Big Picture
- MLA style features in-text parenthetical citations and a corresponding Works Cited page. Some publishers may ask for endnotes/footnotes rather than parenthetical citations.
In-Text Citations
Use for quotes, paraphrases and summaries
- Basic format includes author's last name followed by page number(s) - Example: (Patel 245)
- Author name may be excluded if in the introductory text - Example: Patel found that …. “ “ (245).
- If referring to two authors of the same text, join last names with and. Example: (Jones and Rhett 119)
- If no author, use the first part of the citation found in the Works Cited - Example: (National Committee 37)
- If referring to more than one source in the same citation, separate with a semi-colon - Example: (Davidson 18-20; Simmons 302)
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics (Purdue OWL)
Work Cited List
- Order citations alphabetically (typically by author's last name)
- Include hanging indent after the first line
- Place quotation marks around sources in containers e.g. poem, short story, journal article etc.
- Italicize sources for stand-alone items e.g. novel, play, journal publication, book etc.
- Capitalize main words in a title
- Format author in citations as follows:
- one author includes last name, first name. Example: Reddy, Anisha
- two authors includes last name, first name and first name last name. Example: Reddy, Anisha and Nate Conner.
- three authors includes last name, first name, et al. Example: Jones, Steve, et al.
- DOIs are preferred over URLs. When using an URL, remove http:// or https:// Example: doi:10.1002/tox.20155
MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format (Purdue, OWL)