University of Portland Clark Library

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Videos/DVDs/TV Shows

  • Introduction to MLA Style
  • Journal Articles
  • Magazine/Newspaper Articles
  • Books & Ebooks
  • Government & Legal Documents
  • Biblical Sources
  • Secondary Sources
  • Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
  • How to Cite: Other
  • 9th Edition Updates
  • Additional Help

Table of Contents

Movie/Film: On DVD or Viewed in Theater

Streaming Video From a Website (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)

Streaming Video From a Subscription Media Website (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.)

Streaming video from a library database, television series episode.

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Who to Credit?

DVD or Film

Many people can be involved in the production of a video and not all need to be listed in the citation. Typically the director, producer and/or writer are the names that are used. To clarify what role the person has in the production, their job title such as Director is put after their name in round brackets if the job title is known.

Streaming Video from a Website

For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.

Expressing Timestamps

Format the start and end times of relevant sections as

Two-digit hour:Two-digit minutes:Two-digit seconds

For example:

01:15:15-01:20:03

00:03:30-00:04:16

Movie/Film: DVD or Viewed in Theater

Title of Movie . Contributor(s). Publisher/Production Company, Year of Release. 

Works Cited List Example:

The Usual Suspects.  Directed by Bryan Singer, performances by Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benicio Del Toro. Polygram, 1995. 

In-Text Citation Example:

( Title of Movie  Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

( The Usual Suspects  01:15:15-01:20:03)

 No te : Cite the relevant hour, minute and seconds as displayed in your media player.

Streaming Video From a Website (YouTube, etc.)

"Title of Video."  Title of the Hosting Website , uploaded by First Name Last Name of video creator or Username of Creator, Day Month Year of Publication, URL of video. Accessed Day Month Year video was viewed.

Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.”  YouTube,  uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

("Shortened Version of Title" Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

("8 Hot Dog Gadgets" 00:03:30-00:04:16)

Movie Title . Contributor(s), Production Company, Year of Release. Streaming Service , URL.

Note: It isn’t always necessary to include the director and performer’s name(s). Include the names of any individuals who the research focuses on or names of individuals to help the reader locate the exact source themselves. It is acceptable to include producers, writers, creators, narrators, and other positions.

Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick, screenplay by Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman, Laika, 2009. Netflix , https://www.netflix.com/title/70105599.

( Title of Movie Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

( Coraline 00:24:00-00:26:10) 

Looking for Infinity: El Camino . Directed by Aaron Leaman. ACL Creative Studio, 2017.  Kanopy , up.kanopy.com/video/looking-infinity-el-camino-0.

In-Text Quote:

( Shortened Title of Movie Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

( Looking for Infinity 00:29:01-00:29:45)

"Title of Episode."  Title of TV Series,  Contributors Name(s), season, episode, Production Company, Year of Release.

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends: The Complete Sixth Season , written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen, directed by Kevin Bright, Warner Brothers, 2004.

 ("Title of Episode"   Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Sectionr)

Example: ("The One Where Chandler Can't Cry" 00:15:00-00:17:22)

Television Series Episode Viewed on a Subscription Media Website 

"Title of Episode."  Title of TV Series,  Contributors Name(s), season, episode, Production Company, Year of Release. Name of Streaming Service , URL.

Note: Typically films, television episodes, and other performances have many contributors. After the movie title, list the contributors most relevant to your project after the move title. Most common contributors listed include directors, creators, and performers.  

Note: Seasons of a television series are usually numbered in sequence, as are the episodes. Both numbers should be included in the works cited list if available.

"The Gathering."  Outlander,  developed by Ronald D. Moore, performances by Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, season 1, episode 4, Left Bank Picture/Sony Pictures Television Production, 2014.  Netflix , www.netflix.com/watch/80103586?trackId=13752289.

("Title of Episode"   Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

("The Gathering" 00:05:34-00:05:56)

  • << Previous: Secondary Sources
  • Next: How to Cite: Other >>
  • Last Updated: Dec 6, 2023 4:35 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.up.edu/mla

MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition

  • MLA Style, 9th Edition
  • In-text citations
  • Books - Multiple Authors
  • Books - with editors, translators, etc.
  • Book - Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc
  • Books - later editions
  • Articles - Multiple Authors
  • Articles - from scholarly journals
  • Articles - from newspapers
  • Articles - from magazines
  • YouTube Video
  • Television Shows
  • Images from the Web
  • Works Cited: Websites
  • Works Cited: Social Media / Informal Communication
  • Don't See an Example for Your Source?!
  • Report an Error / Question

Multimedia Sources

Multimedia sources may be cited in a number of ways, and it is important to remember that MLA 8, essentially, requires the same thing from all sources. Below, the requirements are listed out with some common parallels you may see in multimedia formats.

*If applicable elements 3-9 repeat and will include the container that you watched it from (e.g., Amazon Prime) and the URL, if applicable.

  • << Previous: Articles - from magazines
  • Next: YouTube Video >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 24, 2023 9:54 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/mla9

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Works Cited Page

MLA Works Cited Page

What is a works cited page.

The works cited page is a list of all the sources cited within the body and notes of your paper.Ā A works cited page should begin on its own page after the end of the paper content and should list all the entries in alphabetical order by the first item in each entry (usually the authorā€™s name). It should be included in order to give full credit to the sources used and avoid plagiarism, as well as to allow the reader to easily locate each source if needed. Papers in MLA format should always have a works cited page.

It is not necessary to include sources that you consulted but did not directly reference in the works cited list ā€“ it should only include the sources you directly quoted or paraphrased. Each in-text citation should therefore have a corresponding entry in the works cited list.

Creating an MLA Works Cited Page:

Citing sources in mla.

  • Bibliography vs. Works Cited ā€” Whatā€™s the Difference?
  • Formatting the Works Cited Page
  • Heading & Title Format
  • Organizing the References in the List
  • Formatting Author Names
  • Formatting Author Names in Other Languages
  • Title Rules: Capitalization, Italics, and Quotation Marks

Letā€™s get started with an explanation of what exactly a works cited page is and why creating one is necessary!

Note: This guide is not affiliated with the Modern Language Association. It was developed by EasyBib.comā€™s in-house librarians to serve as a quick guide and snapshot of some of the guidelines found in the MLA Handbook, 9th ed.

