Library - MLA Style Guidelines

Basic Rules

1. Bibliography page should be titled as "Works Cited." (Do not use quotation marks)

2. Sources are listed alphabetically by author's last name. If no author then by title.

3. Use full first name, then initial for middle name. Example: DiBella, Matthew J.

4. All additional lines for each citation listed should be indented to the fifth letter of the first line.

5. Double space entries on "Works Cited."

Resources

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers: One copy is available in the library under the call number REF LB2369 .G53 2009 (Reference only; does not circulate).
Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers: One copy is available in the library under the call number REF PE1408 .T696 2002 (Reference only; does not circulate).

Harbace College Handbook: One copy is available in the library under the call number REF PE1112 .H6 1998 (Reference only; does not circulate).

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/printable/557/

Books

with no author

Illegal Immigration: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO,

Inc., 2007. Print.

with one author

LeMay, Michael C. Illegal Immigration: A Reference Handbook. Santa

Barbara: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2007. Print.

with two authors

Jones, Robert S., and John P. Patterson. A History of the Roman Empire.

New York: History Publications, Inc., 2008. Print.

A third author can be added in the same format. Example: "... and Aaron Smith" would follow the second author.

with three or more authors

Jones, Robert S., et al. A New History of the Roman Empire. New York:

History Publications, Inc., 2008. Print.

an edited book

Andrews, Christopher, ed. Issues in Nursing Today. New York: Medical

Publications, Inc., 2008. Print.

an e-Book

Shaver, Buy. Moving the Eye Through 2-D Design. Bristol: Intellect, 2011.

ebrary. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.

Use these author rules for all other MLA Citations.
When listing multiple authors, put them in alphabetical order by last name.

Magazine Articles

Anderson, Kurt. "1848: When America Came of Age." Time 19 Mar. 2007:

72-74. Print.

Journal Article

McBride, Kimberly & Schoenbeck, Susan L. "Hypodermoclysis: Easy,

Safe, Cost-effective." The Journal of Practical Nursing 60.1

(Spring 2010): 7-8. Print.

Database Articles

Rahdert, Mark C. "Of Personality and Principle: 'The Supreme Court'."

Chronicle of Higher Education 53.22 (2 Feb. 2007): 14-15.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 June 2009.

Websites

Dunham, Will. "Immense Ice Deposits Found at South Pole of Mars."

Yahoo! News. 15 Mar. 2007. Web. 9 June 2009.

an online encyclopedia (*From www.wikipedia.org)

"Plagiarism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 June 2009, 16:57

UTC. 9 June 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=

Special:Cite&page=Plagiarism&id=295403968>.

Films

Rabbit-Proof Fence. Dir. Philip Noyce. Perf. Everlyn Sampi, Tianna

Sansbury, Laura Monahan. Miramax, 2003. DVD.

Encyclopedias

entire Encyclopedia or Dictionary

Lee, Sandra, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Middle East. London: Royal

Publications, Inc., 2007. Print.

entry in an encyclopedia

Marks, Sarah. "Leonard Euler." Great Mathematicians in History. Ed.

William Stevenson. New York: Learning, 2004. Print.

Newspaper Articles

with no author

"Local Town Parade to be Held on September 4th." Today's Sunbeam. 15

July 2008: A9. Print.

with one author

Grant, Mary J. "Local High School Football Team Wins Area

Championship." Today's Sunbeam. 5 Dec. 2008: C4, C7.

Print.

letter to the editor

Smith, Andrea A. Letter. Philadelphia Inquirer 4 Mar. 2009: A13. Print.

Interviews

Smith, Margaret. Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2008.

Jones, Martin. Telephone interview. 9 June 2009.

In-text Citations (Parenthetical citations)

When stating information, facts, figures, or someone else's opinion from a source in the text of a research paper, use a parenthetical citation to protect yourself from plagiarism. (See example below.)

General Patton moved his advancing 3rd Army north to relieve the American troops surrounded at Bastogne (McAdams 325).