MLA-4b: MLA list of works cited
The elements you will need for the works cited list will differ slightly for some sources, but the main principles apply to all sources, whether in print or from the Web: You should identify an author, a creator, or a producer whenever possible; give a title; and provide the date on which the source was produced. Some sources will require page numbers; some will require a publisher or sponsor; and some will require other identifying information.
Section MLA-4b provides details for how to cite many of the sources you are likely to encounter. It also provides hints for what you can do when a source does not match one of the models exactly. When you cite sources, your goals are to show that your sources are reliable and relevant, to provide readers with enough information to find sources easily, and to provide that information consistently according to MLA conventions.
Directory to MLA works cited models
General guidelines for the MLA works cited list
How to answer the basic question "Who is the author?"
How to cite a source reposted from another source
How to cite course materials
General guidelines for listing authors
The formatting of authors’ names in items 1-12 applies to all sources—books, articles, Web sites—in print, on the Web, or in other media. For more models of specific source types, see items 13-79.
1. Single author
2. Two authors
3. Three or more authors Name the first author followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”). In an in-text citation, use the same form for the authors’ names as you use in the works cited entry. See item 7.
4. Organization or company as author
Your in-text citation also should treat the organization as the author (see item 8).
5. No author listed
a. Article or other short work
b. Television program
c. Book, entire Web site, or other long work
TIP: Often the author’s name is available but is not easy to find. It may appear at the end of the page, in tiny print, or on another page of the site, such as the home page. Also, an organization or a government may be the author (see items 4 and 70).
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How to answer the basic question “Who is the author?”
problem: Sometimes when you need to cite a source, it’s not clear who the author is. This is especially true for sources on the Web or other nonprint sources, which may have been created by one person and uploaded by a different person or an organization. Whom do you cite as the author in such a case? How do you determine who is the author?
example: The video “Surfing the Web on the Job” (see below) was uploaded to YouTube by CBSNewsOnline. Is the person or organization who uploads the video the author of the video? Not necessarily.
strategy: After you view or listen to the source a few times, ask yourself whether you can tell who is chiefly responsible for creating the content in the source. It could be an organization. It could be an identifiable individual. This video consists entirely of reporting by Daniel Sieberg, so in this case the author is Sieberg.
citation: To cite the source, you would use the basic MLA guidelines for a video found on the Web (item 55).
If you want to include the person or organization who uploaded the video, you can add it as supplementary information.
6. Two or more works by the same author First alphabetize the works by title (ignoring the article A, An, or The at the beginning of a title). Use the author’s name for the first entry; for subsequent entries, use three hyphens and a period. The three hyphens must stand for exactly the same name as in the first entry.
García, Cristina. Dreams of Significant Girls. Simon, 2011.
---. The Lady Matador’s Hotel. Scribner, 2010.
7. Two or more works by the same group of authors To list multiple works by the same group of two or more authors, alphabetize the works by title (ignoring the article A, An, or The at the beginning of a title). Use the authors’ names in the proper form for the first entry (see items 1–4). Begin subsequent entries with three hyphens and a period. The three hyphens must stand for the same names as in the first entry.
Agha, Hussein, and Robert Malley. “The Arab Counterrevolution.” The New York Review of Books, 29 Sept. 2011, www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/09/29/arab-counterrevolution/.
---. “This Is Not a Revolution.” The New York Review of Books, 8 Nov. 2012, www.nybooks.com/articles/2012/11/08/not-revolution/.
8. Editor or translator Begin with the editor’s or translator’s name. After the name(s), add “editor” (or “editors”) or “translator” (or “translators”).
9. Author with editor or translator Begin with the name of the author. Place the editor’s or translator’s name after the title.
10. Graphic narrative or other illustrated work If a work has both an author and an illustrator, the order in your citation will depend on which of those persons you emphasize in your paper.
a. Author first If you emphasize the author’s work, begin with the author’s name. After the title, add “Illustrated by,” followed by the illustrator’s name.
Gaiman, Neil. The Sandman: Overture. Illustrated by J. H. William III, DC Comics, 2015.
b. Illustrator first If you emphasize the illustrator, begin your citation with the illustrator’s name and the label “illustrator.” After the title of the work, put the author’s name, preceded by “By.”
Kerascoët, illustrator. Beautiful Darkness. By Fabien Vehlmann, Drawn and Quarterly, 2014.
c. Author and illustrator the same person If the illustrator and the author are the same person, cite the work as you would any other work with one author (not using any labels).