When students and scholars create a research paper, they seek out information in books, websites, journal articles, and many other types of sources. The information from these sources, combined with the scholarā€™s own thinking and knowledge, aid in the formation of a final project.

However, simply placing information from books, websites, journal articles, newspaper articles, and other source types into a project without a reference is not acceptable. Without a reference or citation, itā€™ll look like the paperā€™s author came up with everything themselves!

That means itā€™s necessary to call out when information is included from outside sources and originated elsewhere.

An MLA works cited page shows all the sources that were consulted and included in a project. Each source has a corresponding in-text citation within the paper.

In-text & parenthetical citations

In the body of a research project, add a short reference next to a quote or paraphrased information that came from a source. This is called a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

In-text Citation Example:

Langdonā€™s expertise is revealed in Chapter 1, when he is introduced to a group of university students. ā€œOur guest tonight needs no introduction. He is the author of numerous books: The Symbology of Secret Sects , The Art of the Illuminati , The Lost Language of Ideograms , and when I say he wrote the book on Religious Iconology, I mean that quite literally. Many of you use his textbooks in classā€ (Brown 8).

In the example above, the writer displays that the quote was taken from Brownā€™s book, on page 8.

Even though this information is helpful, the brief reference to Brown and page 8 isnā€™t enough information to truly understand the origin of the quote. Other relevant information, such as the full name of the author, the title of the book, the publisher, and the year the book was published is missing.

Where can the reader find that information? In the MLA works cited list!

Full references in the works cited list

The MLA works cited list is the final page of a research project. Here, the reader can take the time to truly understand the sources included in the body of the project. The reader can turn to the MLA works cited list, look for ā€œBrownā€ and see the full reference, which looks like this:

Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code . Knopf Doubleday, 2003.

Included in the above reference is the full name of the author (Dan Brown), the title of the source ( The DaVinci Code ), the publisher of the book (Knopf Doubleday), and the year the book was published (2003).

The information provided in the reference supplies the reader with enough information to seek out the original source themselves, if he or she would like.

Works Cited Example:

work cited video mla

Bibliography vs. Works cited – Whatā€™s the difference?

Quite often, the two terms are used interchangeably. While similar, they have some unique differences.

The remainder of this guide focuses on the placement, organization, and styling guidelines for the MLA works cited list.

Another commonly used reference style is APA. If your teacher or professor requests your references be made in APA citation style, check out this page on APA format .

Hereā€™s more information on how to develop an MLA in-text citation and APA in-text citation .

Formatting the MLA works cited page

The reference page is the final page of a research paper and starts on its very own page.

If your project isnā€™t an actual research paper, but a slideshow, video, or another type of project, follow the same guidelines as above. Place the works cited list on the final slide, page, or screen of the project.

Here are the recommended guidelines for margins, spacing, and page numbers taken from the MLA Style Center’s web page “Formatting a Research Paper.”

Margins in MLA:

  • Place one inch margins around the entire document.
  • The only exception is the ā€œrunning head.ā€ See the ā€œRunning Headā€ section below to learn more about the margins of this component.
  • Most word processing programs automatically default to one inch margins. In the page setup settings, you can view and modify the size of the margins.

Spacing in MLA:

  • Double space the entire page. The title, references, and other components should all have double spaces.

It is not necessary to create double spaces manually by pressing the ā€œenterā€ or ā€œreturnā€ key in between each and every line. Your word processing program can automatically adjust the line spacing for you. Look for a section in the settings area called ā€œLine spacingā€ or ā€œParagraph spacing.ā€ You should be able to click or check off ā€œdouble spacing.ā€

Page numbers in MLA:

  • The reference list is the final page(s) of a research paper.
  • If the conclusion of a research project is on page 7, page 8 would be the first page of the reference list. If the list runs onto the next page after that, it would be page 9.

For more information regarding how to display the page numbers, see the section below titled, ā€œRunning Head.ā€

While an APA reference page Ā is very different from a Modern Language Association style works cited, note thatĀ  APA bibliography pages also use double spacing throughout and 1 inch margins.

Heading & title format in MLA

This next section focuses on how to properly label and format the page numbers and title.

Running head

The running head is found at the top of every page of the research project. Itā€™s also included on the reference list.

The running head displays the name of the writer or author of the research project + page number .

There is one space between the authorā€™s name and the page number. Here is an MLA works cited page example of a running head:

The above is an example of a running head that would be seen on page 8 of a research project. The writerā€™s last name is Kleinman.

General running head guidelines:

  • It is placed in the top right corner of every page.
  • It sits half of an inch from the top of the page and along the right sideā€™s one inch margin.

Reminder : If the concluding sentence of the research project is on page 10, the reference list starts on page 11. Even though the reference page starts on its own page, the numbering throughout the entire project includes the reference page.

Title of the page

Below the running head is the title of the page, which should either be ā€œWork Citedā€ or ā€œWorks Cited.ā€

  • Only 1 reference = “Work Cited”
  • Multiple references =”Works Cited”

Whether youā€™re making an MLA work cited page or an MLA works cited page, here are some general rules to follow:

  • Align the title to the center of the document
  • Add a one-inch margin below the top edge of the paper
  • Do not bold, italicize, or underline the title
  • The title should be the same size and style as the rest of the document (12-point font)
  • Place a double space between the title and the first citation on the page

Hereā€™s a sample MLA works cited running head and title:

work cited video mla

If you’re reading through this page, but have yet to determine your research paper topic, look no further! We have thorough guides on historical individuals to rev up your brainstorming engine! Check out our guides on Abraham Lincoln , Muhammad Ali , and Marilyn Monroe .

Organizing the references in the MLA works cited list

Hanging indent formatting.

  • The full citation entries run along the left side of the paper, along the one inch margin.
  • Double space each line.
  • Each MLA work cited entry has a hanging indent, meaning the first line of the full reference starts along the one inch margin and any additional lines after the first are indented in one and a half inches from the left margin.

Hanging indent example:

work cited video mla

Organizing the Works Cited Entries

There are two options: alphabetical order and non alphabetical order.

Alphabetical order

The majority of references are organized in alphabetical order by the first item in the reference, which is usually an authorā€™s last name. When a source doesnā€™t have an author, the title is placed first in the reference. Many films and movies, for instance, begin with the title, since no author is present.

Either way, whether the reference starts with the last name of the author, or a title, the entries are placed in alphabetical order.

