MLA 9th Edition Citation Style: Detailed Guide
Introduction
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, particularly in literature, language, and cultural studies. The MLA Handbook, now in its 9th edition, provides comprehensive guidelines for citing sources and formatting academic papers. This guide offers a concise overview of MLA 9th Edition formatting, aiming to simplify the process of understanding and applying its rules.
Core Elements of Works Cited Entries
MLA 9th Edition emphasizes a "container system" for citing sources, which relies on nine core elements. These elements provide a flexible framework for citing various types of sources, regardless of their format. The core elements are:
- Author: Who created the work?
- Title of Source: What is the title of the specific work being cited (e.g., article, chapter, poem)?
- Title of Container: What is the larger work that contains the source (e.g., book, journal, website)?
- Other Contributors: Are there other individuals who contributed to the work (e.g., editors, translators)?
- Version: Is there a specific version of the work (e.g., edition, revision)?
- Number: Is there a number associated with the work (e.g., volume, issue number)?
- Publisher: Who published the work?
- Publication Date: When was the work published?
- Location: Where can the work be found (e.g., page numbers, URL, DOI)?
These elements are presented in a specific order, followed by appropriate punctuation. If an element is not applicable or not available, it is simply omitted.
In-Text Citation Rules
MLA style uses a parenthetical citation system, typically including the author's last name and a page number. This allows readers to locate the full source information in the Works Cited list.
Basic In-Text Citation
Include the author's last name and the page number(s) in parentheses.
Example: (Smith 25)
Author Named in the Text
If the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, only include the page number(s) in parentheses.
Example: Smith argues that "…" (25).
Works by Multiple Authors
Two Authors: Include both authors' last names.
Example: (Smith and Jones 42)
Three or More Authors: Include the first author's last name followed by "et al."
Example: (Brown et al. 78)
Corporate Author
If the source has a corporate author, use the name of the corporation.
Example: (Modern Language Association 15)
No Author
If no author is listed, use a shortened version of the title of the work in quotation marks (for articles, chapters, etc.) or italicized (for books, websites, etc.).
Example: ("Title of Article" 10) or (Title of Book 120)
Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you are citing multiple works by the same author, include a shortened title of the work in the in-text citation to distinguish between them.
Example: (Smith, Article Title 30)
Direct Quotations
For short quotations (four lines or fewer of prose, or three lines or fewer of verse), enclose the quotation in quotation marks and include the parenthetical citation after the closing quotation mark but before the period.
Example: According to Smith, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" (25).
For long quotations (more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse), use a block quotation. Indent the entire quotation one inch from the left margin, do not use quotation marks, and place the parenthetical citation after the closing punctuation.
Example:
Smith states:
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The dog is very lazy and does not move. The fox continues to jump over the dog, demonstrating its agility and the dog's complacency. (25)
Works Cited List
The Works Cited list appears at the end of your paper and provides full bibliographic information for all sources cited in your text. It is organized alphabetically by the author's last name (or by title if no author is available).
General Format for Works Cited Entries
Author. "Title of Source." Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.
Publication Types and Formatting
Books
Basic Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Classics, 2007.
Book with Two Authors:
Author Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example:
Smith, John, and Jane Doe. The Art of Writing. University Press, 2020.
Book with Three or More Authors:
Author Last Name, First Name, et al. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example:
Brown, Sarah, et al. Research Methods. Academic Press, 2019.
Edited Book:
Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example:
Johnson, Emily, editor. Collected Essays. Modern Library, 2018.
Chapter in an Edited Book:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Date, page range.
Example:
Davis, Mark. "The Digital Age." Essays on Technology, edited by Lisa White, Tech Books, 2021, pp. 100-120.
Journal Articles
Basic Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Publication Date, page range.
Example:
Miller, Alice. "The Psychology of Learning." Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 45, no. 2, 2018, pp. 123-145.
Journal Article from a Database:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Publication Date, page range. Name of Database, DOI or URL.
Example:
Chen, Li. "Climate Change Impacts." Environmental Science Review, vol. 10, no. 1, 2022, pp. 50-65. JSTOR, doi:10.1234/esr.2022.10.1.50.
Websites
Basic Format:
Author Last Name, First Name (if available). "Title of Webpage." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from website title), Date of Publication, URL.
Example:
Doe, Jane. "Understanding MLA Style." Purdue OWL, Purdue University, 15 May 2023, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html.
Website with No Author:
"Title of Webpage." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from website title), Date of Publication, URL.
Example:
"About Us." Modern Language Association, www.mla.org/About-Us.
Other Common Source Types
MLA 9th Edition provides guidelines for a vast array of other source types. Here are some general principles for common ones:
Newspaper Articles:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Day Month Year, page(s) or URL.
Example:
Johnson, David. "Local Economy Boosts." The Daily News, 10 Aug. 2023, www.thedailynews.com/local-economy-boosts.
Magazine Articles:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Day Month Year, page(s).
Example:
Williams, Sarah. "Future of AI." Tech Today, 20 July 2023, pp. 30-35.
Film/Movie:
Title of Film. Directed by Director First Name Last Name, Production Company, Year of Release.
Example:
Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010.
TV Episode:
"Title of Episode." Title of Series, created by Creator First Name Last Name, season Season Number, episode Episode Number, Production Company, Year of Release.
Example:
"The One Where Everybody Finds Out." Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, season 5, episode 14, Warner Bros. Television, 1999.
Song:
Artist Last Name, First Name. "Title of Song." Title of Album, Record Label, Year of Release.
Example:
Adele. "Rolling in the Deep." 21, XL Recordings, 2011.
Interview:
Interviewee Last Name, First Name. Interview. By Interviewer First Name Last Name. Publication (if applicable), Date of Interview.
Example:
Gates, Bill. Interview. By Charlie Rose. Charlie Rose Show, PBS, 20 May 2019.
YouTube Video:
Channel Name. "Title of Video." YouTube, Day Month Year, URL.
Example:
TED. "Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson." YouTube, 27 Jan. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY.
This guide provides a concise overview of MLA 9th Edition citation style. For more detailed information and specific examples, always consult the official MLA Handbook or the Purdue OWL MLA Style Guide.
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