Ulinich, Anya. Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel: A Graphic Novel. Penguin Books, 2014.
11. Author using a pseudonym (pen name) or screen name Give the author’s name as it appears in the source (the pseudonym), followed by the author’s real name, if available, in parentheses. (For screen names in social media, see items 78 and 79.)
Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty). “Lewis Carroll: He Loved to Play with Language.” QuickandDirtyTips.com, 21 May 2015, www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/lewis-carroll-he-loved-to-play-with-language.
Pauline. Comment on “Is This the End?” by James Atlas. The New York Times, 25 Nov. 2012, nyti.ms/1BRUvqQ.
12. Author quoted by another author (indirect source) If one of your sources uses a quotation from another source and you’d like to use the quotation, provide a works cited entry for the source in which you found the quotation. In your in-text citation, indicate that the quoted words appear in the source (see item 23). In the following examples, Belmaker is the source in the works cited list; Townson is quoted in Belmaker.
source (belmaker) quoting another source (townson)
Peter Townson, a journalist working with the DOHA Center for Press Freedom in Qatar, says there is one obvious reason that some countries in the Middle East have embraced social media so heartily. “It’s kind of the preferred way for people to get news, because they know there’s no self-censorship involved,” Townson said in a phone interview.
works cited entry
Belmaker, Genevieve. “Five Ways Journalists Can Use Social Media for On-the-Ground Reporting in the Middle East.” Poynter, 19 Nov. 2012, www.poynter.org/2012/5-ways-journalists-can-use-social-media-for-on-the-ground-reporting-in-the-middle-east/195899/.
in-text citation
Peter Townson points out that social media in the Middle East are “kind of the preferred way for people to get news, because they know there’s no self-censorship involved” (qtd. in Belmaker).
Articles and other short works
- Citation at a glance: Article in a journal
- Citation at a glance: Article from a database
13. Basic format for an article or other short work
a. Print
b. Web
c. Database
14. Article in a journal
a. Print
b. Online journal
c. Database
15. Article in a magazine
a. Print (monthly)
b. Print (weekly)
c. Web
d. Database
16. Article in a newspaper If the city of publication is not obvious from the title of the newspaper, include the city in brackets after the newspaper title (see item 5a).
a. Print
Bray, Hiawatha. “As Toys Get Smarter, Privacy Issues Emerge.” The Boston Globe, 10 Dec. 2015, p. C1.
b. Web
c. Database
17. Abstract or executive summary Include the label “Abstract” or “Executive summary,” neither italicized nor in quotation marks, at the end of the entry (and before any database information).
a. Abstract of an article
Bottomore, Stephen. “The Romance of the Cinematograph.” Film History, vol. 24, no. 3, July 2012, pp. 341-44. Abstract. JSTOR, doi:10.2979/filmhistory.24.3.341.
b. Abstract of a paper
Dixon, Rosemary, et al. “The Opportunities and Challenges of Virtual Library Systems: A Case Study.” Paper presented at the 2011 Chicago Colloquium on Digital Humanities and Computer Science, U of Chicago, 20 Nov. 2011. Abstract.
c. Abstract of a dissertation
Moore, Courtney L. “Stress and Oppression: Identifying Possible Protective Factors for African American Men.” Dissertation, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2016. Abstract. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, search.proquest.com/docview/1707351557.
d. Executive summary
Pintak, Lawrence. The Murrow Rural Information Initiative: Final Report. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State U, 25 May 2012. Executive summary.
18. Article with a title in its title Use single quotation marks around a title of a short work or a quoted term that appears in an article title. Italicize a title or term normally italicized.
Silber, Nina. “From ‘Great Emancipator’ to ‘Vampire Hunter’: The Many Stovepipe Hats of Cinematic Lincoln.” Cognoscenti, WBUR, 22 Nov. 2012, cognoscenti.wbur.org/2012/11/22/abraham-lincoln-nina-silber.
19. Editorial Cite as a source with no author (see item 5) and use the label “Editorial” at the end (and before any database information).
“City’s Blight Fight Making Difference.” The Columbus Dispatch, 17 Nov. 2015, www.dispatch.com/
content/stories/editorials/2015/11/17/1-citys-blight-fight-making-difference.html. Editorial.
20. Unsigned article Cite as a source with no author (see item 5).
“Drought and Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 July 2012, www.cdc.gov/nceh/
drought/default.htm.
21. Letter to the editor Use the label “Letter” at the end of the entry (and before any database information).
Fahey, John A. “Recalling the Cuban Missile Crisis.” The Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2012, p. A16. Letter. LexisNexis Library Express, www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/Inpubliclibraryexpress/.
