Should professional titles be capitalized in MLA style?

In general, the MLA follows The Chicago Manual of Style for the capitalization of professional titles (“Titles”). Thus, we capitalize a professional title when it is… Read More

If I have a work by one author and a work by that author and coauthors in my works-cited-list, how do I order my entries?

A work by one author should be listed before a work by that author and a coauthor. Rappaport, Joanne. The Disappearing Mestizo: Configuring Difference in… Read More

How do I cite a work by an author with a Dutch name that includes the word van?

Particles in Dutch surnames—such as van, van den, van der, de, and ter—are lowercased in prose when the whole name is given: Joost van der… 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 determine which version of a royal person’s name to use in my works-cited-list entry?

Use the version of the name given in your source. For example, if the source gives the author’s name as Sarah, Duchess of York, then… Read More

Should I include military ranks of authors I cite?

Like other professional titles, military ranks are omitted before authors’ names in entries and when the authors are mentioned in prose, but you may indicate… Read More

If the name of the publisher is the same as the name of a book, do I list the publisher’s name?

Yes. By convention, the publisher’s name—if known—is generally given for a book, even if it is the same as the title of the book. Read More

Are names of groups like African American and Native American ever hyphened in MLA style?

In MLA style, if each part of the name of an ethnic or national group is an independent term, no hyphen is used, regardless of… Read More

How should Icelandic names be cited?

Many Icelandic names consist of a first name and a matronymic or patronymic, not a family name: Björk Guðmundsdóttir (that is, Björk, Guðmundur’s daughter)  Gunnar… Read More

Do I capitalize the names of dog breeds?

Do not routinely capitalize the names of dog breeds. Many breed names are composed of proper nouns that you capitalize and generic terms (like retriever… Read More