MLA CitationsAvoid using online generators like easybib or citation

machine (they make a lot of mistakes). If you do use one of these methods to create your citations, make sure you double check them before

using them in your paper!

MLA CitationsMLA (Modern Language Association) is the essay format most often used in the humanities.Proper citation is important in order to avoid crossing the line between citing a source and stealing content (regardless of intentions).You must cite all sources used! Both within the text (when you reference them) and in the works cited page.Within the text you cite:• When paraphrasing/summarizing the content or partial content of a source;• When directly quoting the source;You do not need to cite common knowledge. Such as: George Washington was the first President of the United States.

Know the difference between paraphrasing/summarizing a source and drawing your own conclusions. If you are writing about the conclusions you drew as a result of reading the sources, then you do not need to cite it because it is your work.

Jimmy Cross is arguably the most affected. In the next scene he is "crouched at the bottom of his foxhole [burning] Martha's letters" (O’Brien 23). Since Cross blames himself for the death of Ted Lavender, he is symbolically abandoning the weight he carries for himself in order to better focus on the safety of his comrades. Essentially, he removes his personal romantic distraction in favor of focusing on the present issue of combat.

MLA Citations

When pulling quotes from a sources, use ellipses (…) to cut out unimportant phrases and reduce the length of the quote. Only include the relevant information.

If you add/change a word in a quotation, put [brackets] around that word. For instance, if you need to change tense to fit it into your sentence, or if you need to clarify a pronoun (such as in: “she went downstairs” versus “[Alice] went downstairs”).

Avoid starting a paragraph (unless it is the introduction) with a cited sentence. Always begin with your own words.

Also, avoid ending a paragraph with a cited sentence. Every time you cite an outside source, you need to follow it up with one or more sentences of your own analysis.

Be as brief and clear as possible! You want to make it obvious what source you are citing without taking up too much space within the text.

MLA Citations

MLA uses parenthetical citations. They occur at the end of the sentence and identify whatever signal word or phrase that appears first in the corresponding entry in the Works Cited list. In most cases, this will be the author’s last name followed by the page number for the entry. The period for the sentence goes after the closing parentheses. Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

If you mention the author’s name within the sentence, you do not need to reiterate it in the citation, just put the page number: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print.

In-text Citations

If two of your sources have authors with the same last name, use the first initial: (A. Smith, 240).If you have three or less authors, list their last names in the citation.

The authors state "Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights" (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).

If there are more than three authors, include the first author’s last name, and add ‘et al.’ You may also list out the names.

Jones et al. notes that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (417).

OrLegal experts argue that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (Jones et al. 417).

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number.

We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has "more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change…" ("Impact of Global Warming" 6).

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs. 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2009.

You will also do this with multiple works by the same author.

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

. . . as has been discussed elsewhere (Burke 3; Dewey 21).

When quoting four lines or more, indent every line you are quoting by one inch (or 10 spaces) and do not use quotes.

In this particular case, the author states:The use of nuclear weapons in today’s society is strikingly alarming. Though the United States is the only country to employ it in the past, they are at the same time the country that condemns its use the most. While this may seem hypocritical, is it the most proper action for the United States to make as the global leader (Taparia 9).

In this context, the issue of nuclear weapons…

For this project, you should not need to use a quote this long. Instead, cut out unimportant information and use ellipses:In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).

If an online source lists page numbers and an author, you should cite it exactly as you would a print source.Otherwise, follow the same process you would for any other source. Start with whatever information comes first on the Works Cited page (e.g. title, sponsor, website name).It is important to point the reader to the specific place you are citing within the source, however, you must be able to identify a location that will be the same for all readers. If you cannot reliably find this information, leave this part blank.If you cite an electronic publication that has no pagination or other type of reference, MLA recommends that you reference the source in the text, rather than in a parenthetical reference:

In the Library Quick Guide, Evaluating Websites, Columbus State Community College asserts that it is critical to choose reliable sources of information.

If a source includes fixed page numbers or section numbering, such as numbering of paragraphs (pars.), cite the relevant numbers. If available, state the author and the paragraph, screen, chapter or line numbers where the information is located. Use the abbreviations "par.”,"scr.”, "ch." or "lines" or a full word.

Online Sources!