22. Comment on an online article If the writer of the comment uses a screen name, see item 11. After the name, include the label “Comment on” followed by the title of the article and the author of the article (preceded by “by”). Continue with publication information for the article.
23. Paper or presentation at a conference If the paper or presentation is included in the proceedings of a conference, cite it as a selection in an anthology (see item 35; see also item 44 for proceedings of a conference). If you viewed the presentation live, cite it as a lecture or public address (see item 61).
24. Book review Name the reviewer and the title of the review, if any, followed by “Review of” and the title and author of the work reviewed. Add the publication information for the publication in which the review appears. If the review has no author and no title, begin with “Review of” and alphabetize the entry by the first principal word in the title of the work reviewed.
a. Print
Flannery, Tim. “A Heroine in Defense of Nature.” Review of On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson, by William Souder. The New York Review of Books, 22 Nov. 2012, pp. 21-23.
b. Web
Della Subin, Anna. “It Has Burned My Heart.” Review of The Lives of Muhammad, by Kecia Ali. London Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2015, www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n20/anna-della-subin/it-has-burned-my-heart.
c. Database
Spychalski, John C. Review of American Railroads—Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century, by Robert E. Gallamore and John R. Meyer. Transportation Journal, vol. 54, no. 4, Fall 2015, pp. 535-38. JSTOR, doi:10.5325/transportationj.54.4.0535.
25. Film review or other review Name the reviewer and the title of the review, if any, followed by “Review of” and the title and writer or director of the work reviewed. Add the publication information for the publication in which the review appears. If the review has no author and no title, begin with “Review of” and alphabetize the entry by the first principal word in the title of the work reviewed.
a. Print
Lane, Anthony. “Human Bondage.” Review of Spectre, directed by Sam Mendes. The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2015, pp. 96-97.
b. Web
Savage, Phil. “Fallout 4 Review.” Review of Fallout 4, by Bethesda Game Studios. PC Gamer, Future Publishing, 8 Nov. 2015, www.pcgamer.com/fallout-4-review/.
26. Performance review Name the reviewer and the title of the review, if any, followed by “Review of” and the title and author of the work reviewed. Add the publication information for the publication in which the review appears. If the review has no author and no title, begin with “Review of” and alphabetize the entry by the first principal word in the title of the work reviewed.
Stout, Gene. “The Ebullient Florence + the Machine Give KeyArena a Workout.” Review of How Big How Blue How Beautiful Odyssey. The Seattle Times, 28 Oct. 2015, www.seattletimes.com/
entertainment/music/the-ebullient-florence-the-machine-give-keyarena-a-workout/.
27. Interview Begin with the person interviewed, followed by the title of the interview (if there is one). If the interview does not have a title, include the word “Interview” after the interviewee’s name. If you wish to include the name of the interviewer, put it after the title of the interview.
a. Print
Weddington, Sarah. “Sarah Weddington: Still Arguing for Roe.” Interview by Michele Kort. Ms., Winter 2013, pp. 32-35.
b. Web
Jaffrey, Madhur. “Madhur Jaffrey on How Indian Cuisine Won Western Taste Buds.” Interview by Shadrach Kabango. Q, CBC Radio, 29 Oct. 2015, www.cbc.ca/1.3292918.
c. Television or radio
Putin, Vladimir. Interview by Charlie Rose. Charlie Rose: The Week, PBS, 19 June 2015.
d. Personal To cite an interview that you conducted, begin with the name of the person interviewed. Then write “Personal interview” or “Telephone interview,” followed by the date of the interview.
Akufo, Dautey. Personal interview, 11 Apr. 2016.
28. Article in a dictionary or an encyclopedia (including a wiki) List the author of the entry (if there is one), the title of the entry, the title of the reference work, the edition number (if any), the publisher, and the date of the edition. Page numbers are not necessary because the entries in the source are arranged alphabetically and are therefore easy to locate.
a. Print
Robinson, Lisa Clayton. “Harlem Writers Guild.” Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience, 2nd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
“Ball’s in Your Court, The.” The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
b. Web
Durante, Amy M. “Finn Mac Cumhail.” Encyclopedia Mythica, 17 Apr. 2011, www.pantheon.org/articles/f/
finn_mac_cumhail.html.
“House Music.” Wikipedia, 16 Nov. 2015, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_music.
29. Letter
a. Print Begin with the writer of the letter, the words “Letter to” and the recipient, and the date of the letter. Add the title of the collection, the editor, and publication information. Add the page range at the end.
