MLA Citation Guidesheet for Works Cited Pages and Bibliography Cards

Dorseyville Middle School Library – updated 3/2008

Things to remember when writing a citation:
1. Most of your information will be found on the title page or on the back of the title page.
2. For cities, use the first one listed. If out of the country and not well known, add the country of origin.
3. When writing the publisher’s name, leave out extras like “Inc.”, “Publishers”, “Books”, “Press”, etc.
4. When multiple copyright dates are listed, always use the most recent.
5. Remember to indent when beginning the second and any subsequent lines.
6. Punctuation is the KEY! Pay careful attention to all commas, periods, and colons.

Book with One Author/Pamphlet Book/Pamphlets with many Authors

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publication City:
Publisher, Year of Publication.
Sample
Wilson, Frank R. The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the
Brain. Los Angeles: Greenhaven, 2006.
Last Name, First Name, and other people. Title of Book.
Publication City: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Sample
Baker, Robert, and Laurence W. Jones. An Introduction
to Astronomy. Boston: Lucent, 2006.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Reference Books

Book with an Editor
Article Title When you have an editor, write their name the same as you would for the
Common Encyclopedias/Dictionaries
author, then place a comma then Ed. after it. See below:
“Mercury.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2007 ed.
The editor Jane Smith becomes: Smith, Jane, Ed.
Specialty Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference Books

Thomas, John. “Normans and Normandy.” Dictionary Internet Sources

of the Middle Ages. New York: Scribner’s.
2002.
Multi-Volume Specialty Reference Book
Freedman, Paul. “Auschwitz.” New York: UXL, 2004.
Vol. 3 of Understanding the Holocaust.
If any of the information is absent, skip it.
Author(s). “Article/Portion of Webpage Used.” Title of
Website. Date of Last Post/Revision/Update.
Company/Organization/Institution Responsible.
Date of access <web address>.

Sample
Magazines Felluga, Donald. “What Kids Really Think.” Students
Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date: page Talk About Drugs. 9 June 2006. USAToday. 5
numbers. Oct. 2007 <http://www.usatoday.com/life/124.htm>.
Sample
Armstrong, Larry. “The Learning Revolution.” Newsweek Poem, Essay, or Short Story in an Anthology
28 Feb. 2007: 80-89.
Author(s). “Title of Poem/Essay/Story.” Title of Book.
Ed. Editor Name. Publication City: Publisher,
Newspapers Year of Publication. Page Numbers.
Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper Date: Sample
page numbers. Allende, Isabel. “Toad’s Mouth.” The Hammock Beneath
Sample the Mangoes. Ed. Thomas Colchie. Dallas:
Young, Vince. “Man Released from Prison.” Pittsburgh Penguin, 2006.
Post-Gazette 28 Feb. 2006: C4.
 Pictures from the Internet
(if any of the below can not be identified, simply leave
them out…if no picture name is found, describe image)
Creator(s). “Description or Name of Image.” Online
image. Title of Website Where Image Was Found.
Date of access <web address>.
Sample
Jones, Thomas. “Map of Ancient Egypt.” Online
image. University of Cairo Maps. 10 Jan. 2000
<http://www.cairou.edu/living/images/
egyptmap.gif>.
Student Resource Center/EBSCOhost
Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date: page
numbers. Name of Database. EBSCOhost. Date
of access <http://address.com>.
Sample Magazine
Killmeyer, Judith T. “How to Throw a Fastball.” Sports
Illustrated 9 Oct. 2001: 87. MasterFile Premier
EBSCOhost. 12 Feb. 2005 <http://epnet.com>.
Sample Journal
Benson, Carole, ed. “America’s Children: Key Indicators
of Well-Being.” Federal Interagency Forum on
Children. 1 July 2000. ERIC ED 427897.
EBSCOhost. 18 June 2003 <http://epnet.com>.
LitFinder
Author(s) Name. “Poem, Speech, Play, Story Title.”
LitFinder. Thompson Gale. Date of access
<http://www.litfinder.com>.
Sample
Cummings, Edward Estlin. “Chanson Innocente: 2.”
LitFinder. Thompson Gale. 18 Sept. 2003
<http://www.litfinder.com>.
Biography Reference Bank
Author(s). "Article Title." Original Source of Article. Date
of original source. Pages of original source. Specific
Database on WilsonWeb. Date of access.
<http://vweb.hwwilsonweb.com/>.
Sample
"Edward Albee." Current Biography. 2005. Biography
Reference Bank. 15 Dec. 2004
<http://vweb.hwwilsonweb.com/>.
Interview
Interviewee Name(s). Personal interview. Date.
Sample
Payton, Mary Ann. Personal interview. 15 Jan. 2006.
Videorecording/DVD
Title of Video. Dir. Director’s Name. Distributor, Year
Released.
Sample:
It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Dreamworks,
2004.
ProQuest
Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Date: page
numbers. ProQuest. ProQuest. Date of access
<http://www.proquest.umi.com/>.
Sample Magazine
Koretz, Gene. “Economic Trends: Uh-Oh, Warm Water.”
Business Week 21 July 2006: 87. ProQuest.
ProQuest. 17 Aug. 2007
<http://www.proquest.umi.com/>.
Issues and Controversies
“Article Title.” Issues & Controversies@FACTS.com Date
Published. Facts on File News Service. Date of
access <http://www.2facts.com>.
Sample Article
“Music and Me.” Issues & Controversies@FACTS.com
10 Aug. 2006. Facts on File News Service. 29
Aug. 2007 <http://www.2facts.com>.
AccuNet AP Multimedia Archive
Creator(s) Name. “Title of photograph.” Date Created.
AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive. Accuweather.
Date of access <http://accuweather.ap.org>.
Sample
Kraychyk, George. “Golden Globes: Denzel Washington.”
1 Dec. 2003. AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive.
Accuweather. 2 Sept. 2004
<http://accuweather.ap.org>.