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Subject Guide: English: Citing Sources

Resources and tools for English Students.

MLA Citation, 9th edition

MLA Handbook, 9th edition    This page will help you with MLA citation for your sources. If you need further help, please use the links below or ask a reference librarian.

 

Avoiding Plagiarism

Things to Notice About MLA Citations, 9th edition

■The 9th edition follows same template for all source types.
■Do NOT need place of publication.
■For publisher, remove Inc., Ltd., Co., etc., and use UP for University Press.
■Use full URL for websites and databases, without http:// or carrots <>.

What does MLA mean by container??

You will be searching for articles within periodicals within databases.

         article                          Container 1=periodical        Container 2=database

                        

Citing Your Sources in MLA Style, 9th edition

Find as much of the citation information below as you can for each of your sources.  Then use the indicated order, format, and punctuation to put the information together into a proper citation for each source.

Format Guidelines for Works Cited:

1. Author.

One author: Cannon, Joseph S.

Two authors: Dorrison, Michael, and Louise Erdrich.

Three or more authors: Burdick, Anne, et al.

2. Title of source.

Book title (if self-contained): The Devil’s Highway.
Title of article, webpage, or chapter name (if part of a larger work): “Anemia, Iron Depletion, and the Blood Donor: It’s Time to Work on the Donor’s Behalf.”

3. Title of container,

Title of larger work (periodical, book, website):
Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice,

Academic Search Premier,

4. Other contributors,

Names of others who contributed to the source:

Edited by Howard S. Becker,

Translated by Seamus Heaney,

5. Version,

Use if a version or edition is indicated:

King James Version, Expanded ed., 3rd ed.,

6. Number,

Volume number in book series: vol. 4,

Volume & issue number for scholarly journals: vol. 22, no. 3,

7. Publisher,

If article, Name of periodical: Journal of Applied Mathematics, TIME, 

If book, Book publisher: Oxford UP, Penguin Press,

If website, Name of website: U.S. Department of Justice,

8. Publication date,

If book, Year of publication: 2003,

If article or website, day month year: 28 Sept. 2013,

9. Location.

If book or article: Page number(s): p.33., pp.97-108.

If website or video: URL or DOI, omitting the http:// and the carrot brackets < > Note: if available, use the “Permalink” option when copying the URL.

While the 9th edition does not specify that database providers be included in citations for online databases, the Bakersfield College English department has stipulated the inclusion of this information in citations for the sake of clarity. So the names of database providers, such as EBSCO and Gale, should follow the database title.

Examples of MLA Citations, 9th edition

For an article within a reference book within a database/e-book collection: