MLA 8th Edition

What is MLA?

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a group of librarians, researchers, and instructors in the fields of “language and literature.” As a group, they have agreed upon a set of rules for:

formatting research writing
providing “in-text” citations within your writing
providing a list of works you’ve cited

When an instructor asks a student to “use MLA style,” he or she may be referring to the format of a paper, the method of citation (telling where you found your information), or both. Please check with your instructor if you are unsure about what he or she means.

Who Should Use MLA?

While MLA style is generally used in the Humanities and Liberal Arts fields, it is specifically used in most:

English Classes
other languages and humanities classes

Why is MLA Important?

Reading papers is easier for everybody when the format is the same: when your document is set up exactly as all the others in your class, everyone knows what to expect when they read.
Your citations allow those who read your paper to:
- Trust that your statements are based on reliable information.
- Locate the original source of your information, so they can read more or use it in their own work.
Whenever you use the ideas or words of another person, you need to ensure that others know the work is not your own; this is easily accomplished by following the MLA citation guidelines. If your work is not clearly and correctly cited, you run the risk of committing plagiarism, which can have a very negative impact on your college experience.

What is Plagiarism?

According to The Successful Writer’s Handbook, Second Edition, by Kathleen T. McWhorter and Jane E. Aaron, plagiarism, which comes from the Latin word for kidnapper, is using another person’s ideas or words in a way that makes them seem as if they were yours. McWhorter and Aaron note that it is a “serious offense” whether you plagiarize on purpose or without realizing you’ve done so (452).

An additional form of plagiarism is creating paraphrases (putting the author’s ideas into your own words) that are too similar to the original writing. Examples of this are on the following page.

McWhorter and Aaron suggest that the best way to avoid plagiarism is simple: “Every time you borrow the words, facts or ideas of others, you must document the source—that is, supply a reference … telling readers that you borrowed the material and where you borrowed it from” (457).

Below are various examples of plagiarism and ways to avoid plagiarizing:

Original source of the examples below:
- Experts generally agree that the Internet and other modern technologies have made plagiarism easier (Hansen).
Direct Quotation:
- Plagiarism: Those who have studied it say that the Internet and other modern technologies have made plagiarism easier (Hansen). This is plagiarism because the direct quotation is not documented with quotation marks
- Fair use: Those who have studied it say, “that the Internet and other modern technologies have made plagiarism easier” (Hansen). Direct quotation is correctly documented with quotation marks.
Quoting Key Words:
- Plagiarism: Care ought to be taken with certain modern technologies that encourage academic dishonesty (Hansen). This is plagiarism because key words are not documented with quotation marks.
- Fair use: Care ought to be taken with certain “modern technologies” that encourage academic dishonesty (Hansen). Key words are correctly documented with quotation marks.
Paraphrasing:
- Plagiarism: Experts mostly think that the Internet and other new technologies make it easier for people to plagiarize (Hansen). This is plagiarism because the paraphrase is constructed out of synonyms but retains the source’s word order
- Fair use: Committing acts of academic dishonesty have become nearly effortless with the rise of new, fast ways to procure information, such as the Internet, say most experts (Hansen). The paraphrase contains the same information as the source but is shaped and phrased differently.

Plagiarism is a Serious Offense

Under Corning Community College’s Academic Dishonesty Policy, acts of plagiarism are considered unethical and may result in severe punishment—sometimes in the form of expulsion from a course. For more information on what constitutes a violation and penalties, see Corning Community College Student Handbook, Academic Dishonesty Section.

Bottom Line: If the information you are using comes from anyone other than you, you need to cite it. When in doubt, cite. If your citation isn’t needed, your instructor will let you know.

For more information on avoiding plagiarism, check out the Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) (http://owl.english.purdue.edu), the Learning Commons, your handbook, and your textbook. The OWL has an article entitled “Is It Plagiarism Yet?” that you may find especially helpful.

How to Format Your Paper

Heading and Title

One inch from the top on the left-hand side, type your heading: on separate lines, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course number, and the date (Ex: 17 June 2016), double-spacing between the lines.

Capitalize the first letter of all keywords in your title, including the first and last word. Do not capitalize prepositions, conjunctions, and articles (“of,” “and,” “the,” etc.) unless one is at the beginning or end of the title. Do not format the title in any other way (no underlining, bolding, italicizing, quotation marks, or all-caps) unless your title contains the title of another work. Then only quote or italicize that portion.

