How do I cite a director’s unpublished notes about a play?

Cite unpublished director’s notes by following the MLA format template. List the director’s name in the “Author” slot and provide a description in place of a… Read More

I am writing a paper in English. I have used the French edition of a book originally published in Dutch. Do I need to include both the French and Dutch editions in my works-cited list?

List only the version you are using—in this case, the French edition. You do not need to indicate in your entry the language in which… Read More

If a book title within an essay title is not italicized in the source, should I italicize it in my works-cited-list entry?

Yes. A title within a title should be styled according to the guidelines in section 1.2.4 of the MLA Handbook, regardless of how a title within… Read More

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