When citing a work on a website, should I use the original publication date or the last-updated date?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “When a source carries more than one date, cite the date that is most meaningful or most relevant to your use of… Read More

How do I cite an essay from a database that was first published in a journal and later anthologized?

Cite the version of the essay that is contained in the database because that is the version you are using. Let’s say, for example, you… Read More

When citing an article with no DOI that appears in a database, should I provide the URL specific to my institution?

Provide the information that is most useful for your reader. If your readers are composed exclusively of people at your institution, use the institution-specific link;… Read More

Should a Norton Critical Edition be listed as a version or as a series in a works-cited-list entry?

As the following example from the MLA Handbook demonstrates, a Norton Critical Edition should be listed in the “Version” slot (107):  Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Edited… 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 do I cite an abstract?

Very few circumstances call for citing an abstract. Never cite an abstract as a short-cut, a way of avoiding reading and citing the full published… Read More

If I am listing the name of a government agency as publisher, should I separate out the name of the government?

No. The rules for government agencies as described in the MLA Handbook (2.1.3) do not apply to the “Publisher” slot. List the publisher’s name (i.e., the government… Read More

How do I cite lyrics I heard from a song in a musical?

To cite lyrics you heard from a song in a musical, follow the MLA format template. Note that how you cite the lyrics will depend… Read More

When is Press spelled out in a publisher’s name in the new MLA style?

If the name of an academic press contains the words University Press, use the abbreviation UP in the publisher’s name, as indicated in the MLA Handbook (97):… Read More

If an untitled poem is known by its first line, how do I style that line in my works-cited-list entry?

The MLA Handbook explains that when you refer to an untitled poem known by its first line, you should style the line the way it is shown in… Read More