Works cited MLA example, organized in alphabetical order.

Benjamin, Chloe. The Immortalists . Penguin, 2018.

Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, performance by Chadwick Boseman, Marvel Studios, 2018.

Egan, Jennifer. Manhattan Beach . Scribner, 2017.

Non-alphabetical order

The majority of reference lists are organized in alphabetical order. However, it is acceptable to only organize ā€œannotated bibliographiesā€ in alphabetical order, chronological order, or subject order.

Hereā€™s more information about the organization and creation of an MLA annotated bibliography .

Formatting Author Names in MLA

If you need help structuring or formatting the authorā€™s name (or multiple authorsā€™ names) in your references, this section will help.

Letā€™s start with the proper structure for one authorā€™s name (taken from Section 5.6 of the official Handbook ). If the source youā€™re attempting to cite was created by one individual author, structure the name as follows:

Last name, First name.

The last name of the author is placed at the start of the reference, followed by a comma, and the first name of the author. Conclude this information with a period.

One author with a middle name or middle initial

Work Cited Examples:

  • Burroughs, William S.
  • Yeats, W. B.
  • Alcott, Louisa May.

Wondering how to organize two or more works by Louisa May Alcott in your paper? It may be tricky to determine how to alphabetically arrange the references, since each MLA work cited entry begins with Louisa May Alcott.

Citing multiple sources with the same author To create a proper MLA works cited list when there are multiple sources by the same author, place the references in alphabetical order by the title. Only include the authorā€™s name in the first reference. In place of the authorā€™s name in subsequent entries, place three dashes, followed by a period. (Follows rules from Section 5.126 of the Handbook .)

Below is a visual representation of a properly organized and structured MLA style works cited list. All three sources in this MLA works cited page example are by the author, Louisa May Alcott.

Alcott, Louisa May. ā€œEight Cousins.ā€ Project Gutenberg , 2018, www.gutenberg.org/files/2726/2726-h/2726-h.htm.

– – -. Little Women. Bantam Classics, 1983.

– – -. Rose in Bloom . CreateSpace, 2018.

Citing a Source with Two Authors in MLA

According to section 5.7 of the official Handbook , the first listed authorā€™s name on the source is the first author seen in the reference. The second listed authorā€™s name on the source is the second author placed in the reference.

The first authorā€™s name is placed in reverse order, followed by a comma and the word ā€œand.ā€ The second authorā€™s name is listed in standard order, followed by a period.

Last name, First name of Author 1, and First name Last name of Author 2.

Work Cited Examples

Brust, Steven, and Emma Bull.

Jory, John, and Mac Barnett.

Citing multiple sources with the same co-authors When there are multiple sources on a reference list by the same co-authors, organize those specific references alphabetically by the titles. Only include the names of the coauthors in the first entry.

Jory, John, and Mac Barnett. The Terrible Two. Amulet, 2017.

– – -. The Terrible Two Get Worse. Amulet, 2017.

Here’s a complex scenario…

There may be times when youā€™re attempting to add additional sources by one of the co-authors, or the lead co-author along with a different individual.

Here is an example of how a works cited page in MLA would be organized. Included is a source solely written by one of the coauthors (John Jory) and a source by John Jory with a different coauthor, Avery Monsen.

Works Cited Example

Jory, John. The Bad Seed. HarperCollins, 2017.

– – -. Giraffe Problems. Random House, 2018.

Monsen, Avery, and Jory John. All My Friends Are Dead , Chronicle, 2010.

Summary of the above examples:

  • Jory Johnā€™s work, The Bad Seed , is listed first in the reference list since the single authorā€™s name is organized first in alphabetical order.
  • The second entry includes the three hyphens and a period in place of John Joryā€™s name since it is redundant to write out and display the authorā€™s name again in the list.
  • Entries three and four are by the coauthors Jory John and Mac Barnett. The hyphens in the fourth source replace the authorsā€™ names in the third for the same reason as above: itā€™s unnecessary to write out both co-authorsā€™ names twice. The Terrible Two book is placed before The Terrible Two Get Worse as the titles are placed in alphabetical order.
  • The fifth entry is by John Jory and Avery Monsen. Monsenā€™s name is displayed first on the source, which is why her name is listed first in the entry. Remember: authors are placed in the order they appear on the source.

Citing a Source with Three or More Authors in MLA

When there are three or more authors listed on a source, it is unnecessary to include all individualsā€™ names in the reference list.

Only include the first listed authorā€™s last name, followed by a comma and their first name, followed by another comma and the abbreviation ā€œet al.ā€

Work Cited Example

Robertson, Judy, et al.

Et al. is an abbreviation used in academic works. It translates to ā€œand othersā€ in Latin. Replace the second, third, and any additional authorsā€™ names with ā€œet al.ā€ on your work cited page in MLA.

The above example represents a journal article written by Judy Robertson, Beth Cross, Hamish Mcleod, and Peter Wiemer-Hastings. Instead of including all four authorsā€™ names in the entry, only the first listed authorā€™s name is included.

Robertson, Judy, et al. ā€œChildrenā€™s Interactions with Animated Agents in an Intelligent Tutoring System.ā€ International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education , vol. 14, no. 3-4, 2004, pp. 335-357. IOS Press , content.iospress.com/articles/international-journal-of-artificial-intelligence-in-education/jai14-3-4-05.

If including an additional reference by Judy Robertson, but with different co-authors, include her name again in the reference list.

For example, take a look at this journal article by Judy Robertson, Judith Good, and Helen Pain. The MLA work cited entry would begin with Judy Robertson, et al. and not three hyphens since there are different co-authors than the first.

Robertson, Judy, et al. ā€œBetterBlether: The Design and Evaluation of a Discussion Tool for Education.ā€ International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education , 1998, pp. 9, 219-236, ijaied.org/pub/1026/file/1026_paper.pdf.

The entries are listed in alphabetical order by the title of the source since the first positions are the same.

Citing Authors with proper titles in MLA

There are times when an author is graced with a prestigious title such as a Duke, Sir, Saint, and others (see Section 2.83 of the Handbook for more examples).

When an author has a specific title, it should be omitted from the body of a project and also omitted from the reference list.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle should be in the project as Arthur Conan Doyle.

On a work cited page in MLA, it would be displayed as:

Doyle, Arthur Conan.

