How do I cite an ancient work of art?

How you cite an ancient work of art depends on where you viewed it. If you viewed it at a museum, follow our guidelines for… Read More

How do I cite a newspaper article that has been retyped and collected in the documents section of a website?

When you are citing something you found on a website, the website itself should be considered the container no matter the original form of publication. Read More

How do I cite the epilogue of a Shakespeare play in my prose?

You should follow the edition you are using when you construct your citations. Some editions make the epilogue part of the last act of the… Read More

If a phrase is repeated throughout a work, what page number should I use when discussing the phrase?

When citing a phrase that appears more than once in a work, give the page number of the first instance in the parenthetical reference: B. Read More

How do I cite an author whose last name is represented by an initial?

How you cite an author whose last name is represented by an initial depends on what kind of name it is. Authors whose last names… Read More

Is it acceptable to use the abbreviation cf. in MLA style?

In MLA style, cf. may be used in parenthetical citations, but writers should take care not to use the abbreviation, meaning “compare” (from the Latin “confer”),… Read More

If I am including a publication listed by a title written in nonroman characters in my works-cited list, should I provide in my parenthetical citations the title in the original script or the transliterated title?

Use whichever method will be most useful to your reader. If you are citing a report, for example, and there is only one report listed… Read More

How should mathematical theories be cited in my prose and in my works-cited list?

It depends on whether the theory can be considered common knowledge. When you discuss a complex mathematical theory, you should cite a source that explains… Read More

How do I cite in my prose an untitled poem known by its number in a collection?

If you are citing an untitled poem known only by its number, a generic description of the poem can be substituted for the title in… Read More

How should I style my parenthetical citation the first time I quote lines from a poem if I have not mentioned the author’s name in my prose?

The MLA Handbook explains that if you are citing line numbers instead of page numbers in your parenthetical citation, you should “in your first citation, use the word… Read More