MLA Citation Guide (7th)

A citation entry generally has three main divisions – the author, the title, and the publication information – each followed by a period and two spaces.

Notice that the indentations are the exact opposite of a paragraph – flush left for the first line, but indent any following lines if the entry runs over. That way you can alphabetize easily and someone can skim your bibliography looking for the last name of your sources. This makes checking your citations easier.

If you are missing some piece of information anywhere along the way, move on to whatever piece you have. For example, if a work is anonymous, start with the title.

Books

By a Single Author:

English, Carol. The Cliffs Won't Do: Read the Book. 
   Philadelphia: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Print.

Two or Three Authors:

Drucker, Darla, and Amy Jones. How to Survive Your Wedding. 
   New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Print.

Book with no Author:

Encyclopedia of Bagels. 3rd. Brooklyn, NY: 
   Random House, 1991. Print.

Reference Sources

Encylopedia signed article:

Copaset, Sandra. "Zen and the Art of Wearing Blue and Khaki." 
   Encyclopedia Americana. 10th. 12. New York, NY: Encyclopedia Americana, 
   2007. Print.

Encyclopedia unsigned article:

"Best Beards of All Time." Encyclopedia of Anatomy and Hair. 
   3rd. New York, NY: Pearson, 2006. Print.

Periodical Articles

Article in Weekly Magazine

Henry, Mary Ann. "Announcing Bus Changes with Flair." Time 
   25 August 2005: 71-76. Print.

Article in Monthly Magazine

Ramsey, Pamela. "Where's My Smiley Face." PC Today 
   June 1999: 52-56. Print.

Newspaper Article

Goldberg, Grace. "The Inside Track:  Alumni Life." 
   Greek Life 10 Oct 1991: 2. Print.

Electronic Resources

Online Magazine Article

Webster, Adam. "From the Beginning of Time." Scientific American
   July 2000: 35-40. Web. 5 Oct 2009.

Internet Site

Gunter, Wilhelm. "The Old Man and the Sea." Great American Literature. 11 July 2004. 
   University of Germany, Web. 5 Oct 2009.

Work from a Subscription Service

Dundee, Alan. "Folklore." People Weekly 35.3 2003. n. pag. 
   EbscoHost. Web. 5 Oct 2009.

Add URL only when the reader probably cannot locate the source without it (Include http://)