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The basic MLA format follows these guidelines:
MLA Style does not include a separate title page. The first page of the MLA paper should have the following information listed in the upper left corner:
Put each element on it's own line, double-spaced.
The title should be centered, but not bolded or underlined.
The Works Cited page is the last page of your paper and is the list of sources used to write the paper. Any source in your works cited must also be used in your paper and vice versa. Format your works cited page using the following guidelines:
MLA style includes three "core elements," the author, the title of source, and the container.
Author: Who is the primary creator of the work? This could be a writer, an artist, a singer, a group of people, an organization, a government, or any other type of creator. Editors or translators may fall under the author element, although these types of creators may be formatted differently.
Title of Source: What is the title of the work? Sometimes this title is easy to identify, like a book title or the title of a journal article. Other times, it may take a little time to identify the title, as with a web page or an artwork. If a source does not have a title, as with a post on social media, use a short description of the source.
The Container: MLA uses the term "container" to describe a work that holds another work. For example, a journal article's container is the journal where it is published, a web site is the container of a specific web page, and a museum is the container of an art piece of display. Some works, for example a book, are self-contained. When citing a self-contained work, some of the container elements will be ignored. The sub-elements of the container are:
An in-text citation is used in the body of your paper to let your reader know which parts of your writing are other people's ideas and which are your own.
In text citations include the last name of the author or authors and the page number. For web sources, you should only include the first element of your works cited reference. Usually, this is the author name or the article's title.
The citation information goes inside parentheses before the period or other ending punctuation mark. If the author's name is mentioned in your sentence, don't include it in the citation.
Examples:
According to scholars, science exists (Lastname 35).
Dr. Lastname, a renowned scientist, writes "the reality of the matter is that science exists" (35).
One article argues "science is absolutely real, because we've seen the results" ("Realities of Science").
Visit Purdue OWL's MLA In Text Citation Basics for more information and examples.
Basic Format
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Edited Book (with author)
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book, edited by First Name Last Name, City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Edited Book (no author)
Last Name, First Name, editor. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Work Within an Anthology
Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.
Multi Volume Work
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book, vol. #. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Translated Book
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book, translated by First Name Last Name, City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
Dictionary, Encyclopedia, etc.
"Entry title." Title of Book. Edition. Date of Publication.
Basic Format
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.
Report by Government Agency or Other Organization
Name of Government, Name of Responsible Agency. Title of Publication. Publisher's Name, Date.
United States, Congress, House, Committee on the Judiciary. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, December 1, 2015. Government Printing Office, 2015.
Film or Video
Title of Film. Directed by First Name Last Name, performances by First Name Last Name and First Name Last Name, Studio Name, Release Year.
TV Series
Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name, creators. Title of Series. Production Studio(s), Release Year.
TV Series Episode (DVD)
"Title of Episode." Series Title, written by First Name Last Name and First Name Last Name, directed by First Name Last Name, Studio Name, Release Year.
TV Series Episode (Streaming)
"Title of Episode." Series Title, season #, episode #, Studio Name, Release Year. Streaming Platform, URL.
YouTube Video
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by User Name, Upload Date, URL.
“Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by User Name, Upload Date, URL.
Podcast Episode
“Title of Episode.” Podcast Name from Podcast Studio Name, Release Date, URL.
Song (CD)
Recording Artist. "Title of Song." Name of Album, Name of Studio, Year of Release.
Song (Streaming)
Recording Artist. "Title of Song." Name of Album, Name of Studio, Year of Release. Streaming Service, URL.
Artwork, Photo, or Other Image (Physical)
Last Name, First Name. Name of Artwork. Date of Creation, Location.
Artwork, Photo, or Other Image (Viewed Online)
Last Name, First Name. Name of Artwork. Date of Creation, Location, URL.
Basic Format
Last Name, First Name. Title of Thesis/Dissertation. Date of Publication. University Name, Type of Source, URL.
Tweet
@UserName. “Tweet in Entirety.” Twitter, Date of Posting, 0:00 a/p.m., URL.
Blog Post
Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site, Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.
Website (with author)
Last Name, First Name. “Posting Title.” Name of Site, Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.
Website (organization as author)
Organization Name. “Posting Title.” Name of Site, Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.
Website (organization same as site name)
“Posting Title.” Name of Site, Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.
Magazine / Newspapers
Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical, Day Month Year, pages.
It is always best to find the original source for information you're using in your paper. If you are unable to find an original source, you can cite a source referenced in another source. These are called "indirect citations." When citing indirect citations, provide the source in which the original work was referenced in your works cited page.
For the in-text citation:
Professor Smith points out that “workers are objects of information collection without participating in the process of exchanging the information” (qtd. in Johnson 14).