Citing Authors with Suffixes in MLA

If an author has a suffix in his or her name, such as Junior (Jr.) or a roman numeral such as II, III, IV, or V, this information is included in the reference list.

The individualā€™s name is placed in reverse order, with the last name displayed in the first position. Immediately following the last name is a comma, followed by the first name and middle name. After the first and middle names, a comma is placed, and the suffix of the individual is placed at the end with a period. You should not include the comma preceding the suffix, however, if it is a numeral.

For example, Cal Ripken, Jr. would be structured as

  • Ripken, Cal, Jr.

Frederick William III would be structured as:

William, Frederick III.

Citing Pen Names in MLA

If the authorā€™s pen name is one that is well known, it is acceptable to use the pen name in place of the authorā€™s real first and last name.

For example, Mark Twain , Dr. Seuss , George Orwell, and O. Henry are all acceptable to use in a works cited MLA section, as their pen names are well known.

If the authorā€™s pen name is less familiar, you can include the authorā€™s real name in brackets in the reference.

Coffey, Brian [Dean Koontz]. Blood Risk. Bobbs-Merrill, 1973.

Van Dyne, Edith [L. Frank Baum]. Aunt Janeā€™s Nieces At Work. 1st World Library, 2006.

Formatting Author’s Names in Other Languages

Many names in languages other than English include conventions and features that are different from names in English. This next section provides information to help you properly structure and organize the names of authors in other languages. It follows rules from section 2.73 in the official Handbook .

Citing French Names in MLA

French names often include the particles de, dā€™, or du. Some examples include Valery Giscard dā€™Estaing, Bertrand du Guesclin, and Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord.

When ā€œdeā€ is used in an individualā€™s name, it is separated from the last name. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord would be structured in a work cited MLA list as:

Talleyrand-Perigord, Charles Maurice de.

If, however, the last name is only one syllable, ā€œdeā€ is considered part of the last name. The reference entry would begin with de and then the last name of the individual, followed by a comma and the first name. In this instance, ā€œdeā€ remains lowercased.

When ā€œduā€ or ā€œdesā€ is used in an individualā€™s name, it is included as part of the last name. Capitalize the ā€œdā€ in ā€œdu.ā€ Bertrand du Guesclin would be structured in a work cited MLA list as:

Du Guesclin, Bertrand.

When dā€™ is placed before a last name, dā€™ is included as part of the last name, but only when the last name begins with a vowel. Valery Giscard dā€™Estaing would be structured as:

dā€™Estaing, Valery Giscard.

Citing Asian Names in MLA

Prior to determining how to structure an Asian authorā€™s name, consider the source. Many Asian publishers display the authorā€™s last name first on sources. If the source was published in Asia, do not reverse the authorā€™s name in the reference list. Write it in the order shown on the source, without any commas. End the authorā€™s name with a period.

If the source was published in English, it is quite possible that the authorā€™s last name is displayed first as well. This is when the researcher must do a bit of detective work to determine the authorā€™s first name and last name. Run the name through a search engine and identify the authorā€™s first name and last name. If the last name is placed first on the source, keep it as is in the reference entry. Do not reverse the names and write it in standard form.

If, on the source, the authorā€™s name is placed in standard order (first name followed by last name) reverse it in the reference list. Begin the reference with the last name of the individual, add a comma, and add the first name of the author. End the field with a period.

Citing Latin NamesĀ in MLA

Famous historical figures in Roman history have names that are widely known. Some examples include Julius Caesar, Augustus, Claudius, Constantine, and others. While these individuals are known by their Roman names, their full names are in Latin.

Begin the reference entry with the Roman name. Immediately following the Roman name, add the individualā€™s full name in brackets. End the information with a period.

Augustus [Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus]. ā€œThe Deeds of the Divine Augustus.ā€ The Internet Classics Archive , translated by Thomas Bushnell, 1998, classics.mit.edu/Augustus/deeds.html.

APA citation website references look much different! Make sure you check out our handy guides on EasyBib.com!

Citing German Names in MLA

Two commonly used particles in German names are ā€œvonā€ and ā€œzu.ā€ Examples include Alexander von Humboldt, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-SchillingsfĆ¼rst, and Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied.

When a German individualā€™s name includes the particles ā€œvonā€ or ā€œzu,ā€ the particles are not included as part of the personā€™s last name. Ferdinand von Zeppelin would be organized in the work cited MLA list as:

Zeppelin, Ferdinand von.

If, on the source, von is displayed as a last name, it is acceptable to include it at the beginning of the individualā€™s last name. Examples include books by Dita Von Teese and Diane Von Furstenberg.

Von Furstenberg, Diane. Diane: A Signature Life . Simon & Schuster, 2009.

Citing Italian Names in MLA

If the particles dā€™, del, de, della, di, da, are used in an individualā€™s last name, and the individual is relatively current and from modern times, the particles are included as part of the last name and the reference entry begins with the capitalized particle.

Di Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi.

When the individualā€™s name begins with one of the same particles above, but he or she is from historical or ancient times, the particle is not included as part of the individualā€™s last name.

Citing Spanish Names in MLA

There are two commonly used particles in Spanish names: ā€œdeā€ and ā€œdel.ā€ If an individualā€™s name includes the particle, ā€œde,ā€ do not include it as part of his or her last name. When ā€œdelā€ is visible in an individualā€™s last name, the ā€œdā€ in ā€œdelā€ is capitalized and placed at the beginning of the citation.

  • Del Toro, Benicio.
  • Leon, Juan Ponce de.
  • Soto, Hernando de.
  • Del Rio, Andres Manuel.

Title rules

Capitalization rules in mla.

According to section 2.90 of the Handbook , titles should be written in title case format. This means that the first letter in the first word, the first letter in the last word, and the first letters of all other important words are capitalized. Any coordinating conjunctions (and, for, but, or, so, nor, and yet), articles (a, an, the), and prepositions in the title are not capitalized.

Here are a few MLA works cited examples of how titles should appear in references:

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

If the source youā€™re attempting to cite is in a language other than English, it is recommended to use ā€œsentence caseā€ form. Sentence case only has the first letter in the first word capitalized and the first letter in any proper nouns capitalized. All other words are written in lowercase letters.

Donā€™t forget to use EasyBib.comā€™s MLA work cited generator to develop your works cited page in MLA.

