English Literature Resources: MLA Style, 9th Ed.

Refer to the MLA Handbook in the library or the MLA website help page for a detailed explanation.

The following elements should be used in the below order for creating a citation for all types of sources. If one of the elements is not available, then move to the next one on the list. For some citations 3-9 will repeat. For example, if you found a journal article in an article database, such as Academic Search Complete. The journal is the first container (steps 3-9) and the database is the second container (repeat steps 3-9). Please refer to the MLA Quick Guide and the MLA 9th Practice Template for further explanation.

1. Author.
2. Title of Source.
3. Title of Container,
4. Contributor
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication Date,
9. Location.

MLA 9 Template from:

"Works-Cited-List Entries." The MLA Style Center: Writing Resources from the Modern Language Association. Modern Language Association (MLA), 2023, https://style.mla.org/interactive-practice-template/.

These are examples of some of the more common citations, but your citation might vary depending on the information available about your resource. When creating your citation use the list of elements 1-9.

Book by One Author

Owens, Delia. Where the Crawdads Sing. Penguin Publishing Group, 2018.

Book by Two Authors

Byrd, Rosaly, and Laurèn DeMates. Sustainability Made Simple: Small Changes for Big Impact. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

Book by More Than Two Authors

Karleskint, George, et al. Introduction to Marine Biology. 2nd ed., Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2006.

Scholarly Journal from a Database, with a DOI

Roig, Antoni, et al. “Netflix Fictional Feature Film Originals: An Analysis of Release Strategies.” Communication & Society, vol. 34, no. 2, 2021, pp. 125–39. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.15581/003.34.2.125-139.1. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Scholarly Journal from a Database, with a Permalink

Richards, Colin. “The Substance of Polynesian Voyaging.” World Archaeology, vol. 40, no. 2, 2008, pp. 206–23. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40388207. Accessed 7 Jul. 2022.

News Publications Reported by a News Service

Hunt, Katie. “Carnivorous plant that traps prey underground is the 1st of its kind to be discovered.” CNN, 1 June 2022, www.cnn.com. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Magazine Article from a Website

Adams, Abigail. “Teen Honored for Saving 3 Victims and a Police Officer After Car Plunges Into River: ‘So Thankful.’” People, 6 July 2022, people.com/human-interest/teenager-honored-for-saving-3-victims-and-a-police-officer-from-river/. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Video Viewed on a Website

Nawaz, Amna, reporter. “Supreme Court’s EPA ruling raises climate change concerns.” PBS NewsHour, 5 July 2022, www.pbs.org/newshour/show/supreme-courts-epa-ruling-raises-climate-change-concerns. Accessed 7 July 2022.

Notes on DOIs, Permalinks, and URLs [5.93-5.99]:

• Keep the http:// or https:// if it is before a DOI. This allows it to open in a browser.
• If available, use the permalink (stable, permanent, or persistent URL) instead of the URL that appears in your browser window.
• Remove the http:// or https:// before the URL.
• If the URL is more than three full lines or it is longer than the citation, shorten it, but retain the host information.

Note on Date of Access [5.111]: It is a good practice to add the date of access at the end of the citation, but it is no longer a requirement. This is to show that you accessed something on a particular date just in case the source disappears or if it may be altered.

The format of the Works Cited page has not changed.