Wharton, Edith. Letter to Henry James, 28 Feb. 1915. Henry James and Edith Wharton: Letters, 1900-1915, edited by Lyall H. Powers, Scribner, 1990, pp. 323-26.
b. Web After information about the letter writer, recipient, and date (if known), give the name of the Web site or archive, italicized; the publisher or sponsor of the site; and the URL.
Oblinger, Maggie. Letter to Charlie Thomas, 31 Mar. 1895. Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters, 1862-1912, Library of Congress / American Memory, memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
query/r?ammem/ps:@field(DOCID+l306)#l3060001.
c. Personal To cite a letter that you received, begin with the writer’s name and add the phrase “Letter to the author,” followed by the date.
Primak, Shoshana. Letter to the author, 6 May 2016.
Books and other long works
Citation at a glance: Book
30. Basic format for a book
a. Print or e-book If you have used an e-book, give the e-reader type at the end of the entry.
Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Liveright Publishing, 2015. Nook.
b. Web Give whatever print publication information is available for the work, followed by the title of the Web site and the URL.
Saalman, Lora, editor and translator. The China-India Nuclear Crossroads. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2012. Scribd, www.scribd.com/book/142083413/The-China-India-Nuclear-Crossroads.
c. Database
31. Parts of a book
a. Foreword, introduction, preface, or afterword
Sullivan, John Jeremiah. “The Ill-Defined Plot.” Introduction. The Best American Essays 2014, edited by Sullivan, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, pp. xvii-xxvi.
b. Chapter in a book
Rizga, Kristina. “Mr. Hsu.” Mission High: One School, How Experts Tried to Fail It, and the Students and Teachers Who Made It Triumph, Nation Books, 2015, pp. 89-114.
32. Book with a title in its title If the book title contains a title normally italicized, neither italicize the internal title nor place it in quotation marks. If the title within the title is normally put in quotation marks, retain the quotation marks and italicize the entire book title.
Shanahan, Timothy. Philosophy and Blade Runner. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Lethem, Jonathan. “Lucky Alan” and Other Stories. Doubleday, 2015.
33. Book in a language other than English Capitalize the title according to the conventions of the book’s language. If your readers are not familiar with the language of the book, include a translation of the title in brackets.
Vargas Llosa, Mario. El sueño del celta [The Dream of the Celt]. Alfaguara, 2010.
34. Entire anthology or collection An anthology is a collection of works on a common theme, often with different authors for the selections and usually with an editor for the entire volume.
35. One selection from an anthology or a collection
Citation at a glance: Selection from an anthology or a collection
36. Two or more selections from an anthology or a collection For two or more works from the same anthology, provide an entry for the entire anthology (see item 34) and a shortened entry for each selection. Alphabetize the entries by authors’ or editors’ last names.
37. Edition other than the first Include the number of the edition (2nd, 3rd, and so on). If the book has a translator or an editor in addition to the author, give the name of the translator or editor before the edition number (see item 9).
Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. 3rd ed., U of Minnesota P, 2008.
38. Multivolume work Include the total number of volumes at the end of the entry, using the abbreviation “vols.” If the volumes were published over several years, give the inclusive dates of publication.
If you cite only one of the volumes in your paper, include the volume number before the publisher and give the date of publication for that volume. After the date, give the total number of volumes.
39. Sacred text Give the title of the edition (taken from the title page), italicized; the editor’s or translator’s name (if any); and the medium. Add the name of the version, if there is one, before the publisher.
The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Revised Standard Version, Oxford UP, 1965.
The Qur’an: Translation. Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 2001.
40. Book in a series After the publication information, give the series name as it appears on the title page, followed by the series number, if any.
Denham, A. E., editor. Plato on Art and Beauty. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Philosophers in Depth.
41. Republished book After the title of the book, give the original year of publication, followed by the current publication information. If the republished book contains new material, such as an introduction or an afterword, include information about the new material after the original date.
Trilling, Lionel. The Liberal Imagination. 1950. Introduction by Louis Menand, New York Review of Books, 2008.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 1891. Barnes and Noble, 2012. Barnes and Noble Signature Editions.
42. Pamphlet, brochure, or newsletter Cite as you would a book.
The Legendary Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Friends of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, 2008.
43. Dissertation
a. Published For dissertations that have been published in book form, italicize the title. After the title, give the label “Dissertation,” the name of the institution, and the year the dissertation was accepted.
