Citing Your Sources

MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is involved with the study and teaching of language and literature. MLA documentation style is used in many research papers, especially in middle and high schools.

This page will help you correctly list your electronic sources in MLA style. To document other kinds of sources, please check the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (The Modern Language Association of America, 1999).

PRINTOUTS

Important: If you print out the entries listed below to use for future reference, be sure to double-check all spacing against the following guidelines:

1. Begin each entry flush with the left margin; indent additional lines five spaces.
2. Double-space between all lines on the Works-Cited page.
3. Single-space after each period in a Works-Cited entry.

In-Text Citations

Because Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers, and Web sites often list no author, people are often confused about how to refer to these sources within their papers. The answer is to cite the author's name whenever possible, and use the source's title otherwise (or a shortened version of the title). If no page or paragraph number is provided, leave that portion of the citation blank. Keep in mind that the primary purpose of an in-text citation is simply to point readers to the correct entry on the "Works Cited" page.

Elements of On-Line Entry

1. Author or editor (Last name, First name, ed. for editor) NOTE: The editor's name follows the title in an entry for a project or database.
2. Title of article, page, posting (followed by the description "On-line posting")
3. Title of book and printed version information (if part of a book)
4. Title of the site, database, periodical, etc., or a description such as Home page
5. Version, volume, issue, or other identifying number
6. Date posted (or last update)
7. Name of subscription service, and name and location (city) of library where accessed
8. Listserv or forum name
9. Number of pages (pp.) or paragraphs (pars.), if numbered
10. Sponsoring organization
11. Date accessed
12. Electronic address (or URL or keyword of the subscription service)
    NOTE: If a URL is quite long and complicated, simply give the site's search page or home page URL.

If certain items do not apply or are not available, do not include them.

Format of On-Line Entry

Author or editor. "Title." Book title. Printed version

     information. Site title. Volume or issue number. Date

     posted. Name of subscription service, library name and

     location. Listserv name. 00 pp. Sponsoring organization.

     Date accessed .

Sample Citations

Web Site (Professional)

ESPN.com. 10 Nov. 1999. ESPN Internet Ventures.

     24 Nov. 1999 http://espn.go.com.

Article Within a Web Site

Devitt, Terry. "Flying High." The Why Files. 9 Dec. 1999.

     University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents. 4 Jan. 2000

     http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/shorties/kite.html.

Article Within a Web Site (Anonymous)

"Becoming a Meteorologist." Weather.com. 12 Nov. 1999. The

     Weather Channel. 24 Nov. 1999 

     learn_more/resources/metro.html>.

Note: When line length forces you to break a Web address, always break it after a slash mark.

Web Site (Personal)

Hamilton, Calvin J. Views of the Solar System. 12 Nov. 1999

     http://solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm.

Note: When a professional or personal site has no title, use the description "Home page" without an underscore.

On-Line Government Document

United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty in the United

     States: 1998. Sept. 1999. 12 Nov. 1999 

     www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/p60-207.pdf>.

Article from On-Line Computer Service (Also in Print)

Williams, Vanessa. "D.C. Votes to Limit Teenage Drivers:

     Council Sets 18 as Minimum Age for Full License."

     Washington Post 3 Nov. 1999, final ed.: A1. National

     Newspapers. ProQuest. Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn

     Campus Library. 12 Nov. 1999 

     pdqweb>.

Note: When you use a library to access a subscription service, include the name of the database if known (underlined), the service, and the library, all before the date of access. Then give the Internet address for the home page of the service, if you know it.

Article from On-Line Computer Service (Volume Number Included)

"Senate Approves New Alternative Fuel." National Petroleum

     News 90.9 (Sept. 1998): 36 (1/6p.). MasterFILE Premier.

     EBSCOhost. Lynchburg Public Library. 12 Nov. 1999

     http://www.ebscohost.com.

Archived Posting to a Discussion List

Matthews, Robert. "Legally Banning Puppy Mills." On-line

     posting. 15 Nov. 1996. People Caring for Animals

     Conference. 20 Feb. 1998 

     animalscience/pcac/ PUP_MILL.txt>.

Note: When citing a posting, place the subject line in quotation marks and use it as the title. Place the name of the discussion list (People Caring . . . ) after the date of the on-line posting.

Scholarly Project

New England Folklore Project. Ed. Marcia Farnsworth.

     May 1997. Indiana U. 12 Sept. 1997 

     indiana.edu/~mtf/nefp/>.

Note: The name of the project (underlined) is followed by the name of its editor, the date of electronic publication, the sponsoring organization (Indiana U.), your date of access, and the electronic address.

Book in a Scholarly Project

Arndt, Jefferson. Tales from Penobscot Bay. New York:

     Fawcett, 1985. New England Folklore Project. Ed. Marcia

     Farnsworth. May 1997. Indiana U. 20 Nov. 1997

     .

Note: The entry begins with the original publication information for the book.

Articles in Reference Databases

"Astronomy." Collier's Online. Vers. 97.2.2. 1997. Collier's

     Encyclopedia. 14 Jan. 1998 .

Carlyle, Lois. "Weeping for the Universe?" Rev. of Exploiting

     the Cosmos, by Charles Lindsey. Houston Herald 15 Nov.

     1997, sec. B:6. Human Rights Opinions On-Line. 1997.

     Human Rights Publications, Inc. 17 Nov. 1997 

     search.humanrightspub.com/books/97/11/15/reviews/971115.

     15carlyle.html>.

Note: This last entry begins with original publication information and ends with the name of the on-line database (underlined), the year of electronic publication, the name of the sponsoring company, your date of access, and the electronic address.

Book in an Electronic Text Repository

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. Ed. Roald Nielsen.

     Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1962. Cambridge Text Archive.

     16 Feb. 1996 .

Note: This entry begins with original publication information and ends with the name of the repository, your date of access, and the electronic address.

E-Mail Message

Toshner, David. 22 Feb. 1998. E-mail to the author.

     25 Feb. 1998.

Note: This entry begins with the name of the e-mail writer and the date the message was sent, and ends with the description "E-mail to the author" and your date of access.

(Adapted from The Writing Source)

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