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Citation Styles

Guide for APA, Chicago, MLA citation styles and more.

MLA overview

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, which is the organization that codifies this particular style. MLA style uses parenthetical citations and a "works cited" page that comes at the very end of your content. 

MLA is currently on the 9th edition, though your professor may prefer an earlier version, so ask if you are unsure!

In-Text Citation Basics

In-text citations in MLA style typically include the author's last name and the page number for the material you are citing. 

Example: (Jones 44)

NOTE: You should NOT include "p." or "pg." before the page number.

For additional information on in-text citations, please see MLA: In-Text Citations 

Works Cited Basics

Your Works Cited will be a complete list of all sources used in your paper or project. Remember that the complete citation entries act like addresses for your sources. Below you will find templates for several common types of sources, but please consult MLA: Works Cited for additional information. 

Book with one author: 

LastName, FirstName. Title. Publisher, YEAR.

Journal article: 

LastName, FirstName. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, YEAR, pp. #-#. 

Chapter in an edited collection: 

LastName, FirstName. "Title of Chapter." Title of Collection, edited by Editor(s) FirstName LastName, Publisher, YEAR, pp. #-#.

 

Do I really need to pay attention to little details like where the commas and periods go?
YES! Although it can be tedious, it is very important that you adhere to the formatting rules exactly (including punctuation and capitalization) in order to correctly cite your sources.