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MLA 7th Edition Citation Guidelines

The document outlines the MLA Style Guidelines 7th Edition for citing various sources, including print and electronic resources. It provides specific formats and examples for books, articles, and other types of publications. For additional situations not covered, it suggests consulting a librarian or the MLA Style Guide.

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Ayan Das
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29 views2 pages

MLA 7th Edition Citation Guidelines

The document outlines the MLA Style Guidelines 7th Edition for citing various sources, including print and electronic resources. It provides specific formats and examples for books, articles, and other types of publications. For additional situations not covered, it suggests consulting a librarian or the MLA Style Guide.

Uploaded by

Ayan Das
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MLA STYLE GUIDELINES 7th EDITION (2009)

Following are formatting guidelines for citing various types of sources, followed by examples. For situations not covered here, ask a
librarian or consult the MLA Style Guide in the Ready Reference area. Please see the Works Cited handout to see how to properly
format (font, indenting, spacing, margins, etc.) on your Works Cited page.
PART 1: Print Resources (see other side for citing electronic resources)
Books - Print
General format: Author LastName, FirstName. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication. Print.

Example: Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.

Two to three AuthorLastName#1, FirstName#1, and AuthorFirstName#2 AuthorLastName#2. Title of Book. Place of
authors: Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication. Print.

Example: Lathrop, Ann, and Kathleen Foss. Guiding Students from Cheating and Plagiarism to Honesty and Integrity:
Strategies for Change. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005. Print.

More than three AuthorLastName#1, FirstName#1, et al. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of
authors: Publication. Print.

Example: Folse, Keith S. et al. Blueprints: Composition Skills for Academic Writing. New York: Houghton, 2003. Print.

EditorLastName, FirstName, ed. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication.
Editor: Print.

Soyer, Daniel, ed. A Coat of Many Colors: Immigration, Globalization, and Reform in New York City’s
Example: Garment Industry. New York: Fordham UP, 2005. Print.

Chapters/Essays from Books – Print


General format: Author LastName, FirstName. “Title of Chapter or Essay.” Title of Book or Anthology. Ed. Editor’s
FirstName LastName. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication. Page numbers. Print.

Example: Mencken, H.L. “The Man Who Wasn’t Fooled.” Views of America. Ed. Alan F. Westin, et al. New York:
Harcourt, 1966. 308-09. Print.

Article from an ArticleAuthorLastName, FirstName (if given). “Title of Chapter or Essay.” Title of Book or Anthology.
encyclopedia: Date of Publication. Print.

Example (no “Munich agreement.” The Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. 2007. Print.
author):

Periodical Articles – Print


Journal article: Author LastName, FirstName. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal [Link] if given (Year or
Date of Publication): Page Numbers. Print.

Example: Brandtzaeg, Per. “Why We Develop Food Allergies.” American Scientist 95.1 (Jan.-Feb. 2007): 28-35. Print.

Magazine Author LastName, FirstName. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Magazine Day Month Year of
article: Publication: Page numbers. Print.

Example: Brown, Carolyn M. “More Bang for the Buck: Moving to Georgia Saved the Salmon Family Thousands in
Education Costs and Property Taxes.” Black Enterprise Jan. 2007: 62-63. Print.

Newspaper AuthorLastName, FirstName(s). "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper [City of Publication if Not
article: Obvious or Well-Known] Day Month Year of Publication, edition: page-numbers or initial-page+
if nonconsecutive. Print.

Example: Sterngold, James. "Prisons' Budget to Trump Colleges.'" San Francisco Chronicle 21 May 2007: A1. Print.
PART 2: Electronic Resources (see other side for citing print resources)
Books – Electronic or Online (Web)*
General format: AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName. Title of Book. Publication Location: Publisher, Year. Online
Library or Retrieval Service. Web. Day month year of access.

Examples: Burnett, Frances Hodges. Little Lord Fauntleroy. New York: Scribner, 1866. Google Book Search. Web. 29
Sept. 2009.

Perkins, Kathy E., ed. Black Female Playwrights: An Anthology of Plays before 1950. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana UP, 1990. NetLibrary. Web. 5 Jan. 2009.

*For editors, multiple authors, etc. follow the same format as list in the Book - Print section (see other side)
but include the online library or retrieval service, the medium type (Web), and the date of access.

Articles from an Reference Book – Electronic or Online (Web)*


General format: ArticleAuthorLastName, FirstName (if given). “Title of Article.” Title of Reference Book. Publisher,
Date of Publication. Web. Day month year of access.

Example (no "Munich Agreement." The Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopaedia Britannica,
author given): 2009. Web. 14 Mar. 2009.

Periodical articles from library subscription databases – Electronic or Online (Web)*


Journal article: Author LastName, FirstName. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal [Link] if given (Year
or Date of Publication): Page Numbers (if given). Database Name. Web. Day month year of
access.

Example: Moellendorf, Darrel. "Treaty Norms and Climate Change Mitigation." Ethics & International
Affairs 23.3 (Fall 2009): 247-66. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2009.

Magazine article: Author LastName, FirstName. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Magazine Day Month Year of
Publication: Page numbers (if given). Web. Day month year of access.

Example: Updike, John. "Nan, American Man." The New Yorker 3 Dec. 2007: 100. Literature Resource Center. Web.
26 Oct. 2009.