Kidd, Celeste. Rational Approaches to Learning and Development. Dissertation, U of Rochester, 2013.
b. Unpublished Begin with the author’s name, followed by the dissertation title in quotation marks. After the title, add the label “Dissertation,” the name of the institution, and the year the dissertation was accepted.
Abbas, Megan Brankley. “Knowing Islam: The Entangled History of Western Academia and Modern Islamic Thought.” Dissertation, Princeton U, 2015.
44. Proceedings of a conference Cite as you would a book, adding the name, date, and location of the conference after the title.
Sowards, Stacey K., et al., editors. Across Borders and Environments: Communication and Environmental Justice in International Contexts. Proceedings of Eleventh Biennial Conference on Communication and the Environment, 25-28 June 2011, U of Texas at El Paso. International Environmental Communication Association, 2012.
45. Manuscript Give the author, a title or a description of the manuscript, and the date of composition (if known), followed by the location of the manuscript, including a URL if it is found on the Web.
Arendt, Hannah. Between Past and Future. 1st draft, Hannah Arendt Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, pp. 108-50, memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mharendt&fileName=05/
050030/050030page.db&recNum=0.
Web sites and parts of Web sites
46. An entire Web site
a. Web site with author or editor
Halsall, Paul, editor. Internet Modern History Sourcebook. Fordham U, 4 Nov. 2011, legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/index.asp.
b. Web site with organization as author
c. Web site with no author Begin with the title of the site. If the site has no title, begin with a label such as “Home page.”
The Newton Project. U of Sussex, 2016, www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/prism.php?id=1.
d. Web site with no title Use the label “Home page” or another appropriate description in place of a title.
Bae, Rebecca. Home page. Iowa State U, 2015, www.engl.iastate.edu/rebecca-bae-directory-page/.
47. Short work from a Web site
Citation at a glance: Short work from a Web site
a. Short work with author
b. Short work with no author
48. Long work from a Web site
49. Entire blog Cite a blog as you would an entire Web site (see item 46).
Ng, Amy. Pikaland. Pikaland Media, 2015, www.pikaland.com/.
50. Blog post or comment Cite a blog post or comment as you would a short work from a Web site (see item 47). If the post or comment has no title, use the label “Blog post” or “Blog comment.” Follow with the remaining information as for an entire blog (see item 49). (See item 11 for the use of screen names.)
51. Academic course or department home page Cite as a short work from a Web site (see item 47). For a course home page, begin with the name of the instructor and the title of the course or title of the page (use “Course home page” if there is no other title). For a department home page, begin with the name of the department and the label “Department home page.” End with the URL.
Masiello, Regina. 355:101: Expository Writing. Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, 2016, wp.rutgers.edu/courses/55-355101.
Film Studies. Department home page. Wayne State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 2016, clas.wayne.edu/FilmStudies/.
Audio, visual, and multimedia sources
52. Podcast
McDougall, Christopher. “How Did Endurance Help Early Humans Survive?” TED Radio Hour, National Public Radio, 20 Nov. 2015, www.npr.org/2015/11/20/455904655/how-did-endurance-help-early-humans-survive.
53. Film Generally, begin the entry with the title, followed by the director and lead performers, as in the first example. If your paper emphasizes one or more people involved with the film, you may begin with those names, as in the second example.
54. Supplementary material accompanying a film Begin with the title of the supplementary material, in quotation marks, and the names of any important contributors, as for a film. End with information about the film, as in item 53, and about the location of the supplementary material.
“Sweeney’s London.” Produced by Eric Young. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by Tim Burton, DreamWorks, 2007, disc 2.
55. Video or audio from the Web Cite video or audio that you accessed on the Web as you would a short work from a Web site (see item 47), giving information about the author before other information about the video or audio.
56. Video game List the developer or author of the game (if any); the title, italicized; the version, if there is one; and the distributor and date of publication. If the game can be played on the Web, add information as for a work from a Web site (see item 48).
Firaxis Games. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution. Take-Two Interactive, 2008.
Edgeworld. Atom Entertainment, 1 May 2012, www.kabam.com/games/edgeworld.
57. Computer software or app Cite as a video game (see item 56), giving whatever information is available about the version, distributor, and date.
Words with Friends. Version 5.84, Zynga, 2013.
58. Television or radio episode or program If you are citing an episode or a segment of a program, begin with the title of the episode or segment, in quotation marks. Then give the title of the program, italicized; relevant information about the program, such as the writer, director, performers, or narrator or host; the episode number (if any); the network; and the date of broadcast.
