MLA * Some with Color Coding

Here are some quick links to citing the most common types of sources. For less common situations not covered here, consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition), 2003 by Joseph Gibaldi. This is available in Ready Reference (by the Reference Desk) and in Reserves. The call number is LB2369 .G53 2003.  

In-Text Citations

Works Cited: Online Sources

• Journal articles from online library databases *(such as InfoTrac)
• Journal articles from Websites *(such as a publisher's site)
• Web Page that is Part of a Larger Website *(with an author)
• Websites *(without an author or without a date)
• Further Website examples
• E-mail messages
• Other online sources

Works Cited: Print Sources

• Books *
• Journal articles *
• Newspaper articles *
• Further Book examples
• Further Journal, newspaper or magazine article examples

The Library Survivor series offers MLA workshops to help you practice.

Article from an Online Library Database

Burriss, Theresa, and Candice M. Benjes-Small. " MLA the Easy Way." Journal of Applied

          Language Arts 73.2 (2007): 50-56. Expanded Academic ASAP. Thompson Gale. Radford U Lib.

          Radford, VA. 1 Feb. 2007 < http://www.gale.com>.

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Reverse the author's name for alphabetizing.
• Use author's full name if given .
• If more than one author reverse only name of the first author, add comma, and give the other names in normal order.
• If there are more than three authors, you may name only the first and add "et al".
• Retain author order as listed in article- even if it's not alphabetical.
• Article title is in quotation marks
• Journal title is italicized or underlined.
• If the journal uses page numbering that continues from issue to issue, you list the volume but not the issue number.
• Name of the database, in italics or underlined
• Name of the subscription service (if known)
• Name of library with city and state [ Radford U Lib. Radford, VA. ]
• Date of Access
• URL of subscription service's home page (if known)

Articles from Websites

Burriss, Theresa, and Candice M. Benjes-Small. "MLA the Easy Way." Journal of Applied

          Language Arts 73.2 (2007): 50-56. 1 Feb. 2007 <http://www.haworth.com/japl/57.htm>

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Reverse the author's name for alphabetizing.
• If more than one author reverse only name of the first author, add comma, and give the other names in normal order.
• If there are more than three authors, you may name only the first and add "et al".
• Retain author order as listed in article- even if it's not alphabetical.
• Use author's full name if given .
• Journal name is italicized.
• If the journal uses page numbering that continues from issue to issue, you list the volume but not the issue number.

Web Page that is Part of a Larger Website

Author(s)	Web Page Title	Sponsoring Web Site
Date of Publication	Date Retrieved	URL

Leake, Jonathan. "Electric Towers are Cancer Risk". The Best Natural  Health Information and

         Newsletter. 10 March 2001. Feb. 1, 2007

         <http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/10/cancer_high_voltage.htm>.

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Name of the author or editor, reversed for alphabetizing and, if appropriate, followed by an abbreviation, such as ed.
• Title of an article, poem, short story, or similar short work in the Internet site
• If the Web page is part of a larger Website, identify the host organization; this is italicized or underlined
• For a professional or personal site with no title, use a description such as Home page
• Date of electronic publication, of the latest update, or of posting
• Date retrieved.
• URL.

Websites and Online Videos (Without an Author or Without a Date)

No Date:
Brainard, Blair. Puns to Make a Macho Man Cry. 5 Feb. 2007

          <http://www.brainard.com/puns.html>.

• Follow rules as listed above
• If you cannot find some of the information, cite what is available.

No Author:
"Ryan Seacrest Nervous About How Audiences Will Respond to Slightly Shorter Haircut." The Onion.

         2007. 7 Feb. 2007

         <http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/ryan_seacrest_nervous_about>.

• Follow rules as listed above
• If you cannot find some of the information, cite what is available.

Books

Hyde, William E., and Eric G. Ackermann. Sharing an Office: Adventures in Co-Existence.

          New York: Vegetarian Press, 2006.

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Reverse the author's name for alphabetizing.
• If more than one author reverse only name of the first author, add comma, and give the other names in normal order.
• If there are more than three authors, you may name only the first and add "et al".
• Retain author order as listed in article- even if it's not alphabetical.
• Use author's full name if given .
• The title of the book is italicized or underlined.
• If several cities of publication are given, use only the first one.

Journal Article

Burriss, Theresa, and Candice M. Benjes-Small. "MLA the Easy Way."Journal of Applied Language

          Arts,73.2 (2007): 50-56.

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Reverse the author's name for alphabetizing.
• If more than one author reverse only name of the first author, add comma, and give the other name(s) in normal order.
• If there are more than three authors, you may name only the first and add "et al".
• Retain author order as listed in article- even if it's not alphabetical.
• Use author's full name if given.
• Article title is in quotation marks
• Journal title is italicized or underlined.
• If the journal uses page numbering that continues from issue to issue, you list the volume but not the issue number.

Newspaper Article

Vassady, Lisa. "Buying a House: What Every Potential Homeowner Should

          Know." San Franscisco Chronicle 17 July 2003: A23.

• Citations should be double-spaced and use hanging indents.
• Newspaper title should be italicized or underlined.
• If the city of publication is not included in the name of a locally published newspaper, add the city in square brackets "Star-Ledger [Newark]"
• Include the month and day as well as year.
• If each section is paginated separately, indicate the appropriate section number of letter.

Students, if you need further help you may set up an appointment with the Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC), Walker 125, by calling (540) 831-7704.

Instructors, you may request someone from LARC come to your class to talk about APA and other citation styles with your students. Please send an e-mail to larc@radford.edu

Questions and corrections to this page should be sent to libinstr@radford.edu