MLA Citation Style Guide

The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities and liberal arts. This guide provides an overview of MLA citation conventions, formats, and examples to help you properly cite sources in your academic work.

Why MLA Citation Matters

Proper citation serves several important purposes in academic writing:

Acknowledges sources: Giving credit to authors whose ideas you've used
Prevents plagiarism: Demonstrating ethical research practices
Enhances credibility: Showing your research is thorough and informed
Helps readers: Providing a pathway for further exploration of your sources

MLA General Formatting Guidelines

MLA style has specific formatting requirements for documents and citations:

Use 1-inch margins on all sides
Use a legible font (usually Times New Roman, size 12)
Double-space the entire document
Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch
Include page numbers in the upper right corner
Include your name, instructor's name, course, and date in the upper left corner of the first page

In-Text Citations

MLA uses parenthetical citations within the text that point to the full citation in the Works Cited page. The basic format includes the author's last name and the page number in parentheses:

(Smith 42)

Author Mentioned in Signal Phrase

When you include the author's name in your text, include only the page number in parentheses:

According to Smith, the study revealed surprising results (42).

Works with Multiple Authors

For sources with two authors, include both names:

(Johnson and Williams 15)

For sources with three or more authors, include the first author's name followed by "et al.":

(Davis et al. 67)

No Author

For sources without an author, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks:

("Climate Change" 12)

Electronic Sources

For online sources that don't have page numbers, use only the author's name. If there's no author, use a shortened title:

(Brown) or ("Climate Change")

Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page appears at the end of your document and lists all the sources you cited. Follow these guidelines:

Begin on a new page
Label the page "Works Cited" (centered)
Double-space all entries
Use hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented .5 inches)
List sources alphabetically by author's last name

Book Citation

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Smith, John. The History of Ancient Civilizations. Academic Press, 2019.

Journal Article

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date, pp. Page Range.

Example:

Johnson, Mary. "Climate Change Effects on Local Ecosystems." Environmental Science, vol. 45, no. 3, 2020, pp. 24-35.

Website

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Webpage." Name of Website, Publisher, Date Published, URL.

Example:

Davis, Robert. "Understanding MLA Citation." Academic Writing Help, University Press, 15 Mar. 2021, www.academichelp.com/mla-citation.

Interview

Last Name, First Name. Interview. Conducted by Interviewer's Name, Date.

Example:

Brown, Susan. Interview with the author, 10 May 2022.

Common Mistakes in MLA Citation

Avoid these frequent errors when using MLA style:

Incorrectly formatting author names (reverse order: Last, First)
Using URL shorteners (use full URLs)
Forgetting to include the container (journal title, website name, etc.)
Improper use of italics and quotation marks (italicize titles of long works, use quotation marks for short works)
Neglecting to include "vol." and "no." before volume and issue numbers
Misformatting multiple authors in the Works Cited list (use ampersand [&] instead of "and" before the last author)