Examples are based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, and assistance provided by MLA editorial staff. When available, MLA rule numbers are referenced.
See The Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation --- LCC Library Reference KF 245 .B58 2005
Books
Example
Weart, Spencer R. The Discovery of Global Warming. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2003. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. Title of book. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.2
Example
Murray, John A., ed. American Nature Writing 2002. Golden: Fulcrum, 2001. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of translator, editor or compiler. Title of book. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.3
Book with two authors
Example
May, David A., and James E. Headley. Identity Theft. New York: Lang, 2004. Print.
Parts of citation
1st author's last name, first name, and 2nd author's first name last name. Title of book. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
Book with three authors
Example
Carlson, Karen J., Stephanie A. Eisenstat, and Terra D. Ziporyn. The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2004. Print.
Parts of citation
1st author's last name, first name, 2nd author's first name last name, and 3rd author's first name last name. Title of book. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
Book with more than three authors
Example
Gregory, Darlene A., et al. Significant Others: A Study of Family and Its Meaning in the Twenty-First Century. Boston: McGraw, 2003. Print.
Parts of citation
1st author's last name, first name, et al. Title of book. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.4
Alphabetize sources with no author or editor by first significant word in title.
Example
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton, 1992. Print.
Parts of citation
Title of book. Edition. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.9
Familiar Reference Books
Full publication information is not necessary for familiar
reference books that frequently appear in new editions. Include page
numbers only if the entries are not in alphabetical order.
Examples
Parrish, Fred K. "Marsh." Encyclopedia Americana. 2004. Print.
"Pride." The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. "Title of article or entry." Title of dictionary or encyclopedia. Edition. Year of publication. Print.
Less Familiar Reference Books
Full publication information is necessary for less familiar reference books,
especially those that only appear in one edition.
Example
Holten, Birgitte. "Brazilian Anti-Slavery Society." Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery. Ed. Junius P. Rodriguez. 2 vols. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1997. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. "Title of article or entry." Title of dictionary or encyclopedia. Ed. Name of editor. Edition. Number of volumes. City of publication: Name of publisher, publication date. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.7
Original article or chapter (first publication)
Example
Goldberg, Vicki. "Death Takes a Holiday, Sort of." Why We Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment. Ed. Jeffrey Goldstein. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. 27-52. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author of article. "Title of article." Title of book. Ed. Name of editor. City of publication: Name of publisher, publication date. Page range of article within the book. Print.
Reprinted article or chapter
Example
Kaye, Julian B. "The Wings of Daedalus." Modern Fiction Studies 4 (1958): 31-41. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 155-59. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author of article. "Title of article." Title of work in which article was originally published Volume number (Year of publication): page range of article in original collection. Rpt. in Name of collection. Ed. Name of collection editor. Volume number in collection. City of publication: Name of publisher, year of publication. Page range of article within the collection. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.5.6
Periodicals
Examples
Abraham, Maria. "Perceptions of Heavy Drinking and Alcohol Problems among Young Adults." Contemporary Drug Problems 30.4 (2003): 815-37. Print.
Frank, Thomas H. "The Interpretation of Limits: Doctors and Novelists in the Fiction of Philip Roth." Journal of Popular Culture 28.4 (1995): 67-80. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. "Title of article." Title of journal Volume number.issue number (Year of publication): page range. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.4.2
Example
Peterson, Scott. "Asia Hungry for Nuclear Power." Christian Science Monitor 30 June 2004: 6. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. "Title of article." Title of newspaper Publication date: page range. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.4.5
Example
Cose, Ellis. "Brown v. Board: A Dream Deferred." Newsweek 17 May 2004: 52-59. Print.
Parts of citation
Name of author. "Title of article." Title of magazine Publication date: page range. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.4.6
Alphabetize sources with no author or editor by the first significant word in the title.
Example
"Ivory Crackdown." New Scientist 27 Mar. 2004: 4. Print.
Parts of citation
"Title of article." Title of magazine Publication date: page range. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.4.9
Legal Documents
Example
Safe Drinking Water Act. Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. 325.1007 (West 1999). Print.
Parts of citation
Title of the act. MCLA abbreviated title. Section number. (Publisher year). Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.14; The Bluebook Rule 12.3.1, Table T-1
Example
People v. Davis, 472 Mich. 156 (2005). Print.
Parts of citation
First party v. Second party, Volume number Michigan Reports abbreviated title First page of case (year case decided). Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.14; The Bluebook Rule 10, Table T-1
Example
Tuggle v. Department of State Police, 269 Mich. App. 657 (2005). Print.
Parts of citation
First party v. Second party, Volume number Michigan Appeals Reports abbreviation First page of case (year case decided). Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.14; The Bluebook Rule 10, Table T-1
Example
Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act of 1988. Pub. L. 100-583. 3 Nov. 1988. Stat. 102.2960. Print.
