MLA 9th Ed. Citation Guide

Modern Language Association​​

  Covers scholarly writing in the humanities fields including literature, language, and philosophy.

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Why do we use MLA? ​​

•   Predictable and easy to read format​
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•   Makes it simples to find the main ideas, key findings, and sources cited in your paper​​
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•   Eliminates the distraction of inconsistencies in formatting, capitalization, in-text citations and references​​
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•   Gives the writer credibility​

When using MLA format, your paper will consist of two sections:
1. Main Body
2. Works Cited Page

Here are the general formatting guidelines you will want to set up in Microsoft Word or the word processing software of your choice before beginning your paper:

Margins: 1" margins on all sides
Running head: For student papers, the running head consists of the page number in the upper right side of the header. Page one will be your title page.
Spacing: MLA papers are doublespaced throughout the paper including the title page and references list. There are no extra spaces between paragraphs. Leave only one space after periods.
Fonts: MLA requires the use of a font that is legible and easy to read in size 12 pt. Commonly accepted fonts include Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman and Georgia.
Indents: The beginning of each paragraph is indented 1/2" 
Page Numbers: Insert page numbers in the upper right side of the header beginning on page 1. Your last name will be included in front of the page number.

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Heading
Begin your paper with your information left-justified as follows:
Your first and last name
Your instructor's name
The course number
The date in day, month year format (e.g. 1 May 2024)

Title
Center the title of your paper on the next line after your heading. Your title should be in title case, capitalizing all major words. Titles are not bolded or italicized. 
 

• Academic writing makes use of the scholarly work of others​ through journal articles, books and credible websites.
• In-text citations allow you to identify when you are using someone else’s ideas, and helps the reader easily find the sources you are referencing​
• In-text citations correspond to the sources in your reference list. If you cite a source in your paper, you will also need a to include it in your references.

 When do we need to cite our sources?

1. Whenever we paraphrase information from another source in our own words.
2. When we use a direct quote from another source.
 

There are two ways of formatting in-text citations depending on your writing:
 

• Parenthetical: author’s name appears in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
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• Narrative: Author’s name is included as part of the sentence.

Cite using a parenthetical citation: The full citation appears in parenthesis at the end of the sentence (last name page number). 
Example: The study showed that educational outreach was helpful for student success (Katz 23).
Cite using a narrative citation: When you use the author's name in the sentence, put the page number of the source at the end of the sentence.
Example: Katz explained through the study that educational outreach was helpful for student success (23).


 

Article will often have multiple authors. If there are one or two authors you list their names. If there are three or more authors, list the first author then "et al." to show there are additional authors.
 

If the author is an organization, list their name and the page number in the in-text citation. Acronyms can be used when the organization is well known and abbreviations can be used for longer names to improve readability of the paper.
Examples:

• National Audubon Society - cite as (National Audobon Society 12).
• World Health Organization - cite as (WHO 19).
• United States Senate - cite as (U.S. Senate).

Sometimes there is more than one source used to convey the same information. If you need to cite multiple sources in the same sentence:

Direct quote: Separate the author's direct quotes, citing each individually.
Examples: Katz found "students do better in the classroom when class sizes are smaller" (15). Perrault also agreed, stating "smaller classroom sizes improve student outcomes" (122).

Paraphrasing: separate multiple sources by semcolon.
Example: Studies confirmed student outcomes improve when classroom sizes are smaller (Katz 15; Perrault 122).

Sometimes you will find information within a source that is quoted or pulled from another cited source.

Good academic scholarship usually requires reading and citing the primary source. Citing a source indirectly should only be done when the original source cannot be accessed.
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If you need to cite a source indirectly, include "qtd. in" to indicate which source was used.
Example: Perrault stated "small classrooms increase student success rates" (qtd. in Katz 56).

​When quoting a source, always give the citation​.

When paraphrasing, cite your source in the first sentence the paraphrased information appears. You don’t need to repeat the citation within that paragraph unless it becomes unclear what source you are citing​.

If you paraphrase the same source in other sections of your paper, cite the source again​.

You may cite multiple sources in a single paragraph​.

When in doubt, cite the source

Sometimes your source will span multiple pages or may not have page numbers. Here are some additional location identifiers you may use:

• Page number: (p.23)
  
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• Page range: (pp.23-27)
  
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• Paragraph number(s): (para. 3 or paras. 3-4)
  
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• Tables or figures: (Table 4.3)
  
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• Presentation Slide: Slide 4
  
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• Video or audio time stamp: (2:15)

The goal of paraphrasing is not to simply rearrange the words of the source.​

Paraphrasing should show you have read a source, understand what it says, and can restate it in your own words​

Paraphrasing should maintain your voice. You are not rewriting someone else's article. You are using information from a source for your own writing.​

Technical terminology can be used in your paraphrasing​.

It it is normal for this process to take more time in the beginning. It takes practice so stick with it and you will see improvement.

For quotations longer than four lines, remove the quotations marks and place the quote on a new line in a free-standing block with the entire block indented 1/2 inch from the left margin. The in-text citation for the quote is placed after the closing punctuation mark.

Works cited will be on a separate page at the end of your paper, and the works will correspond with the in-text citations in your paper.​
If you cite a source in your paper, it needs to be in your works cited list.

Formatting:
Title page "Works Cited" and center
Double Spaced​
Hanging Indent (first line of reference flush left, remaining lines ½" indent)​
Alphabetical order by author’s last name (or article title if no author)​
Article titles in title case (capitalize all major words)

If there are more than two authors, list the last and first name of the first author 

MLA Guides:
MLA Formatting and Style Guide (9th Edition) - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University
MLA Style Center

Citation generator for internet sources:
Citation Machine®: MLA Format & MLA Citation Generator

Additional videos and links on the writing and research process:
Writing and Research Help Center - Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (fdltcc.edu)

Information on Containers:
MLA Containers | EasyBib