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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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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.

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How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA

Last Updated: January 7, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 41,984 times.

If you're writing a research paper in the humanities or liberal arts, you may be formatting your citations using the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. This style requires a full citation to sources used in a "Works Cited" page at the end of your paper, as well as parenthetical in-text citations whenever a source is paraphrased or quoted directly. Your format will vary depending on whether you're citing a work with 2 authors or a work with 3 or more authors. [1] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Works Cited Entry

Step 1 Start your entry with the first author's last name.

  • For example, if you used a book as a source that was written by Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood, your Works Cited entry would start "Potter, Harry."

Tip: Use the author's names in the order they appear on the title page. This is the order that the authors have agreed to, and whose name is listed first is important.

Step 2 Provide the second author's name in first name-last name format.

  • To continue the previous example, you would write the names of the two authors as "Potter, Harry and Luna Lovegood."

Step 3 Use the abbreviation

  • For example, suppose you were using a book as a source that was written by Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Horace Slughorn. Your Works Cited entry would start "Snape, Severus et al." [5] X Research source

In-Text Citation

Step 1 List both authors' names for works with 2 authors.

  • For example, you might write "The class intended to teach students how to defend themselves against the dark arts, however, was ineffective (Potter and Lovegood 47)." [7] X Research source

Step 2 Use

  • For example, you might write "Hogwarts professors were deeply disturbed that Voldemort appeared to have infiltrated the school (Snape et al. 92)." [9] X Research source

Step 3 Omit authors' names from your parenthetical citation when they appear in your text.

  • For example, you might write "Potter and Lovegood described the Defense Against the Dark Arts class as worthless when it came to teaching them anything they could use to protect themselves from a wizard as powerful as Voldemort (47).

Tip: If the work has 3 or more authors, don't forget to add the abbreviation "et al." after the first author's name, even in the text of your paper.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

Quote and Cite a Poem in an Essay Using MLA Format

  • ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
  • ↑ https://research.wou.edu/mla/mla-multipleauthors
  • ↑ https://libguides.uwf.edu/c.php?g=840082&p=6013572
  • ↑ http://libanswers.snhu.edu/faq/102973
  • ↑ https://irsc.libguides.com/mla/intextexamples

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How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA: A Complete Guide

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  • August 16, 2023

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Table of Contents:

Introduction, cite multiple authors: cite a book with two authors, cite multiple authors: cite a book with three or more authors., citing a book with an editor and author or authors..

  • Citing an article without the author's name at the end of the sentence.
  • Citing an article with one author's name at the end of the sentence:

Citing an article with two or more names at the end of the sentence:

For example:, multiple sources by the same author, in your in-text citation, online sources, essential elements and detailed insights.

How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA: A Complete Guide

Authors Writing

In this guide, the ghostwriting founder will walk you through how to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA format. First, we’ll look at a basic example of citing an article with multiple authors using the updated eighth-edition MLA guidelines, similar to the detailed steps found in our Complete Book Tropes List . Then we’ll dive into each step to Cite Multiple Authors in more detail.

You must include both names when you Cite Multiple Authors collectively around two authors. If the publisher has provided them, use their initials instead of their first and middle names. For example:

  • “Smith, Jane A.” (the name of one author)
  • “Smith and Jones” (the names of both authors)

Here is how you can Cite Multiple Authors collectively around three or more.

  • First, name the book, followed by a period.
  • Next, list all the authors’ names in order of their appearance on the title page, separated by commas. If no author is listed for this work, use “Anonymous” instead.
  • Reference page number(s) from your text where you found this information (you may also need to look at endnotes).

If you’re citing an e-book or digital copy of a print book, include that information in parentheses after each citation, much like the guidance provided in our E-book Distribution Strategies . and any other necessary details (i.e., “Online at…”). If you have multiple reference page numbers, separate them with commas.

When you Cite Multiple Authors and are citing a book with an editor and author or authors, you need to list the editor’s name first, followed by the author(s). If there are multiple editors, list them in alphabetical order. If there are multiple authors, list them in alphabetical order.

In this case, if your book has both an editor and an author who aren’t separate entities (like “Edited by Jane Smith”), put the editor’s name first:

  • “Edited by Jane Smith” or “Edited by Jane Smith and John Doe”. If you’re citing a book with an editor and author who aren’t separate entities, put the editor’s name first: “Jane Smith (editor)”.

Citing an article without the author’s name at the end of the sentence.

The author’s name is not in the sentence, so that you will use a parenthetical citation.

In this case, you should include only one author’s last name in your parenthetical citation and place it after the year of publication (or page number). The rest of your citations will be as follows:

  • Author’s Last Name
  • First Name.
  •  “Title of Article.
  • ” Title of Journal or Magazine Volume Number(Issue)
  • Page Numbers to be cited for the article

Citing an article with one author’s name at the end of the sentence:

Citing an article with one author’s name at the end of the sentence and another in parenthesis after the period.

  • The first author’s last name is “Author,” followed by their first name (if applicable).
  • You then write “and” before listing any other authors’ names. The second author’s last name should be written as it would normally appear on its line: without quotation marks or italics, followed by a comma.

For example, if two people wrote this paper together but had different last names– Smith and Jones–you would write: Author1andAuthor2.

When you Cite Multiple Authors, then The last name of the first author should be italicized, as discussed in our blog on How to Publish a Book . and the second author should not be. After a comma, write “et al.” to indicate more co-authors than just those listed above. If you’re citing a book with three or more authors, list them by last name in order of appearance on the cover page: Author1, Author2 and Author3

To cite an article with two or more authors, place the first author’s name in parentheses after a period and then add a comma.

The second author’s name should be followed by a period (if there is one).

If there is a third author, place their name in parentheses after the second author’s last name and add another comma before typing out their last name.

The same rules apply when citing multiple works by one author: place all names in parentheses after punctuating with periods as needed for each entry.

Smith, John (2009). “The Nature of the Thing.” In Q. Jones, Editor. The Philosophy of X. New York: Oxford University Press.

Sometimes, you might be using multiple sources written by the same author and don’t need to Cite Multiple Authors, which is a scenario we explore in our article about Bookstagram Hashtags . In such cases, you must distinguish between these sources in your in-text citations and Works Cited page. You can use a short title or a keyword from the source’s title to differentiate them.

Include the author’s last name and a shortened version of the title. For instance, if you’re citing two sources by John Anderson, “The Science of Stars” and “Exploring Planets,” your citations could look like this: (Anderson, “Stars” 15) and (Anderson, “Planets” 28).

In the Works Cited page, provide the full titles of the sources along with the rest of the publication details:

  • Anderson, John. “The Science of Stars.” Astronomy Today, vol. 14, no. 1, 2021, pp. 10-25.
  • “Exploring Planets.” Space Discoveries, vol. 5, no. 3, 2022, pp. 26-40.

In today’s digital age, you might use online sources such as websites, articles, autobiography writing services or blog posts. Citing these sources follows the same principles as citing printed materials. Just make sure to include the website’s name, the URL, and the date you accessed the information.