Parts of citation
Title of the law. Public law number. Date enacted. Statutes at Large cataloging number. Print.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.14
Example
United States Department of Defense v. Federal Labor Relations Authority. No 92-1223. Supreme Ct. of the US. 23 February 1994.
Parts of citation
Title of case. Number of the case. Name of court that decided the case. Date of decision.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.14
Media Sources
TV program with narrator
Example
"Being the First Man on the Moon." Narr. Ed Bradley. Sixty Minutes. CBS. WLNS, Lansing. 2 July 2006. Television.
Parts of citation
"Title of episode." Narr. Name of narrator. Title of program. Title of series (if any). Name of the network. Call letters, city of local station. Broadcast date. Television.
TV series with author, adaptor, performer and episode information
Example
Bleak House. By Charles Dickens. Adapt. Andrew Davies. Perf. Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, and Alun Armstrong. 6 episodes. Masterpiece Theatre. PBS. WKAR, East Lansing. 22 Jan.- 26 Mar. 2006. Television.
Parts of citation
"Title of episode." Name of author, adaptor, performer or other pertinent individuals. Number of episodes. Title of program. Title of series (if any). Name of the network. Call letters and city of local station. Broadcast date. Television.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.1
Example
"Interview: Ken Rudin and Ron Walters Discuss How the Dominant Agenda May Affect the Presidential Race." Tavis Smiley. Natl. Public Radio. WKAR, East Lansing. 1 July 2004. Radio.
Parts of citation
"Title of episode." Title of program. Title of series (if any). Name of the network. Call letters and city of local station. Broadcast date. Radio.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.1
Example
Bush, George W. Interview with Jim Lehrer. Newshour with Jim Lehrer. PBS. WKAR, East Lansing. 16 Jan. 2007. Television.
Parts of citation
Name of person being interviewed. Interview. Title of program. Title of series (if any). Name of network. Call letters, city of local station. Broadcast date. Television.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.1
Examples
Boyle, Kevin. Telephone interview. 9 Sept. 2009.
Cadbury, Deborah. E-mail interview. 27-28 May 2009.
Thompson, Emma. Personal interview. 5 Feb. 2009.
Parts of citation
Name of person being interviewed. Type of Interview (e.g. Personal, Telephone, Email). Date of interview.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.7
Examples
Oedipus Rex. By Sophocles. Dir. Tyrone Guthrie. Perf. Douglas Campbell, Eleanor Stuart, and Douglas Rain. 1957. Image Entertainment, 2002. DVD.
Fires in the Mirror. Prod. Public Television Playhouse. PBS Video, 1993. Videocassette.
Parts of citation
Title. Name of director, performers, or other pertinent individuals. Original release date (if DVD or video recording). Distributor, release date. DVD, Videocassette, Slide program, etc.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.3
CD sound recording
Examples
Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Dir. Clive Brill. Perf. Simon Russell Beale, Imogen Stubbs, and Jane Lapotaire. Audio Partners, 2003. CD.
Davis, Miles. Ballads and Blues. Blue Note, 1996. CD.
Parts of citation
Name of author, performer, or production director (depending on emphasis). Title. Name of author, performer, or production director (depending on emphasis). Original recording date. Compact disc publisher, date of recording. CD.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.2
CD no sound - non periodical
Example
"Registered Nurse." Choices. 2006 ed. Oroville, WA: Bridges Transitions, 2005. CD-ROM.
Parts of citation
Author. "Title of work." Title of CD. Edition. City of publication: Name of publisher, publication date. CD-ROM.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.17
Examples
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. 1952. Read by Alexander Adams. Books on Tape, 1999. Audiocassette.
Christie, Julie, narr. Sense and Sensibility. 1811. By Jane Austen. Penguin Audiobooks, 1996. Audiocassette.
Parts of citation
Name of writer, speaker or production director (depending on emphasis). Title. Original publication or recording date. Name of reader, writer, speaker or production director (depending on emphasis). Audiocassette publisher, date of recording. Audiocassette.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.2
Example
Madden, Thomas F. "God Wills It!": Understanding the Crusades. 2005. Narr. Thomas F. Madden. Audio recording. Recorded Books, 2006. 23 Aug. 2009. Digital File.
Parts of citation
Name of author. Title of eAudiobook. Publication date of print version. Name of reader. Audio recording. Name of eAudiobook publisher, release date. Date of access. Digital file.
MLA Handbook Chapter 5.7.18
Example
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. Nintendo of America. 2006. Video game.
Parts of citation
Title of game. Version number. [Optional: contributors]. Company. Date of version. Video game.