The MLA Handbook 8th Edition provides guidance on formatting academic papers, including document formatting, in-text citations, and reference lists, using MLA style. It introduces a simplified citation style based on core elements like author, title, publisher, and publication date. These core elements are arranged in a standard order within citations. The handbook also discusses containers, which are items that hold sources like books, websites, or journals. It is available in print at the library and provides more resources for writing and citations on the MLA Style Center website.

1. MLA Handbook
8th Edition
Overview: Part 1

2. MLA (Modern Language
Association) Style formatting is
often used in various humanities
disciplines.
In addition to the handbook, MLA
also offers The MLA Style
Center, a website that provides
additional instruction and
resources for writing and
formatting academic papers.
What is MLA?

3. MLA Handbook & John B. Cade Library
You can find a print copy
of the MLA Handbook 8th
Edition at the Ask Here
Desk, located on the 1st
floor of the library.
Call Number: LB2369.G53
2016b

4. The MLA Handbook will
provide pointers on:
• Document format
• In-text citations
• Works-cited list

5. The MLA 8th edition handbook introduces a new way to cite sources.
Instead of a long list of rules, MLA guidelines are now based on a set
of principles that may be used to cite any type of source.
The three guiding principles are:
1. Cite simple traits shared by most works.
2. Remember that there is more than one
way to cite the same source.
3. Make your documentation useful to
readers.

6. Basic rule for any formatting
style:
Always
Follow your instructor’s
guidelines

7. There is more information available today, in more
formats, than ever before, so the way we cite
sources needs to evolve to keep pace.

8. MLA 8 was designed to simplify the process,
helping writers accurately and intuitively cite
sources more easily, requiring that every source
type follow the same format.

9. This means that books, websites, periodicals,
videos, photographs, and all other types of
sources now use this same standard format.

10. MLA 8 requires researchers to
locate the same “core elements”
from their sources and place
them in a standard order in
order to create their citations.
The “Core Elements” of an MLA 8 citation, along with
their corresponding punctuation marks, include the
following (in this order).
MLA CORE ELEMENTS

11. QUESTIONS TO ASK
WHEN YOU ARE
STRUCTURING YOUR
MLA CITATION!
Don’t forget the corresponding punctuation
marks, include the following (in this order).

12. The Title Container is crucial to the
identification of the source.

13. Understanding containers Containers are generally the
item that holds a source.
Think of containers as…..
1. Articles found in a
journal.
2. Songs found on your
favorite CD.
3. Pictures found inside a
book.

14. Containers were introduced in
the 8th Edition of MLA Style and
can be found as the third item in
an MLA citation.
Remember, it is important that you place all of the core elements together
along with the specified punctuation to create an MLA Citation.

15. Types of containers
• Compilations, such as books of
essays, poems, or short stories
• Newspapers, magazines, and
academic journals
• Websites (including online
periodicals)
• Library databases and online
book platforms

16. A Source in a Single
Container
Example
Works Cited: A Quick Guid
An Essay in a Book
Collection

17. This is A Video on a Web Site
Example of a single source container.

18. Containers are generally the item that holds a source.

19. For more information on MLA 8 Handbook
Go to: https://style.mla.org/
You can find a copy of the MLA Handbook 8th Edition at the Ask
Here Desk, located on the 1st floor of the library.