Here’s an example of citing an online article

Johnson, Emily, and Mark Davis. “Climate Change and Our Oceans.” Environmental Insights, www.environmentalinsights.org/climate-oceans, Accessed 8 August 2023.

Hopefully, you now better understand how to cite multiple authors in MLA. This can be a tricky process, but it’s not impossible! With these 10 steps and the tips we’ve given above, you should be able to easily Cite Multiple Authors.

Citing multiple authors in MLA style might seem tricky initially, but with practice and attention to detail, you’ll become a pro in no time. Remember to properly format your in-text citations, use “et al.” when there are three or more authors, and correctly arrange the authors’ names on your Works Cited page. Citing your sources not only strengthens your work but also contributes to the scholarly community, as we discuss in our piece on The Importance of Copyright and Intellectual Property. by acknowledging the contributions of others. So, as you embark on your research journey, keep these citation rules in mind to confidently navigate the world of academic writing, and for further guidance, our Book Editing Services can ensure your citations are flawless.

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All you need to know about citations

How to do in-text citations with multiple authors in MLA

MLA in-text citation multiple authors

The format of MLA's in-text citations varies depending on the number of authors. In the following sections you will learn how to format in-text citations in MLA style, with one author, two authors, and multiple authors.

One Author in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with one author, include the author’s last name, and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

  • (Wollstonecraft 26)

If the author’s name is already stated in the sentence, give only the page number or page range in parenthesis at the end of the sentence, or at the next natural pause. For example:

  • As Wollstonecraft stated, “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” (26).

Two authors in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with two authors, include the authors' last names separated by the word and , and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

  • (King and Straub 93-101)

If the authors' names are already stated in the sentence, give only the page number or page range in parenthesis at the end of the sentence, or at the next natural pause. For example:

  • Stephen King and Peter Straub shared the same opinion (93-101).

Three or more in-text citation in MLA

To format an in-text citation of a source with three or more authors, include the first author's last name followed by et al., and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example:

  • (Sumantran et al. 106-114)
  • Sumantran et al. carried out a research about the future of the car (106-114).

mla cover page

This citation style guide is based on the MLA Handbook (9 th edition).

More useful guides

  • MLA Style Guide, 8th Edition: In-text Examples
  • MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics
  • How do I cite a source with multiple authors in MLA style (in-text)?

More great BibGuru guides

  • Harvard: how to cite an online magazine article
  • Chicago: how to cite a documentary
  • APA: how to cite an afterword

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA In-text Citations

MLA In-Text Citations

An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information.

This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text citations, such as citations in prose and parenthetical citations in the current MLA style, which is in its 9th edition. This style was created by the Modern Language Association . This guide reviews MLA guidelines but is not related directly to the association.

Table of Contents

Here’s a quick rundown of the contents of this guide on how to use in-text citations.

Fundamentals

  • Why in-text citations are important
  • Prose vs parenthetical in-text citation differences
  • Parenthetical citation reference chart

In-text citation examples

  • In-text citation with two authors
  • In-text citation with 3+ authors
  • In-text citation with no authors
  • In-text citation with corporate authors
  • In-text citation with edited books and anthologies
  • In-text citation with no page numbers and online sources
  • Citing the same sources multiple times
  • Citing 2+ sources in the same in-text citation
  • Citing multiple works by the same author in the same in-text citation
  • Abbreviating titles
  • Citing religious works and scriptures
  • Citing long or block quotes

Why are in-text citations important?

In-text citations

  • Give full credit to sources that are quoted and paraphrased in a work/paper.
  • Help the writer avoid plagiarism.
  • Are a signal that the information came from another source.
  • Tell the reader where the information came from.

In-text citation vs. in-prose vs. parenthetical

An in-text citation is a general citation of where presented information came from. In MLA, an in-text citation can be displayed in two different ways:

  • In the prose
  • As a parenthetical citation

While the two ways are similar, there are slight differences. However, for both ways, you’ll need to know how to format page numbers in MLA .

Citation in prose

An MLA citation in prose is when the author’s name is used in the text of the sentence. At the end of the sentence, in parentheses, is the page number where the information was found.

Here is an example

When it comes to technology, King states that we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (11).

This MLA citation in prose includes King’s name in the sentence itself, and this specific line of text was taken from page 11 of the journal it was found in.

Parenthetical citation

An MLA parenthetical citation is created when the author’s name is NOT in the sentence. Instead, the author’s name is in parentheses after the sentence, along with the page number.

Here is an MLA parenthetical citation example

When it comes to technology, we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (King 11).

In the above example, King’s name is not included in the sentence itself, so his name is in parentheses after the sentence, with 11 for the page number. The 11 indicates that the quote is found on page 11 in the journal.

Full reference

For every source that is cited using an in-text citation, there is a corresponding full reference. This allows readers to track down the original source.

At the end of the assignment, on the MLA works cited page , is the full reference. The full reference includes the full name of the author, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue number, the date the journal was published, and the URL where the article was found.

Here is the full reference for King’s quote

King, David Lee. “Why Stay on Top of Technology Trends?” Library Technology Reports , vol. 54, no. 2, Feb.-Mar. 2018, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/2008817033?accountid=35635.

Readers can locate the article online via the information included above.

Citation overview

mla-in-text-citations-reference-overview

The next section of this guide focuses on how to structure an MLA in-text citation and reference in parentheses in various situations.

A narrative APA in-text citation and APA parenthetical citation are somewhat similar but have some minor differences. Check out our helpful guides, and others, on EasyBib.com!

Wondering how to handle these types of references in other styles? Check out our page on APA format , or choose from more styles .

Parenthetical Citation Reference Chart

Sources with two authors.

There are many books, journal articles, magazine articles, reports, and other source types written or created by two authors.

When a source has two authors, place both authors’ last names in the body of your work ( Handbook 232). The last names do not need to be listed in alphabetical order. Instead, follow the same order as shown on the source.

In an MLA in-text citation, separate the two last names with the word “and.” After both authors’ names, add a space and the page number where the original quote or information is found on.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with two authors

Gaiman and Pratchett further elaborate by sharing their creepy reminder that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (15).

Here is an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for a book with two authors

Don’t forget that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (Gaiman and Pratchett 15).

If you’re still confused, check out EasyBib.com’s MLA in-text citation generator, which allows you to create MLA in-text citations and other types of references in just a few clicks!

If it’s an APA book citation you’re looking to create, we have a helpful guide on EasyBib.com. While you’re at it, check out our APA journal guide!

Sources With Three or More Authors

There are a number of sources written or created by three or more authors. Many research studies and reports, scholarly journal articles, and government publications are developed by three or more individuals.

If you included the last names of all individuals in your MLA in-text citations or in parentheses, it would be too distracting to the reader. It may also cause the reader to lose sight of the overall message of the paper or assignment. Instead of including all last names, only include the last name of the first individual shown on the source. Follow the first author’s last name with the Latin phrase, “et al.” This Latin phrase translates to “and others.” Add the page number after et al.

Here’s an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for multiple authors

“School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (Tam et al. 299).

