MLA Citation Format Simplified

MLA requires a hanging indent and double-spacing for its citations. MLA (2009) requires use of italicization rather than underlining. Underlined titles can be easily confused to be url links. While it no longer requires urls, if it will be difficult for your reader to find the material or if your instructor requires them, then you should use the url. End the entry with the url enclosed in <url>. Note: For purposes of this handout, the examples are single-spaced. Your Works Cited page will be double-spaced.

Book / MLA FORMAT / EXAMPLE
One Author / Author Last, First. Title of Work. Location: Publisher, Date. Publication Format. / Smith, Kevin C. Children’s Literature of the Harlem Renaissance. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004. Print.
Two Authors / Author Last, First, and First Last. Title of work. Location: Publisher, Date. Publication Format. / Branson, Joseph J., & Bill Larson. Educating Rita. New York: Norton, 2003. Print.
More than Two Authors / Author Last, First, et al. Title of work. Location: Publisher, Date. Publication Format. / McMillian, Stephan D., et al. Environmental Sciences. New York: Pearson & Longman, 2002. Print.
Editor / Editor Last, First, ed. Title of work. Location: Publisher, Date. Publication Format. / Arthur, Kingsley, ed. Dismal State of American Education. New York: Knopf, 2004. Print.
E-book / Last, First. Title of work. Location: Publisher, Date. Electronic Publisher. Web. Date Retrieved. / Streibel, Barbara J. The Manager’s Guide to Effective Meetings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Academic Complete ebrary. Web. 12 May 2008.
Article in an Anthology / Author Last, First. "Work Title." Anthology Title. Volume number. Ed. Editor First Last. Location: Publisher, Date. Pages. Publication Format. / Shinn, Merideth, and Bradley Cooper Weitzman. “Homeless Families are Different.” Homeless in America. Ed. Jerald Baumohl. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1996. 118-120. Print.
Newspaper / MLA Format / Example
With Author / Author Last, First. "Title of article." Title of Newspaper Date: Pages. Publication Format. / Brown, Sue. “A New Art.” Washington Post 25 Jan. 1998: A4. Print.
Letter to the Editor / Author Last, First. Letter. Title of Newspaper. Date: Pages. Publication Format. / Ozick, Kathy. Letter. Arizona Republic 31 Oct. 2000: A8. Print.
NewspaperArticle from a database. / Same as print, but add electronic retrieval information to the end:
Database. Vendor. Web. Date of Retrieval. / Herdia, Christopher. “Cities Drawing Line on Sprawl.” Los Angeles Times 14 Dec. 2004: A3. National Newspapers. Web. 4 August 2009.
Article from an online publication (NOT a subscription service): / Same as print but pages may be missing:
Author. “Article Title.” Online Publication Title. Sponsoring organization or publisher, Publication Date or last revision. Web. Access date. / Dylan, Bill. “I Need Help.” Editorial. New York Times. New York Times, 16 May 2002. Web. 15 July 2009.
Periodical Article / MLA Format / Example
Magazine / Author Last, First. "Title of article." Title of Magazine Date: Pages. Publication Format. / Garcia, Juan. “Who’s Reading Your Email?” Fortune 3 Feb. 1994: 57-59. Print.
Journal: Continuous page numbers
(Note: MLA 2009 now notes that both the issue and volume number should be used whenever possible) / Author Last, First. "Title of article." Title of Journal Volume.Issue Number (Year): Pages. Publication Format. / Brown, Paul. “New Architecture Today.” Art Digest 25.3 (2002): 303-13. Print.
Bellon-Hare, Lawence Mike, et al. “Open Hands, Open Hearts: Working with Native Youth in the Schools.” Intervention in School and Clinic 38.4 (March 2003): 225-235. Print.
Article in an online database / Same as print format as in the examples, but add this to the end of the entry:
Database. Publication Format. Date Retrieved. / Vissing, Yvonne. “The Yellow School Bus Project: Helping Homeless Students Get Ready for School. Phi Delta Kappan 85.4 (Dec. 2003): 321-23. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Aug. 2005
CQ Researcher (Subscription Database example) / Author last name, First Name. “Article Title.” Publication. Date: pages. Database.. Web. Access Date. / Katel, Peter. “Oil Jitters.” CQ Researcher Online. 4 Jan. 2008: n. pag. CQ Researcher. Web. 15 June 2009.
Encyclopedia / MLA Format / Example
General Encyclopedia
Note: In most cases, your instructors will NOT allow you to use a general encyclopedia as a source for an academic essay. / Author Last, First. "Title of article." Title of Encyclopedia. Edition. Year. Publication Format.
Author Last, First. “Title of article.” Title of Encyclopedia. Publisher, Year. Web. Retrieval Date. / Hernandez, Joseph. “House Plants.” The Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. Print.
