Step-by-Step Guide on How to Cite in MLA
Tags: mla, howtociteinmla, mlaformat, mlacitation
Published: 2024-03-19 13:55:05

MLA (Modern Language Association) is a citation format used by students and professionals in the humanities. This blog will follow the 9th edition, the most recent ML edition published in 2021. The article will discuss all you need to know about MLA style.
To cite in MLA style, you need the following:
•	In-text citation: In MLA, this part gives the author's last name and the page number.
•	A list of works cited: This is the part that gives the full details of every source it usually includes on the essay's last page.
While required to write your paper in MLA citation format, there are some rules that you are required to follow. Some of these include:
i.	One inch margins
ii.	Double spaced
iii.	Indented paragraphs
Formatting an essay in MLA citation format and observing all the requirements of this citation style can be confusing. But you don’t have to worry because you can easily create MLA citations automatically with our MLA citation machine. With this, you are just required to provide a URL, DOI or ISBN, and the citation machine will generate the correct MLA citation information for you.
MLA Work Cited List
This is the part where you are required to provide the full details of all the sources you have cited in your essay or paper. In other citation formats, it is called the reference list or bibliography. This part is usually included on the last page of your paper.
9 Core Elements of MLA Citation
Each of the work cited entry in MLA has to have the following elements:
1.	Author’s Name
Each of the MLA sources should begin with the name of the author or the creator's name. The name should start with the Last name and then the first name. When the source has more than one author, the second author's name should begin with the author's first name the then the last name. For the sources with more than two authors, you are required only to include the first author's name, then the et al. 
You should also note that in some cases, the author can also be an organization; in this case, you are required to use the organization's name. But, in the case where the organization is both the author and the publisher in MLA you are required to start with the source's title.
2.	Title
With MLA, you are always required to include the source's full title, including its subtitle. The sources' title and subtitle in MLA are to be separated by a colon and a space. The title should be in title case, where you are required to capitalize the first letters of each word apart from conjunctions, articles and prepositions. However, the styling of the title in MLA depends on the type of the source, for example:
For movies, books, and websites, the source title should be in italics; titles should be in quotation marks for books, chapters, and pages on websites or articles in a journal. While for sources with no title, there is no title styling. 
3.	Container
This is the part where the sources you are citing appears in. An example of a container in MLA is the page on which the chapter appears, a page of a website or an article in a journal. 
4.	Other Contributors
This should come right after the container title and always ends with a comma. This part uses a description such as "translated by", "directed by", or "illustrated by" This is the part that is meant to show the role of the contributors.
5.	Version
If a source has more than one version, you should always include the version of the source you used. For instance, a third-edition book or any version of the source would be included as follows:
Shih, Y. (2021). An Introduction to Quantum Optics: Photon and Biphoton Physics (2nd ed.). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003130604
6.	Number
If you have numbered sources make sure to include the numbers in the sources entry. For instance, sources such as magazines ("no. 12"), TV shows ("season 2, episode 1"), for journal articles ("vol. 18").
In case a source has an edition, a volume and a number, you can separate them with a comma.
7.	Publisher
When having books and movies as your sources, always include the publisher elements in some cases, like when the publisher is mentioned somewhere in the source entry, such as in the container or the author element. 
You are not required to include the publisher for the following sources.
•	Website
•	Newspapers and magazines
•	Journals
•	Platforms like YouTube
8.	Date of Publication
Always make sure to include the publication year whenever provided. If there are various years of publication, use the most relevant year of publication for your research and take the date for the source edition you have used.
9.	Location
What you include in this part mainly depends on the type of source you are citing. For instance, for book chapters, include the page range of the chapter (e.g. pp. 20-35). For web pages, include the URL to the page without the “https://" part. For journal articles, include the DOI or the stable URL for physical objects or events, including the location's name and city.
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MLA In-text Citations
MLA in-text citations are brief references that you are to include in the body of your document, directing your readers/audiences to the full reference in the Work cited list. The in-text citation is included when quoting or paraphrasing a source. In MLA, an in-text citation consists of the author's last name and the page number in parentheses. For example
(Rosie 20) the page number points to the exact location of the quotes or the information that you are citing. 
You can also give it as According to Rosie, most of the youths spends most of their time on social media (20)
Multiple Authors
When a source has two authors, include the last names of both authors; when you have a source with more than two authors, include the last name of the first author, then include the et al. in the parentheses.
Now that you understand how to cite in MLA and everything you need to understand about MLA, you may also need help getting a strong thesis statement for your MLA essay and paper. In this case, you can use the AI thesis statement generator and get a strong thesis statement without wasting much of your time.
There are various citation formats that students can use while writing their essays. Still, these citation formats have different rules and requirements, making it easy for students to confuse these different formatting styles. To be always sure and to avoid confusion while writing your essays, you can use the homework help and be sure for including all the citation element in their essay 
Conclusion
Mastering MLA citation style is essential for students and professionals in the humanities. Understanding the core elements and rules, such as in-text citations and the works cited list, is crucial for maintaining academic integrity. While MLA formatting may seem daunting, utilizing tools like citation machines can simplify the process. With resources available for generating citations and crafting thesis statements, students can navigate their academic endeavours with confidence and accuracy, ensuring clarity and credibility in their writing.