The example above only includes the first listed author’s last name. All other authors are credited when “et al.” is used. If the reader wants to see the other authors’ full names, the reader can refer to the final references at the end of the assignment or to the full source.

The abbreviation et al. is used with references in parentheses, as well as in full references. To include the authors’ names in prose, you can either write each name out individually or, you can type out the meaning of et al., which is “and others.”

Here is an acceptable MLA citation in prose example for sources with more than three authors

School library programming in Croatia and Hong Kong is somewhat similar to programming in the United States. Tam, Choi, Tkalcevic, Dukic, and Zheng share that “school library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (299).

If your instructor’s examples of how to do MLA in-text citations for three or more authors looks different than the example here, your instructor may be using an older edition of this style. To discover more about previous editions, learn more here .

Need some inspiration for your research project? Trying to figure out the perfect topic? Check out our Dr. Seuss , Marilyn Monroe , and Malcolm X topic guides!

Sources Without an Author

It may seem unlikely, but there are times when an author’s name isn’t included on a source. Many digital images, films and videos, encyclopedia articles, dictionary entries, web pages, and more do not have author names listed.

If the source you’re attempting to cite does not have an author’s name listed, the MLA in-text citation or parenthetical citation should display the title. If the title is rather long, it is acceptable to shorten it in the body of your assignment. If you choose to shorten the title, make sure the first word in the full citation is also the first word used in the citation in prose or parenthetical citation. This is done to allow the reader to easily locate the full citation that corresponds with the reference in the text.

If, in the Works Cited list, the full reference has the title within quotation marks, include those quotation marks in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses. If the title is written in italics in the full reference, use italics for the title in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses as well.

Parenthetical Citations MLA Examples

The example below is from a poem found online, titled “the last time.” the poem’s author is unknown..

“From the moment you hold your baby in your arms you will never be the same. You might long for the person you were before, when you had freedom and time and nothing in particular to worry about” (“The Last Time”).

The example below is from the movie, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain .

“Perhaps it would have been different if there hadn’t been a war, but this was 1917, and people were exhausted by loss. Those that were allowed to stay manned the pits, mining the coal that would fuel the ships. Twenty-four hours a day they labored” ( Englishman ).

Notice the shortened title in the above reference. This allows the reader to spend more time focusing on the content of your project, rather than the sources.

If you’re looking for an MLA in-text citation website to help you with your references, check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! EasyBib Plus can help you determine how to do in-text citations MLA and many other types of references!

Corporate Authors

Numerous government publications, research reports, and brochures state the name of the organization as the author responsible for publishing it.

When the author is a corporate entity or organization, this information is included in the MLA citation in prose or parenthetical citation.

“One project became the first to evaluate how e-prescribing standards work in certain long-term care settings and assessed the impact of e-prescribing on the workflow among prescribers, nurses, the pharmacies, and payers” (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2).

If the full name of the organization or governmental agency is long in length, it is acceptable to abbreviate some words, as long as they are considered common abbreviations. These abbreviations should only be in the references with parentheses. They should not be used in citations in prose.

Here is a list of words that can be abbreviated in parentheses:

  • Department = Dept.
  • Government = Govt.
  • Corporation = Corp.
  • Incorporated = Inc.
  • Company = Co.
  • United States = US

Example of a shortened corporate author name in an MLA parenthetical citation

“Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (US Govt. Accountability Office 14).

Here is how the same corporate author name would look in an MLA citation in prose

The United States Government Accountability Office states, “Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (14).

Remember, citations in prose should not have abbreviations; other types of references can.

Looking for more information on abbreviations? Check out our page on MLA format.

Edited Books and Anthologies

Edited books and anthologies often include chapters or sections, each written by an individual author or a small group of authors. These compilations are placed together by an editor or a group of editors. There are tons of edited books and anthologies available today, ranging from ones showcasing Black history facts and literature to those focusing on notable individuals such as scientists like Albert Eintein and politicians such as Winston Churchill .

If you’re using information from an edited book or an anthology, include the chapter author’s name in your MLA citation in prose or reference in parentheses. Do not use the name(s) of the editor(s). Remember, the purpose of these references is to provide the reader with some insight as to where the information originated. If, after reading your project, the reader would like more information on the sources used, the reader can use the information provided in the full reference, at the very end of the assignment. With that in mind, since the full reference begins with the author of the individual chapter or section, that same information is what should be included in any citations in prose or references in parentheses.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with an editor

Weinstein further states that “one implication of this widespread adaptation of anthropological methods to historical research was the eclipse of the longstanding concern with “change over time,” and the emergence of a preference for synchronic, rather than diachronic, themes” (195).

Full reference at the end of the assignment

Weinstein, Barbara. “History Without a Cause? Grand Narratives, World History, and the Postcolonial Dilemma.” Postcolonial Studies: An Anthology , edited by Pramod K. Nayar, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, p. 196. Wiley , www.wiley.com/en-us/Postcolonial+Studies%3A+An+Anthology-p-9781118780985.

Once you’re through with writing and citing, run your paper through our innovative plagiarism checker ! It’s the editor of your dreams and provides suggestions for improvement.

Sources Without Page Numbers and Online Sources

When a source has no page numbers, which is often the case with long web page articles, e-books, and numerous other source types, do not include any page number information in the body of the project. Do not estimate or invent your own page numbering system for the source. If there aren’t any page numbers, omit this information from the MLA in-text citation. There may, however, be paragraph numbers included in some sources. If there are distinct and clear paragraph numbers directly on the source, replace the page number with this information. Make it clear to the reader that the source is organized by paragraphs by using “par.” before the paragraph number, or use “pars.” if the information is from more than one paragraph.

Here is an example of how to create an MLA parenthetical citation for a website

“She ran through the field with the wind blowing in her hair and a song through the breeze” (Jackson par. 5).

Here’s an example of an MLA citation in prose for a website

In Brenner’s meeting notes, he further shared his motivation to actively seek out and secure self help resources when he announced, “When we looked at statistical evidence, the most commonly checked out section of the library was self-help. This proves that patrons consistently seek out help for personal issues and wish to solve them with the help of the community’s resources” (pars. 2-3).

Here’s another MLA in-text citation example for a website

Holson writes about a new mindful app, which provides listeners with the soothing sound of not only Bob Ross’ voice, but also the “soothing swish of his painter’s brush on canvas.”

In above example, the information normally found in the parentheses is omitted since there aren’t any page, parentheses, or chapter numbers on the website article.

Looking for APA citation website examples? We have what you need on EasyBib.com!

Need an in-text or parenthetical citation MLA website? Check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! Also, check out MLA Citation Website , which explains how to create references for websites.

Citing the Same Source Multiple Times

It may seem redundant to constantly include an author’s name in the body of a research project or paper. If you use an author’s work in one section of your project, and the next piece of information included is by the same individual(s), then it is not necessary to share in-text, whether in prose or in parentheses, that both items are from the same author. It is acceptable to include the last name of the author in the first use, and in the second usage, only a page number needs to be included.

