted information makes up the second container.
• Web pages, social media, and other sources may have a time, include it after the date.
• Movies, TV, and music, use their release date in the context that you are using it.
  • Did you see it in theaters, in the classroom, or at home?
  • Was it live show or a recording?

For example:

Depending on the medium in which the information is created, location could mean:

Printed Information

• Page number, use p.
• Page range (if there are multiple pages), use pp.
• Non-consecutive pages, use pp. the first page and +.

​Online Information (like articles and websites) follow this priority:

1. ​DOI (digital object identifier, think of it like a scholarly article's ISBN number).
2. Permalink or stable URL (typically found in the share tools).
3. other URL from the top of the browser.
   • Remove the http:// or https:// from the URL.
   • Note that URLs should be hyperlinked for the reader to easily click and access the source.
   • Avoid using tiny URLs as the companies that create them may disappear or they may change their services.
     Note: Online articles do not require page numbers in the Works Cited. Make sure that you hyperlink the DOI or URL for easy access to your source. 

Other Information

• Physical location, like a place, and city, or a disk in a set.

For example: 

For more details see pages 187-197 in the MLA Handbook.

Think of a database like a big, virtual library. This is a larger container in which the information is housed and accessed. Typically, the elements to be listed in this type of container will include:

• Title of container, = the database
• location. = either the article's DOI (digital object identifier) or the permanent link found in the database's toolbox.

When a source has been reprinted or republished in other locations, you should include the provided information for the original publication. Place all the elements in the same order as the first container.

Article reprinted in a book.