If your instructor requires a title page, follow the directions he or she gives you.

Page Numbering

Insert the page number in the top right-hand corner. Type your last name to the left of the page number. Do not include the abbreviation p., a period, or any other symbols with the page number.

Font

Choose a font that is easy to read, and in which the difference between regular and italic style is clear, such as Times New Roman. Set the font size to 12 points.

Margins

The margins should be set at 1 inch for the sides, top, and bottom of your pages.

Line Spacing

Keep your text set to double line spacing for the whole paper, from your heading through your Works Cited page.

Note: In order to conserve space, this style packet often single-spaces its text and examples. Make sure that all parts of your paper are double-spaced. Do not hit “Enter” to double-space your lines. Instead, use the line spacing settings in your word processing program.

Titles: Quotes or Italics for my Sources?

The rule of thumb is that “little stuff” gets quotation marks and “big stuff” gets italicized. For example, the titles of poems, short stories, chapters, individual articles, and specific webpages usually have quotation marks, while the titles of whole novels, other books, and entire newspapers, magazines, journals, and websites get italicized. Another way of looking at it is that the small, individual works get quoted while their containers (the larger publications that contain several works) get italicized. However, there are exceptions. For example, plays, even when contained in an anthology, and government publications, even when viewed by way of a larger website, also get italicized. If you have a question regarding this formatting issue, do not hesitate to ask.

How to Quote a Source

When you include someone else’s writing in your own work, you need to give the author(s) credit in two ways: place quotation marks before and after the text you are using, and include an in-text citation (see Section III). This section will help you learn how to format your quotations.

It is very important for you to copy the words you are quoting exactly as they appear in the original text. If you want to include extra words, you need to put square brackets ( [ ] ) around those words. If you want to omit words, you need to put an ellipsis ( . . . ) in the space where the words were removed. (Note the spaces between and around the periods.) Additionally, if the original text makes use of double quotation marks (“ ”), you must change them to single quotation marks (‘ ’). See the example below for the application of all three rules:

Original text by Barbara Ehrenreich: The top 20 percent routinely exercises other, far more consequential forms of power in the world. This stratum, which contains what I have termed in an earlier book the “professional-managerial class,” is the home of our decision makers, opinion shapers, culture creators—our professors, lawyers, executives, entertainers, politicians, judges, writers, producers, and editors.¹³ When they speak, they are listened to.
Quotation: Ehrenreich addresses the relationships of income, class, and power: “The top 20 percent [of income earners] routinely exercises other, far more consequential forms of power in the world. This stratum, which contains . . . the ‘professional-managerial class,’ is the home of our decision makers, opinion shapers, culture creators . . . When they speak, they are listened to” (215).

Double Quotes Versus Single Quotes

Although you will usually use double quotation marks ( “ ” ), there are times when you’ll need to use single quotation marks ( ‘ ’ ). When quoting part of a work of literature, you’ll use double quotation marks before and after the text that the author wrote. However, if the quotation itself already includes double quotation marks, you’ll need to turn those into single quotes. Sometimes, they might be placed directly next to each other. Here’s an example:

Original Text:
- George Washington offered a series of warnings, what he called a “solemn contemplation.”
Quotation:
- Regarding the tradition of the presidential farewell address, Tamara Keith recounts that “George Washington offered a series of warnings, what he called a ‘solemn contemplation.’”
  - Note: The single quotes around the phrase “solemn contemplation” inside the double quotes that surround the entire source material.

Block Quotes

If the part you are quoting ends up longer than four lines when you put it in your essay, you need to format it differently: this is called a block quote. Here’s what to do: lead into your quote with an introductory statement ending in a full colon. Start on a new line, type the quote without quotation marks, indent the entire quote one inch from the left margin, maintain your double spacing, and end the quote with a period. The in-text citation goes in parentheses after the period, next to the end of the quote.

Quoting Poetry

When quoting special text like this, the overall goal is to maintain clarity about the special formatting of the original text. You can put one to three lines of poetry within your text, in quotation marks with a slash ( / ) between each line. Put a space before and after the slash, as shown in the example below. Use two slashes ( // ) to indicate a stanza break.

“Now the chimney was all of the house that stood, / Like a pistil after the petals go” (Frost lines 3-4).