For a program you accessed on the Web, after the information about the program give the network, the original broadcast date, and the URL. If you are citing an entire program (not an episode or a segment), begin your entry with the title of the program, italicized.
a. Broadcast
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Comedy Central, 18 Nov. 2015.
[View PDF]
How to cite a source reposted from another source
problem: Some sources that you find online, particularly on blogs or on video-sharing sites, did not originate with the person who uploaded or published the source online. In such a case, how do you give proper credit for the source?
example: Say you need to cite President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. You have found a video on YouTube that provides footage of the address (see image). The video was uploaded by PaddyIrishMan2 on October 29, 2006. But clearly, PaddyIrishMan2 is not the author of the video or of the address.
strategy: Start with what you know. The source is a video that you viewed on the Web. For this particular video, John F. Kennedy is the speaker and the author of the inaugural address. PaddyIrishMan2 is identified as the person who uploaded the source to YouTube.
citation: To cite the source, you can combine the basic MLA guidelines for a lecture or public address (see item 61) and for a video found on the Web (see item 55).
Because Kennedy’s inauguration is a well-known historical event, you can be fairly certain that this is not the only version of the inauguration video. It is a good idea, therefore, to include information about which version you viewed as supplementary information.
note: If your work calls for a primary source, you should try to find the original source of the video; a reference librarian can help.
b. Web
“Take a Giant Step.” Prairie Home Companion, narrated by Garrison Keillor, American Public Media, 27 Feb. 2016, prairiehome.publicradio.org/listen/full/?name=phc/ 2016/02/27/phc_20160227_128.
59. Transcript You might find a transcript related to an interview or a program on a radio or television Web site or in a transcript database. Cite the source as you would an interview (see item 27) or a radio or television program (see item 58). Add the label “Transcript” at the end of the entry.
“How Long Can Florida’s Citrus Industry Survive?” All Things Considered, narrated by Greg Allen, National Public Radio, 27 Nov. 2015, www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=457424528. Transcript.
“The Economics of Sleep, Part 1.” Freakonomics Radio, narrated by Stephen J. Dubner, 9 July 2015, freakonomics.com/2015/07/09/the-economics-of-sleep-part-1-full-transcript/. Transcript.
60. Performance For a live performance of a concert, a play, a ballet, or an opera, begin with the title of the work performed, italicized (unless it is named by form, number, and key). Then give the author or composer of the work; relevant information such as the director, the choreographer, the conductor, or the major performers; the theater, ballet, or opera company, if any; the theater and location; and the date of the performance.
The Draft. By Peter Snoad, directed by Diego Arciniegas, Hibernian Hall, Boston, 10 Sept. 2015.
Symphony no. 4 in G. By Gustav Mahler, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, performances by Juliane Banse and Boston Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Boston, 17 Apr. 2009.
61. Lecture or public address Begin with the speaker’s name, the title of the lecture, the sponsoring organization, location, and date. If you viewed the lecture on the Web, cite as you would a short work from a Web site (see item 47). Add the label “Address” or “Lecture” at the end if it is not clear from the title.
a. Live
Smith, Anna Deavere. “On the Road: A Search for American Character.” National Endowment for the Humanities, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, 6 Apr. 2015. Address.
b. Web
Khosla, Raj. “Precision Agriculture and Global Food Security.” US Department of State: Diplomacy in Action, 26 Mar. 2013, www.state.gov/e/stas/series/212172.htm. Address.
62. Musical score For both print and online versions, begin with the composer’s name; the title of the work, italicized (unless it is named by form, number, and key); and the date of composition. For a print source, give the publisher and date. For an online source, give the title of the Web site; the publisher or sponsor; the date; and the URL.
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, op. 67. 1807. Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities, Stanford U, 2000, scores.ccarh.org/beethoven/ sym/beethoven-sym5-1.pdf.
63. Sound recording Begin with the name of the person you want to emphasize: the composer, conductor, or performer. For a long work, give the title, italicized (unless it is named by form, number, and key); the names of pertinent artists (such as performers, readers, or musicians); and the orchestra and conductor, if relevant. End with the manufacturer, the date, and the medium (“CD,” “Audiocassette”). End with the manufacturer and the date. If you include the name of the album, italicize it.
Bizet, Georges. Carmen. Performances by Jennifer Larmore, Thomas Moser, Angela Gheorghiu, and Samuel Ramey, Bavarian State Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli, Warner, 1996.
Blige, Mary J. “Don’t Mind.” Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1), Geffen, 2011.
