MLA Citation
For your bibliography, we recommend that you use EasyBib. (See www.easybib.com.) Once you’re on the
website, select MLA format and fill in the citation information according to the prompts. The examples on this page
show basic types of citations, as they’ll appear in your documentation. The list should be alphabetized by first
word. It should not be numbered. Use the function that transfers your entries to Word format. If you cut and paste
you will lose the formatting.
Within the text of your paper, you’ll use PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS, using the first word of the works
cited entry and the page number (Gibaldi 214). Remember that the parenthetical citation goes before the
period.
To Cite, or Not to Cite?
Citations are not necessary for:
o Common sense observations
o Folklore, myths, urban legends
o “Common knowledge” – things that you are sure that your listeners already know
Citations are necessary for:
o Statistics
o Expert opinions
o Information that is not “common knowledge” (i.e. that you are not sure that all of your listeners will
already know)
o Quotations
The Basic Entry: A Book by a Single Author
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of the book. City of Publication: Publishing
Company, Year of Publication.
An Article in a Newspaper or Magazine
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Publication. Date:
Page Number.
A Personal Interview
Interviewee’s Last Name, First Name. Personal Interview. Date of Interview.
A Document from a Website
NB: If the URL is obnoxiously long, use the URL of the main site.
Author’s Last Name, First Name (if available). “Title of Document.” Date of
Publication to the Web. Name of Sponsoring Institution. Date of Access. .
o
Edited from:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York: The
Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
Bibliography
Anderson, Jeffrey M. "Dead Man (1996)." Combustible Celluloid. 2 May 2007...