How do I cite an essay from a database that was first published in a journal and later anthologized?

Cite the version of the essay that is contained in the database because that is the version you are using. Let’s say, for example, you… Read More

When citing an article with no DOI that appears in a database, should I provide the URL specific to my institution?

Provide the information that is most useful for your reader. If your readers are composed exclusively of people at your institution, use the institution-specific link;… Read More

Should a Norton Critical Edition be listed as a version or as a series in a works-cited-list entry?

As the following example from the MLA Handbook demonstrates, a Norton Critical Edition should be listed in the “Version” slot (107):  Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the… Read More

How do I cite in my prose an untitled poem known by its number in a collection?

If you are citing an untitled poem known only by its number, a generic description of the poem can be substituted for the title in… Read More

Should italics or quotation marks be used for a character’s internal thoughts?

Styling a character’s internal thoughts in italics or with quotation marks depends on whether you are quoting from a source that shows a character’s thoughts,… Read More

If I need to separate titles styled in quotation marks by semicolons in my parenthetical citations, should the semicolons go inside or outside the quotations marks?

The semicolons should be placed outside the quotation marks: Sweden took in more than 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015 (Henden, “Sweden Election Polls”; Hernroth-Rothstein;… Read More

Student Accountability, Google Docs, and Digital Peer Review

In-class peer response is tedious for students Read More

How does the MLA style 9/11, when it refers to the attacks on the United States on that date?

In our publications, we allow either September 11 or 9/11. Whichever form is chosen must be used consistently throughout a work. Read More

Supporting Students in the Transition from High School to College Writing

The transition from high school to college writing can be challenging Read More

How do you cite a summary of a work in MLA style?

In MLA style, when you cite a summary of a work, you should generally mention the name of the work you are summarizing and its… Read More