("Formatting a Research Paper")
“Formatting a Research Paper.” The MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association of America, 2021, style.mla.org/formatting-papers/.
The editors of MLA have created a practice template to help writers format their works cited lists. The practice template can be found here.
"Works Cited: A Quick Guide." The MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association of America, 2021, https://style.mla.org/works-cited/works-cited-a-quick-guide/article.
There are many works cited variations depending on the resource. If there is no example below for your specific resource, please reference the MLA Handbook, 9th edition.
*If citation runs more than one line on the page, indent every line after the first line.
Books
Basic formatting: Author Last Name, Author First Name. Book Title. Publisher, Publication date.
Examples:
One author:
Zahl, Simeon. The Holy Spirit and the Christian Experience. Oxford University Press, 2020.
Editions:
Arnold, Bill T., and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey. 3rd ed., Baker Academic, 2015.
Pavlik, Cheryl. Grammar Sense 2. 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 2012.
Two authors:
Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdrich. The Crown of Columbus. HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.
More than two authors:
Dorwick, Thalia, et al. Puntos de Partida: An Invitation to Spanish. 9th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2012.
Editor instead of author:
(when there are no authors listed or many authors of small parts). Multiple editors will be formatted the same as multiple authors.
Wessinger, Catherine, editor. The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Author AND editor: (when there is a main author(s) listed and an editor)
Dunbar, William. The Complete Works. Edited by John Conlee, Medieval Institute Publications, 2004.
Corporate author (If author begins with 'The,' you will NOT include in citation):
United Nations. Consequences of Rapid Population Growth in Developing Countries. Taylor and Francis, 1991.
No author OR corporate author and publisher are the same:
MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.
In a named series:
Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1978. The New International Commentary on the New Testament.
Individual title in a multivolume set:
Murphy, Roland. Proverbs. Edited by Bruce M. Metzger, et al., Thomas Nelson, 1998. Vol. 22 of World Biblical Commentary.
All volumes in a multivolume set:
McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. Thomas Nelson, 1981. 5 vols.
Individual chapter of a reference book:
Wojcik, Daniel. "Avertive Apocalypticism." The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism, edited by Catherine Wessinger, Oxford UP, 2011, pp. 66-88.
Translated book:
Holl, Karl. What Did Luther Understand by Religion? Translated by Fred W. Meuser and Walter R. Wietzke. Edited by James Luther Adams and Walter F. Bense, Fortress Press, 1977.
Basic Formatting: Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article Title." Journal/Magazine Title, volume #, issue #, publication date, page numbers.
*Abbreviate any months longer than 4 letters.*
Examples:
Johnson, Paula. "The Real Thing." Peer, vol. 3, no. 3, Mar. 2021, pp.14-19.
Just, Arthur A. Jr. "The Cross, the Atonement, and the Eucharist in Luke." Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. 84, no. 3-4, Oct. 2020, pp. 227-244.
With a season:
McKenny, Gerald P. "The Rich Young Ruler and Christian Ethics: A Proposal." Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, vol. 40, no. 1, spring-summer 2020, pp. 59-76.
Examples:
E-books downloaded from Apple store, Overdrive, SimplyE, etc.:
MLA Handbook. 8th ed., e-book ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2016.
Kindle e-books:
Rah, Soong-Chan. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Kindle ed., Moody Publishers, 2010.
Website e-books:
Sparks, Nicholas. Every Breath. Sphere, 2018. Read Any Book, readanybook.com/ebook/every-breath-765359.
Bible Apps:
The Bible. King James Version. Bible Gateway, version 42, Bible Gateway / Zondervan, 2016. App.
Audiobooks:
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Narrated by Sissy Spacek, audiobook ed., unabridged ed., HarperAudio, 2014.
Examples:
Database article:
With DOI:
McKenny, Gerald P. "The Rich Young Ruler and Christian Ethics: A Proposal." Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, vol. 40, no. 1, spring 2020, pp. 59-76. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.5840/jsce202051824.
With stable URL/Permalink:
Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante." The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1 spring 2010, pp. 69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188.
Website Article:
Reynolds, Gretchen. "The Family Dog is in Sync with Your Kids." The New York Times, 17 Mar. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/well/move/dogs-kids-family.html.
Examples:
Individual website pages/articles:
"The Names of God in the Old Testament." Blue Letter Bible, 2021, www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm.
Website as a whole:
The College for Officer Training. The Salvation Army Eastern Territory, 2021, www.easternusa.salvationarmy.org/cfot/.
With no publication date:
Beaton, Kate. "The Secret Garden." Hark! A Vagrant, www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=350. Accessed 17 Jan. 2020.
Examples:
DVD:
Opening Night. Directed by John Casavettes, Faces Distribution, 1977.
With episodes:
"Culture & Worship." Boundless Salvation: William Booth and The Salvation Army, produced by Corey Baudinette and John Cleary, episode 3, Radiant Films / Vision Video, 2015. DVD.
YouTube:
"We are Still Here: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic." YouTube, uploaded by Salvation Army East, 8 Aug. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmmC_1rDVY8.
Streaming services:
"New Normal." Directed by Dan Attias. Homeland, Season 5, episode 10, Showtime, 24 July 2016. Amazon Prime Video app.
Example:
Wootten, Bayard. Woman Resting. 1937. Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, 12 Feb. 2013, http://library.unc.edu/wilson/.