Here is an example of how to cite the same source multiple times

“One of the major tests is the Project for Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. This measurement was developed over four years as a joint partnership between the Association of Research Libraries and Kent State University” (Tong and Moran 290). This exam is just one of many available to measure students’ information literacy skills. It is fee-based, so it is not free, but the results can provide stakeholders, professors, curriculum developers, and even librarians and library service team members with an understanding of students’ abilities and misconceptions. It is not surprising to read the results, which stated that “upper-level undergraduate students generally lack information literacy skills as evidenced by the results on this specific iteration of the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills test” (295).

The reader can assume that the information in the second quote is from the same article as the first quote. If, in between the two quotes, a different source is included, Tong and Moran’s names would need to be added again in the last quote.

Here is the full reference at the end of the project:

Tong, Min, and Carrie Moran. “Are Transfer Students Lagging Behind in Information Literacy?” Reference Services Review , vol. 45, no. 2, 2017, pp. 286-297. ProQuest , ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/1917280148?accountid=35635.

Citing Two or More Sources in the Same In-text Citation

According to section 6.30 of the Handbook , parenthetical citations containing multiple sources in a single parenthesis should be separated by semicolons.

(Granger 5; Tsun 77) (Ruiz 212; Diego 149)

Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in One In-text Citation

Just as you might want to cite two different sources at the same time, it can also be useful to cite different works by the same author all at once.

Section 6.30 of the Handbook specifies that “citations of different locations in a single source are separated by commas” (251).

(Maeda 59, 174-76, 24) (Kauffman 7, 234, 299)

Furthermore, if you are citing multiple works by the same author, the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

(Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase and Norwegian Wood ) (Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase , Norwegian Wood , and “With the Beatles”)

Abbreviating Titles

When listing the titles, be aware that long titles in parenthetical citations can distract the reader and cause confusion. It will be necessary to shorten the titles appropriately for in-text citations. According to the Handbook , “shorten the title if it is longer than a noun phrase” (237). The abbreviated title should begin with the word by which the title is alphabetized.

Best practice is to give the first word the reference is listed by so the source is easily found in the works cited. Omit articles that start a title: a, an, the. When possible, use the first noun (and any adjectives before it). For more on titles and their abbreviations, head to section 6.10 of the Handbook .

  • Full title :  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 
  • Abbreviated: Curious
  • Full title:  The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks 
  • Abbreviated:  Disreputable History

Religious Works and Scriptures

There are instances when religious works are italicized in the text of a project, and times when it is not necessary to italicize the title.

If you’re referring to the general religious text, such as the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an, it is not necessary to italicize the name of the scripture in the body of the project. If you’re referring to a specific edition of a religious text, then it is necessary to italicize it, both in text and in the full reference.

Here are some commonly used editions:

  • King James Bible
  • The Orthodox Jewish Bible
  • American Standard Bible
  • The Steinsaltz Talmud
  • The Babylonian Talmud
  • New International Bible

When including a reference, do not use page numbers from the scripture. Instead, use the designated chapter numbers and verse numbers.

MLA example of an in-text citation for a religious scripture

While, unacceptable in today’s society, the Bible is riddled with individuals who have two, three, and sometimes four or more spouses. One example in the King James Bible , states that an individual “had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1.2)

The only religious scripture that is allowed to be in the text of a project, but not in the Works Cited list, is the Qur’an. There is only one version of the Qur’an. It is acceptable to include the name of the Qur’an in the text, along with the specific chapter and verse numbers.

If you’re attempting to create a reference for a religious work, but it’s not considered a “classic” religious book, such as a biography about Mother Teresa , or a book about Muhammed Ali’s conversion, then a reference in the text and also on the final page of the project is necessary.

If you’re creating an APA bibliography , you do not need to create a full reference for classic religious works on an APA reference page .

For another MLA in-text citation website and for more on the Bible and other source types, click here .

Long or Block Quotes

Quotes longer than four lines are called, “block quotes.” Block quotes are sometimes necessary when you’re adding a lengthy piece of information into your project. If you’d like to add a large portion of Martin Luther King ’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a lengthy amount of text from a Mark Twain book, or multiple lines from Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address, a block quote is needed.

MLA block quotes are formatted differently than shorter quotes in the body of a project. Why? The unique formatting signals to the reader that they’re about to read a lengthy quote.

Block quotes are called block quotes because they form their own block of text. They are set apart from the body of a project with different spacing and margins.

Begin the block quote on a new line. The body of the full project should run along the one inch margin, but the block quote should be set in an inch and a half. The entire quote should be along the inch and a half margin.

If there aren’t any quotation marks in the text itself, do not include any in the block quote. This is very different than standard reference rules. In most cases, quotation marks are added around quoted material. For block quotes, since the reader can see that the quoted material sits in its own block, it is not necessary to place quotation marks around it.

Here is an MLA citation in prose example of a block quote

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, basketball kept his mind busy and focused:

When I got off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home. The store was locked and there was a note from Grama on the house door. Doc Magovern had come to the house because Grampa was “having trouble with his blood.” Now they were off to the hospital and I “wasn’t to worry.” This had happened before. Grampa had pernicious anemia and sometimes was very sick. So, naturally, it worried the pants off me. I actually thought about taking my bike down the dreaded 9N the three miles to the Saratoga Hospital. Instead, I did as I knew they wanted. I opened the store and waited for customers. None came, though, and my eye was caught by the basketball stowed away as usual behind the door. I had to do something to take my mind off what was happening to Grampa. I took out the ball and went around the side. (13)

Notice the use of the colon prior to the start of the block quote. Do not use a colon if the block quote is part of the sentence above it.

Here is an example of the same block quote, without the use of the colon:

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, it was clear that basketball kept his mind busy and focused when he states

When I get off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home…

If two or more paragraphs are included in your block quote, start each paragraph on a new line.

Looking for additional helpful websites? Need another MLA in-text citation website? Check out the style in the news . We also have other handy articles, guides, and posts to help you with your research needs. Here’s one on how to write an MLA annotated bibliography .

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

Overview of MLA in-text citation structures

If you’re looking for information on styling an APA citation , EasyBib.com has the guides you need!

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

Published October 31, 2011. Updated July 5, 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
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  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Sample Paper
  • Works Cited
  • MLA 8 Updates
  • MLA 9 Updates
  • View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

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In MLA style, if multiple sources have the same author , the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

  • In-text citation: (Austen Emma and Mansfield Park )
  • Structure: (Last name 1st Source’s title and 2nd Source’s title )
  • In-text citation: (Leung et al. 58)

If the author is a corporate entity or organization, included the name of the corporate entity or organization in the in-text citation.

  • In-text citation: (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2)

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

An in-text citation is a shortened version of the source being referred to in the paper. As the name implies, it appears in the text of the paper. A works cited list entry, on the other hand, details the complete information of the source being cited and is listed within the works cited list at the end of the paper after the main text. The in-text citation is designed to direct the reader to the full works cited list entry. An example of an in-text citation and the corresponding works cited list entry for a journal article with one author is listed below:

In-text citation template and example:

Only the author surname (or the title of the work if there is no author) is used in in-text citations to direct the reader to the corresponding reference list entry. For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author for the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author. If you are directly quoting the source, the page number should also be included in the in-text citation.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Christopher Collins ….

