Introduction
MLA (Modern Language Association) Handbook is a style manual that includes the guidelines for formatting your research paper, citing your sources in the text of your paper (paraphrasing or quoting), and constructing your works cited list based on your in-text citations.
Remember to always: (1) consult the MLA Handbook, Appendix 2 for many more authoritative examples of Works Cited list entries and in-text citations; and (2) follow any specific guidelines from your professor.
Please note that many of the citation examples in this LibGuide are taken from the MLA Handbook, 9th ed. (2021), while other examples are created for explanatory purposes only.
MLA Handbook Online
Book Contents
Formatting Your Research Project (Chap. 1)
Mechanics of Prose (Chap. 2)
Principles of Inclusive Language (Chap. 3)
Documenting Sources: An Overview (Chap. 4)
The List of Works Cited (Chap. 5)
Citing Sources in the Text (Chap. 6)
Notes (Chap. 7)
Appendix 1: Abbreviations
Appendix 2: Works-Cited-List Entries by Publication Format
MLA Handbook (9th ed.)
MLA Handbook by ISBN: 9781603293518Publication Date: 2021-04-06
- MLA Handbook PlusIt is the only authorized version of the full text of the ninth edition of the print handbook
- MLA Guide to Undergraduate Research in Literature (2nd ed.)Includes fulltext of the book offering guidance to undergraduate students working on research assignments for their English and American literature classes
- MLA Guide to Digital Literacy (2nd ed.)This book is a practical classroom guide for students so that they develop strategies for understanding, parsing, and assessing information.
Who uses or requires MLA Style?
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Disciplines/Fields/Research Areas |
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Cultural Studies |
English |
Humanities |
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Languages |
Liberal Arts |
Literature |
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Music |
Philosophy |
Religion |
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Theater |
Art History |
Visual Arts |
Core Elements
Core Elements
Works cited list entries are created using a template of core elements - standard criteria or information that is common to most sources or works (for example, author, title, publication date) which helps you cite any type of source or work. MLA 9th edition has 11 core elements to complete any works cited entry. If an element is absent or not relevant to your source or work, you can omit that element.
When you create a citation in MLA style, you should list each relevant element in the order below with the punctuation shown.
Author.
Title of source.
Supplemental Element.
Title of container,
Contributor,
Version,
Number,
Publisher,
Publication date,
Location.
Supplemental Element.
MLA Core Elements Template
- MLA Interactive Template The template is a tool for teaching and learning MLA style, not a citation generator. To verify that your entry is correct, consult the MLA Handbook.
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Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.