Subscribe
Login
RSS feed: Daily tech news Daily tech news
  • Scientists capture electrons making seemingly impossible quantum jumps
    Scientists have captured electrons making seemingly impossible jumps across forbidden energy gaps in graphene, with some transitions occurring at a remarkable 100% probability. The breakthrough offers an unprecedented look at quantum behavior and could help unlock a new generation of ultrafast, light-controlled electronics.
  • Tiny flaws in diamonds could unlock a quantum computing revolution
    Scientists have discovered a faster way to identify diamond-based materials that could power quantum computers and sensors at room temperature. The breakthrough has already revealed promising new quantum building blocks that could help unlock computing capabilities far beyond those of today's supercomputers.
  • Global fossil fuel emissions set to fall in 2026, but total CO2 keeps rising
    Global fossil fuel emissions are projected to fall in 2026 as renewable energy and electric vehicles gain ground, but rising emissions from deforestation threaten to push total CO2 emissions to a new record. Scientists warn that the world's remaining carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C could be exhausted in less than four years, even […]
  • A hidden limit of space and time could unlock electronics 100,000 times faster
    Scientists have discovered a surprising quantum limit that prevents electrons from being tracked with unlimited precision in both space and time. The breakthrough could pave the way for manipulating chemical reactions and developing electronics hundreds of thousands of times faster than today's technology.
  • Scientists discover that a clogged filter could revolutionize oil refining
    Scientists have developed a remarkable new membrane that separates crude oil at room temperature, using the oil itself to create microscopic filtration channels. The breakthrough could cut refining energy consumption by nearly 32%, carbon emissions by almost 38%, and operating costs by 36%, potentially transforming one of the world's most energy-intensive industries.
  • SLAC scientists find conclusive proof of a mysterious third type of magnetism
    For nearly 90 years, scientists believed magnetism fell into just two categories, but researchers have now confirmed a remarkable third type called altermagnetism. Using specialized X-rays, they uncovered a unique magnetic signature that proves these materials behave differently from conventional magnets. Altermagnets combine stability with the ability to efficiently carry information, potentially overcoming major limitations […]
Citation & Referencing Research & Writing

MLA Referencing | Explanation and Examples

by Florius
1577 5 min
MLA Handbook 9th edition cover

This guide on MLA referencing is based on the 9th edition of the MLA handbook, published by Modern Language Association. It is similar for each type of entry. MLA consists of 9 core elements, which are color coded in the text below to make it more visible. To jump directly to the type of element that you are looking for, please consult the table of content found above. There is also a guide available that explains the format of the MLA Work Cited list at the bottom of the page, with a full page example.

Infographic outlining key rules of MLA 9th Edition formatting, including in-text citation structure, works cited layout, font and spacing requirements, and common citation examples. Designed to help students and writers format academic work correctly.

MLA9 Reference style basic guidelines. Please scroll down for more information. This picture was based on this website.

1. In-text citations

Whenever you cite or paraphrase someone else’s idea or work in your text, you should use in-text citations. This is a short form reference to the author(s), followed by the page number. Below you can find some example of in-text citations for the 4 most common encounters in your work.

No author

If there is no author, your in-text citation should be the first words of the next element in your WorkCited list. This should be exactly identical, including any italic or quotation marks.

There are two ways of referencing, one where both elements are inside the parentheses, and the other where the author is part of the text. When you write inside the text, use the full title, and only an abbreviated version when the name is inside the parentheses.

E.g. According to “Narcissistic People at the Workplace” , narcissistic people were found to be less gullible (67).

E.g. Narcissistic people were found to be less gullible (“Narcissistic People”, 67).

Single author

In-text citations are made by using the last name of the author with the page number of the page where your citation is in parentheses.

E.g. Narcissistic people were found to be more gullable (McGill, 21).

E.g. McGill explained that most narcissistic people were found to be more gullible (21).

Multiple authors

When citing two authors, both last names should be mentioned in the text, similarly to a single author. If there are more than two, only the first author gets mentioned followed by “et al.” if the author and page number are in parentheses, or “and colleaques” when in text.

E.g. Narcissistic people were not found to be more gullible (McGyver et al., 41)

E.g. McGyver and colleaques explained that most narcissistic people were not found to be more gullible (41).

2. MLA Sources

A work cited list is often called a bibliography in other styles, and each citation in this list consists of up to 9 elements such as shown below. Wherever possible, fill in these 9 elements for each individual source.

Author. “Source.” Container, Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

Author

Each entry in your Work Cited list normally starts with your author(s). The first author’s name starts with Surname, First name (note the comma). When there are two authors, the second has it’s name in the correct order, First name Surname. For more than 2 authors, only the first author is named (as if it were a single author), followed by “et al.”

“Source”

The full title of the source should always be used; any subtitles should be used as well, after a colon with a space. In total there are three different types of styling, which are explained in the three examples below, click on the one that is applicable for your case.

1A source which is self-contained, such as a book or a movie, is also a container (see next section).  If it is referred here, do not refer to it again in the Container Element.

Container

A container is the element where the work appears in, such as a book, part of a website, or the journal in which the article is published. The title of this element is always italicized.

Contributors

This element is for contributors, you should always use a description such as: “translated by” or “illustrated by”, followed by the “First name Surname” and a comma.

 

Version

It is common for books to have multiple editions and certain parts can be obsolete, therefore you should mention which edition you took the information from.

Number

Number can refer to the the volume of journal articles, or season and episode of a TV show.

 

Publisher

A publisher is the organization who produced and distributed the work (e.g. Harvard UP, Paramount Pictures).

Note that University Press, is often abbreviated to UP.

Most journals, websites and newspapers references do not require you to include the publisher, and this element can be omitted.

Publication date

This includes the publication year, and if possible, the month and day of publication.

If there are multiple dates (such as revised, accepted, published dates), pick the one that you accessed. If there are no dates available, mention the date you accessed it. Some examples are given below:

Location

Location can be different, depending on the source; some examples are given below.

3. Format of the MLA Works Cited

  • This page should come directly after your main text (including the conclusion of your work), and before any Appendices.
  • At the top of the first page, the heading says “Works Cited” (centered)
  • Use one inch margins
  • Double spacing between the lines
  • Indented paragraphs

4. Full page example (MLA9)

MLA Works Cited list example

 

If you are interested in referencing styles, see our other resources, including the IEEE reference style for engineers and the APA  reference style for arts and humanity studies. You can also check out our information page on References and citations to get a better understanding of the whole topic. All of the resources can be found in our Database.

Views: 3,199

You may also like