Subsequent occurrences: Collins ….

Parenthetical:

….(Collins)

….(Collins 5)

Works cited list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case and is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the journal is set in italics.

Surname, F. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title , vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, page range.

Collins, Christopher. “On Posthuman Materiality: Art-Making as Rhizomatic Rehearsal.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 2, 2019, pp. 153–59.

Note that because the author’s surname (Collins) was included in the in-text citation, the reader would then be able to easily locate the works cited list entry since the entry begins with the author’s surname.

An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry.

Parenthetical

Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses.

Examples of in-text citations

Here are a few tips to create in-text citations for sources with various numbers and types of authors:

Use both the first name and surname of the author if you are mentioning the author for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the author’s surname. Always use only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Sheele John asserts …. (7).

Subsequent occurrences: John argues …. (7).

…. (John 7).

Two authors

Use the first name and surname of both authors if you are mentioning the work for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the surnames of the two authors. Always use only the authors’ surnames in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Katie Longman and Clara Sullivan ….

Subsequent occurrences: Longman and Sullivan ….

…. ( Longman and Sullivan).

Three or more authors

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” For parenthetical citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Lincy Mathew and colleagues…. or Lincy Mathew and others ….

…. (Mathew et al.).

Corporate author

For citations in prose, treat the corporate author like you would treat the author’s name. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name to the shortest noun phrase. For example, shorten the Modern Language Association of America to Modern Language Association.

The Literary Society of Malaysia….

…. (Literary Society).

If there is no author for the source, use the source’s title in place of the author’s name for both citations in prose and parenthetical citations.

When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, shorten the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to Fantastic Beasts .

Knowing Body of Work explains …. (102).

….( Knowing Body 102).

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MLA 8 Citation Guide

  • TITLE of SOURCE
  • TITLE of CONTAINER
  • OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
  • PUBLICATION DATE
  • Works Cited
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with 2 Authors
  • Journal Article with 3 or more Authors
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • One Author or Editor
  • Two Authors or Editors
  • Three or More Authors
  • Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
  • Article in a Reference Book
  • Reference Work
  • Basic Web Page
  • Entry in a Reference Work
  • Government or Agency Document
  • YouTube Video
  • Electronic Image
  • Figures and Charts
  • Class Lecture/Notes
  • Secondary Sources

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citing two authors mla example

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Book with Two Authors or Editors (p. 202)

Mla works cited page: books.

citing two authors mla example

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MLA 9th Edition Citation Guide Multiple Authors

Source with two authors.

Works Cited Page Format:

First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name, Last Name.  Format the remainder according to resource type.
Champaneri, Dushyant D., and Naren K. Patel. “Photo Selective Shade Net: An Effective Tool to Reduce the Impact of Global Warming and Pesticide Residues in Vegetable Production: A Review.”  Agricultural Reviews , vol. 43, no. 2, 2022, pp. 135-44.  EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.18805/ag.R-2363.

In-text Citation Example:

...(Champaneria and Patel 137).

Three or More Authors

Author's Last Name, Author's First Name, et al.  Format the remainder according to resource type. 
Lin, Eugenia, et al. “Imposter Syndrome Among Surgeons Is Associated With Intolerance of Uncertainty and Lower Confidence in Problem Solving.”  Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research , vol. 481, no. 4, 2023, pp. 664–71.  EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1097/CORR.0000000000002390.
...(Lin et al. 665). 
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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

Two Authors

When a work has two authors, include them in the order they appear on the work, and invert the first author's name but write out the second author's name normally.

Works Cited Format:

In-Text Citation Examples:

Author within the text, direct quote:

Authors not in the text, direct quote:

Three or More Authors

Invert the first author's name add a comma and "et al."

In-text Citation Examples:

Authors within the text, direct quote:

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MLA Citation Style 7th Edition: B. Two or Three Authors

  • Quotes & Paraphrasing
  • Works Cited Guidelines
  • A. One Author
  • B. Two or Three Authors
  • C. More than Three Authors
  • D. Anthology or Compilation
  • E. Work in an Anthology
  • F. Corporate Author
  • G. No Author
  • I. Article in a Reference Book
  • J. Edition other than the First
  • K. Introduction, Foreword, Preface, or Afterword
  • L. Translation
  • M. Government Publication
  • A. Basic Journal Article
  • B. Journal Article from an Online Periodical
  • C. Journal Article from Database
  • D. Magazine Article
  • E. Magazine Article from Database
  • F. Newspaper Article
  • A. Basic Web Page
  • B. Document from a Web site
  • C. No Author
  • A. Video or DVD
  • B. Sound Recording
  • C. Musical Composition
  • D. YouTube Video
  • A. Work of Art
  • B. Online Image
  • C. Indirect Sources
  • D. Scripture
  • MLA 8th edition This link opens in a new window

Book with Two or Three Authors (154)

citing two authors mla example

Printable MLA Handouts

  • MLA Guidelines General guidelines for using the MLA style.
  • MLA Sample Paper Click here to view a sample paper and reference list in MLA style.
  • MLA Electronic Resources Tips for creating a reference list in MLA style from electronic resources.
  • MLA In-Text Citation Tips for creating in-text citations in MLA style.
  • MLA Print Resources Tips for citing print resources in MLA style.
  • MLA Frequently Asked Questions A few FAQs on MLA style.
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MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition: Multiple Authors or Editors

  • In-Text References
  • Works Cited
  • One Author or Editor
  • Multiple Authors or Editors
  • Author and Editor
  • Author and Translator
  • Organization as Author
  • Anonymous Work
  • Chapter from an Edited Work
  • Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword
  • Multivolume Work
  • Edition Other than the First
  • Dictionary or Encyclopedia
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Book Review
  • Basic Webpage
  • Video Recording
  • Sound Recording
  • YouTube Video
  • Interview or Personal Communication
  • Lecture or Presentation
  • Thesis or Dissertation
  • Indirect Source
  • Government Document
  • AI Generated Content

Multiple Authors or Editors - Examples

Example 1 – Two Authors

In-Text:       

(Dobson and Kamboureli 89)

Works Cited:

Example 2 – Two Editors

(Shatz and Wilkinson 156)

Example 3 – Three or more Authors or Editors

( Bennett et al. 303 )

NOTE: In the case of more than three authors or editors, it is also acceptable to include all of the authors' or editors' names in the in-text parenthetical reference and works cited entry, if you choose to do so. Whichever you choose, be consistent.

Help & Guide Contents

Home General Guidelines     In-Text Reference     Works Cited Books     One Author or Editor     Multiple Authors or Editors     Author and Editor     Author and Translator     Organization as Author     Anonymous Work     Chapter from an Edited Work     Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword     Multivolume Work     Edition Other than the First     Dictionary or Encyclopedia     E-Book Articles     Journal Article     Magazine Article     Newspaper Article     Book Review Websites     Basic Webpage     Blog Post     Tweet Audiovisual Media     Video Recording     Sound Recording     YouTube Video Other Sources     Interview or Personal Communication     Lecture or Presentation     Thesis or Dissertation     Scripture     Indirect Source     Government Document Plagiarism

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MLA Citation Examples

Two authors, three or more authors, group author, no authors listed, two or more works by the same author.