Newspaper AuthorLastName, FirstName(s). "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper [City of Publication if Not
article: Obvious or Well-Known] Day Month Year of Publication, edition: page-numbers or initial-page+
if nonconsecutive (if given). Web. Day month year of access.

Example: Hulse, Carl. "Congress Passes Bill to Keep Government Running." New York Times 1 Oct. 2009. General
OneFile. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.

Online Resources not from library subscription databases (Web)*


Website format: Author LastName, FirstName. “Article/Web Page.” Title of Overall Website. Sponsoring Institution or
Publisher (if present), Day month year of publication. Web. Day month year of access.

Website example “MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide.” The OWL at Purdue. Purdue University, 2009. Web. 25 Sept.
(no author): 2009.

Article from an Okie, Susan. “Fighting H.I.V., a Community at a Time.” New York Times. New York Times, 26 Oct. 2009.
online newspaper: Web. 1 Nov. 2009.

Online video or “Nightline: The Wrongful Execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.” YouTube. YouTube, 18 Sept. 2009.
film: Web. 12 Dec. 2009.

*Note: The new MLA Handbook 7th edition does not require that you include a URL or web address in your citation. However, if
you or your instructor would like the inclusion of a URL in your electronic citation simply add the URL to the end of your citation
after the access date in the following format: <[Link] Example:
Moellendorf, Darrel. "Treaty Norms and Climate Change Mitigation." Ethics & International Affairs 23.3 (Fall 2009): 247-
66. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. <[Link] >.

Common questions

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In MLA Style 7th Edition, if a print book has more than three authors, 'et al.' is used after the first author's name, as in: 'Folse, Keith S. et al. Blueprints: Composition Skills for Academic Writing. New York: Houghton, 2003. Print.' Similarly for electronic resources, the same principle of 'et al.' is applied, adapting to the extended citation method that suits general format but adds digital medium and access date. This approach provides a concise and clear attribution method for works with numerous contributors.

In MLA Style 7th Edition, a print newspaper article citation includes the author's name, article title, newspaper title, publication date, edition, and page numbers. For example: 'Sterngold, James. "Prisons' Budget to Trump Colleges." San Francisco Chronicle 21 May 2007: A1. Print.' For an online newspaper article, it includes similar information but also the web as the medium and the date of access: 'Hulse, Carl. "Congress Passes Bill to Keep Government Running." New York Times 1 Oct. 2009. General OneFile. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.'

The transition in MLA 7th Edition from requiring URLs to making them optional in citations can streamline the citation process, aligning with the transient nature of web addresses. This shift can lead to an emphasis on stable identifiers like DOIs or database names, limiting broken link issues and shifting focus to descriptions that might better represent the accessibility and stability of digital sources. While potentially increasing citation efficiency, it challenges both students and educators to remain adaptive to new standardizations and technologies in digital literacy.

To cite a chapter in an edited book in MLA Style 7th Edition, include the Chapter Author's name, chapter title in quotes, book title italicized, editor name prefixed by 'Ed.', place of publication, publisher, year, page numbers, and 'Print.' For example: 'Mencken, H.L. “The Man Who Wasn’t Fooled.” Views of America. Ed. Alan F. Westin, et al. New York: Harcourt, 1966. 308-09. Print.' This differs from citing a whole book as it specifies the chapter details and editor, concentrating on the specific section of interest.

In the MLA Style Guidelines 7th Edition, a print book with two authors is cited with the Last Name and First Name of the first author, followed by 'and', and then the First Name and Last Name of the second author. For example: 'Lathrop, Ann, and Kathleen Foss. Guiding Students from Cheating and Plagiarism to Honesty and Integrity: Strategies for Change. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005. Print.'

The MLA 7th Edition does not require URLs in electronic citations; however, if an author or instructor prefers including a URL, it can be added after the access date. This practice allows for easy retrieval of sources, ensuring credibility and facilitating academic inquiry, but it is not obligatory and emphasizes conciseness and the evolving nature of web addresses which can change over time.

The generalized format for citing an online article from a database in MLA 7th Edition includes the Author’s Last and First Name, article title in quotes, journal title italicized, volume and issue number if given, year of publication, page numbers if available, database name, medium ('Web'), and date of access. For instance: 'Moellendorf, Darrel. "Treaty Norms and Climate Change Mitigation." Ethics & International Affairs 23.3 (Fall 2009): 247-66. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2009.' This format accredits both the original publication and the database for digital content distribution.

The correct format for citing an electronic book accessed through an online library service in MLA Style 7th Edition includes the author's name, title of the book, publication location, publisher, year, online library or retrieval service, web, and date accessed. For instance: 'Burnett, Frances Hodges. Little Lord Fauntleroy. New York: Scribner, 1866. Google Book Search. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.'

To cite an article from an online reference book in MLA 7th Edition, list the article name in quotes, title of the reference book italicized, publisher, publication date, 'Web' as the medium, and date accessed: '"Munich Agreement." The Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Web. 14 Mar. 2009.' Including the online component highlights the accessibility and format, critical for differentiating digital from print and aiding retrieval.

In MLA Style 7th Edition, citing a book with a single author involves listing the author's Last Name, First Name, Title of the Book, Place of Publication, Publisher, Date of Publication, and Print format, such as: 'Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.' For a book with an editor, it includes the editor's Last Name and First Name followed by 'ed.', the title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, and print format: 'Soyer, Daniel, ed. A Coat of Many Colors. New York: Fordham UP, 2005. Print.'

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