How To Do Research/Library Skills- Bibliography Help (MLA Style)

Books | Encyclopedias & Reference Books | Electronic Sources  | Interviews |  Magazines & Newspapers | Pamphlets | Sample Bibliography | Other Sites

General Notes 

• List cited works in alphabetical order of author's last name.

• List cited works without an author alphabetically by title.

• First line of each cited work begins at left margin – all other lines of  that cited work are indented five spaces.

• When typing your list of cited works, some sources say to double space, some say single space. Check with your teachers.

For further information consult the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research or Using MLA Format online. 

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Books

Format:
Author's name. Title of book. Place of publication:
Publisher, Date of publication.

(Example -Book, single author)
Bolgar, R. R. The Classical Heritage. New York: Harper
     Torchbooks, 1964.

(Example - Book, two authors)
Jakobson, Roman, and Linda R. Waugh. The Sound and
     Shape of Language. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1979.

(Example - Book, three or more authors)
Gilman, Sander, et. al. Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley: 
     University of California Press, 1993.

(Example – Book - anthology or collection with an editor instead of author)
Chatman, Seymour, ed. Essays on the Language of
     Literature.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.

(Example – Book - article or essay from an anthology or collection)
Harris, Muriel. “Talk to Me.” Helping Writers. Ed. Ben Smith.
     New York: Knopf, 2000. 33-42.  

Encyclopedias & Reference Books

Format:
Author of article(if given). "Title of article." Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, Date of publication.

“Economic Theory.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago: 
     Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1997.

Electronic Sources

Web Site Format:
Author's name, if given. “Title of Article.” Title of Web site. Date of posting/revision. Name of organization affiliated with site. Date of access. <URL>.

“Underwater Field Guide.” Diving Under Antarctic Ice. 1999.
     The National Science Foundation. 10 Sept. 1999.
     <scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/index.html>. 

Online Database Format:
Author’s name, if given. “Title of Article.” Title of Source. Name of database. Date of access. <URL>.

“A Life on Hold.” Contemporary Authors. Literature Resource
     Center.  6 March 2000.    <galenet.com/servlet/LitRC?
     finalAuth=true>.

Interviews You Conducted

Name of Person Interviewed. Personal Interview. Date of Interview.

Woodhead, Gayle. Personal Interview. Dec.12, 2000.

Magazines & Newspapers

Format:
Author of article. "Title of article." Title of
magazine/newspaper. Date of publication: Page number(s) of article.

(Example - Article from a magazine)
Scotto, Peter. "Censorship, Reading, and Interpretation.”
     Time. 15 March 1993: 61-70.

(Example – Article from a newspaper)
Taylor, Judy. “A Case Study from South Africa.” Washington
     Post. 16 Jan. 2000: A23.

Pamphlets

Source of Info. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Office of the Dean of Students. Resources for Success.
     Berkeley: University of California, 1999.

Sample Bibliography (Remember to single or double space according to your teachers instructions.)

Bolgar, R. R. The Classical Heritage. New York: Harper
     Torchbooks, 1964.

Chatman, Seymour, ed. Essays on the Language of
     Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.

“Economic Theory.” World Book. Chicago: World Book
     Encyclopedia, 1999.

Gilman, Sander, et. al. Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley:
     University of California Press, 1993.

Manegold, Catherine. "Becoming a Land of the
     Smoke-Free, Ban by Ban." New York Times. 22 Mar.
     1994, late ed.: A1+

Scotto, Peter. "Censorship, Reading, and Interpretation: A
     Case Study from the Soviet Union." PMLA .15 Mar.
     1993: 61-70.

“Underwater Field Guide.” Diving Under Antarctic Ice. 1999.
     The National Science Foundation. 10 Sept. 1999. <scilib.
     ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/index.html>.

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Other Sites

American University Library: Citation Style Guides/Citing Sources
This site provides links to a variety of sites and various forms of citations.

Citation and Style Guides
A guide to the Turabian style from Concordia University Libraries.

Citation Machine
Hosted by the Landmark Project, this website allows students to click on a preferred citation styles, print and non-print, MLA, APA or Chicago Manual. Simply fill out the web form and click "make citations."

Citation StylesOnline!
From the publisher Bedford St. Martins, this site offers a variety of links to different styles of online citation.

Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism: Documentation Guidelines
From Duke University, this site details how to cite sources using the Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) formats.

Classroom Connect: Citing Internet Resources
Offers information on citing online resources.

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format
From Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab, this page describes how to use the MLA format.

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Last Updated: September 9, 2008