When citing four or more lines of text, you should start your citation on a new line (following the same guidelines as block quotations). Follow the formatting used by the poet: if the lines are center-justified, yours should do so as well. If the words have a different arrangement, try to imitate that arrangement as well as possible in your block quote. Here’s an example of a center-justified block quote:

“The Sidewalk Racer” seems to undulate from line to line due to the formatting and enjambment employed by the poet:

Skimming

an asphalt sea

I swerve, I curve, I

sway; I speed to whirring

sound an inch above the

ground; I’m the sailor (Morrison lines 1-6)

Quoting Lines of Drama

When quoting dialogue between two or more characters in a play, start the quotation on a new line, following the guidelines for block quotations. Start with the first character’s name, written in all capital letters, ½ inch from the left margin. Follow the name with a period and one space, and then start the quotation. If that character’s speech goes on to a second line or further, indent those lines an additional quarter inch. Start a new line for each character’s speech, following the directions above.

The chairman’s anxiety is plain as he attempts to tell the Youngers about the committee’s offer:

LIDNER. Thank you. I would sort of like to explain this thing in my own way. I mean I want to explain to you in a certain way.

WALTER. Go ahead.

LIDNER. Yes. Well. I’m going to try to get right to the point. (Hansberry 1223; act 2)

In-Text Citations

Documenting your sources using MLA is a two-part process. First, you make an in-text citation to identify the source from which you drew the information or ideas. Second, you give an extended amount of information about the source on the last page of your paper, under the heading “Works Cited” (see pages 9-13).

Remember! In-text citations are not just for direct quotes; they are for any information or ideas that came from your source material!

In-text citations can be accomplished in two ways: (1) parenthetical citations and (2) signal phrases.

For most parenthetical citations, use an author-page number format. In parentheses, type the last name of the author, then a space, and then the number(s) of the page(s)* cited (Anderson 18). Note the space before the first parenthesis and that the period of the sentence comes immediately after the second parenthesis.
A signal phrase provides the author’s last name in the wording of the sentence that quotes, paraphrases, or introduces the source material. It is optional in this case to give the author’s full name and even more information about the source. A signal phrase is preferable to a parenthetical citation when you are introducing a source for the first time. Example: In Crucible of War, Fred Anderson called the Onondagan control of the Ohio Country “the fulcrum . . . of relations between the French and the English” (18). Since you already named the author, you only put the page number, if available, in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrased information.

TIP: You can omit the author’s name from a citation and use only the page number or other location information (if applicable), so long as a) the material is from the same source as the previous source material, and b) it is clear that it is that source’s information or ideas, not yours. If there is any possibility for confusion, then cite the author’s name again.

Most Importantly:

Most Importantly: Whether your in-text citation is a signal phrase or is parenthetical, you must provide the element that begins the source’s entry on your Works Cited page. Usually this is the author’s/authors’ last name(s), but sometimes there is no author and therefore the first element is the title of the work. However, your in-text citation must match it, or your reader will have a harder time locating your source on your alphabetized Works Cited list.

Two Notes About Page Numbers

Only worry about page numbers if there are actual page numbers provided with the text, such as in a book, magazine, or in a database article that is in PDF format (visible page numbers on the screen). Do NOT use page numbers that the printer puts on the corners of the pages, such as when printing out webpages.
When giving a range of pages with page numbers greater than 100, only give the last two digits for the last page if the first part of the number is the same. For instance, when citing pages 1388 through 1392, you’d write: “1388-92,” but for pages 1388 through 1403, you’d write: “1388-1403.”