64. Work of art (a) For an original work of art, cite the artist’s name; the title of the artwork, italicized; the date of composition; and the institution and city in which the artwork is located. (b) For artworks found on the Web, include the title of the Web site (unless it is the same as the institution) and the URL. (c) If you viewed the artwork as a reproduction in a print source, add publication information about the print source, including the page number or figure number for the artwork.
a. Original
Bradford, Mark. Let’s Walk to the Middle of the Ocean. 2015, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
b. Web
Clough, Charles. January Twenty-First. 1988-89, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, www.joslyn.org/
collections-and-exhibitions/permanent-collections/modern-and-contemporary/ charles-clough-january-twenty-first/.
c. Reproduction (print)
O’Keeffe, Georgia. Black and Purple Petunias. 1925, private collection. Two Lives: A Conversation in Paintings and Photographs, edited by Alexandra Arrowsmith and Thomas West, HarperCollins, 1992, p. 67.
65. Photograph (a) For an original photograph, cite the photographer’s name; the title of the photograph, italicized; the date of composition; and the institution and city in which the photograph is located. (b) For photographs found on the Web, include the title of the Web site (unless it is the same as the institution) and the URL. (c) If you viewed the photograph as a reproduction in a print source, add publication information about the print source, including the page number or figure number for the artwork. Add the label “Photograph” at the end if it is not clear from the rest of the entry.
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How to cite course materials
problem: Sometimes you will be assigned to work with materials that an instructor has uploaded to a course Web site or has handed out in class. Complete publication information may not always be given for such sources. A PDF file or a hard-copy article, for instance, may have a title and an author’s name but give no other information. Or a video may not include information about the creator or the date the video was created. When you write a paper using such sources, how should you cite them in your own work?
example: Perhaps your instructor has included a PDF file of an article in a collection of readings on the course Web site (see image at right). You are writing a paper in which you use a passage from the work.
Reprinted with permission of AATSEEL of U.S., Inc.
strategy: Look through section MLA-4b for a model that matches the type of source you’re working with. Is it an article? A chapter from a book? A photograph? A video? The model or models you find will give you an idea of the information you need to gather about the source. The usual required information is (1) the author or creator, (2) the title, (3) the date the work was published or created, (4) the date you accessed the source (usually only for sources on the Web), and (5) the medium in which the source was presented (see General guidelines for the works cited list).
citation: For your citation, you can give only as much of the required information as you can find in the source. In this example, you know the source is an article with an author and a title, and you accessed it as a PDF file. So you can combine items 13a (basic format for an article) and 71 (digital file) to create the works cited entry for the source. Since you can’t tell when the article was published, you should use “N.d.” for “No date.” At the end of your citation, it is a good idea to include the description “Course materials” and supplementary information about the course (such as its title or number and the term).
note: When in doubt about how much information to include or where to find it, consult your instructor.
a. Original
Feinstein, Harold. Hangin’ Out, Sharing a Public Bench, NYC. 1948, Panopticon Gallery, Boston. Photograph.
Finotti, Leonardo. Edificio Girón, Havana, Cuba. 2014, Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photograph.
b. Web
Hura, Sohrab. Old Man Lighting a Fire. 2015, Magnum Photos, www.magnumphotos.com/ C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K1HRG681B_Q.
c. Reproduction (print)
Kertész, André. Meudon. 1928, Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson, by Clive Scott, Tauris, 2011, p. 61.
66. Cartoon Give the cartoonist’s name; the title of the cartoon, if it has one, in quotation marks; publication information; and the label “Cartoon” or “Comic strip” at the end if it is not clear from the title. To cite an online cartoon, cite as a short work from a Web site (item 47).
Zyglis, Adam. “City of Light.” Buffalo News, 8 Nov. 2015, adamzyglis.buffalonews.com/2015/11/08/city-of-light/. Cartoon.
67. Advertisement Name the product or company being advertised and publication information for the source in which the advertisement appears. Add the label “Advertisement” at the end if it is not clear from the title.
AT&T. National Geographic, Dec. 2015, p. 14. Advertisement.
Toyota. The Root. Slate Group, 28 Nov. 2015, www.theroot.com. Advertisement.
68. Visual such as a table, a chart, or another graphic Cite a visual as you would a short work within a longer work.
“Brazilian Waxing and Waning: The Economy.” The Economist, 1 Dec. 2015, www.economist.com/blogs/
graphicdetail/2015/12/economic-backgrounder.
“Number of Measles Cases by Year since 2010.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Jan. 2016, www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html.
