Types of sources. Look at the Directory to MLA Style on p. 411 for guidelines on citing various types of sources, including print books, print periodicals (journals, magazines, and newspapers), digital written-word sources, and other sources (films, artwork) that consist mainly of material other than written words. A digital version of a source may include updates or corrections that the print version lacks, so MLA guidelines ask you to indicate the medium and to cite print and digital sources differently. If you can’t find a model exactly like the source you’ve selected, see the Checklist on p. 420.

web and database sources. MLA asks you to distinguish between Web sources and database sources. Individual researchers almost always gain access to articles in databases through the computer system of a school or public library that pays to subscribe. The easiest way to tell whether a source comes from a database, then, is that its information is not generally available to anyone with an Internet connection. Many databases are digital collections of articles that originally appeared in edited print periodicals, ensuring that an authority has vouched for the accuracy of the information. Such sources may have more credibility than free material available on the Web.

sources for content beyond the written word. Figuring out which model to follow for media sources online can pose questions. Is a video interview posted on YouTube most like a work from a Web site? an online video? an interview? Talk with your instructor about complicated sources, and remember that your ultimate goal is to make the source as accessible as possible to your readers.