Examples

Author Named Signal Phrase
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In fact, journalist Bill Walsh argues “a story without quotes is flat and lifeless. And you can quote me on that” (49). Note: Page numbers are given without any use of p. or other symbols. The period goes after the closing parenthesis.
Author Named in Parentheses
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Some believe the word quote is a perfect way to describe “those nuggets of speech that journalists mine from the living to give their stories credibility” (Walsh 49-50).
Author Not Listed
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Two methods exist: use the whole title in a signal phrase or include the first few words of the title in parentheses. In a parenthetical citation, also drop any “The,” “An,” or “A” that might begin the title. According to “Athlete’s Foot – Topic Overview,” this infection can be transmitted by skin contact. OR Skin contact can easily transmit the infection (“Athlete’s Foot”). Remember: Titles of books and government publications are italicized; titles of articles and webpages are put in quotation marks. In the case of webpages, as in the example above, there are usually no page numbers to be cited unless the document is a PDF.
Two Authors
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Refer to them both in a signal phrase by using either their last names or full names, or use only their last names with “and” in a parenthetical citation. Maintain the same order of the last names as listed in the source. This research investigated ways in which family meals affected relationships between teenagers and their parents (Hall and Langellier 142).
Three or More Authors
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Provide the first of the last names (according to their listed order) and then add “et al.” (the abbreviation for “et alia,” Latin for “and others”). Furthermore, researchers found that insurance plans that provided poor mental health care were much more likely to provide poor service in other areas of health care (Druss et al. 861).
Two or More Works by the Same Author
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Since, as a rule, you must use the first element in your in-text citation, in this case you would add the second element so that it is clear which source you are using. Judith Butler denies that the anatomy of the body has any essential value but that the sex of a body is meaningless until culture assigns meaning to it (Gender Trouble 142). What we say to one another is indeed an action: “We do things with language, produce effects with language, and we do things to language, but language is also the thing that we do.” (Butler, Excitable Speech 49).
Page Number Unknown (includes websites/ webpages/e-books)
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If the page number is unknown or, as in a web page, unusable (because printers paginate inconsistently), do not include a page number in the in-text citation. If the page numbers are viewable on the computer screen (as in a PDF), do use those page numbers. Do not use paragraph numbers unless they have already been pre-numbered in the text AND either there are no page numbers or your instructor prefers paragraph numbers. If that is the case, you can use the abbreviation “par.” You may also use “ch.” to cite summarized material that encompasses several pages in a single book chapter, to cite material from an e-book that lacks permanent pagination, or to supplement the page number from a classic work that might appear in several different editions. Vulchinich et al. point out that adolescents are more likely to pick a fight with their mothers than with their fathers. Heilbroner explains that “stereotypes make us mentally lazy” (par. 10). By 1864, towns across Kentucky were rife with civilian murders, espionage, and terrorism (Buhk, ch. 12). The Bishop of Digne is portrayed as a man of “divine childish goodness” (Hugo 53, ch. 13).
Poetry
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The numbers should always reference line numbers. MLA no longer use l. or ll. for “line” or “lines” since these might be misread as numbers. Instead, use the poet’s last name and the whole word “line” or “lines” in a signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite a specific part of the poem. Subsequent citations for other parts of the poem only need the actual numbers. “The first time I walked / With a girl, I was twelve, / Cold and weighted down” (Soto lines 1-3). “A few cars hissing past, / Fog hanging like old / Coats between the trees” (44-46).
Drama
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MLA recommends using both page numbers and act number. Remember, the author’s name is not necessary unless it is the first time using that source, or if you are switching back to that source from another source. Mama insists to Beneatha, “There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing” (Hansberry 1236, act 3). Shakespeare and other verse-based drama can be exceptions. Ask your instructor if he or she has a preference. When face-to face with the ghost, Hamlet proclaims, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (Ham. 1.5.167-68).
Reference Work (Dictionary, encyclopedia, etc.)
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Most encyclopedias and dictionaries are listed in the Works Cited page under the word that was looked up, so that is what goes in the parenthetical citation. No page number is required, as readers can simply look up the entry by that word. Another way Krager dupes the reader is his use of syllogisms. Known as “a subtle, specious, or crafty argument,” these can prove a point by setting up false premises, as he does (“syllogism”).
Scripture (Bible, Quran, etc.)
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Print source: The first time you reference the work, use the item at the beginning of your entry in the Works Cited list (often the title of the Bible, minus “The”), followed by a comma, the abbreviated title of the specific book (e.g. Gen. or 1 Cor.), and the chapter and verse numbers (divided by periods) instead of page numbers. Thereafter, use just the book, chapter, and verse. Don’t hesitate to inquire if you are not sure how to abbreviate a particular book. First time: Thereafter: (NIV Study Bible, Matt. 25.34-40) (Matt. 25.41-46) (Qur’an, 12:68-69) (12:97-98) However, if you are using an online reference source to find and use the sacred text, cite it as you would another online reference without a given author, such as an online encyclopedia. The scripture reference then serves as the webpage title, which you would list first in an internet source listing. Each time, it would just look like this, using the shortened form of the webpage title: (“Psalm 25”). This parenthetical citation would link to this listing on your Works Cited page: “Psalm 25. English Standard Version (ESV).” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25&version=ESV. Accessed 3 Jan. 2017.
Indirect Sources (Quoting what someone else has quoted)
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When you are using a quote from your source that comes from another source, you need to give attribution to both sources. Use a signal phrase to specify the actual author/speaker of the quote as you lead into it. Then, in a parenthetical citation, put the abbreviation qtd. in (“quoted in”) before the name of the source that contained it (e.g. Pink). Only that containing source (Pink) goes in your Works Cited list. Working towards mastery requires a great amount of dedication, but as Carol Dweck asserts, “Effort is one of the things that gives meaning to life” (qtd. in Pink 123).