Hernandez, Joseph. “House Plants.” The Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999. Web. 18 July 2009.
Specialized Encyclopedia / Author Last, First. "Article Title." Encyclopedia Title. Ed. Editor First Last. # of Edition. Volume #. Location: Publisher, Date. Publication Format.
Note: For print versions, omit page numbers if arranged alphabetically by article title.
Sample of article in Reference Database also shown (second example). / Moser, Teri. “Barbara Kingsolver.” Popular Contemporary Authors. Ed. Michael D. Sharp. Vol 7. New York: Marshal Cavendish, 2006. Print.
“Achievement Gap.” The Encyclopedia of Education Online. Encyclopedia of Education, 2006. Web. 9 August 2009.
Web Site Article / MLA Format / Example
With Author / Give as much information as possible:
Author last name, First Name. “Title of Section.” Title of the Website. Sponsoring organization or publisher, Publication Date or last revision. Web. Access date. / Jameson, Eliot. “NCH FACT Sheets on Homelessness.” National Coalition for the Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, 8 Jan. 2001 Web. 12 Aug. 2009.
Entire Website / Name of Page. Web. Access date.
Note that name of author of a homepage is not italicized. / Language & Humanities. Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Web. 3 August 2009.
Mark Twain Page. Web. 12 Dec. 2009.
Universe, Ruler O. Home page. Web 1 July 2008.
Online Article
If publisher or site sponsor is not available, use N.p. If no date of publication is available, use n.d. / Author. “Article Title.” Title of the Website. Sponsoring organization or publisher, Publication Date or last revision. Web. Access Date. / Pantoja, Veronica. “Leaving Arizona.” College News.com. College News, n.d. Web. 7 July 2009.
Other Source Types / MLA Format / Example
Lecture (or Address) / Last Name, First Name. Lecture Title. Series if relevant or sponsoring organization. Location. Date. Lecture (or Address). / Goddard, Terry. “Phoenix Today.” Honors Forum Lecture Series. Phoenix College. 17 October 2001. Lecture.
Film (Movie) or Video / Title of Film. Director. Performers. Distributor. Date. Medium.
Title of Film. Director. Performers. Original Date of Release. Distributor, Date. Medium Format. / Cutthroat Island. Dir. Renny Harlin. Perf. Genna Davis, Matthew Modine. 1995. Lionsgate, 2009. DVD.
It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Perf. James Steward and Donna Reed. RKO, 1946. Film.
Interview (you conduct yourself) / Name of Interviewee. [position if relevant].Type of Interview. Date of Interview. / Cooper, John [Professor of Mechanical Engineering, ASU]. E-mail interview. 20 Aug. 2000.
Hogan, Linda. Personal interview. 18 Aug. 1999.
A Review / Reviewer’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Rev. of Title of Book by Author’s First Name Last Name. Publication Date: page numbers. Publication Format. / Kauffman, Rachel. “A New Look.” Rev. of The Color Purple by Alice Walker. New Books Reviews 6 Mar. 2001: 239-40. Print.
Online Posting / Author Last name, First name. “Title of Posting.” Online Posting. Date of Posting. Name of Forum. Date of Access. <url>.
Note that due to nature of posting, you should include a url. / Ziegler, Jason. “Arizona Homeless Information Source.” Online posting. 12 Nov. 2004. Community Activism Forum. 8 August 2005. <http://forums.homessness /arizona/phoenix/issues/ msg1123494085458903.html?15>.
Online Poem (Available in Print) / Author. “Poem Title.” Publication. City of publication: Publisher, Date. Website. Publication Format. Access Date. / Dickinson, Emily. “I’m Nobody. Who are you?” The Complete Poems. Boston: Little, Brown, 1924. Bartleby.com. Web. 24 July 2009.
A Work of Visual Art / Artist Name. Title. Date of composition (if unknown write N.d.). Medium of Composition. Location, City. If private, use phrase--Private collection--rather than city. / Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn. Aristotle with a Bust of Homer. 1653. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
A Performance / Title. List info similar to film. Theater, City. Date of performance, Performance. / Doubt. Playwright, John Patrick Shanley. Dir. Matthew Weiner. Perf. Angelica Howland, Lillie Richardson, Sam Ferracane. Herberger Theater, Phoenix. 12 September 2008. Performance.
Radio or Television Program / “Episode. (if any).” Name of Program. Network (if any). Call letters & city of local station (if any). Broadcast date. Medium of reception. Supplementary information (if any). / “Barbara Kingsolver.” Arizona Show. Narr. Alice Cooper. Dir. Craig Haffner. PBS. KAET. 6 April 1993. Television. Transcript.
“Death and Love.” Narr. Joseph Sojourner. Weekend Edition Saturday. Natl. Public Radio. KJZZ, Phoenix. 25 Jan. 2002. Radio.

Revised 2009