69. Map Cite a map as you would a short work within a longer work. Or, if the map is published on its own, cite it as a book or another long work. Use the label “Map” at the end if it is not clear from the title or source information.
“Map of Sudan.” Global Citizen, Citizens for Global Solutions, 2011, globalsolutions.org/blog/bashir#.
VthzNMfi_FI.
“Vote on Secession, 1861.” Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, U of Texas at Austin, 1976, www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_texas/texas_vote_secession_1861.jpg.
Government and legal documents
70. Government document Treat the government agency as the author, giving the name of the government followed by the name of the department and the agency, if any. For sources found on the Web, follow the model for an entire Web site (see item 46) or for short or long works from a Web site (see items 47 and 48).
Canada, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. 2015-16 Report on Plans and Priorities. Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2015.
71. Testimony before a legislative body
Russel, Daniel R. “Burma’s Challenge: Democracy, Human Rights, Peace, and the Plight of the Rohingya.” Testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs. US Department of State: Diplomacy in Action, 21 Oct. 2015, www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2015/10/248420.htm.
72. Historical document The titles of most historical documents, such as the US Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, are neither italicized nor put in quotation marks. For a print version, cite as for a selection in an anthology (see item 35) or for a book (with the title not italicized). For an online version, cite as a short work from a Web site (see item 47).
Jefferson, Thomas. First Inaugural Address. 1801. The American Reader: Words That Moved a Nation, edited by Diane Ravitch, 2nd ed., William Morrow, 2000, pp. 79-82.
Constitution of the United States. 1787. The Charters of Freedom, US National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/.
73. Legislative act (law) Begin with the name of the act, neither italicized nor in quotation marks. Then provide the act’s Public Law number; its Statutes at Large volume and page numbers; its date of enactment.
Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996. Pub. L. 104-231. 110 Stat. 3048. 2 Oct. 1996.
74. Court case Name the first plaintiff and the first defendant. Then give the volume, name, and page number of the law report; the court name; the year of the decision; and publication information. Do not italicize the name of the case. (In the text of the paper, the name of the case is italicized; see item 19.)
Utah v. Evans. 536 US 452. Supreme Court of the US. 2002. Legal Information Institute, Cornell U Law School, www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/536/452.
Personal communication and social media
75. E-mail message Begin with the writer’s name and the subject line. Then write “Received by” followed by the name of the recipient. End with the date of the message.
Thornbrugh, Caitlin. “Coates Lecture.” Received by Rita Anderson, 20 Oct. 2015.
76. Text message
Wiley, Joanna. Message to the author, 4 Apr. 2014.
77. Posting to an online discussion list When possible, cite archived versions of postings. If you cannot locate an archived version, keep a copy of the posting for your records. Begin with the author’s name, followed by the title or subject line, in quotation marks (use the label “Online posting” if the posting has no title). Then proceed as for a short work from a Web site (see item 47).
Robin, Griffith. “Write for the Reading Teacher.” Developing Digital Literacies, NCTE, 23 Oct. 2015, ncte.connectedcommunity.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=1693&MID=24520&tab=digestviewer&CommunityKey=628d2ad6-8277-4042-a376-2b370ddceabf.
78. Facebook post or comment Cite as a short work from a Web site (see item 47), beginning with the writer’s screen name followed by the real name in parentheses, if both are given. Otherwise use whatever name is given in the source. Follow with the title of the post, if any, in quotation marks. If there is no title, use the label “Post.”
Bedford English. “Stacey Cochran explores Reflective Writing in the classroom and as a writer: http://ow.ly/YkjVB.” Facebook, 15 Feb. 2016, www.facebook.com/BedfordEnglish/posts/
10153415001259607.
79. Twitter post (tweet) Begin with the writer’s screen name followed by the real name in parentheses, if both are given. Otherwise use whatever name is given in the source. Give the text of the entire tweet in quotation marks, using the writer’s capitalization and punctuation. Follow the text with the date and time noted on the tweet, and end with the URL.
Curiosity Rover. “Can you see me waving? How to spot #Mars in the night sky:
https://youtu.be/
hv8hVvJlcJQ.” Twitter, 5 Nov. 2015, 11:00 a.m., twitter.com/marscuriosity/status/
672859022911889408.
@grammarphobia (Patricia T. O’Conner and Steward Kellerman). “Is ‘if you will,’ like, a verbal tic? http://goo.gl/oYrTYP #English #language #grammar #etymology #usage #linguistics #WOTD.” Twitter, 14 Mar. 2016, 9:12 a.m., twitter.com/grammarphobia.