The following are examples of citing print and electronic resources in the Modern Language Association style. For complete explanations and more examples, see the MLA Handbook, or visit the organization’s Web site. All section numbers below refer to the 6th edition (2003) of the MLA Handbook.  Note: Citations are double-spaced; use hanging indentation after the first line.

Citing Print Resources

Book by a Single Author (MLA section 5.6.1)

Author or editor (last name, first name). Book title (underlined). City of publication (and two letter state abbreviation if necessary): Publishing company. Copyright date.

Collison, A.S. Renewable Energy. Austin : Steck-Vaughn, 1999.

 Book by More than One Author or Editors (5.6.4)

Dobson, Michael, and Stanley Wells, eds. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. New York :  

           Oxford , 2001.

No Author Given

Amazing Universe. Washington , D.C: National Geographic Society, 1999.

A Work in an Anthology (5.6.7)

More, Hannah. “The Black Slave Trade: A Poem.” British Women Poets of the Romantic Era.

           Ed. Paula R. Feldman. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. 472-82.  

Article in an Encyclopedia or Reference Book (5.6.8)

Author (if available -- usually authors are not identified in general reference sources). Article title (in “ ”). Title of encyclopedia of reference work (underlined). Date/edition.

“Statue of Liberty .”  World Book Encyclopedia. 2004 ed.

Mooney, Aldo. “World War I.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2002 ed.

“Ginsburg, Ruth Bader.” Who’s Who in America . 56th ed. 2002.

Newspaper Article (5.7.5) (not obtained online)

Author’s name (last name, first name). Article title (in “”). Title of newspaper or magazine (underlined). Date of publication (day, month, year. Page number(s) on which the article appears.

Aratani, Lori. “ ‘Harry Potter’ Conjures Up A Weekend Reading Spree .” Washington Post 18 July

            2005: B1+

Article in a Magazine (5.7.6)

Fallows, James. “The Early-Decision Racket.”Atlantic Monthly Sept. 2001: 37-52.

Begley, Sharon. “A Healthy Dose of Laughter.” Newsweek 4 Oct 2004: 78

A Review (5.7.7)

Updike, John. “No Brakes.” Rev. of Sinclair Lewis: Rebel from Main Street , by Richard

              Lingeman. New Yorker 4 Feb. 2002: 77-80.

A Published Interview (5.8.7)

Gordimer, Nadine. Interview. New York Times 10 Oct. 2001, late ed.: C25.

An Unpublished Interview (5.8.7)

Poussaint, Alvin F. Telephone interview. 10 Sept. 2004.

Citing Electronic Publications (section 5.9)

Documents in electronic format are cited similarly to print sources, but with additional access and electronic publication information. These citations can be quite complex and you are strongly advised to consult the MLA Handbook (starting at section 5.9) for explanations and details beyond the examples below.

Note: In most cases, the date of publication for the article cited immediately follows the name of the online database as in 11.4.2004 (April 11, 2004). The date just preceding the URL is the date you accessed the resource online.

An Entire Web Site (5.9.2)

 Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Ed. Steven van Leeuwen. 2002. 5 May 2002

         <http://www.bartleby.com/>.

Personal Web Site (5.9.2.c)

Lancashire, Jonathan. Home page. 28 Mar. 2005. 15 May 2005

         <http://www.fcps.edu/southcountyss:8080/~ian/>.

An Online Book (5.9.3)

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Ed. Henry Churchyard. 1996. Jane Austen Information

            Page. 6 Sept. 2002 <http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/pridprej.html>.

A Work in a Library Database (5.9.7.a)

Many online subscription databases will include a “How to Cite” link with a template and examples. Note: When citing subscription databases you must include the name and location of the library subscribing to the database you are citing.

“Mark Twain.” Photo. American History. ABC-CLIO. South County Secondary School Lib.,

            Lorton , VA. 15 Oct. 2005 <http:/www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com>

Youakim, Sami. “Work-Related Asthma.” American Family Physician 64 (2001): 1839-52.

             Health Reference Center . InfoTrac. South County Secondary School Lib., Lorton , VA.

            12 Jan. 2002 <http://www.galegroup.com/>.

Lines, M.E. “Fiber Optics.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 2205. Grolier Online.

  South County Secondary School Lib., Lorton , VA. 12 Sept. 2005 <http://go.grolier.com:80/>

Brown, Edmund G. “Campaign Contributions Have Corrupted the Political Process.” Politicians

and Ethics. Charles P Cozic, Ed. Current Controversies Series Greenhaven Press, 1996   

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center . 2004. Gale Group South County Secondary School

Lib, Lorton , VA 21 Sept. 2005 <http://galenet.com>  

An Online Television or Radio Program (5.9.9.a)

 Keillor, Garrison. A Prairie Home Companion. With Ledward Ka'apana and Owana Salazar. 

            12 Oct. 2002 Minnesota Public Radio. 18 Oct. 2002

            <http://phc.mpr.org/ri/smil/021012.ram>.

An Online Film or Film Clip (5.9.9.c)

 Murnau, F. W., dir. Nosferatu. 1922. The Sync. 16 June 2002

            <http://www.thesync.com/ram/nosferatu.ram>.

In Text References for Print and Electronic Resources

For any type of source, you must include information within your text that directs readers to the correct entry in the works-cited list (see MLA Handbook 6.1). Web documents generally do not have fixed page numbers or any kind of section numbering. If your source lacks numbering, you have to omit numbers from your parenthetical references. If your source includes fixed page numbers or section numbering (such as numbering of paragraphs), cite the relevant numbers. Give the appropriate abbreviation before the numbers: "(Moulthrop, pars. 19-20)." (Pars. is the abbreviation for paragraphs. For common abbreviations see MLA Handbook 7.1.) For a document printed off the Web, the page numbers of a printout should normally not be cited, because the pagination may vary in different printouts.