The Works Cited Page

Purpose

The MLA rules for the Works Cited portion of your paper are designed to give readers an accurate, detailed, organized, and easy-to-understand list of information about all the sources that you have cited. It is alphabetically ordered to make it easy for the reader to locate a source listing.

Formatting

The last page of your paper is the works cited list.
The entire Works Cited page should be double-spaced.
Use the center function to place the title in the middle of the first line: Works Cited.
Skip a line between the title and your text and left-justify your text.
Set up the body of your works cited page for hanging indents. To do this, click on the symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of the Paragraph section on the Home tab.
In the Indentation section of the Paragraph pop-up menu, under Special, click on the arrow (Figure 2) and select Hanging from the drop-down menu. Then, click the OK button at the bottom of the menu.
Ensure that your page has 1” margins on all sides.
Place your works cited entries in alphabetical order by the first item in the entry.
If the word-processing program auto-corrects mechanical aspects such as capitalization, you may need to change it back so it conforms to the MLA guidelines.
Word-processing programs will often change a URL into a hyperlink (blue and underlined). If this happens, right click and select “Remove hyperlink.” Also, never use http:// or https://. Instead, type or copy the URL beginning to the right of that material (including www if present).

Elements of Works Cited Entries

Works Cited entries are the listings of every source cited at least once in the body of the paper. The standard elements of each entry are listed in order below, though often certain elements are skipped if the information is not relevant or available for that type of source. Note the punctuation that typically follows each core element:

Author
Title of Source
Title of Container (see “Containers” below)
Other Contributors
Version
Number
Publisher
Publication Date
- Months longer than four letters are abbreviated to three letters, with the exception of September (Sept.)
Location. (Page numbers if the source is a text inside a larger container, or a URL or permalink if found on the internet or in an online database, respectively.)
Internet access date
- Recommended if no publication date is given

Containers

A container is the larger source that contains your source—where you found your title, such as a newspaper, journal, anthology, reference book, website, etc. Elements 3 – 9 (previous page) all provide information about that “container.”

