How do I cite descriptive copy or a quotation from a book cover or jacket in the text and in the works-cited list?

If you are citing descriptive copy or a quotation printed on the cover of a book, it’s preferable to incorporate the necessary details (chiefly, the… Read More

How do I cite a panel in a graphic novel or comic book that does not have page numbers?

If you are writing about a panel in a graphic novel or comic book without page numbers, provide readers with as much information as you… Read More

How do I cite a quotation that I’ve altered?

In almost all cases you should transcribe a quotation exactly as it appears in the source. However, you may occasionally want to italicize words in… Read More

How do I cite a data table?

To cite a table, follow the MLA format template to create a works-cited-list entry for its source. The following example is an entry for a… Read More

How do I document a source when I can’t use a works-cited-list entry or an endnote?

Sometimes, a source needs to be cited in a piece of prose that doesn’t lend itself to the kind of documentation appropriate for research papers. Read More

How do I distinguish works by an author that have the same title?

The eighth edition of the MLA Handbook recommends brevity and clarity in an in-text citation (116)—brevity so that a reference won’t obstruct the flow of… Read More

How do I cite a term in an online or print dictionary that lists several numbered definitions?

Follow the MLA format template and begin with the headword (as it appears) as the title of the source. Note that this may include parts… Read More

Is using ibid. allowed for in-text citations? If so, how is it done?

MLA style avoids ibid. and op. cit., using short titles instead, on the principles that (1) a short title makes your reference clearer to readers,… Read More

When an organization is the author and the publisher of a work, the handbook advises writers to begin the works-cited-list entry with the title of the source. Is it OK to use the organization’s name in a signal phrase or in the in-text citation even though the name does not begin the works-cited-list entry?

No. The text should always key to the list of works cited. You can provide the key in the parenthetical citation or in your text. Read More

When documenting unpublished letters, should the descriptions of the letters that are used in place of a title appear in quotation marks or italics? If I am citing more than one letter written by the same person, how should I distinguish the letters in my in-text citation?

For unpublished letters, provide a generic description in place of the title (see pp. 28–29 of the MLA Handbook); do not enclose the description in… Read More