Where to find the information for the bibliography entry: Author s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publishing Company, year.

Transcription

1 MLA 8 Citation Guide OVERVIEW It is important to cite your sources by using both in-text citations and a Works Cited page with bibliographic entries. Cite your sources when you quote, paraphrase, or summarize. For additional information about formats, use Purdue Owl online or the MLA Handbook, eighth edition. If your source is missing any of the core elements, such as a publication date or version, simply leave that element out of your citation. However, if your source is missing multiple elements that should exist for that type of source, either do additional research to find these items or you may want to reconsider the credibility of your source. BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES FOR HARD COPY SOURCES Where to find the information for the bibliography entry: Generally, the title, author, other contributors, versions, and publishers appear on the title page. The publication date is on the back of the title page. If there are multiple dates, use the most recent. If you can find neither a publisher nor a publication date, leave the information blank. Basic Book Entry Author s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publishing Company, year. Downey, Katherine Brown. Perverse Midrash: Oscar Wilde, Andre Gide, and Censorship of Biblical Drama. Continuum, Note the citation is double-spaced and the second line is indented. This is done by creating a hanging indent. (Do an internet search to find directions on how to do create a Hanging indention.) Your citation entries should also appear in alphabetical order on your Works Cited page. Work in an Anthology (Chapter or Section in a Book) Author s Last Name, First Name. Chapter Title. Title of Book, Editors or Translators, if applicable, volume or edition, Publishing Company, year, page numbers. Butler, Octavia E. Bloodchild. Bloodchild and Other Stories, edited by Joe Smith, vol. 2, Seven Stories, 2005, pp

2 A Printed source with Two Authors First Author s Last Name, First Name, and Second Author s First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Publishing Company, year. Fisher, John, and Peter Jones. Internet Piracy. Dell, A Printed Source With Three or More Authors First Author s Last Name, First Name, et al. Title of Book. Publishing Company, year. Fisher, John, et al. Internet Piracy. Dell, BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES FOR ONLINE SOURCES Where to find the information for the bibliography entry: If you are using an article on a website, the author s name is usually listed under the title of the article, along with the date of publication. The publisher information can usually be found at the bottom of website. This is also where you will find the publication date if you are using a page of a website. If the author s name is not listed, or you cannot find the publisher or publication date, skip this element in your citation. Scholarly Journal in a Database Author s Last Name, First Name. Title of Article. Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, year, pages. Database, DOI or URL. Lunau, Kate. Altered States. Maclean s, vol. 129, no. 1, 2016, pp Academic Search Complete, ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=8&sid=5c6ca2d5-721b-4dd9-992dc4af002de8de%40sessionmgr4006&hid=4110&bdata=jnnpdgu9zwhvc3qtbgl 2ZQ%3d%3d#AN= &db=a9h. Make sure to remove the hyperlink when you enter a URL or web address. Do this by putting the curser over the URL and right clicking on it. Then select Remove Hyperlink.

3 Article on a Website Author s Last Name, First Name. Title of Article. Website Title, Publisher, date published, web address. White, Deborah. Marijuana Legalization Pros & Cons, Will Obama Legalize Marijuana? Liberal & Progressive Politics & Perspectives, New York Times, June 2011, Advertisement Online Product Name. Title of Commercial. Website Title, Publisher, date published, web address. Chrysler. Halftime in America. YouTube, 5 Feb 2012, Government or Organization Website Organization Name. Article Title. Website Title, Publisher, date published, URL address. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Telemarketing Fraud. Common Fraud Schemes, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Social Media Handle. Title. Source, date created, The Candidates Are Beginning to Arrive. Twitter. 18 April 2017, 4:25 PM, twitter.com/spincaster//

4 Bigboy485. Comment on Halftime in America. YouTube, 20 March 2012, 11:15 p.m.,

5 WORKS CITED LIST EXAMPLE SOURCE: CREATING IN-TEXT CITATIONS The In-text citation includes the author s last name and page number if the author s name is not included in the introductory phrase to the quote. In-text citations appear at the end of a sentence or sentences that summarize, paraphrase, or quote your source. Every in-text citation refers the reader to its related bibliography entry. In-text citations consist of the author s last name and the page number. Examples: Paper airplanes are aerodynamically complex (Jones 22). Paper airplanes with good aerodynamics will fly better (Jones 22).

6 Listing the Author in the Text If you refer to the author of your quote in the text, then you do not need to list him or her in the parentheses at the end of the sentence. You only need the page number. Example: According to Professor Frederick Turner at The University of Texas at Dallas, no truly great poetry has been written in English since the Second World War (77). MLA FORMATTING MLA requires that your paper include certain format specifications: 12 point font Times New Roman A heading on the left side in the body of the paper on the first page. It must include the following information in this order: Your name Your professor s name Your class The date the paper is due, formatted day Month year (e.g. 15 March 2016) Double spacing, including the heading and Works Cited page One inch margins (no more, no less) Indent the first line of all paragraphs one half inch Remove extra line space after the header, the title, and all paragraphs Use a single space after punctuation and sentences Your last name and a page number on all pages in a header An original and creative title that reflects the theme of your essay, centered on the page and in 12 point Times New Roman font A Works Cited page after your essay, using hanging indention and alphabetized entries Heading with your name, professors name, class information, and date. Header with last name and page number. Indent the first line of the paragraph. Original title in same font as the rest of the essay.

7 In-text citation of a quote.