What should I do if the web source I am citing does not list a publication date?

If the web source you are citing does not list a publication date, omit the “Publication date” element from your entry. You may, however, wish… Read More

Why are both a comma and and used to separate the names of coauthors in a works-cited-list entry?

The MLA Handbook notes that “[w]hen a source has two authors,” you should “[r]everse the first of the names” and “follow it with a comma and… Read More

I’m citing a chat message. Do I include a URL if it’s not publicly resolvable?

No; it’s not likely to be useful to your reader. Read more on URLs and on citing chat messages. Read More

How do I cite a critical essay published in the same volume as a literary text–for example, an essay in a Norton Critical Edition?

To cite a critical essay published in the same volume as a literary work, follow the MLA format template. List the author of the essay,… Read More

If my works-cited-list entry has a title styled in quotation marks that ends in a question mark, should I insert a period after the question mark?

No. Omit the period, as shown in the example below: “How Do I Cite a Map?” The MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association of America,… Read More

If students omit from their works-cited lists works they have cited in their paper, have they plagiarized?

As our plagiarism guide notes, “Plagiarism is presenting another person’s ideas, information, expressions, or entire work as one’s own.” Citing sources accurately often requires learning… Read More

How do I quote lyrics from a duet in which the performers take turns singing?

How you quote lyrics from a duet depends on how you accessed them and how many lines you are borrowing. If you quote lyrics from… Read More

How do I cite an infographic?

To cite an infographic, follow the MLA format template.  If the infographic does not have an official title, provide a description of it. If you… Read More

How do I cite a magazine cover in my works-cited list and in my essay?

To cite the cover of a magazine, you can generally create a works-cited-list entry for the issue of the magazine and then key your in-text… Read More

Should the initial article in periodical titles be retained in both prose and works-cited-list entries?

Yes. The styling of titles should be consistent in your prose and in your works-cited list. Since, as the MLA Handbook notes, “[t]itles are given in… Read More