Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle. Supplemental Elements. Title of 1st Container, Contributor, Version or edition, Number, Publisher Name, Publication Date, Pages. Title of 2nd Container, Contributor, Version or edition, Number, Publisher Name, Publication Date, Pages. Supplemental Elements.
The layout and necessary elements vary depending on the source. You do not need to use all of these elements for every source. Use those that are relevant to what you are citing.
See "How Do I Cite..." for more specific formatting.
Check out the MLA Style Guide's "Interactive Practice Template"
MLA citations assemble facts about a source, like who wrote it and when it was published. These facts are known as elements.
All MLA citations will follow a template of applicable core elements: author, title of source, container of source, contributor(s), version, number, publisher, date, and location. If you are missing information to supply any of the core elements, skip that element.
For detailed information about each of the core elements, click here.
Sometimes, you might choose to include supplemental information about a source. Supplemental information will typically be inserted after the title of the source or at the end of the citation, with a period after the information.
For more information about incorporating supplemental elements, click here.
Simply put, a container is a larger body that contains items.
It may be a larger work containing a smaller work—like a chapter found in a book, or a scholarly article in an academic journal. It may also be a repository container that houses other containers—like a database containing many journals and eBooks, or a website containing webpages.
A source may have multiple containers. For example, a journal containing a article may have been accessed through a library database. Here, we have two containers (journal, database) for the source (article).
"When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story is the source, and the anthology is the container." (MLA Quick Guide)
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Access Date |
This is the date you first look at a source. It should be added to the end of citations for all websites. However, for items accessed through library databases, it is optional. |
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Block Quote |
A specific way of formatting long quotations. Used for direct quotations that are at least four lines of prose, three lines of poetry, or two paragraphs. It is a freestanding quote that does not include quotation marks, and the in-text citation appears after the closing punctuation mark. |
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Citation |
A structured way of providing information about a source. They intend to help your readers (and yourself) find the source. |
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Citing |
The process of acknowledging sources of information and ideas. |
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Container |
This is the larger entity where a source is found. Containers are used to structure citations. They include things like library databases where you find an academic journal, a book that contains a chapter you reference, or a website that contains a video you watched. There may be multiple containers within a citation. For example, you may use a library database to find an article from a newspaper. |
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Direct Quote |
Copying words of text originally published elsewhere. Generally, they appear in quotation marks and end with an in-text citation; see "Block Quotes" for the exception to this rule. |
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Element |
Fact about a source, component of a citation. |
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In-Text Citation |
A brief reference to a source that appears when the information or ideas from that source are invoked. An in-text citation should always correspond to a complete citation on the Works Cited page. |
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Paraphrasing |
The act of taking information from a source and putting it into your own words. Paraphrased information should still be cited! This may be compared to a direct quote. |
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Plagiarism |
Taking, using, and passing off as your own the ideas or words of another. Illegal! |
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Works Cited Page |
Contains complete citations for ALL of the sources referenced in a project. |
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