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Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition) UNDER CONSTRUCTION

How to cite sources according to MLA

What is a DOI?

DOI Numbers for Journal Articles

Some electronic content like journal articles are assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). The DOI gives a way to find an article. If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as "doi:doi number".

If you have a DOI and would like to look up an item with it, click here and enter the doi number where indicated.

Tips

Access Date

For all content found on a website that is subject to change, you must list the date you first viewed the resource. You do not need to include access date for items from library databases. This date is listed at the end of the citation with the word "Accessed" before the date.

Authors/Editors

An author can be a person but can also be an organization, or company. These are called group or corporate authors.

Leave out author distinctions/credentials, such as PhD.

Database Names

The name of the database will usually apear at the top of the search screen. Note that ProQuest and EBSCOhost are NOT database names, they are database providers. The name of the database will appear separately.

If you have used the function to search multiple databases at once and therefore do not know the individual database name, enter the name of the database provider (e.g. ProQuest) as the database.

Dates

The format of all dates is: Date Month (shortened) Year. E.g., 5 Sept. 2012.

Page Numbers

If there are multiple pages put pp. before the page numbers. If the article is only one page use p. instead.

If the article appears on non-consecutive pages (e.g., the article starts on page 5 then continues on page 12), write the first page number and a plus (+) sign. E.g., 5+

Titles

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

Journal Article From Library Database With a DOI Number - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, doi:DOI number.

For in-text citations, use (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging Markets Finance & Trade, vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155. Business Source Premier, doi:10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.

In-Text Citation Example (Guillen 1146)

Journal Article From Library Database Without a DOI Number - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database.

For in-text citations, use (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Leichty, Toni. "Yes I Worry About My Weight... But for the Most Part I'm Content with My Body: Older Women's Body Dissatisfaction Alongside Contentment." Journal of Women & Aging, vol. 24, no. 1, 2012, pp. 70-88. Academic Search Premier. 

In-Text Citation Example (Leichty 71)

 Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, they can be left out when citing a work found in a library database.

 Note: Although the Accessed date is optional in MLA 8th edition, it is good practice to add it for any resource found on the web.

Journal Article From a Website - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number- Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed date.

For in-text citations, use (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Zarim, Babak. "'Can I take your picture?' - Privacy in Cosplay". Transformative Works and Cultures, vol. 25, 2017, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2017.1075. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

 Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given.

In-Text Citation Example (Zarak)

Journal Article in Print - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number- Last Page Number.

For in-text citations, use (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Kushkova, Anna. "At the Center of the Table." Russian Studies in History, vol. 50, no.1, 2011, pp. 44-96.

 Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given.

In-Text Citation Example (Kushkova 79)

How to Cite When You Have Two Authors

If you have two authors, cite only the first listed author in "Last Name, First Name" format. Authors' names are separated by a comma and the word "and" before the second author's name.

Last Name, First Name Middle Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name.

For in-text citations, use (First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Salafia, Elizabeth Blodgett, and Jessica Lemer. "Associations Between Multiple Types of Stress and Disordered Eating Among Girls and Boys in Middle School." Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 21, no. 1, 2012, pp.148-57. Academic Search Premier. doi:10.1007/s10826-011-9458-z..

In-Text Citation Sample

(Salafia and Lemer 149)

How to Cite When You Have Three or More Authors

If you have three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed followed by a comma and "et al."

Last Name, First Name Middle Name, et al.

For in-text citations, use (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Works Cited List Example

Kirwin, Liza, et al. “Regional Reports.” Archives of American Art Journal, vol. 31, no. 2, 1991, pp. 34–40. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1557718.

In-Text Citation Sample

(Kirwin, Liza et al. 34)

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