How do I cite a Google Earth location?

To cite a Google Earth location, follow the MLA format template. Provide a description in place of a title. Then list Google Earth as the title of… Read More

In my works-cited-list entry, should I spell out College in a publisher’s name?

In our editorial practice, when a work is published by a college, we spell out College in the works-cited-list entry: Trustees’ Report. Smith College, 2012. If you prefer, you… Read More

How do I style genus and species names, such as Homo sapiens, in MLA style?

MLA style was developed to be used by writers in the humanities, so we defer to our colleagues at The Chicago Manual of Style regarding how… Read More

My paper is included in conference proceedings. If I refer to other papers included in the proceedings, do I need to create works-cited-list entries?

No. You do not need to document the other papers, but you should make clear in your prose that the other papers are included in… Read More

If I am citing a manuscript that displays page numbers on some pages but not on others, how do I handle my in-text citations?

As noted in the MLA Handbook, “When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a… Read More

If I use Google Translate to help me understand sources, do I need to create a works-cited-list entry for it?

No, but if you are relying on Google Translate, we recommend that you alert your instructor as early as possible. If you are unable to talk… Read More

Should an article at the start of a subtitle be capitalized?

Yes, capitalize articles (a, an, the)  at the start of titles and subtitles in English: The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family A Sense of Things:… Read More

How do I create an in-text citation for a note or marginalia by an editor or translator in a work listed under the author’s name?

If you are citing an editor’s or translator’s note for a work listed under the author’s name, create a works-cited-list entry for the work as a… Read More

Should commas be used around by and an author’s name after a title?

It depends. In the following example, commas are used to set off the by phrase because the phrase is not integral to the meaning of… Read More

How do I make clear that a paraphrase is on the same page as a quotation I’ve given in the previous sentence?

The MLA Handbook (3.5) provides techniques for making citations more concise when a source is used more than once in succession. But it notes that you should… Read More