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There are two parts to MLA citations:
In order to be correctly cited, you have to make sure to include both parts in your project.
Every citation in the Works Cited needs to be used at least once in your paper.
Every source cited within your paper needs to have an entry in your Works Cited. (You might refer to one work several times throughout your paper, but it only needs one entry in your Works Cited.)
(Author pages)
Example:
(Smith 45).
| In-text Citation | Example | |
| Author's name used in sentence in paper | Just include the page numbers in parentheses | According to John Smith, cats are.... (45). |
| Two authors | (Author & Author page) | (Hopwood & Hoya 57-67). |
| Three or more authors - just include the first author's last name and "et al" | (Author et al. page) | (Garfield et al. 12). |
| No author - use shortened title in quotation marks | ("Short Title") |
("Wild cats"). |
| No page numbers (website without pages) - skip it | (Author) | (Smith). |
| Video or audio file - use time instead of pages | (Author time) | (Sanderson 10:16:08-34). |
For examples of all of the different types of Works Cited entries, see MLA Citation Examples
A source is the piece of information that you are citing.
Sources might be inside of larger pieces of information, which MLA calls containers.
To fully cite a source, you need to describe each of its containers as well.
MLA uses a set of core elements to cite pieces of information.
When citing a source, fill in the elements needed for your source and leave unnecessary fields blank.
Repeat information from Title of Container through Location for each container.
Primary creator of the work that you are citing.
| One Author | LastName, FirstName. | Allende, Isabel. |
| Two Authors | LastName, FirstName, and FirstName LastName | Pratchett, Terry, and Neil Gaiman. |
| Three or more Authors | LastName, FirstName, et al. | Smith, John, et al. |
The title of the work that you are citing.
If it is a complete standalone work, italicize the title. (example- a book)
If it is a part of a larger work, put the title in quotation marks. (example- an article, a short story)
Title of the larger work where your piece of information lives.
Italicized.
Examples of containers:
| Source | Container |
| article | journal, newspaper, or magazine |
| blog | blog post |
| website | webpage |
| video | video platform (like YouTube) |
| song | album |
| journal (container 1) | database (container 2) |
Any key contributors to the work that you are citing.
Possible contributors and how to label them:
| Adapter | adapted by |
| Choreographer | choreographed by |
| Conductor | conducted by |
| Creator | created by |
| Director | directed by |
| Editor | edited by |
| Illustrator | illustrated by |
| Narrator | narrated by |
| Actor or performer | performance by |
| Translator | translated by |
If a work says that it is a version or edition, include it in your citation.
Possible options:
| Updated edition | Updated ed. |
| Revised edition | Rev. ed. |
| Second edition (and other numbered editions) | 2nd ed. |
If the source you are citing is part of a sequence, like a volume, issue, episode, or season.
Use numerals instead of righting them out.
Examples:
Entity responsible for making the work available to the public.
Examples of publishers:
When writing the name of the publisher:
Tells your reader when the version of the work that you are citing was published.
Use as much of the date as is available.
Abbreviate months.
Style dates as day month year (ex- 31 Jan. 2024)
Where the work you cited is located. This varies by format.
| Paginated book chapter, short story, or article (print or PDF) | page range |
| Online works | DOI (digital object identifier) or URL |
| work that viewed/heard in person (concert, museum exhibit) | place where it was viewed or heard |
