How do I cite measures from a musical score?

Measure numbers can point readers to the pertinent section of a source more precisely than page numbers: Mozart supplies a gently rocking melody for Figaro… Read More

How do you cite a famous saying?

All well-known quotations that are attributable to an individual or to a text require citations. You should quote a famous saying as it appears in… Read More

What citation style should I use for my personal blog?

Using MLA style for your personal blog has several advantages: MLA style is reader friendly. It uses in-text citations and avoids bibliographic notes, so the… Read More

How do I abbreviate the name of a corporate author in my in-text citation?

Use either the first few words of the name or, if not cumbersome, the entity’s initials. For example, Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on… Read More

I am writing my thesis in British English. Can I still use MLA style?

Yes. The MLA’s system for documenting sources is used throughout the world and may be adapted to many contexts. Follow the guidelines in the MLA Handbook… Read More

If I repeatedly use a quotation from the same source, do I need to use quotation marks each time?

You should generally use quotation marks if you repeat a quotation from the same source, but you may omit quotation marks when referring back to a… Read More

How do I eliminate back-to-back parentheses in a sentence?

To eliminate back-to-back parentheses in a sentence, you should generally reword:   Original:  The General Franco Institute published the most important Spanish colonial work on Andalusi… Read More

If more than one source for a paraphrased idea is cited in a parenthetical citation, in what order do I list the sources?

If you paraphrase a single idea from more than one source and the sources are equally important, the order in which you list them is… Read More

Citing Source Code in MLA Style

by Joseph Wallace

To cite source code begin with the MLA format template . . . 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