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• Use in-text citations. Example: (Wordsworth 262)
• Bibliography heading: Use "Works Cited" as page heading.
• Core elements: Rather than give strict format rules for different types of sources, the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook identifies 9 "core elements" common to most sources and provides flexible guidelines on how to reference them in your Works Cited list.

If you feel nervous about citing sources on your own, Zotero is a great resource that works with your web browser to collect information about your sources and with your word processor to format citations automatically. As with any program, be sure to check the information and formatting Zotero pulls in before inserting it into your paper.

For more on using Zotero, see our Zotero Guide or contact Leanne.

Quick start to Zotero:

1. Install Zotero (and browser connectors) from zotero.org/download.
2. As you research, save sources by clicking on the Save to Zotero icon (looks like a book, sheet of paper, webcam, etc. depending on the source type) in your browser's toolbar or URL bar.
3. Organize your sources in Zotero with collections or tags. Edit source information as needed. Take notes if you like.
4. Create citations and bibliographies by selecting items, right-clicking, and choosing Create bibliography from items. If you are using a word processor, you may prefer the Microsoft Word (or LibreOffice) Plugin.
5. Optionally sync your Zotero library in the cloud by creating a free online Zotero account at zotero.org.

More detailed instructions are offered in the Zotero Guide.

In-Text Citations

In-text citations are brief, parenthetical references to your sources that point readers to the full citation in your Works Cited page. In-text citations should interrupt the flow of your text as little as possible.

The Basics

• Include the author's last name and the appropriate page number(s) in parentheses immediately following the cited material.
• Do not use commas inside the parentheses.
• Quotation marks come before the parentheses; sentence punctuation follows them. 

Example

Rather than belabor the point or summarize what you've already said, a strong conclusion should "take your readers slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right" (Zinsser 64).

Special Situations

Block Quotes

Work Cited List

This is the formatted bibliography at the end of your paper. Examples of the format for different types of works are listed below. These entries are also how you would format the citation of an annotated bibliography.

• Alphabetize your work cited list by author's last name.
• Use the hanging indent, can be found in the formatting tab of your word processor.
• The first author's name is always written: LastName, FirstName. This is so you can alphabetize your work cited list. All other names are written: FirstName LastName.
• Anything you don't know, leave blank

Format:

Book with one author:

Brooks, Max. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. Three Rivers Press, 2003.

Book with two authors:

Verstynen, Timothy and Bradley Voytek. Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? A Neuroscientific View of the Zombie Brain. Princeton, 2014.

Book with three or more authors:

Evans, Arthur B., et al.The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction. Wesleyan University Press, 2010.

Book with translator or other contributor:

Murakami, Ryu. From the Fatherland with Love. Translated by Ralph McCarthy, et al. Pushkin Press, 2013.

Use the same author formatting for other works with multiple authors.

Format:

Gresh, Lois H., and Robert E. Weinberg. The Science of Superheroes. Wiley, 2002. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=82588&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Format:

Jeanne Cortiel, and Laura Oehme. “The Dark Knight’s Dystopian Vision: Batman, Risk, and American National Identity.” European Journal of American Studies, no. 2, 2015. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4000/ejas.10916.

Format:

Berlatsky, Noah.. "Bring back Doofus Batman: Attention, Ben Affleck: the Dark Knight Is Better when He's an Idiot." Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/bring-back-doofus-batman/279038/.

Format:

Muskus, Jeff. "A Sampler: A Batman Wrestling With Ghosts of the Past."  New York Times, 29 July 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/arts/television/a-sampler-a-batman-wrestling-with-ghosts-of-the-past.html.

Format:

Dunbar, Brian. “Moon to Mars Overview.” NASA, 29 June 2018, http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars/overview.

Format:

Mbue, Imbolo. "The Hawaii of ‘Sharks in the Time of Saviors’ Is Modern, Yet Mystical." Review of Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn. New York Times, 31 March 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/books/review/kawai-strong-washburn-sharks-in-the-time-of-saviors.html

Resources from the online MLA Style Center

Formatting a Research Paper (margins, spacing, headings, etc.)

Sample papers