How do I cite search results as evidence?

Search results are not a work, so no works-cited-list entry is needed. If you are referring to the results as evidence, you can simply name… Read More

Do I always need to indicate in my works-cited-list entry that a work I am citing was streamed through an app?

No. If the app is the work, as in the following examples, you do not need to indicate in your works-cited-list entry that you are citing… Read More

I have had an essay accepted for publication. In my works-cited list, if there are two or more works by the same author, after the first entry should I use three hyphens or a 3-em dash in place of the author’s name?

Publishers usually have preparation guidelines, so you should ask your publisher what is preferred. The MLA accepts manuscripts with either hyphens or 3-em dashes. If… Read More

If the author, publisher, and name of a website are all the same, do I need to list the author or publisher?

As the MLA Handbook explains, in some cases, you may omit the name of a publisher from your works-cited-list entry—for example, if you are citing… Read More

When is a comma used before et al. in MLA style?

In MLA style, a comma is generally only used before et al. in the “Author” slot of works-cited-list entries when the author’s first and last names… Read More

How do I cite more than one sonnet from a sequence of sonnets?

As always, when you are citing a work contained in a larger work, you must identify the particular work you are citing. Thus, if you… Read More

If I include my published article as a dissertation chapter, how should I handle the article’s references?

References in a dissertation should be in a consistent style (e.g., MLA) and location (at the end of each chapter or at the end of… Read More

If I want to include a DOI for a book chapter in my works-cited-list entry, where should I insert it?

If you are citing a chapter of a book from a novel or monograph, create an entry for the book as a whole and list the… 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