  • Volume and Issue Numbers
  • Page Numbers
  • Citing a Source within a Source
  • DOIs and URLs
  • In-Text Citations
  • Academic Journals
  • Encyclopedia Articles
  • Book, Film, and Product Reviews
  • Online Classroom Materials
  • Conference Papers
  • Technical and Research Reports
  • Dissertations and Theses
  • Interviews and E-mail Messages
  • AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Works cited list

Courtois, Charles A.

In-text citation

(Cortois 70)

Martin, Jonathan A., and Christopher Jackson.

(Martin and Jackson 127-28)

Fontela, Pablo, et al.

If a work has more than 2 authors, MLA gives you the option of listing only the first author followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others").

(Fontela et al. 153-54)

Modern Language Association of America.

(Modern Language Association 111)

For brevity, shorten group author names to the shortest possible noun phrase. For example, American Historical Society would not be shortened, but Modern Language Association of America can be shorted to Modern Language Association. If possible, remove articles (a, an, the), and give the first noun and any preceding adjectives.

"Hints and Notions." The Decorator and Furnisher , vol. 6, no. 2, May 1885, pp. 61-68. JSTOR , ezproxy.umgc.edu/login?url=www.jstor.org/stable/25584271.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title. Alphabetize reference list entries beginning with a title using the primary word of the title (excluding a, an, the).

("Hints and Notions" 61)

In-text citations should include the title and the page number(s) of the text you are quoting or referring to, with the titles of articles in quotations, and the titles of books or websites italicized. In cases where the title is long, shorten the title to the noun phrase and exclude articles (a, an, the). For example:

Baron, Naomi S. "Know What? How Digital Technologies Undermine Learning and Remembering." Journal of Pragmatics, vol. 175, Apr. 2021, pp. 27-37. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2021.01.011.

Baron, Naomi S. "Reading in a Digital Age." Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 99, no. 2, Oct. 2017, pp. 15-20. Academic Search Ultimate, doi:10.1177/0031721717734184.

(Baron, "Know" 30)

(Baron, "Reading" 19)

If you are citing more than one work by an author, include a short form of the source's title in your in-text citation to avoid ambiguity about which source is being referred to.

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MLA 9 Citation Style: Two Authors

  • Textbook With One Author
  • Textbook With Two Authors
  • Textbook With Three or More Authors
  • Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book
  • Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book
  • Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book
  • Textbook with One Author (Mobile)
  • Textbook with Two Authors (Mobile)
  • Textbook with Three or More Authors (Mobile)
  • Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
  • Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
  • Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
  • Two Authors
  • Three or More Authors
  • Anthology or Edited Book
  • Work in an Anthology or Edited Book
  • Two or More Selections from the Same Anthology or Edited Book
  • Journal Article (Print)
  • Journal Article (Online)
  • Newspaper Articles (Print)
  • Newspaper Articles (Online)
  • Database Article with One Author
  • Database Article with Two Authors
  • Database Article with More Than Three Authors
  • Database Previously Published Scholarly Article (Blooms, MasterPlots, Literary Reference Center)
  • Online Government Publication
  • Website with an Author’s/Contributor’s Name
  • Website with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
  • Web Page with Author
  • Web Page with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
  • Art – From a Book
  • Art – From a Web Page
  • Picture/Photo Online -- General
  • Motion Picture -- DVD
  • Motion Picture -- Streaming
  • Video -- Online (YouTube, etc.)
  • An Interview You Conducted
  • Lecture Notes, PowerPoints, or Handouts from Class
  • In-Text Citations
  • Works Cited Page
  • Popular vs. Scholarly Sources
  • Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

MLA Citation -- Book with Two Authors

Works Cited Format

Last name of first author, First name of first author, and First and Last name of second author. Title of Book .

     Edition (if any), Publisher, Date.

In-Text Citation Format 

(Author’s Last Name p. # * )

* Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

Works Cited Example

Kennedy, David M., and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant . 16 th ed., Cengage Learning, 2016.

In-Text Citation Example 

(Kennedy and Cohen 59)

MLA In-Text Citations

When writing an MLA paper using citations, you use two types of citations: 

  • in-text (or parenthetical) citation
  • Works Cited citation. 

These citations are directly linked.  Any in-text citation should reflect a citation in your Works Cited page at the end of your MLA paper.

The in-text citation is a brief reference to your source which then leads your reader to your Works Cited page for the full citation.  

A Word About Punctuation

The punctuation in your citations does matter.  Make sure you pay attention to where the periods and commas are in the examples. 

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Warren County Community College Haytaian & Maier Library 475 Route 57 West Washington, New Jersey 07882 Text: 908-652-4445 [email protected]

In-text citation

  • Works Cited
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Audiovisual
  • Encyclopaedias and dictionaries
  • Government and organisation publications
  • Interviews / speeches
  • Journals / periodicals
  • Live performances
  • Music scores / recordings
  • Online communication / social media
  • Other sources
  • Print this page
  • Other styles AGLC4 APA 7th Chicago 17th (A) Notes Chicago 17th (B) Author-Date Harvard MLA 9th Vancouver
  • Referencing home

The MLA 9th style uses author-date in-text citations, used when quoting or paraphrasing people’s work. 

Two types of in-text citations

1. author prominent format .

Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," wrote Charles Dickens of the eighteenth century (5).

2. Information prominent format

Use this format if you want to emphasise the information. It cites the author’s name, typically at the end of a sentence.

as demonstrated in the opening line, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" (Dickens 5).

Examples of in-text citations

Less than three lines of text.

If a prose quotation is no more than four lines and does not require special emphasis, put it in quotation marks and incorporate it into the text. Include the page number(s) in brackets.

"It was the best of times it was the worst of times" wrote Charles Dickens of the eighteenth century (5).

  • See Plays and Poetry sections below for how to cite these in-text.

More than three lines of text

If a quotation is longer than three lines, set it off from your text by beginning a new line, indenting half an inch from the left margin. Quotation marks around the text are not required. Introduce the quotation with a colon. Place the parenthetical reference after the last line. For example, the above discusses John Corner in his book, The Art of Record: A Critical Introduction to Documentary , which refers to Brian Winston's revaluation of the documentary tradition in the writings of John Grierson.

Winston's reassessment of Grierson finds the play-off between creativity and realness unconvincing: Grierson's taxonomic triumph was to make his particular species of non-fiction film, the non-fiction genre while at the same time allowing the films to use the significant fictionalising technique of dramatisation. (Winston 103)

This is a usefully provocative point, though agreement with it will largely rest on certain, contestable ideas about 'fictionalisation' and 'dramatisation'. The issue is dealt with directly in Chapter Two, as part of considering the debate around drama-documentary forms, and it occurs in relation to specific works throughout this book.