Italics vs. Quotation marks in MLA

Whether the source is placed in italics or quotation marks depends on where the source was found. If the title stands alone (like a book or movie), place the title in italics. If the title was found in a container, such as a website, anthology, edited book, or another type of container, place the source in quotation marks and the container in italics.

Mather, Victor. ā€œJapan Advances in World Cup 2018 Despite Losing to Poland.ā€ New York Times , 28 June 2018, nyti.ms/2IzyUdm.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye . Little Brown, 1991.

Formatting titles beginning with numbers in MLA

Titles beginning with numbers are placed in the reference list in alphabetical order, as if the title was written out alphabetically.

Hereā€™s an MLA works cited example: The movie 2 Fast 2 Furious , would be organized in alphabetical order as if it said ā€œ Too Fast Too Furious .ā€ The citation would still be begin with the number even though it is organized alphabetically.

Donā€™t forget to try EasyBib.comā€™s MLA works cited generator to help you develop your references and your MLA works cited page. Our MLA works cited generator is free and simple to use!

Developing MLA references on EasyBib.com

EasyBib.com has an MLA works cited generator, which helps you produce references . This means you donā€™t have to spend time determining how to structure and organize the components of a citation.

To create your complete page of works cited in MLA with our tools, head to the EasyBib homepage.

work cited video mla

Did your teacher or professor request that your references be made in MLA format? Luckily for you, MLA is the default format on EasyBib.com. If youā€™re not sure which style to use, ask your teacher.

  • Select your source. Examples: book, website, video, etc. There are several types to choose from!
  • Input information. Sources like websites, books, etc., will let you do an automatic search for citation information on your source. Input details like your sourceā€™s title, author, ISBN, DOI, or keywords.
  • Select your source. Look through the results list and choose the one that matches your source.
  • Review details. See what was found during the search.
  • Review and edit the citation form. Feel free to add any missing details, or update any fields.
  • Complete citation. Congratulations on your new citation! Copy and paste it into your document, or keep adding citations to your list.

All references are automatically organized in proper order and can be exported to Microsoft Word Documents, Google Docs, Dropbox, or One Drive. Thereā€™s even an option to email the reference!

Even better? EasyBib Plus gives you access to tools that do more than simply creating full references. References in the text are created for you, too! Whether it’s a Modern Language Association reference, or an APA parenthetical citation , APA book citation , or APA journal reference, we’ll create both types for you.

Need a bit more help? Our plagiarism checker is a one-stop shop to help you with your writing, grammar, and reference needs. Copy and paste your paper into our proofreader and receive comprehensive feedback! Stress less and submit your paper with confidence!

Follow our EasyBib Twitter feed to discover more citing tips, fun grammar facts, and the latest product updates.

MLA Works Cited

ā€œFormatting a Research Paper.ā€ MLA Style Center , Modern Language Association of America, style.mla.org/formatting-papers/.

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021

Published October 16, 2013. Updated June 20, 2021.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Sample Paper
  • Works Cited
  • MLA 8 Updates
  • MLA 9 Updates
  • View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all MLA Examples

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

  • The title should be the same size and style as the rest of the document (12-point font)/li>

If the title stands alone, place the title in italics. If the title was found in a container, such as a website, anthology, edited book, or another type of container, place the source in quotation marks and the container in italics.

According to Section 1.2 of the Handbook, titles should be written in title case format. Any coordinating conjunctions (and, for, but, or, so, nor, and yet), articles (a, an, the), and prepositions in the title are not capitalized.

If an author has a suffix in his or her name, the last name is displayed in the first position followed by a comma, the first name, and the middle name. After the first and middle names, a comma is placed, and the suffix of the individual is placed at the end.

Cal Ripken Jr. would be structured as

Author with roman numeral suffix would be structured as

  • William, Frederick, III.

An MLA works cited list contains complete details of all the sources that are cited in the text. It helps the reader locate the source in case they want to read it for further understanding. It is included at the end of the paper after the main text. Each entry provides all of the information about each source so that it can be easily located. For example, the works cited list entry for a journal article would include the following elements:

Title of the article

Journal title

Volume number

Issue number

Publication date

With the help of the mentioned elements, a reader can locate the source for future reference. In addition, the works cited list arranges entries in alphabetical order according to the surname of the first author or title (if there is no author) to help the reader locate the entry in the list quickly. A few works cited list entries are listed below as examples:

Brenner, Barbara. ā€œPink Ribbons and Lou Gehrig: Time to Bury Useless Symbols.ā€ So Much to be Done: The Writings of Breast cancer Activist Barbara Brenner , edited by Barbara Sjoholm, UP of Minnesota, 2016, pp. 199ā€“202.

Feldman, Alice E. ā€œDances with Diversity: American Indian Selfā€Presentation Within the Reā€presentative Contexts of a Nonā€Indian Museum.ā€ Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 14, no. 3, 1994, pp. 210ā€“21.

Hymes, Dell H. Discovering Oral Performance and Measured Verse in American Indian Narrative . Johns Hopkins UP, 1977.

The main purpose of the works cited list is to provide the readers with the complete details of the sources cited in the text. It helps the reader locate the source in case they want to do further research or verify information. It also helps to ensure that full credit is given to the sources utilized in the paper. The works cited list is placed at the end of the paper after the main text. For example, the works cited list entry for a journal article would include the author’s name, the title of the article, the journal title, the volume and issue number of the journal, the date the article was published, the page numbers of the article, and the URL if the article was found online. With the help of the mentioned elements, a reader can locate the source for future reference.

The works cited list arranges entries in alphabetical order according to the surname of the first author or title (if there is no author) to help the reader locate the entry in the list quickly.

MLA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

  • CSUSM Home Page
  • Cougar Courses
  • Student Technology Help Desk

Home

AMD 419 Research to Production (Hersko)

  • Navigating the Library Collections
  • Searching the Catalog for Books and Media
  • Finding Articles
  • Artist and Movement Research
  • Cite Your Sources in MLA Style
  • Off-Campus Access to Library Resources

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Cover Art

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association. It is the citation style most commonly used by literature and language scholars, but is also often used in other humanities subjects.

There is a specific formatting style required by MLA, as well as two parts to how you must cite sources, which are:

  • In-text citations in the body of your paper.
  • Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

An in-text citation appears at the end of the sentence, within the period; include author & pages (when available).

