How do I cite a headnote, an introduction, or other material that introduces a work in an anthology?

Sometimes each individual work in an anthology has a headnote, an introduction, or other material introducing it. To cite this material, follow the MLA format… Read More

Once upon an Introduction: “Daniel Dennett’s Science of the Soul,” by Joshua Rothman

by Michael Simon

Introductions may be informative, but they can also entertain Read More

How to Write an Abstract

by Joseph Wallace

An abstract of a work, usually of an essay, is a concise summary of its main points . . . Read More

How do I punctuate parenthetical citations that include an author’s name and “introduction”?

Separate the items with a comma: You Must Change Your Life is “a portrait of two artists fumbling through the desultory streets of Paris, finding… Read More

If I cite from a book that has an introduction, but I do not cite the introduction, should I include the introduction’s author in my works-cited-list entry?

Authors of introductions, prefaces, afterwords, and the like—collectively called front and back matter—are not usually essential to identifying a work and can be omitted from… Read More

If a source contains more than one work with an introduction to each labeled “Introduction,” how should I refer to the introductions in my writing and in my works-cited list?

If you need to differentiate among several introductions in a source because each is labeled “Introduction,” you can either make clear in your writing which introduction you are… Read More

The Waste of Haste: Premature Introductions

by Eric Wirth

A common type of jumble in prose results from premature introductions . . . Read More