mla style a guide to citing sources

MLA StyleA Guide to Citing Sources

First things first: What is a citation?

MLA citation style

Why you need to cite your sources

How to cite your sources

Works Cited list

Parenthetical citations

First things first: What is a citation?

A citation is a reference to a source used in a research project.

Whenever you use another person’s ideas or words in a research paper, you must cite, or give credit, to that person.

That’s called citing your source.

Walker, Sally. Volcanoes: Earth’s Inner Fire. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.

MLA citation style

Citations must be accurate and standard so that anyone who reads your research can easily find the information you used.

MLA style is a standard way of citing sources. This means each source you use should be formatted in a specific way.

MLA style was developed by the Modern Language Association.


1. to find information

2. to show that you understand your topic

3. to avoid plagiarism

There are three important reasons to cite your sources.


Citations help you remember where you got your information.

You can return to a source for more information or to clarify facts.

Citations help your readers locate information when they want to do more research.


They also show that other people support what you’ve written about your topic.

Citations show that your research was careful and thorough.


Citations give credit to people whose ideas you use.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or knowledge without giving that person credit. Avoid plagiarism by giving people credit for their ideas and their words.

1. At the end of your paper, add a Works Cited list.

Use two ways to cite your sources.


2. Within the paper, use parenthetical citations.


A Works Cited list is a list of all the sources you used in your research paper. Here are some entries for part of a Works Cited list.

McNulty, Tim. “Under the Volcano.” Forest Magazine 8 Sept. 2004: 12-15. Print.

Schmidt, Laurie J. “Sensing Remote Volcanoes.” Supporting Earth Observing Science. Institute: Science, Engineering and Technology. 2004. Web. 8 Oct. 2008.



Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher’s name, year of publication. Medium of publication.

Works Cited list Books

Here is the basic format for a book entry in a Works Cited list.

Periodicals are publications that are published regularly, or periodically, such as newspapers, magazines, and journals.

Works Cited list Periodicals

McNulty, Tim. “Under the Volcano.” Forest Magazine 8 Sept. 2004: 12-15. Print.

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article Title.” Magazine Name day Month year: page number(s). Medium of publication.

Here’s the basic format for a magazine article.

If the article isn’t printed on consecutive pages, give the first page and a plus sign.

Bruce, Victoria. “No Apparent Danger.” National Geographic Adventure Mar.-Apr. 2001: 112+. Print.

Works Cited list Periodicals

Works Cited list Citing nonprint sources

There are many other kinds of sources besides books and magazines. You might use TV programs, DVDs, CDs, or Web sites.

Web sites can be very useful as source material, but you must cite them properly.

Here’s the basic format for a Web site entry for the Works Cited list.

Author’s last name, Author’s first name (if known). “Document Title.” Title of Web Site. Name of Sponsoring Institution. day Month year of publication (or last update). Medium of Publication. day Month year of access.

Works Cited list Citing nonprint sources: Web site

Wood, Chuck. “Current Volcanic Activity.” Volcano World. NASA North Dakota Space Grant Consortium. 13 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2007.

Works Cited list

Sources are put in the Works Cited list in alphabetical order, double-spaced, and indented one-half inch.

Here is an example of a final Works Cited list.

Works Cited

McNulty, Tim. “Under the Volcano.”

Forest Magazine 8 Sept. 2004:

12-15. Print.

Walker, Sally. Volcanoes: Earth’s

Inner Fire. Minneapolis:

Carolrhoda, 1994. Print.

Listing all your sources in the Works Cited list is an important part of your research paper.


In the body of your paper, you also need to tell exactly where you found any information that came from other sources.

You do that using a parenthetical citation.


A parenthetical citation appears in the body of your paper wherever you use another person’s ideas, facts, or words.

A parenthetical citation always refers to a source in your Works Cited list.




To create a parenthetical citation, give the author’s last name and the page number(s) from the source. Put this information in parentheses at the end of the sentence, before the final punctuation.

Experts believe that volcanoes are more likely to explode after years of inactivity (Walker 100).

Readers can now find complete information about the source in your Works Cited list.

Experts believe that volcanoes are more likely to explode after years of inactivity (Walker 100).


Dr. Sally Walker claims that volcanoes are more likely to explode after years of inactivity (100).

If the author’s name appears in the sentence, you need to cite only the page number(s) in parentheses.

For sources without page numbers, like most Web sites, you should include the author’s name or the title of the source within the text instead of using parentheses.

Chuck Wood reports that there are as many as 22 volcanoes worldwide experiencing ongoing eruptions.

Dr. Sally Walker claims that volcanoes are more likely to explode after years of inactivity (100).

Chuck Wood reports that there are as many as 22 volcanoes worldwide experiencing ongoing eruptions.

Your Turn

All the examples in this presentation can be found in the Works Cited List Model, which is part of the Student Handouts for the MLA/APA Styles feature.

The handouts Your Turn: Create MLA Source Citations and Your Turn: Create MLA Parenthetical Citations also provide opportunities to practice creating sources and parenthetical citations.

The End

mla style a guide to citing sources

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