For prose, writers need to find the author and page number of a work (Smith
76), but for poetry, writers need the author and the line numbers (Poe
15-17). When working with dramas, writers need to introduce the author in
the text before a quotation and need to provide the play title and line
numbers in the parenthetical citation (Hamlet
15-17). Writers must also consider if they have a short or long (block)
quote.
Short Quotations (4 typed lines or less):
Place the quote within the text of the paper. Introduce the quote with a
comma, and place the period after the parenthetical citation.
Use quotation marks to show all borrowed material. Include author and
page number.
Block Quotations (More than 4 typed lines):
Place the quote one inch from the left margin, and omit quotation marks.
Introduce the quote with a colon, and place the period before the
parenthetical citation.
External Citation Template
MLA’s 8th
Edition uses the same citation style for all types of sources, universally.
Much of this relies on the idea of “containers,” which might refer to a
book, academic journal, collection, archive, database, CD, or any number of
different types of sources.
Because the
template is meant to be used for all types of sources, use your discretion
when determining what pieces of information to place emphasis on. For
example, you might list the author of a film as the director if you mean to
emphasize how the film was made, but you might list the author as the lead
actor if you mean to emphasize a specific performance.
For every
external citation, only include the information that you have regarding the
source. If there isn’t a secondary container (such as an archive, database,
or collection where you found the source), then you wouldn’t include any
information regarding Container 2.
https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/
Template
Example
Only fill in the elements that are available.
|
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Source.”
Title of Container 1,
Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date,
Location. Title of Container
2, Other Contributors for Container 2, Version for Container 2,
Number of Container 2, Publisher for Container 2, Publication date
of Container 2, Location of Container 2.
For a practice template to help you fill in this information, visit:
https://style.mla.org/files/2016/04/practice-template.pdf
|
Lorensen, Jutta. “Between Image and Word, Color, and Time: Jacob
Lawrence’s The Migration Series.”
African American Review,
vol. 40, no. 3, 2006, pp. 571-86.
EBSCOHost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=
true&db=f5h&AN=24093790&site=ehost-live. |
Formatting and Organizing the Works Cited
Alphabetize
works cited lists and bibliographies by author’s last name and/or first key
word of the title. Indent the second and subsequent lines of entries half an
inch from the left margin.
MLA Style Center:
http://style.mla.org
Purdue Owl- MLA:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Bedford St. Martin’s-MLA:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch08_o.html
