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How to Cite Using MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

Online Citation Guide:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Works Cited:  

• Basic Format (books):  Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
• Basic Format (journals/magazines): Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of publication.
• Basic Format (electronic resources):  See OWL Citing Electronic Resources

In-Text Citation:

• Name noted in sentence:  Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263)
• Name not noted in sentence:  Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

When to Include URL:

MLA no longer requires the use of URLs in MLA citations:

• Web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often)
• Documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the Web (e.g., on multiple databases)
• Most readers can find electronic sources via title or author searches in Internet Search Engines

See OWL webpage on Citing Electronic Sources

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When to Cite

1. Quotes:  If you use the exact text you must enclose in quotation marks and cite
2. Paraphrase:  If you rewrite the original text in your own words, you must cite the source
3. Summarize:  If you summarize the argument or data, you must cite
4. Indebtedness:  You must cite any text you read that helped you think about your paper even if you do not directly reference

When to Not Cite

1. Common knowledge:  Barak Obama is the president of the United States
2. Writing you own lived experiences, observations, or insights
3. Generally accepted facts:  You must cite when directly quoting another source