If I am discussing two authors with the same last name, do I always need to provide the first name when I refer to the authors in my prose?

If you discuss two authors who have the same last name, provide both the first and last names at first mention. Thereafter, provide both the… 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 do I cite a photograph found on a website in the text and in my works-cited list?

Cite a photograph found on a website the same way you would cite any work of art found online. See our post on citing images… Read More

How do I cite an online lecture from a course I’m taking remotely?

If your instructor wants you to cite quotations from video or audio recordings of lectures posted online, cite them as you would any online lecture. Read More

How do I cite material posted to a social media site like TikTok?

Below are examples of how to cite a video and a profile from TikTok. For explanations, see our post on citing social media. Video An… Read More

If a podcast episode is hosted by a guest host, how do I include the regular host’s name in my work-cited-list entry?

You should not include the regular host’s name in the work-cited-list entry. Include the guest host’s name in the “Author” slot of the entry, since… Read More

If I am citing an image from a database, and no information is provided about the artist, do I need to seek out the information for my citation?

No. If you cite an image from a database, your works-cited-list entry should only provide the information you are given. Read More

How Publishing Work as a Student Shaped My College Writing Experience

by Talya Phelps

Publishing work during college can help students learn to enjoy writing academic research papers Read More

I’m citing a chat message. Do I include a URL if it’s not publicly resolvable?

No; it’s not likely to be useful to your reader. Read more on URLs and on citing chat messages. Read More

If I cite one edition as my primary text, how do I cite another edition?

If you are citing one edition of a text as your primary source, you might need to refer occasionally to another edition. In MLA style,… Read More