Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
309 E. South Street
TOS Education Building, Room 207
(919) 546-8468
MLA In-Text Citations & Works Cited
9
th
Edition
MLA style is primarily used in English and Humanities. It consists of two parts: a list of
works cited and in-text citations within the text of your essay.
MLA requires researchers to locate all “core elements” provided for a source and list them in the
following order with the accompanying punctuation:
1. Author
The person or organization that created the source
2. Title of Source
The specific name of the source. Book titles are in italics but article titles,
chapter titles, episode titles, etc. are in quotation marks.
3. Title of Container
When the source forms a part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought
of as a container that holds the source.
4. Other Contributors
Editors, directors, translators, narrators, performers
5. Version
Edition [updated, expanded, 7th, etc.], cut [film], version [King James]
6. Number
Volume, number – vol. 1, no.5
7. Publisher
Organization responsible for producing the source
8. Publication Date
Date that the source/container was published
9. Location
Page number, chapter, section, DOI, website URL or permalink
Note: Access dates are optional, check with your instructor.
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Title Page
MLA does not require you to create a cover page when you complete your research paper, but some
instructors may require it.
Title Page Requirements:
• A header in the upper right-hand corner: give your last name, followed by a space with the page
number. This should be included on all pages, one-half inch from the top.
• Your name, instructor's name, the course, and the due date should be the first four lines of the
document.
• Right after, add the title on a new, double-spaced line and center it.
• Add a double space after the title and start with the first line of the text.
Sample Title Page
If your instructor asks for a title page, include the following:
• University/school’s name
• Title of the paper
• The subtitle, if you have one
• Your name
• Course name and number
• Professor’s Name
• Due date
Sample Title Page
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Works Cited
In MLA, a Works Cited is a list of all the sources you have used to research your paper. The list of
sources used appears on a separate page at the end of an essay. It is titled (centered, no quotation marks,
no underline):
When formatting a Works Cited, you must adhere to the following guidelines:
1.
The list of sources should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name, or if there is no
author, by the first word in the title. When arranging the list ignore, but do not omit, “The”,
“An” or “A” at the beginning of the title.
2.
After the first line, each entry is indented ½ inch. This is called a hanging indent.
3.
Each entry presents information in a specific order: the author’s name, the title, the publication
information.
4.
Double-space the entire list, both between and within entries.
5.
Each citation in a Works Cited lists ends with a period.
6.
Citations must appear both in the text of your paper (in-text citations) and in the works cited
list at the end of your paper.
With a few exceptions, the punctuation for citations in the works cited list is restricted to commas and
periods and follows a format. Periods are used after the author, after the title of the source, and at the end
of the information for each source. Commas are used in the author's name and between elements within
each container.
Sample Works Cited
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Documentation Formats
Books
Book (one author)
Works Cited
Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher, Publication Year.
Example:
Alexis, Andre. Fifteen Dogs: An Apologue. Coach House Books, 2015.
In-Text Citation
(Last Name page number)
Example: (Alexis 58)
Book (two authors)
Works Cited
Author Last Name, First Name and Author First Name, Last Name. Book Title.
Publisher, Publication Year.
Example:
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring.
Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
In-Text Citation
(Author #1 Last Name and Author #2 Last Name)
Example: (Gillespie and Lerner 34)
Book (three or more
authors)
Works Cited
Author’s Last Name, First Name, et al. Book Title. Publisher, Publication
Year.
Example:
Guttman, B., et al. Genetics: A Beginner's Guide. Oneworld, 2002.
In-Text Citation
(Author #1 Last name et al. page number)
Example: (Guttman et al. 77)
Chapters and Works in
Anthologies with an
Author
Works Cited
Author Last name, First Name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection, edited by
Editor Name(s). Publisher, Publication Year, pp. xxx-xxx (page range of
entry).
Example:
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Brant, Beth. “Coyote Learns a New Trick.” An Anthology of Canadian Native
Literature in English, edited by Daniel David Moses and Terry Goldie,
Oxford UP, 1992, pp. 148-150.
In-Text Citation
(Author Last Name page number)
Example: (Brant 149)
Journal Articles
Journal Article
(one author)
Works Cited
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol., issue no.,
Publication Year, pp. xxx-xxx (page range).
Example:
Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.”
Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96
In Text Citation
(Last Name page number)
Example: (Langhamer 175)
Journal Article
(two authors)
Works Cited
Author Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Journal
Title, vol., issue no., Publication Year, pp. xxx-xxx (page range).
Example:
Conatser, Phillip, and Martin Block. "Aquatic Instructors' Beliefs Toward
Inclusion." Therapeutic Recreation Journal, vol. 35, no. 2, 2001, pp. 170-184.
In-Text Citation
(Author #1 Last Name and Author #2 Last Name page number)
Example: (Conatser and Block 177)
Journal Article
(three or more
authors)
Works Cited
Author #1 Last Name, First Name, et al. "Title of Article." Journal Title, vol., issue
no., pp. xxx-xxx (page range).
Example:
Westhues, Adam, et. al. "A SWOT Analysis of Social Work Education in
Canada." Social Work Education, vol. 20, no. 1 pp. 35-56.