Two authors

In prose, the first time the two authors are mentioned, use both first and second names. In a parenthetical citation use 'and', not '&' to connect the two surnames.

Others, like Cheryl Brown and Laura Czerniewicz argue that the idea of a generation of ‘digital natives’ is flawed (359). The Brown and Czerniewicz article focuses on…

(Brown and Czerniewicz 359)

Three or more authors

When citing a source with three or more authors in prose you only refer to the first coauthor and can follow the additional authors by “and others“ or “and colleagues.” A parenthetical citation requires the first author's surname, followed by et al.

Laura Czerniewicz and colleagues argue…

(Czerniewicz et al. 53)

Different authors, same surname

If you use works from more than one author with the same last name, eliminate any ambiguity by including the author's first initial as well (or if the initial is also the same, the full first name).

(N. Palmer 45)

(N. Palmer 45; M. Palmer 102)

Citing more than one author

If you are citing more than one source at the same point, place them in the same parentheses, separated by a semi-colon.

(Jackson 41; Smith 150)

Same author, two or more works

If you cite multiple works by the same author, include a shortened title in each in-text citation to establish which work you are referring to. To avoid overly lengthy in-text citations, shorten the title to a simple noun phrase, or a few words.

The first example references Said's book, so the title is italicised. The second example references Said's journal article, so it is in quotation marks.

For more tips on how to abbreviate titles of sources, see 6.10 of the MLA Handbook .

..."the Orient was a scholar's word, signifying what modern Europe had recently made of the still peculiar East" (Said, Orientalism 92).

..."there is something basically unworkable or at least drastically changed about the traditional frameworks in which we study literature" (Said, "Globalizing Literary Study" 64).

Anonymous or no author

For works that are anonymously authored, or have no author, include a shortened version of the title in the in-text citation (do not list the author as "anonymous", nor as "anon.").

It has been argued that the hat symbolised freedom (Wandering Merchant 157).

Corporate author

Abbreviate terms that are commonly abbreviated (e.g. Department becomes Dept.), so as to not disrupt the flow of your text with overly long in-text citations.

If the corporate author is identified in the works-cited list by the names of administrative units separated by commas, give all the names in the parenthetical citation.

The Australian Research Council found that there are limited policies and procedures in place to manage foreign interference (4).

(Monash University 176)

Citing an author within another source

An indirect source is a source that is cited in another source. To quote this second-hand source, use “qtd. in” (quoted in), and then include the information of the source you actually consulted. Similarly, for the reference list use the source that you actually consulted (i.e. the indirect source). Keep in mind that it is good academic practice to seek out and use the original source, rather than the second-hand one, however this is not always possible.

For the below example, the student is using Petrarch's quote which is found in Hui. The page number refers to the source actually consulted (Hui), and the reference list would only list Hui, as shown below:

Hui, Andrew. The Poetics of Ruins in Renaissance Literature. Fordham UP, 2016.

For more information, see section 6.77 of the MLA Handbook .

Petrarch laments that Cicero’s manuscripts are “in such fragmentary and mutilated condition that it would perhaps have been better for them to have perished” (qtd. in Hui 4).

Author in a translation

If you think your audience would require a translation for your quoted material, then provide one. Give the source of the translation, as well as the source of the quote.

If you did the translation yourself, then insert my trans. where you would usually put the translation source, as shown in the example above.

If you're quoting in a language that does not use the Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, etc.), then consistently use the original writing system for your quotes or romanisation. Note that proper nouns are usually romanised.

For more information, see 6.75 Translations of Quotations in the MLA Style Guide .

Mme d'Aulnoy's heroine is "la chatte blanche" ("the white cat"; my trans.; 56)

Poetry - Short quotations

Quotations from poetry from part of a line up to three lines in length, which do not need particular emphasis, may be added, placed in quotation marks, within your text as part of a sentence. Use a slash with a space on either side ( / ) to indicate a new line of poetry.

If the poem you are referencing has line numbers, then omit page numbers all-together and cite by line number instead. Do not use the abbreviation l. or ll. , but instead in your first citation, use the word line, or lines as shown in the example below. After the first citation, it can be assumed that the numbers refer to lines, so you can include the numbers alone.

More's distress that she had not written about the problems of the slave trade earlier are expressed in the poem: "Whene'er to Afric's shores I turn my eyes, / Horrors of deepest, deadliest guilt arise" (line 5).

Poetry - Block quotations

When quoting a block of poetry, introduce it in the same manner as a prose block quotation, i.e. begin the quote on a new line and indent each line as below. There is no need to add quotation marks. A reference to the page or line number should be included in parenthesis at the end of the last line. If the original text is creatively spaced or indented, then try to replicate the original as best you can.

Judith Wright 's poetry explores the Australian environment:

And have we eaten in the heart of the yellow wheat the sullen unforgetting seed of fire? And now, set free by the climate of man's hate, that seed sets time ablaze (14)

If you quote the lines of more than one actor or if the piece you are quoting is long, the quotation should not be integrated into your text. The rules in MLA for presenting this text are:

  • Leave a line between your text and the quotation
  • Begin each part of the dialogue with the character's name, indented half an inch from the margin, in upper case and with a full-stop, e.g. BODYGUARDS.
  • Start dialogue after full-stop or match spacing shown in original source
  • Indent all dialogue an additional amount, as shown below
  • End each piece of dialogue with a full-stop
  • End the last line of the quotation with a full-stop and then add the section and line numbers in parentheses.

For more information, see section 6.40 of the MLA 9th Handbook .

TARTUFFE. Yes, my brother, I am a sinner, a guilty man. An unhappy sinner full of iniquity. (III. vi.)

In-text citation general checklist

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Fresno State Library

Citation Help

  • About Citing and Citation Styles

MLA Style Online Resources

Mla style books.

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MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is most commonly used for papers in the liberal arts and humanities.

QUICK LINKS:  *Links to Purdue OWL MLA 9th Edition*

MLA General Format

In-text Citations

Footnotes & Endnotes

Works Cited Page

Sample Works Cited Page

Sample Paper

QUICK GUIDE:

Fresno State library MLA Citation Guide (4-page pdf)   *MLA 8th Edition - update pending*

F resno State Library’s MLA Quick Guide is based on the 8th edition. *Only use it if your instructor has specified MLA 8th edition.* The handout is being updated, and you can get the updated information in the print handbook or on the Purdue OWL web site.  TUTORIALS:

MLA Style Essay Format (walks you through the basics of setting up your paper in Word)

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Generate accurate MLA citations for free

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to cite a journal article in MLA style

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on April 16, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on January 17, 2024.

An MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article contains the author(s); article title; journal name; volume and issue; month and year; page range; and a DOI if accessed online. In the in-text citation, include the author’s last name and the page number.

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Table of contents

Citing an online journal article, articles with multiple authors, articles in special issue journals, frequently asked questions about mla style.

When citing an online journal article, first look for a DOI , as this is more stable and less likely to change than a URL. A DOI should be formatted as a full link beginning with “https://”, even if not listed as such on the page with the article.

