The citation tool at our library does not follow the MLA’s guidelines for capitalizing titles. What should we do?
Many citation tools generate entries that do not accord with MLA style, so writers are advised to use caution when using these tools and to… Read More
How do I indicate that I am citing an album in 33 rpm format?
List album formats, if needed, in the optional-element slot at the end of your works-cited-list entry: Sinatra, Frank. The Voice: Columbia Years, 1943-1952. Columbia… Read More
How Publishing Work as a Student Shaped My College Writing Experience
Publishing work during college can help students learn to enjoy writing academic research papers Read More
If a phrase is repeated throughout a work, what page number should I use when discussing the phrase?
When citing a phrase that appears more than once in a work, give the page number of the first instance in the parenthetical reference:… Read More
Should the abbreviation etc. be capitalized in a title?
Whether the abbreviation etc., meaning “and so forth,” should be capitalized in a title depends on its location in the title. In our publications, we… Read More
How do I cite a work with disputed authorship?
If a pseudonym is listed on the work, you may refer to the author in your prose by the pseudonym: The title page of… Read More
What should I do if a website lists “History.com Editors” as the author of an article on the site?
It is not wrong to list the author exactly as it appears in the source. Thus, you may list “History.com Editors” in the “Author”… Read More
Should the comma after an italicized element appear in italics?
Publishers differ in their practice. In its publications, the MLA’s preference is not to italicize commas that appear after italicized elements. However, we are open… Read More
How do you alphabetize a works-cited-list entry that begins with a title starting with an article?
As the MLA Handbook notes, titles should be alphabetized in works-cited lists “letter by letter, ignoring any initial A, An, or The or the equivalent in other languages” (115). Read More
How should I style paragraphs in a block quotation?
In a block quotation that includes more than one paragraph, indent the beginning of the paragraphs after the first one, even if your source uses… Read More