Examples

Book with One Author
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title. Publisher, Date of Publication.
- Example
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  Tannen, Deborah. You’re Wearing That? Random House, 2006.
Book with Multiple Authors
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Reverse only the name of the first author in the list. Two authors: Last Name, First Name and First Last. Three authors or more Authors: Last Name, First Name, et al.
An Encyclopedia or Dictionary
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name (if known). “Title of the Article or Entry.” Title of the Work. Edition, Publisher, Date of Publication.
- Example
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  “Delight.” The American Heritage Dictionary. 4th ed., Dell, 2001.
Work in an Anthology
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Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.” Title of Anthology, edited by (Editor’s Name/s), Edition (if any), Publisher, Date of Publication. Page(s).
- Example
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  Carver, Raymond. “Cathedral.” Literature for Composition: An Introduction to Literature, edited by Sylvan Barnet et al., 11th ed., Pearson, 2017, pp. 1317-26.
Scripture (Bible, Quran, etc.)
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Title. Version. Edited/Translated by (name of head editor/translator, if known), Publisher, Year of Publication.
- Example
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  The NIV Study Bible. New International Version. Edited by Kenneth Barker, Zondervan, 1985.
E–Book from
an Online Digital Library
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Date of Publication. Title of Digital Library, Permalink URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier.
- Example
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  Gikandi, Simon. Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Cambridge UP, 2000. ACLS Humanities E-book, hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.07588.0001.001.
E–Book from a Digital Read
er
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title of the Book. Version, Publisher, Date of Publication.
- Example
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  Joyce, James. Dubliners. Kindle ed., Open Road, 2014.
Article in a Scholarly Journal
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Article.” Name of the Periodical, Volume Number, Issue Number, Date of Publication, Page(s).
- Example
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  Segal, Sabrina K. and Larry Cahill. “Endogenous Noradrenergic Activation and Memory for Emotional Material in Men and Women.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 34, no.1, Oct. 2009, pp.1263-71.
Article in a Magazine
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Magazine, Date of Publication, Page(s).
- Example
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  Woodard, Helen. “Coming Out Late in Life.” Redbook, Nov. 2011, pp. 28-30.
Article in a Newspaper
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Newspaper, Date of Publication, Page(s) Note: If the newspaper uses numbers for sections, use “sec. #: page #” for pages.
- Example
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  Seigfeld, Troy. “The Health Care Debate.” Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2013, sec. 2: p. 13.
Online Newspaper or Magazine Article
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Overall Web Site, Date of Publication, URL.
- Example
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  Frizell, Sam. “What’s Next for Democrats After the Clintons?” Time Magazine, 10 Nov. 2016, time.com/4565964/whats-next-for-democrats/.
Article in a Library Database
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of the Article.” Name of the Periodical, Volume Number, Issue Number, Date of Publication, Page Numbers*. Name of Database, URL/DOI*. *If an article has a DOI, use it instead of a URL. To use a URL, find the “Permalink” from the side toolbar and copy that.
- Example
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  Shayan, Hossein. “Organ Transplantation: From Myth to Reality.” Journal Of Investigative Surgery, vol. 14, no. 3, May/June 2001. pp. 135-138. Academic Search Complete, doi: 10.1080/089419301300343282.
Work on the Web (Author)
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Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name (if known). “Title of Source.” Container (entire website name), Version or Edition (if known), Publisher/Sponsor (if different from website name), Date of Publication or Last Edit/Upload, Location (URL). Date of Access (if no date of publication, edit, or upload available). Do not use copyright dates as dates of publication for internet sources.
- Example
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  Terdiman, Daniel. “Inside the Eiffel Tower’s ‘Secret’ Bunker.” CNET, CBS Interactive Inc., 26 June 2011, www.cnet.com/news/inside-the-eiffel-towers-secret-bunker/.
Work on the Web (Author not listed) — Example of Alteration for this Type
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“House Says ‘No’ To Pet Primates.” CNN, Cable News Network, www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/primates.pets.bill/index.html?eref=ib_us. Accessed 15 Dec. 2016.
- Example
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  “House Says ‘No’ To Pet Primates.” CNN, Cable News Network, www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/primates.pets.bill/index.html?eref =ib_us. Accessed 15 Dec. 2016.
Work on the Web (Entire Website) — Example of Alteration for this Type
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Only use this in your Works Cited list when referencing it as a whole in your paper (not citing material from specific webpages), or if you if you use material from multiple webpages within the website. World Wildlife Fund. www.worldwildlife.org. Accessed 10 Jan. 2017.
- Example
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  World Wildlife Fund. www.worldwildlife.org. Accessed 10 Jan. 2017.
E-Mail
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Name of the Writer (Last Name, First Name). “Subject of E-mail.” Name of Recipient, Date.
- Example
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  Moon, Melanie. “Re: Interview of My Father.” Received by Mike T. Bassett, 23 Oct. 2013.
Government Publication
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These documents can vary widely. Check with the Learning Commons if you find that the general example below does not work for your document. Author (if any individual person). Name of the organization or government (usually a state or country), Name of the Agency/Department*. Title. Publisher, Date of Publication, URL (if accessed online).
- Example
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  United States, Congressional Research Service. Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues. Library of Congress, 2005. https://www.glad.org/uploads/docs/cases/gill-v-office-of-personnel-mana gement/6-2005-same-sex-marriage-legal-issues.pdf
Tweet
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The full text of the tweet should be your title. Enclose the text in quotation marks, and include the date, time, and URL. Alphabetize the entry on your Works Cited list based on the first letters following the @
- Example
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  @lclambeck (Linda Lambeck). “The #bridgeport school funding upshot: the state legislature lacks political will to do right thing.” Twitter, 7 June 2016, 5:59 p.m., twitter.com/lclambeck/status/ 752985641261162496.
Weblog
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Author (if known). “Title of Entry.” Container. Publisher/Sponsor, Date of Most Recent Update (if any), Location (URL).
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Merritt, Pamela. “The Ways Cats Ask.” Way of Cats, Pamela Merritt/WereBear Media, 21 Oct. 2016, www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-ways-cats-ask/36008.
Radio / Television Program
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“Title of Episode.” Title of the Program or Series, Number (if any, season, episode), Publisher, Broadcast D ate, Title of Second Container (if any, Local station or streaming source*), Location (City or URL).
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  “Lisa Kudrow: Episode 103.” Who Do You Think You Are?, NBC Universal, 19 Mar. 2010, WETM, Elmira, NY.
Film
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Title of Film. Directed by (Director’s Name), Performance by (Lead Performer’s Name/s), Name of Distributor, Year of Release.
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Moll Flanders. Directed by Pen Densham, Performance by Kim Novak, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1996.
Youtube Videos
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Author (if different from poster). “Title of Video.” YouTube.com, Uploaded by Name of Poster, Date, URL.
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  “A River of Waste: The Hazardous Truth About Factory Farms.” YouTube.com, Uploaded by Cinedigm, 30 Sep. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-WAGf-4gC8.
Advertisement
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Name of company (the one whose product is being advertised). Advertisement. Title of Periodical, Website or Channel (italicize if required), Relevant Container Information.
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Target. Advertisement. NBC Universal, 8 Sept. 2016, WETM, Elmira, NY.
Personal Interview (Conducted by You)
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Name of the Interviewee (Last, First). Type of Interview (personal, telephone, Skype, etc.). Date.
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Peterson, Ardella. Personal Interview. 12 Jan. 2017.
Live Presentation (Lecture, Performance, etc.)
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Artist/Presenter. “Title of Artwork/Presentation.” Series or Forum (if any), Date, Venue, City. Type of art/presentation (optional).
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Dougherty, Edward. “Framed in Glory: The World Trade Center Poems.” Inspired at CCC Series, 14 Sept. 2016, Corning Community College, Corning, NY. Poetry reading.
Musical Recording
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Artist/Band. “Title of Song.” Written/Performance by (if different)*, Album, Recording Company, Recording Year. Title of Second Container, Location (if applicable). *Songwriter and Performer can be switched depending on whether your paper focuses on the lyrics/music or on the performance.
- Example
  Show/Hide Answer
  
