A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Language Association (MLA) Referencing Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) referencing style is widely used in the humanities, particularly in writing about literature, language, and cultural studies. MLA emphasizes simplicity and clarity, making it an excellent choice for academic and research writing. This guide provides an in-depth look at the essentials of MLA referencing to help you master its application.

What is MLA Style?

The MLA style, now in its 9th edition, is a standardized system for documenting sources. Its primary goal is to ensure readers can easily locate and understand the sources used in your work. The MLA Handbook outlines the rules for citing various types of sources, formatting papers, and creating works-cited lists.

Core Principles of MLA Referencing

MLA referencing consists of two main components:

In-text citations: Brief references within the text to acknowledge the source of the information.
Works Cited page: A comprehensive list of all sources referenced in the text, located at the end of the document.

General Formatting Guidelines

Font and Spacing: Use a legible font like Times New Roman (12 pt) and double-space throughout.
Margins: Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
Header: Include your last name and page number in the top-right corner.
Title: Center the title without bold, italics, or underlining.

In-Text Citations

MLA uses parenthetical citations that include the author's last name and the page number. These citations appear at the end of the sentence, before the period.

Basic Format:

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Examples:

One author: "MLA style is user-friendly and adaptable" (Smith 23).
Two authors: "This approach clarifies referencing" (Smith and Jones 45).
No author: Use the title or a shortened form: (“MLA Guide” 12).

Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page lists all sources referenced in the text. Each entry must follow a specific format depending on the source type. Start the Works Cited page on a new page, and arrange entries alphabetically by the author's last name.

General Formatting

Use a hanging indent for entries (the first line is flush left, subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches).
Double-space all entries.
Do not number or bullet the list.

Common Source Types

Below are examples of how to cite common source types in MLA format.

Books

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Smith, John. Understanding MLA Style. Academic Press, 2022.

Book Chapters

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book, edited by Editor's Name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page Range.

Example:

Brown, Lisa. “Citing with Confidence.” Modern Referencing, edited by Emily Green, Citation Press, 2021, pp. 45–67.

Journal Articles

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Year, pp. Page Range. DOI or URL.

Example:

Doe, Jane. “The Evolution of MLA Style.” Journal of Academic Writing, vol. 15, no. 3, 2023, pp. 150–162. doi:10.1234/mla.2023.

Websites

Author’s Last Name, First Name (if available). “Title of the Web Page.” Title of the Website, Publisher, Publication Date, URL.

Example:

Miller, Thomas. “Using MLA in Research.” Academic Style Guides, 2020, www.academicstyleguides.com/mla.

Videos

“Title of the Video.” Website Name, uploaded by Uploader, Date of Upload, URL.

Example:

“MLA Referencing Made Easy.” YouTube, uploaded by Citation Academy, 15 Jan. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123.

Special Considerations

Multiple Works by the Same Author: Use three hyphens instead of repeating the author’s name in the Works Cited page. Example:
Smith, John. Understanding MLA Style. Academic Press, 2022.
--- . MLA for Beginners. Citation Press, 2023.
Unknown Author: Begin the citation with the title. Example:
MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association, 2021.
Citing Indirect Sources: Use “qtd. in” to acknowledge a source cited within another source. Example:
(qtd. in Johnson 45)
Digital Sources: Include the DOI or URL without "http://." Example:
doi:10.1234/example.2023.

Conclusion

The MLA referencing style prioritizes clarity and flexibility, making it a reliable choice for researchers and students in the humanities. By following the principles outlined here, you can ensure that your citations meet MLA standards and enhance the credibility of your work. Always consult the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for any updates or specific cases not covered in this guide.

A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Language Association (MLA) Referencing Style