The document summarizes the key changes in the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook. It discusses updates to guidelines around underlining, URLs, pagination, publication medium, and abbreviations. Specific examples are provided for how to format citations for books, journals, magazines, newspapers, databases, and websites under the new 7th edition guidelines. In-text citations are also covered.

1. MLA 7th edition
All you ever wanted to know and
more

2. MLA Handbook Website: http://www.mlahandbook.org/fragment/public_index
Picture from the MLA Handbook Website.

3. What’s new?
• Underlining
• URLs
• Pagination
• Publication medium
• Abbreviations

4. Underlining
• Outdated and unnecessary
• Use italics - Angels and Demons

5. URLs
• URLs are no longer required
• Unless…citation information does not clearly
and easily lead to the source

6. Pagination
• Continuous pagination or no continuous
pagination?
• No longer matters
• Both volume and issue number required

7. Publication medium
• Each citation states the type of medium
• Print; Web; Performance; DVD; TV

8. Abbreviations
• No publisher – n.p.
• No page – n.pag.
• No date – n.d.

9. Examples
Let the fun begin!

10. Book – One Author
• Old
Brown, Dan. Angels and Demons. New York:
Atria Books, 2003.
• New
Brown, Dan. Angels and Demons. New York:
Atria Books, 2003. Print.

11. Print journal
• Old
Mullard, Asher. “Microbiology: Tinker, Bacteria,
Eukaryote, Spy.” Nature 459 (2009): 159-61.
• New
Mullard, Asher. "Microbiology: Tinker, Bacteria,
Eukaryote, Spy." Nature 459.7244 (2009):
159-61. Print.

12. Print magazine
• Old
Weber, Joseph, and Christopher Palmeri. “Be
Our Guest. Please.” Business Week 25 May
2009: 11.
• New
Weber, Joseph, and Christopher Palmeri. “Be
Our Guest. Please.” Business Week 25 May
2009: 11. Print.

13. Print Newspaper
• Old
Wines, Michael. “To Protect Ancient City, China
Plans to Raze It.” New York Times 28 May
2009, natl. ed.: A1+.
• New
Wines, Michael. “To Protect Ancient City, China
Plans to Raze It.” New York Times 28 May
2009, natl. ed.: A1+. Print.

14. Database journal
• Old
Wessels, Michael. “Foraging, Talking, and
Tricksters.” Journal of Folklore Research 45
(2008): 299-327. Project MUSE. UTPA Lib.,
Edinburg, TX. 1 June 2009
<http://muse.jhu.edu/>.
• New
Wessels, Michael. “Foraging, Talking, and
Tricksters.” Journal of Folklore Research 45.3
(2008): 299-327. Project MUSE. Web. 1 June
2009.

15. Website
• Old
Purdue OWL. “Evaluating Print vs. Internet
Sources." The Purdue OWL. 8 Jan. 2010. Purdue
U Writing Lab. 26 Jan. 2010
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5
53/01/>.
• New
Purdue OWL. "Evaluating Print vs. Internet
Sources." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing
Lab, 8 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2010.

16. In-text citations
• Must refer back to sources listed in works
cited
• Must specify location of the borrowed
information
• Usually includes author’s last name and a
page reference

17. Example – One author
• Author’s name in text
According to Brown, science and religion co-
exist (179-181).
• Author’s name in citation
Science and religion co-exist (Brown 179-181).

18. Example – Multiple authors
• Authors’ names in text
Weber and Palmeri agree that restaurants are
losing money (11).
• Authors’ names in citation
Restaurants are losing money (Weber and
Palmeri 11).

19. Example – Quote
• Author’s name in text
Place claims “bacteria are gross” (148).
• Author’s name in citation
“Bacteria are gross” (Place 148).

20. Example – No page numbers
• If no page numbers are available, include the
author in the text
• Example
Place provides a different viewpoint on the
situation.

21. Example – Multivolume source
• Author’s name in text – separate volumes
The anthology by Borntrager discusses the
influence of the short stories Jackson’s “The
Lottery”(2: 345-50) and Kafka’s “The
Metamorphosis” (3: 171-220).
• Author’s name in citation – volume as a whole
The hypocrisy of the authors and their works is
the central focus (Borntrager, vol. 1).

22. Some automatic citation sites
• EasyBib
– Offers free automatic citation for MLA style only
• Responsible for proper capitalization
• Knight Cite
• Citation Machine
• BibMe
• Word 2007

23. Now it’s your turn!
• Go to
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/BirthDefects/
• Practice by creating the citation for this
webpage

24. Survey says...?
• Answer
National Center on Birth Defects and
Developmental Disabilities, Division of Birth
Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “CDC
Features – 10 Things You Need to Know
About Birth Defects.” Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. CDC, 19 Jan. 2010.
Web. 28 Jan. 2010.

25. Questions?