  Phish. “Wading in the Velvet Sea.” Ghost, Elektra Records, 1998. Spotify, play.spotify.com/track/3WmN0R4loh6ft6B2guDyat?play=true&utm_sou rce=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open.

A Final Note on Citations

While this packet gives you much of the information you may need to cite your research in MLA style, you may find you need additional assistance. If so, please do not hesitate to contact the Learning Commons for help. Our location and phone numbers are at the bottom of the first page in this packet; you can also contact us by e-mail at writingtutoring@corning-cc.edu.

Please note that while there are a variety of websites and tools to help you cite your research (such as EasyBib, “References” tools in MS Word, and the citation tools on the library’s article databases), these “easy citation machines” are quite often inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise unreliable. It can take more time to check these over for accuracy than it does to simply write them yourself. In the end, you are responsible for your citations and Works Cited entries, so do your best to ensure they are done in accordance with your instructor’s expectations. Double-check your work, follow the requirements of your instructor exactly (and if you are confused, contact him or her for more information), and don’t forget that the friendly Learning Commons Staff is always here to help you!

Additional Resources on MLA

MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition (a copy of this is available for use in both Learning Commons)
The Successful Writer’s Handbook, Third Edition, packaged with The Pearson Guide to the 2016 MLA Handbook (This is available for purchase in the CCC bookstore.)
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Citation information in the English 1010 and 1020 textbooks (Check to make sure they’ve been updated to the 8th edition of MLA before using them.)

Get in Touch with CCC’s Learning Commons

What is MLA?

Who Should Use MLA?

Why is MLA Important?

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is a Serious Offense

How to Format Your Paper

Heading and Title

Page Numbering

Font

Margins

Line Spacing

Titles: Quotes or Italics for my Sources?

How to Quote a Source

Double Quotes Versus Single Quotes

Block Quotes

Quoting Poetry

Quoting Lines of Drama

In-Text Citations

Two Notes About Page Numbers

Examples

The Works Cited Page

Purpose

Formatting

Elements of Works Cited Entries

Containers

Examples

A Final Note on Citations

Additional Resources on MLA