4.3 MLA Documentation and Citation Conventions

4.3 MLA Documentation and Citation Conventions

The Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation style is the standard citation system used across the humanities, including literature, composition, language studies, and cultural studies. Now in its 9th edition, MLA style prioritizes a flexible, container-based approach to documentation. This section details the mechanics of MLA in-text citations, the architecture of the Works Cited page using the 9 Core Elements framework, and formatting conventions for diverse source formats.

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MLA In-Text Parenthetical Citations

MLA style uses an Author-Page system for in-text citations. This system directs the reader to the exact page where evidence was located while guiding them to the full bibliographic entry on the Works Cited page.

Basic Author-Page Syntax

In MLA style, no comma separates the author's last name from the page number, and no "p." or "pp." abbreviation is used.

• Parenthetical Citation: The impact of digital media on attention spans remains a critical debate (Garrison 104).
• Narrative Citation (Author in Signal Phrase): Garrison maintains that digital media significantly reduces sustained attention spans (104).

Variations by Author Count and Type

• Two Authors: Include both last names connected by "and".
  • Example: (Nakamura and Patel 88)
• Three or More Authors: List the first author's last name followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others").
  • Example: (Alvarez et al. 215)
• Corporate / Organizational Author: Use the full formal name of the institution.
  • Example: (Modern Language Association 45)
• Unknown Author: Use a shortened version of the title. If the source is an article, enclose the shortened title in quotation marks; if it is a book, italicize it.
  • Example (Article): ("Global Warming Trends" 12)
  • Example (Book): (Atlas of World History 54)
• Indirect Citation (Citing a Source Quoted in Another Source): Use "qtd. in" (quoted in) within the parenthetical citation.
  • Example: According to Jackson, theoretical models must account for variance (qtd. in Miller 73).

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MLA Works Cited Formatting and the Core Elements System

The Works Cited list appears at the very end of the paper on a new page. It lists all sources cited within the text, organized alphabetically by the author's last name (or by title if no author is listed).

Page Formatting Guidelines

• Title: Center the title "Works Cited" (without bold, italics, or quotation marks) 1 inch from the top margin.
• Spacing: Double-space the entire page, including between entries and after the title.
• Hanging Indent: Begin each entry flush with the left margin. Indent subsequent lines of the same entry 0.5 inches (hanging indent).

The 9 Core Elements Framework (MLA 9th Edition)

Rather than memorizing rigid templates for hundreds of different media types, MLA 9th Edition uses a universal framework of 9 Core Elements arranged in a specific sequence and followed by prescribed punctuation.

  1. Author.                   [ Last name, First name. ]
  2. Title of Source.          [ "Article Title" or *Book Title* ]
  3. Title of Container,       [ *Journal Title*, *Website Name*, *Database* ]
  4. Contributor,              [ edited by / translated by ]
  5. Version,                  [ 2nd ed. / rev. ed. ]
  6. Number,                   [ vol. 12, no. 3 ]
  7. Publisher,                [ University Press / Publisher Co. ]
  8. Publication Date,         [ 14 May 2022 / 2021 ]
  9. Location.                 [ pp. 45-67 / DOI / URL ]

Containers in MLA

A container is the larger host work in which a smaller source is located. For example, an article (source) is contained within a journal (container 1), which may be accessed through an online database like JSTOR (container 2).

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Detailed Formatting Examples across Source Types

1. Authored Book (Single Author)

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Year.

• Example: Said, Edward W. Culture and Imperialism. Vintage Books, 1994.

2. Scholarly Journal Article from a Database (Two Containers)

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pp. Page Range. Database Name, DOI or URL.

• Example: Anzaldúa, Gloria. "La Conciencia de la Mestiza: Towards a New Consciousness." Feminist Studies, vol. 13, no. 2, 1987, pp. 377-402. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3177810.

3. Page on a Website

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page or Article." Name of Website, Publisher (if different from site name), Day Month Year, URL.

• Example: Dillard, Annie. "To See." The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 1974, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1974/02/to-see/304864/.

4. Chapter in an Edited Collection

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." Title of Collection, edited by Editor First Last, Publisher, Year, pp. Page Range.

• Example: Foucault, Michel. "What Is an Author?" Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader, edited by David Lodge, Longman, 1988, pp. 196-210.

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Special MLA Formatting Rules

1. Publisher Name Abbreviation: Omit words like "Company", "Corporation", and "Inc." Abbreviate "University Press" as "UP" (e.g., Oxford UP, U of California P).
2. DOIs and URLs: Prefer a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) over a URL whenever available. Format DOIs as active links beginning with https://doi.org/. Omit http:// or https:// from standard URLs in print bibliographies unless using DOIs.
3. Page Numbers: Use "p." for single pages and "pp." for page ranges (e.g., pp. 145-68).