MLA | 1 min

mla handbook.jpgGuides for MLA Citation

MLA citation style is dictated by the Modern Language Association (MLA) in the MLA Handbook. Links to an external site. This book is a good resource for definitive answers and for trickier citations. 

You can also find help with MLA citation on the SMU Libraries' MLA Citation Guide Links to an external site. or at Purdue Owl's MLA Formatting & Style Guide Links to an external site.. You may want to keep one of these sources handy for easy reference as you work through the module.

Cite in Two Places

  1. Full citation on a Works Cited page
  2. Short in-text citation in the body of your paper, directly after the idea or quote from the source you're citing. 

Remember, in-text citations should all match up with full citations on your Works Cited, and everything on your Works Cited must have a corresponding in-text citation.

Book, article, or other?

It is important for you to know what type of source you are citing when you create your citations. The major source types are books, periodicals (like journal articles or newspaper articles), electronic sources (like websites), and other (speeches, a painting, a film, etc.). You will notice that MLA citation guides and the handbook are organized by source type.