IN-TEXT CITATION WHEN SUMMARIZING AND PARAPHRASING

One researcher found that misinformation spreading through social media can be dangerous for democracy (Schiffrin 123-126).

In her research, Schiffrin discovered that misinformation spreading through social media can be dangerous for a democracy (123-126).

IN-TEXT CITATIONS WHEN QUOTING

According to Schiffrin, “the implications of these developments for democracy are enormous” (123).

One author states that “the implication of these developments for democracy are enormous” (Schiffrin 123).

IN-TEXT CITATION FOR SOURCES WITH NO AUTHOR

  • According to “College Depression: What Parents Need to Know” college students face many new challenges, pressures, and anxieties that can cause them to feel overwhelmed (93).ā€‹ā€‹
  • College students face many new challenges, pressures, and anxieties that can cause them to feel overwhelmed (“College Depression” 93).

IN-TEXT CITATION FOR SOURCES WITH 3+ AUTHORS

  • List et al. after first author along with page number: (Perry et al. 193).

Helpful Links:

Works cited.

In MLA style you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the in-text citations in your main text.  Note: When citing an online work from a reliable and stable source, such as a scholarly article database or regularly published periodical, access dates are now optional according to MLA 9 . See below for some common types of MLA citations:

DIGITAL CONTENT

Formatting a mla style paper.

The Sample MLA Paper provides general guidelines for how to prepare a paper in MLA format.  Scroll down for an example of what an actual Works Cited page looks like.

Videos (Courtesy of MiraCosta College Library)

(These instructions continue to be applicable for the 9th edition.)

  • << Previous: Artist and Movement Research
  • Next: Thesauri >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 12:59 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.csusm.edu/amd419hersko
  • Free Tools for Students
  • MLA Citation Generator

Free MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

MLA 9 guidebook cover

šŸ˜• What is an MLA Citation Generator?

An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.

The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

šŸ‘©ā€šŸŽ“ Who uses an MLA Citation Generator?

MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.

It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

šŸ™Œ Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.

The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .

āš™ļø How do I use MyBib's MLA Citation Generator?

It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).

MyBib supports the following for MLA style:

Image of daniel-elias

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWLĀ® College of Liberal Arts

MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the  MLA Handbook  and in chapter 7 of the  MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

  • The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
  • Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's  The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's  Evaluating Sources of Information  resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

  • Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
  • Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
  • Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

Scribbr MLA Citation Generator

Accurate MLA citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions.

Save hours of repetitive work.

Stop wasting hours figuring out the correct citation format. With Scribbr's citation generator , you can search for your source by title, URL, ISBN, or DOI and generate accurate MLA citations in seconds. No experience needed.

MLA Citation Generator team

Rely on accurate citations, verified by experts.

You donā€™t want points taken off for incorrect citations. Thatā€™s why our MLA citation experts have invested countless hours perfecting our algorithms. As a result, weā€™re proud to be recommended by teachers worldwide.

Enjoy a clean look for minimal distraction.

Staying focused is already challenging enough. You donā€™t need video pop-ups and flickering banner ads slowing you down. At Scribbr, we keep distractions to a minimum while also keeping the citation generator free for everyone.

Features you'll love

Search for your source by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, and more to retrieve the relevant information automatically.

MLA 8th & 9th edition

Scribbr's Citation Generator supports both MLA 8 and MLA 9 (as well as APA and Harvard ). No matter what edition you're using, weā€™ve got you covered!

Export to Bib(La)TeX

Easily export in BibTeX format and continue working in your favorite LaTeX editor.

Export to Word

Reference list finished? Export to Word with perfect indentation and spacing set up for you.

Sorting, grouping, and filtering

Organize the reference list the way you want: from A to Z, new to old, or grouped by source type.

Save multiple lists

Stay organized by creating a separate reference list for each of your assignments.

Choose between Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and more options to match your style.

Industry-standard technology

Scribbr's citation generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.

Annotations

Create perfectly formatted MLA Style annotated bibliographies with just a few clicks.

Explanatory tips help you get the details right to ensure accurate citations.

Citation guides

Getting to grips with citation is simple with the help of our highly rated MLA citation guides and videos .

Secure backup

Your work is saved automatically after every change and stored securely in your Scribbr account.

  • Introduction
  • Missing information
  • No page numbers
  • Scroll to top

How to cite in MLA format

MLA handbook 9th edition

MLA is one of the most common citation styles used by students and academics. This quick guide explains how to cite sources according to the 9th edition (the most recent) of the MLA Handbook . You can also use Scribbrā€™s freeĀ  citation generator to automatically generate references and in-text citations.

An MLA citation has two components:

  • In-text citation : Every time you quote or paraphrase a source, you cite the author and the page number in parentheses.
  • Works Cited : At the end of your paper, you give a full reference for every source you cited, alphabetized by the authorā€™s last name.

MLA Works Cited list

The list of Works Cited (also known as the bibliography or reference page) gives full details of every source you cited in your text. Each entry is built from nine core elements:

Following this format, you can create a citation for any type of sourceā€”for example, a book , journal article , website , or movie . You only include information thatā€™s relevant to the type of source youā€™re citing.

Missing information in MLA citations

Regardless of the source type, the most important elements of any MLA citation are the author , the source title , and the publication date. If any of these are missing from the source, the Works Cited entry will look slightly different.

MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate MLA citations in seconds

Get started

MLA in-text citations

MLA in-text citations are brief references that direct your reader to the full source entry. You include them every time you quote , block quote , paraphrase or summarize a source.

The in-text citation must match the first word of the Works Cited entryā€”usually the authorā€™s last name . It also includes a page number or range to help the reader locate the relevant passage.

If you already named the author in your sentence, include only the page number in parentheses:

Sources with no page numbers

If the source has no page numbers, you either use an alternative locator, or leave the page number out of the citation:

Tools and resources

Besides the MLA Citation Generator, Scribbr provides many more helpful tools and resources;

  • Citation generator : Generate flawless APA , MLA , and Harvard citations in seconds
  • Free plagiarism checker : Detect and correct plagiarism with the most accurate plagiarism checker for students
  • AI Proofreader : Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
  • Paraphrasing tool: Avoid accidental plagiarism and make your text sound better.
  • Grammar checker : Eliminate pesky spelling and grammar mistakes.
  • Summarizer: Read more in less time. Distill lengthy and complex texts down to their key points.
  • AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
  • Proofreading services : Hire a professional editor to improve your writing
  • Citation checker : Check your work for citation errors and missing citations.
  • Guides and videos : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.
  • Plagiarism and grammar
  • Citation guides

Cite a Film in MLA

Worldcat logo

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper

Consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

  • Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
  • Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
  • Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
  • Book: What have reviews said about it?
  • What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
  • Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
  • Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
  • Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
  • Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
  • Are there ads?
  • When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
  • Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
  • Does the source even have a date?
  • Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
  • If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
  • Citation MachineĀ® Plus
  • Citation Guides
  • Chicago Style
  • Harvard Referencing
  • Terms of Use
  • Global Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Notice
  • DO NOT SELL MY INFO

How do I cite a video game?

