how to cite

1. MLA CITATION

2. HELPFUL RESOURCES
 Library Website (Specifically, “Citation Tools” Page)
 Purdue OWL – Online Writing Lab
 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th
Edition) – several copies in our library
 Your Librarian!

3. Library Overview Page

4. “Citation Tools” Page

5. “How-To” Guides Page

6. The OWL at Purdue U.

7. The Basics
 In-text or Parenthetical Citation (Author-style: mostly
used for English)
 In-text or Parenthetical Citation (electronic source)
 Works Cited Page (formerly known as Bibliography)

8. Parenthetical Citation (Author)
 WHAT: In MLA style, refer to the works of others by
using a parenthetical citation. You place the relevant
source information in parentheses after a quote or a
paraphrase.
 HOW:
 1) Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous
overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
 Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in
the creative process (263).
Source: OWL at Purdue University
Use
author’s
last name
and page
quote
found

9. Parenthetical Citation
(Electronic Source)
 For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following
guidelines:
 Include in the text the first item that appears in the
Work Cited (bibliography) entry that corresponds to the
citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name,
film name)
 You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page
numbers
 Do not include URLs in-text

10. Parenthetical Citation
(Electronic Source) – Pg. 2
 Examples:
 One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a
beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and
colonialism" (Garcia, “Herzog: a Life”).
 The Purdue OWL is accessed by millions of users
every year. Its "MLA Formatting and Style Guide" is one
of the most popular resources (Stolley et al.).
Note
different
style of
citing
Source: OWL at Purdue University

11. Works Cited Page
 Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your paper. It
should have same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as
the rest of your paper.
 Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put
them in quotation marks) and center the at the top of the page.
 Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
 Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a
hanging indent.
 Example: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967.
Print.
 Example: Stolley, Karl, et al. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at
Purdue. 10 May 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab. 12 May 2006.
Source: OWL at Purdue University