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
In-Text Citation
(Author #1 Last name et al. page number)
Example: (Westhues et. al. 42)
Journal Article
from Library
Database with
DOI
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article" Name of Journal, vol., issue no., Date
of Publication, pp. xxx-xxx (page range). Name of Database, doi:DOI number.
Example:
Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between
Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging
Markets Finance & Trade, vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155. Business Source
Complete, doi:10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.
In-Text Citation
(Author Last Name page number)
Example: (Guillen 1146)
Online Articles
Article (found
on web page)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article:" Publisher, Date of publication, URL
Example:
Miller, Laura. “The Evolutionary Argument for Dr. Seuss.” Salon, 18 May 2009,
www.salon.com/2009/05/18/evocriticism/.
In-Text Citation
(Author Last Name)
Example: (Miller)
Website (known
author)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Website, Date of copyright or date last
modified/updated, URL.
Example:
Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-
online.com
In-Text Citation
(Author’s Last Name)
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Example: (Mabillard)
Website/web
page (unknown
author)
Works Cited
"Title of Page or Document." Title of Website, Date of copyright or date last
modified/updated, URL.
Example:
“How to Teach Yourself Guitar.” eHow, www.ehow.com/how_5298173_teach-
yourself-guitar.html.
In-Text Citation
(“Title of Page or Document”)
Example: (“How to Teach”)
Blog Post
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Blog Post." Name of Blog, Blog
Network/Publisher if given, Day Month Year of blog post, URL.
Example:
Naish, Darren. "If Bigfoot Were Real." Tetrapod Zoology, Scientific American Blogs, 27
June 2016, blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/if-bigfoot-were-real/.
In-Text Citation
(Author’s Last Name)
Example: (Naish)
* Note: The ninth edition of MLA does not require that you include a date of access—the date on which
you consulted a source—when you cite an online work from a reliable, stable source. However, you may
include an access date as an optional element if it will be useful to others.
Film and Videos
Film
Works Cited
Title of Movie. Contributor(s). Publisher/Production Company, Year of Release.
Example:
The Grand Budapest Hotel. Directed by Wes Anderson. Performance by Ralph Fiennes,
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2014.
In-Text Citation
(Title of Movie Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
Example: (Grand Budapest 01:18:29-49)
Note: Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many
contributors. After the title, list the contributors most relevant to your project. Most
common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.
Film from a
Streaming
Video Service
(Netflix, Hulu,
Amazon Prime,
etc.)
Works Cited
Title of Movie. Contributor(s). Publisher/Production Company, Year of Release. Name of
Streaming Service.
Example:
Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick, screenplay by Henry Selick and Neil
Gaiman, Laika, 2009. Netflix.
In-Text Citation
(Title of Movie Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Example: (Coraline 1:25:15-01:40:05)
Television
Episode from a
Streaming
Video Service
(Netflix, Hulu,
Amazon, etc.)
Works Cited
"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series, Contributors Name(s), season, episode, Production
Company, Year of Release, Name of Streaming Service.
Example:
“The Gathering.” Outlander, developed by Ronald D. Moore, performances by Caitriona
Balfe and Sam Heughan, season 1, episode 4, Left Bank Picture/Sony Pictures
Television Production, 2014. Netflix.
In-Text Citation
("Title of Episode" Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Example: ("The Gathering" 05:34-05:56)
YouTube
Videos
Works Cited
Last Name, First Name of video creator or Username of Creator. "Title of Video." Title
of the Hosting Website, uploaded by Username, Day Month Year of Publication,
URL of video.
Example:
Sethi, Ramit. "How to Write a Winning Resume, With Ramit Sethi." YouTube, uploaded
by I Will Teach You to Be Rich, 23
June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0fjkKCsM1w.
Note: If the video creator is unknown, begin the citation with the title of the video.
In-Text Citation
Adapted from Columbia and Portland Community College
If video creator is known:
(Last Name of Video Creator Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Example: (Sethi 00:03:30-00:04:16)
If video creator is unknown:
("Words from Title" Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Example: ("How to Write a Winning Resume" 02:40-03:25)
Interviews and Podcasts
Interviews
Works Cited
Last Name of Person Who Was Interviewed, First Name. Interview. By Interviewer First
Name Last Name. Day Month Year of interview.
Example:
Myers, Elizabeth. Interview. By Bob Jones. 12 Mar. 2016.
In-Text Citation
(Last Name of Person Who Was Interviewed)
Example: (Myers)
Podcast
Works Cited
Host's Last Name, First Name, host(s). "Title of Podcast Episode." Title of Overall
Podcast, Season Number if given, Episode Number if given, Web Site Hosting if
Different From Podcast Title, Day Month Year of Episode, URL of Episode.
Example:
Orton, Tyler, and Patrick Blennerhassett, hosts. “Lessons From the Brexit.” BIV Podcast,
episode 18, Business Vancouver, 28
June 2016, www.biv.com/article/2016/6/biv-podcast-episode-18-lessons-brexit/
In-Text Citation
(Host's Last Name Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)
Example: (Orton and Blennerhassett 01:15-02:22)