To cite a video game, follow the template of core elements , as you would for any other source. Below we provide in-depth explanations for each element in a video game citation.

In establishing our guidance for citing video games, we consulted Eric Kaltman, Stacey Mason, and Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s “ The Game I Mean: Game Reference, Citation and Authoritative Access, ” and we encourage you to read their work for further discussion on the nuances of referring to and citing video games.Ā 

Title of Source Element

Begin with the title of the video game. Always include the full title and subtitle of a game, like you do for any other titled source.Ā 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns

Since game developers “are responsible for the gameā€™s storyline and feel” (Zegarra), you may wonder why a works-cited-list entry for a game would begin with the game’s title, rather than with the game developer’s name in the Author element. The developer’s name is instead placed in the Publisher element, along with the publisher’s name. See the section on the Publisher element below for details.

Contributor Element

List the director of a video game in the Contributor slot, as you would a film director. Some games may not credit someone as a director, in which case you would not include that element in your entry.

Alan Wake 2 . Directed by Sam Lake and Kyle Rowley, Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games, 2023. Sony PlayStation 5 game.Ā 

If you focus your discussion on a voice or motion capture actor’s performance in a video game, include the actor’s name along with the director’s in the Contributor element, the same way you would for actors in a film:

Death Stranding . Directed by Hideo Kojima, performances by Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2019. Sony PlayStation 4 game.

Version Element

Modern games are frequently updated after they are released. Those updates, also known as patches, can result in significant differences in games, such as bug fixes or new game content. Including the version number is not required in your citation, but if the game’s version is relevant to your discussion (e.g., you are discussing how a patch added new content to a game), include the version or patch number in the Version element of your entry:

Alan Wake 2 . Directed by Sam Lake and Kyle Rowley, version 1.000.014, Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games, 2023. Sony PlayStation 5 game.Ā 

Where you find the version number will vary based on the game or on the platform used to access a game. For example, recent game consoles often allow users to inspect a game file’s technical information, and the version number may be included in that type of information screen. So if you are using a recent game console, the console’s instruction manual may provide guidance on how to access that type of information about a game file. Another place you might find the version number is somewhere on a game’s start or title screen, though not all games display the version information there.

Publisher Element

Include a video game’s developer and publisher in the Publisher element of your entry. There are two reasons for including the developer in the Publisher element. First, a video game’s in-game credits or physical box might not make it clear how much input the game’s publisher also had in creating the creative elements of a game. 1 So including the game developer’s name and the publisher’s name together in the Publisher element eliminates any possible confusion about a publisher’s role.Ā Second, it may be difficult to determine who is the publisher and who is the developer of a game when you are looking at the game. It’s possible that you might find text that says “Developed by” or “Published by” in a few different places: on the video game’s physical disc, on the back of its box, in its instruction booklet or manual, in the in-game start or title screen, in the in-game credits, and so on. However, some games, particularly ones that were created many years ago, may not include such identifying text. So including both names in the Publisher element eliminates the need for any guesswork.

If a game is developed and published by the same company, only one name would need to be included in the Publisher element, and if the developer and publisher are not the same company, separate the names with a slash.

Here is an entry for a game that was developed and published by the same company (Cyan):

Firmament . Cyan, 2023. Microsoft Windows game.

Here is an entry for a game that has a different developer and publisher (Next Level Games is the developer and Nintendo is the publisher):

Luigi’s Mansion 3 . Directed by Bryce Holliday, Next Level Games / Nintendo, 2019. Nintendo Switch game.

Some games may display the name of the developer or publisher near the name of its game engine, which “is a specialized piece of software that allows a development studio to combine all of their work into a finished product” (Martin).Ā  In MLA style, you should not include the software that a work is built with or runs on in your works-cited-list entry, so the game engine name should not be included in your entry. If you are unsure whether a name is for a game engine or publisher, you may need to do a Google search to check. If the game engine was relevant to your discussion of the work, you could include that information in the body of your essay or in a note.

Publication Date Element

Include the year that the video game was published. Similar to the name of the game developer or publisher, you may find the publication date for a game in several different locations, such as the game’s physical disc or cartridge, on the back of its box, in its instruction booklet or manual, in the in-game start or title screen, or in the in-game credits.

Final Supplemental Element

Identify the platform you play a video game on (e.g., Sony PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, etc.) in the final supplemental element of your entry. That information is important in identifying the game that you are citing, since some games are released on multiple platforms simultaneously. Even if a game is exclusive to one platform when it is first released, games can be ported to different platforms later, so it is helpful to identify the platform even in those cases.

1. For an in-depth discussion of the similarities and differences between game developers and game publishers and their roles, see Zegarra.

Works Cited

Kaltman, Eric, et al. “The Game I Mean: Game Reference, Citation and Authoritative Access.” Games Studies , vol. 21, no. 3, Sept. 2021, gamestudies.org/2103/articles/kaltman_mason_wardripfruin.

Martin, Jennifer. “What Is a Game Engine?”Ā  University of Silicon Valley , 20 Oct. 2020, usv.edu/blog/what-is-a-game-engine/.

Zegarra, Tomas. “Game Developers vs Game Publishers: Whatā€™s the Difference?”Ā  HP , 19 July 2020, www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/game-developers-vs-game-publishers.

