MLA Format: A Quick Guide
Additional examples and rules available on the MLA Citation Guide http://nwtc.libguides.com/citations/MLA
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask your instructor or the librarian.
Paper Format
Unless your instructor gives you other instructions, this is how the paper should be set up:
• Double-spaced
• 1 inch margins on all sides
• 12pt. Times New Roman font
In-Text Citations
When you quote or paraphrase from a source, you need to give credit to that source by inserting a citation.
This citation typically consists of the author’s name and page number in parentheses at the end of the
sentence. Another option is to use the author’s name in the sentence, with the page numbers in parentheses
at the end of the sentence.
Examples of Basic In-Text Citations:
The article goes on to say that “People don't do derby just for exercise but usually because it becomes a part
of who they are” (Fagundes 1098).
OR
Fagundes added, “People don't do derby just for exercise but usually because it becomes a part of who they
are” (1098).
Long quotes (Block Quotations)
Quotations longer than four lines need to be set apart from the rest of the text. Do not use quotation marks.
The quote should be in a new paragraph and set one inch from the left margin. The parenthetical citation
comes after the final punctuation mark.
Example of Block Quotation:
He asserts the following:
The story of derby-name emergence probably has more to do with coincidence and path dependence
than with conscious design. Derby pioneer Ivanna S. Pankin’s classic derby name pre-dated her
founding of Arizona Roller Derby in 2003. Rather, it was a handle and email address she used as a
musician in Phoenix’s punk rock scene. When she publicized her nascent league using the alias Ivanna
S. Pankin, and the entire Austin scene was already using skate names, the leagues that popped up in
their wake followed suit, and the practice of using colorful nicknames has been used by virtually all
derby leagues and skaters since. (Fagundes 1093-1094)
Works Cited Page
• This is a separate page at the end of your paper. Each citation in the text must be listed on the Works
Cited page; each listing on the Works Cited page must appear in the text.
• The title of the page should be centered and labeled Works Cited.
• All text is double-spaced, just like the rest of the paper.
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inch to create a hanging indent.
Below are examples for Works Cited Pages.
Scholarly Journal Article from Online Source
In general, MLA recommends the following:
• Include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) instead of a URL.
• If there is no DOI, include the permanent URL or permalink.
• If there is no permanent URL given, use whatever URL is present.
And remember, whether you use a DOI or permalink, remove the http:// or https://
Example with DOI-
Barlow, David H., and Katherine Ann Kennedy. "New Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment in Anxiety and
Related Emotional Disorders: A Focus on Temperament." Canadian Psychology, vol. 57, no. 1, 2016, pp.
8-20. ProQuest, dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000039.
Examples with no DOI-
Curthoys, Ann. “The Magic of History: Harry Potter and Historical Consciousness.” Agora, vol. 49, no. 4, 2014,
pp. 23-31. EbscoHost,
ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=1026
30773&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Stein, Marc. "Theoretical Politics, Local Communities: The Making of US LGBT Historiography." GLQ: A Journal
of Lesbian and Gay Studies, vol. 11, no. 4, 2005, pp. 605-625,
www.robmacdougall.org/9817/files/2011/09/Stein-2005-LGBT-Historiography.pdf.
Magazine or Newspaper Article from Online Source
Examples-
Begley, Sharon. "Could This Be the End of Cancer?" Newsweek, vol. 158, no. 25, 19 Dec. 2011, pp. 36-
39. EbscoHost, ezproxy.nwtc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru
e&db=f5h&AN=9707771&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Hallett, Vicky. “Prancercise: Fitness through Self-Expression.” News & Observer, 24 Sept. 2013,
www.newsobserver.com/living/article10279586.html.
Page on a Web Site with an Individual Author:
Examples-
Sheldon, Kathryn. “Brief History of Black Women in the Military.” The Women’s Memorial, Women’s Memorial
Foundation, 2017, www.womensmemorial.org/history-of-black-women.
Torpey, Elka. “Earning Green by Working Green: Wages and Outlook in Careers Protecting the Planet.” Career
Outlook, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019,
www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/careers-protecting-the-planet.htm.
Page on a Web Site without an Individual Author:
Rule-
According to the MLA Handbook (2.1.3), when an organization such as a government agency is both the
author and the publisher, start your citation with the work's title and list the organization as the publisher.
Examples-
“Diabetes Basics.” Diabetes Home, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 May 2019,
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html.
"The Age Gap in Religion Around the World." Demographic Study, Pew Research Center, 13 June
2018, www.pewforum.org/2018/06/13/the-age-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/.
Book
Print Book Examples-
Bradley, Heather. Design Funny: A Graphic Designer's Guide to Humor. 1
st
ed., HOW Books, 2015.
Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. Simon & Schuster, 2015.
E-Book Example-
Klausen, Jytte. The Cartoons That Shook the World. e-book, Yale University Press, 2009.
Chapter in a Book Example-
Kang-Brown, Jason, et al. "Zero-Tolerance Policies Do Not Make Schools Safer." School Safety, edited by Noah
Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016, pp. 50-52.
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