Guide for Citing Print & Online Sources

MLA Style for Bibliographies & Works Cited

General Guidelines
  • Entries in a bibliography or Works Cited list are arranged alphabetically in one double-spaced list, with books and web sites listed together.  Please do not number your list of sources. Double-space both within and between entries.
  • The first line of a bibliographical entry is aligned with the left margin and the next line(s) is indented. The first line of a footnote or endnote is indented; subsequent lines are aligned with the left margin.
  • If no author is given, the bibliographical entry or footnote begins with the next item of information, usually the title.
  • Titles of books, magazines or web sites are underlined (preferred by MLA) or in italics.
  • Dates are generally written: day month year; if abbreviations are used, be consistent.
  • For further examples of bibliographic formats for a wide variety of research materials, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. (REF 808.027 GIB).
Books -- General Format
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title. Place of publication:

     Publisher, date of publication.
  • Book by one author
    Bode, Janet. The Colors of Freedom:  Immigrant Stories.  New York: Franklin Watts,

          1999.

    Book without an author
    Computer Age. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life, 1992.

    Book by two authors
    Jennings, Peter and Todd Brewster.  The Century. New York: Doubleday, 1998.

    Book by three or more authors
    Kessler, James H. et al.  Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century.

         Phoenix, AZ:  Oryx Press, 1996.

    Book with only editor listed
    Sullivan, Charles, ed.  Imaginary Gardens:  American Poetry and Art for Young People. 

         New York:  H.N. Abrams, 1989.

    A work in an anthology or collection
    Bradbury, Ray.  “Another Fine Mess.”  The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction:  the

        Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology.  Ed. Edward L. Ferman and Gordon Van Gelder

        New York: Tor, 1999.

    Print encyclopedia article (cite the author of the article,  not of the set or volume)
    Freedman, Bill.  “Chameleons.”  Gale Encyclopedia of Science.  Ed. Bridget Travers.

         Detroit:  Gale Research, 1996.

    Print encyclopedia or reference article (without an author)
    “Siva.”  Encyclopedia Britannica.  Chicago:  Encyclopedia Britannica, 2002.


Periodical Articles: General Format
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Periodical Volume

       number (Year of Publication): beginning page number-end page number.
  • Magazine or newspaper article without a volume number
    Diaz, Johnny. “Latino Art Thrives.” Hispanic November 2004: 58-59.

    Klass, Peri. “For a Teenage Boy, a Basketball and a Bug Spell Trouble.” New York

         Times 30 November 2004, late edition: F5+.


    Magazine or journal with a volume number
    Meng, Sara F. “Peggy Bacon and John Sloan.” Woman’s Art Journal 25.1 (2004):18-25.

Online Databases: General Format
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of article.” Title of Periodical or Reference Source. Publication

     information and dates. Title of Database. Publisher of database [if given]. Library hosting database.

     Access date [date viewed] <URL of database or specific document>.
  • Periodical article from online database
    Kuchment, Anna. “State of the Ice:  Beyond the Simple Fact of Earth's Warming lies a

          Sea of Conflicting Data.”  Newsweek 25 February 2002: 33. Proquest. Chapin

          Library. 2 December 2004 <http://www.il.proquest.com>.

    Encyclopedia or reference article from online database
    “Buddhism in early Tang.” World Eras, Vol. 7: Imperial China. Gale, 2003. History Resource Center: World. Chapin

         Library. 2 December 2004 < http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History?locID=new19334>.


Web Sources: General Format
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Web Page.” Title of Web Site. Date of

      publication [may be copyright date or when last updated]. Institutional affiliation

      [if any]. Access date [date viewed] <URL, i.e. web address>.
  • Web Page
    Wellek, Rene. “Romanticism in Literature.” Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 2000-2003.

         Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. 30 November 2004

         <http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhiana.cgi?id=dv4-25>.

    Whiteley, Peter M. “Ties that Bind: Hopi gift culture and its first contact with the United

          States. “ Natural History Magazine. November 2004. 1 December 2004

          <http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/>.

    “Women’s Magazines.” MagazineArt.org. 29 October 2004. 1 December 2004

          <http://www.magazineart.org/general/womens/>.

    Web Site
    Lynch, Jack. Eighteenth-Century Resources. 15 June 2004. 1 December 2004

         <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/18th/>.
Compiled by Ms. Lutz, last updated 30 October 2006.