Should be organized in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name (if applicable) or else by whatever information comes next ( ).Each item should use hanging indents, which you can add by going to Paragraph > Indentation > Special: > and then selecting “Hanging”. This will indent every line after the first.Within the citation, separate each item with a period.Like the rest of your paper, this should be double spaced.Basic format (book/print):

Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

Basic format (web sources):Last name, First name. "Article Title." Website/Project Title. Version. Publisher of Website, Day Month Year

article was published. Web. Day Month Year article was accessed. <URL>.Example:

Cain, Kevin. "The Negative Effects of Facebook on Communication." Social Media Today RSS N.p., 29 June 2012. Web. 02 Jan. 2013.

Note: you only need to include the URL if the page cannot easily be found otherwise.

Works Cited

In-textGive the image an identifier so you can use it in parenthetical citations within the paper. Then provide the author/photographer name (last, first) and the title.

Fig. 1. Galante, Nick. Pathfinder-Plus Flight in Hawaii.

Place label and caption or title underneath illustration. Use same margins as the rest of the paper. For parenthetical references, cite the work using the figure number. Example: (fig. 1).

Citing Images in MLA

Works CitedPrint Images:

Last, First M. Photograph Title. Year Created. Photograph. Museum/Institution, Location. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year Published. Page(s). Print.

Digital Images: Last, First M. Title of Work. Digital Image. Website Title. Website Publisher, Date Month Year Published. Web.

Date Month Year Accessed.

Website/Database Images:Artist's last name, first name. Title of Work. Date or N.d. if no date. Name of institution that houses the work

or name of private collection. City where institution or collection is located if available. Name of Database or Website. Web. Date of access in the form of day month year.

As always, include as much of the information as possible.

Medium: PrintTitle: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s StoneAuthor: J. K. RowlingYear of Publication: 1998Publisher: A. A. Levine BooksPublication City: New York, NYEdition: 1st American edition

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: A.A. Levine Books, 1998. Print.

Note: the edition is only important if it necessarily differentiates one edition from another. Meaning: relevant changes were made.

Zalta, Edward N. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University, 2007. Web. 25 July 2008.

Medium: WebInstitution: Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language and Information (Stanford University)Website Title: Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyAuthor: Edward N. ZaltaDate Posted: March 2007Date Accessed: August 28, 2009

What should I do in my in-text citation if no author's name is given for the text I'm citing?A. Omit the author's name and just use the page number by itself.B. Use "Anonymous" in place of the author's name.C. Use the full title of the piece in place of the author's name.D. Use an abbreviated form of the title in place of the author's name.

I've included the author's last name in my sentence, then I do not need to include it in my in-text citation.E. TrueF. False

Which parenthetical reference is better?

In describing the problem of the "digital divide," Jerabek comments that "one of the central problems inherent with automated systems...is reduced access to information for those who are unable to use the technology" (278).

Jerabek describes the "digital divide" as the barrier created by lack of access to technology and lack of understanding about how to use that technology. "One of the central problems with automated systems, however, is reduced access for those who are unable to use the technology" (Jerabek 278).

The first option does a better job setting up the quote for the reader. Option two uses a quote as an entire sentence. How could we fix this?

Fix this book citation:Cynthia A. Bily. “The impact of e-waste.” Chicago. Greenhaven Press, 2009. Bily, Cynthia A. The Impact of E-Waste. Chicago: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Print.

Which parenthetical citation is correct?

a. This point has been argued before (Frye 197).b. This point has been argued before. (Glenn Frye, 197)c. This point has been argued before. (Frye 197)d. This point has been argued before (Frye, 197).

Which is true of a Works Cited page? Indicate all that apply.

a. Starts new page numbered sequentiallyb. Page is not numberedc. Placed after the body of the paperd. “Work(s) Cited” is centered, without quotation marks, italics, or underlining e. Include all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized sourcesf. Do not need to include sources where titles are used in textg. Start each entry on new line, regular left marginh. Font type should be different then the body of the paperi. Indent the second and all subsequent lines five spaces (“hanging indent”)j. Margins should be changed to 1.5 all aroundk. Double-space all linesl. Do not include web sites because they do not count as sourcesm. Alphabetize by the author’s last name, book title, or website name (whichever comes first)