If there is no DOI, you can add a URL instead. If the article is in PDF form, you can optionally note this in your reference .

Citing an article in a database

For sources that you accessed via a database, include the database name along with the DOI or permanent URL.

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See an example

citing two authors mla example

In MLA style, up to two authors are included in citations. List them in the order they appear in the source, separated by commas, and don’t invert the second author’s name.

If an article has three or more authors, include only the first author’s name, followed by  “ et al. ”

Special issue journals focus on a specific theme, are written by a specific group of authors, or are compiled from a special event.

In these cases, include the special issue name, the phrase “special issue of,” and the journal’s regular name. If the special issue lists editors or other contributors, their names should also be included.

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

In MLA style citations , format a DOI as a link, including “https://doi.org/” at the start and then the unique numerical code of the article.

DOIs are used mainly when citing journal articles in MLA .

Some source types, such as books and journal articles , may contain footnotes (or endnotes) with additional information. The following rules apply when citing information from a note in an MLA in-text citation :

  • To cite information from a single numbered note, write “n” after the page number, and then write the note number, e.g. (Smith 105n2)
  • To cite information from multiple numbered notes, write “nn” and include a range, e.g. (Smith 77nn1–2)
  • To cite information from an unnumbered note, write “un” after the page number, with a space in between, e.g. (Jones 250 un)

You must include an MLA in-text citation every time you quote or paraphrase from a source (e.g. a book , movie , website , or article ).

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Gahan, C. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/journal-citation/

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COMMENTS

  1. MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

    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.

  2. How do I cite a source with multiple authors in MLA?

    If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al. Frequently asked questions: MLA Style When should I use footnotes in MLA style? Should I use footnotes to cite sources in MLA style?

  3. Author Names in MLA

    Knowledge Base MLA Style Author Names in MLA | Citing One or Multiple Authors Author Names in MLA | Citing One or Multiple Authors Published on March 27, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on October 3, 2023 by Shona McCombes. In MLA style, up to two authors are included in a citation.

  4. MLA In-text Citations

    An MLA in-text citation provides the author's last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by " et al. " If the part you're citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.

  5. Two Authors

    Two Authors 9th Edition 8th Edition If your source has two authors, separate their last names with the word "and." The authors' names should be listed in the order they appear in the published work. Example: According to most experts, "the best way to increase a child's literacy" is to read to them every night (Wolf and Munemo 220-240).

  6. MLA citation for multiple authors

    MLA works cited template and example: 1 st Author Last Name, First Name, and 2 nd Author First Name Last Name. Title of the Complete Source. Publisher, Date published. Debussy, Chris, and Enrique Clapton. Tribal Integration Schemes and Government Rural Development Schemes. Baldersham and Wick Publishing, 2012. Source with three or more authors

  7. How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA

    Method 1 Works Cited Entry Download Article 1 Start your entry with the first author's last name. When a source has 2 authors, list the last name of the first author's name in your Works Cited entry, followed by a comma. Then add the author's first name. [2]

  8. How to Cite Multiple Authors in MLA: A Complete Guide

    Step. Details. Additional Notes. Cite a Book With Two Authors. Include both names, use initials if provided. For example: "Smith, Jane A." and "Smith and Jones". Cite a Book With Three or More Authors. List all authors in order, use "Anonymous" if no author listed. Include page numbers, e-book details if applicable.

  9. MLA in-text citations with multiple authors

    Two authors in-text citation in MLA To format an in-text citation of a source with two authors, include the authors' last names separated by the word and, and the page number or page range in parentheses. For example: (King and Straub 93-101)

  10. MLA In-Text Citations

    Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with two authors. ... Here's an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for multiple authors "School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students' general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas ...

  11. Research Guides: MLA 8 Citation Guide: Two Authors or Editors

    Example: Burley, Jon and Jeremiah Harris, compilers. A Companion to Genethics. Blackwell, 2007. In-Text Citation: (Author Last Name and Author Last Name page number) Example: (Burley and Harris 153) Purdue Owl MLA Works Cited Page: Books Last Updated: Sep 18, 2023 4:37 PM

  12. Multiple Authors

    ... (Champaneria and Patel 137). Three or More Authors Works Cited Page Format: Author's Last Name, Author's First Name, et al. Format the remainder according to resource type. Works Cited Page Format: Lin, Eugenia, et al. "Imposter Syndrome Among Surgeons Is Associated With Intolerance of Uncertainty and Lower Confidence in Problem Solving."

  13. Articles

    Two Authors When a work has two authors, include them in the order they appear on the work, and invert the first author's name but write out the second author's name normally. Works Cited Format (2 authors, scholarly journal): First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Capitalized Title of Article."

  14. Books

    Two Authors When a work has two authors, include them in the order they appear on the work, and invert the first author's name but write out the second author's name normally. Works Cited Format: First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Example: Hawkins, Stan, and Sarah Niblock.

  15. MLA Citation Style 7th Edition: B. Two or Three Authors

    Home Book with Two or Three Authors (154) The general format and example below refer to a book with two authors. If you are dealing with two editors instead of two authors, insert the names of the editors into the place where the authors' names are now, followed by a comma and the word "eds." without the quotation marks.

  16. MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition: Multiple Authors or Editors

    Works Cited: Dobson, Kit, and Smaro Kamboureli. Producing Canadian Literature: Authors Speak on the Literary Marketplace. Wilfrid Laurier UP, 2012.

  17. Authors

    In-text citation (Modern Language Association 111) For brevity, shorten group author names to the shortest possible noun phrase. For example, American Historical Society would not be shortened, but Modern Language Association of America can be shorted to Modern Language Association.

  18. Student's Guide to MLA Style (2021)

    Multiple authors. For a source with two authors, include the last names of both authors. If a source has three or more authors, only include the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." if in parentheses or "and colleagues" if in the text. Smith and Morrison claim that "MLA is the second most popular citation style" (17).

  19. MLA 9 Citation Style: Two Authors

    Works Cited Format . Last name of first author, First name of first author, and First and Last name of second author. Title of Book. Edition (if any), Publisher, Date. In-Text Citation Format (Author's Last Name p. # *) * Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

  20. In-text citation

    In-text citation. The MLA 9th style uses author-date in-text citations, used when quoting or paraphrasing people's work. Two types of in-text citations 1. Author prominent format . Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

  21. How to Cite a Book in MLA

    An MLA book citation always includes the author (s), title (italicized), publisher, and publication year in the Works Cited entry. If relevant, also include the names of any editors or translators, the edition, and the volume. "University Press" should be abbreviated to "UP" in a Works Cited entry.

  22. MLA

    MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is most commonly used for papers in the liberal arts and humanities. QUICK LINKS: *Links to Purdue OWL MLA 9th Edition* MLA General Format. In-text Citations. Footnotes & Endnotes. Works Cited Page . Sample Works Cited Page. Sample Paper. QUICK GUIDE:

  23. How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

    An MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article contains the author (s); article title; journal name; volume and issue; month and year; page range; and a DOI if accessed online. In the in-text citation, include the author's last name and the page number. Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr