How do I cite a conversation in a chat tool?

If you generally discuss a conversation in a chat tool, you can refer to the conversation in your prose or in an endnote without creating… Read More

Is it ever acceptable to mention a work but not include it in the list of works cited?

Yes. But first let’s review when documentation is needed. A works-cited-list entry is needed for any source that you quote from or paraphrase that you… Read More

Quoting and Paraphrasing in MLA Format Video Course Quiz: Final Quiz

Time limit: 0 Quiz-summary 0 of 14 questions completed Questions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Information… Read More

Quoting and Paraphrasing in MLA Format Video Course Quiz: Using Reference Sources

Time limit: 0 Quiz-summary 0 of 5 questions completed Questions: 1 2 3 4 5 Information This quiz is intended to support the Quoting and… Read More

5 Tips for Documenting Sources in a Talk

by Angela Gibson

Read these 5 easy tips for crediting the work of others in a talk . . . Read More

Should I include a time stamp for time-based media when I am paraphrasing rather than quoting?

The MLA recommends making your citations useful to your reader. A time stamp could help your reader locate the scene in a movie, video, or… Read More

If I cite a work that has no page numbers and I give the author’s name at the beginning of my sentence, how does the reader know where the author’s idea ends, since there is no parenthetical citation?

As the MLA Handbook notes, when you borrow an idea from a source, “it is important to signal at the end . . . that you are… Read More

How do I cite the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook?

Cite the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook as you would cite any other work written and published by the same nongovernment organization. To avoid… Read More

Are there instances when you might not place a parenthetical citation at the end of a sentence?

MLA style aims to make in-text citations as unobtrusive as possible, so we normally recommend placing them at the end of a sentence, but sometimes… Read More

Can I just include a URL for a website in my prose instead of creating a work-cited-list entry?

You should always create works-cited-list entries for works that you quote from, paraphrase, or substantively discuss. Thus you may need to create an entry for… Read More