MLA Style Guide
MLA Handbook by
Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements--facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date--that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers, and anyone citing sources, from business writers, technical writers, and freelance writers and editors to student writers and the teachers and librarians working with them. Intended for a variety of classroom contexts--middle school, high school, and college courses in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields--the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook offers *New chapters on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, abbreviations, and principles of inclusive language *Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group project *Revised, comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format that are easier to learn and use than ever before *A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more *Detailed examples of how to find publication information for a variety of sources *Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including comprehensive advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work *Detailed guidance on footnotes and endnotes *Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism *A sample essay in MLA format *Annotated bibliography examples *Numbered sections throughout for quick navigation *Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars
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Research and Writing in English
A Short Guide to Writing about Literature by Call Number: PE 1479 C7 B3 2004
Writing Essays: A Guide for Students in English and the Humanities by Call Number: PE 1408 .T87 2016
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The most current Academic Integrity Policy is dated April 10, 2013 (effective July 1, 2013).
MLA (9th ed.) Citation Guides
Citation guides are resources that provide information and examples to help you better understand how to cite the sources you are using in your assignments and essays.
McMaster University Library's MLA citation guide
OWL Purdue MLA citation guide
![MLA In-text Citations First time cited in text 1 author: (Name Page #) OR Name (Page #). 2 authors: (Name and Name Page #) OR Name and Name (Page #) 3+ authors: (Name et al. Page #) OR Name et al. (Page #) Tips Anonymous works: are referred to by a title, or a shortened title, example: (“Study Finds” Page #) No page number? Just use the author’s name in the text or parentheses, example: (Rowling). Titles: use italics for books, use quotation marks for articles, poems, chapters, or short stories. Preparing a Works Cited Page Label page ‘Works Cited’ centered at the top of page; do not italicize or use quotation marks around ‘Works Cited.’ Arrange sources alphabetically by last name (or by title if anonymous source). Double space entire list (within & between lines). Indent 2nd and subsequent lines of each entry 5-7 spaces from the left. Examples: Print: Ferguson, Will, and Ian Ferguson. How to Be a Canadian. Douglas and McIntyre, 2007. Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. Translated by Richard Howard, Vintage-Random House, 1988. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Penguin Classics, 2003. Electronic: Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Edited by Pat Rogers, Cambridge UP, 2006. Scholars Portal Books, https://books.scholarsportal.info/uri/ebooks/ebooks2/cambridge/2010-08 18/1/9780521825146 Hughes, Akilah [@AkilahObviously]. "I need a playlist for when I deeply consider going to the gym but then don't." Twitter, 1 July 2015, https://twitter.com/AkilahObviously/status/616443679344041985. Huth, Kimberly. "Figures of Pain in Early Modern English Tragedy." Renaissance Drama, vol. 42, no. 2, fall 2014, pp. 169-90. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/678121. Picasso, Pablo. Guernica. 1937. Museo Nacional Centro De Arte Reina Sofia, https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/collection/artwork/guernica Other: Can You Ever Forgive Me? Directed by Marielle Heller, Twentieth Century Fox, 2018. Criterion On- Demand, https://media3.criterionpic.co/display/006?t=F032006. "The Rains of Castamere." Game of Thrones, written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, directed by David Nutter, season 3, episode 9, HBO, 2013. "Seth Rogen Returns." Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, episode 324, 10 May 2021, https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/seth-rogen-return Additional Resources: MLA Handbook (9th edition), MILLS Library LB 2369 .M52 2021 MLA Style Center, https://style.mla.org Purdue OWL, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style](http://library.mcmaster.ca/sites/default/files/mla_citation_9th_edition_infographic.png "MLA (9th edition) Infographic")
How to Write MLA Citations
In this video you’ll learn how to write basic in-text citations and a Works Cited list in MLA. (3:38)