IMAGES

  1. MLA Works Cited

    work cited video mla

  2. PPT

    work cited video mla

  3. MLA Works Cited 8th Edition

    work cited video mla

  4. How to Do an MLA Works Cited Entry for a Journal Article PDF with 2+ Authors

    work cited video mla

  5. MLA Citation Style Overview

    work cited video mla

  6. Formatting your Works Cited page (MLA 8)

    work cited video mla

VIDEO

  1. MLA Citation Works Cited and In-Text

  2. MLA Works Cited Page Assignment 11 03 2023

  3. Creating a Works Cited

  4. MLA Works Cited and In Text Citations

  5. Works Cited for Articles Using Easybib

  6. Level Up: MLA Citation

COMMENTS

  1. How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

    The MLA Works Cited entry for an online video contains the video's creator, the title, the website or platform in italics (e.g. YouTube ), the channel or user that uploaded the video, the upload date, and the URL.

  2. MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

    MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications) The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format.

  3. How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

    How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA 4 ( 299) Citation Generator Source Type Search Citing a YouTube Video According the official MLA Style website, you start the citation off with the title of the video in quotation marks. The name of the website, YouTube, comes next, followed by the name of the YouTube channel, also called the video uploader.

  4. How do I cite an online video?

    How do I cite an online video? Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. Begin the entry as you would any other: consult the MLA format template.

  5. MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Videos/DVDs/TV Shows

    Works Cited List Example: The Usual Suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer, performances by Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benicio Del Toro. Polygram, 1995. In-Text Citation Example: ( Title of Movie Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section) ( The Usual Suspects 01:15:15-01:20:03)

  6. How to Cite a YouTube Video

    An MLA Works Cited entry for an online video begins with the name of the video's author (the person who created it). The uploader is listed later, after the name of the site. The video title appears in quotation marks, the site name in italics. In the in-text citation, list the author's last name and the timestamp of the relevant part of the video.

  7. How do I cite YouTube videos?

    If you are citing an entire work uploaded to YouTube, such as a film, use what you see on YouTube to cite the work in MLA style. Here is an example citation for a film: Moby Dick. Directed by John Huston, MGM, 1956. YouTube, 8 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Yc8KPH-X0.

  8. How to Cite a Movie, Video, or Television Show

    How to Cite a Movie, Video, or Television Show. To create a basic works-cited-list entry for a movie, list the title of the movie. Then in the Contributor element, list the name of the director. Next, in the Publisher element, provide the name of the company that produced the movie, followed by the release date.

  9. MLA Works Cited: References and Formatting

    The MLA works cited page appears at the end of your paper and gives full details of every source that you cited in the text. In this video, you will learn ab...

  10. Works Cited: Video & Multimedia

    Works Cited: Video & Multimedia - MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition - LibGuides at University of West Florida Libraries MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition Multimedia Sources Multimedia sources may be cited in a number of ways, and it is important to remember that MLA 8, essentially, requires the same thing from all sources.

  11. How to Cite YouTube and Other Videos in MLA and APA

    How to Cite a Video In-Text MLA. Now to look at in-text citations for videos in MLA. You never just cite your sources in the works cited! You have to give credit where credit is due in your article, too. If not, your teacher can consider it plagiarism, and no one wants that. To create an in-text citation in MLA, use the author and timestamp.

  12. How to Cite an Online Video in MLA

    To cite an online video in MLA on the Works Cited page, follow this formula: Creator's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Video." Website Name, uploaded by Username, Day Mo. Year, URL. In-Text Citation Rules. An online video in MLA has a simple citation format for in-text citations. The following information appears in parentheses after the text ...

  13. MLA Video Citation Examples

    (George 01:01:46) Streaming Video MLA Citation Format Example Look for videos on streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Hulu, as possible citation sources for your research paper, too. Follow this format, adjusting as needed. Format - Works Cited Last Name, First Name, role. Title of Video, role by Other Contributors, Date, URL.

  14. MLA Works Cited: Develop an MLA Works Cited Page!

    MLA Works Cited: Develop an MLA Works Cited Page! Certain features require a modern browser to function. Please use a different browser, like , or Citation Generator APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator Harvard Referencing Generator Writing Resources Grammar Guides Plagiarism Guide Writing a Paper Videos & Infographics Topic Guides Blog

  15. MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

    According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text. Cite your source automatically in MLA Cite Using citation machines responsibly Powered by Basic rules

  16. MLA YouTube video citation generator & examples

    To cite a song on a YouTube video in MLA style, the core elements required are the title of the song, publication date, uploader's name, and URL. The table below shows how the in-text citation and the works cited entry are included for a YouTube video. In-text citation. Template: ("Shortened Title of the Song") Example: ("Birds") Work ...

  17. Cite Your Sources in MLA Style

    In MLA style you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the in-text citations in your main text. ... YOUTUBE VIDEO "New Video Shows How Face Coverings Help Fight COVID-19." YouTube, uploaded by ABC13 Houston, 1 July 2020, youtu.be/zOub_oMD0cc. EMAIL.

  18. Free MLA Citation Generator [Updated for 2024]

    Updated for 2024 Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib! šŸ˜• What is an MLA Citation Generator? An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format.

  19. Cite a Video

    Cite a Video | Scribbr Citation Generator Proofreading & Editing Plagiarism Checker Knowledge Base Your references will expire in 30 days. Online video Cite a video posted online (on YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). Use other forms to cite films, TV show episodes, video podcast episodes, and recorded speeches/lectures.

  20. How To Cite Videos in APA and MLA Style (With Examples)

    URL. 1. Include the author and timestamp. When citing videos in APA style, the author always refers to the person or entity who uploaded the video. For the timestamp, you would only include hours if the relevant material appears after an hour's runtime. 2.

  21. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    Cite Using citation machines responsibly Powered by General Guidelines The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source's entry on the Works Cited page.

  22. Free MLA Citation Generator

    Autocite Search for your source by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, and more to retrieve the relevant information automatically. MLA 8th & 9th edition Scribbr's Citation Generator supports both MLA 8 and MLA 9 (as well as APA and Harvard ). No matter what edition you're using, we've got you covered! Export to Bib (La)TeX

  23. Citing a Film/Online Video in MLA

    MLA Citation Generator >. Cite a Film. Citation MachineĀ® helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Cite sources in APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and Harvard for free.

  24. How do I cite a video game?

    To cite a video game, follow the template of core elements, as you would for any other source.Below we provide in-depth explanations for each element in a video game citation. In establishing our guidance for citing video games, we consulted Eric Kaltman, Stacey Mason, and Noah Wardrip-Fruin's "The Game I Mean: Game Reference, Citation and Authoritative Access," and we encourage you to ...