How do I cite a museum image that I viewed in person or online?

Page 49 of the MLA Handbook demonstrates how to create a works-cited-list entry for an artwork viewed firsthand at a museum. Include the name of… Read More

When a work has no publication date or page numbers, should I include the abbreviations n.d. (“no date”) and n. pag. (“no pagination”) in the works-cited-list entry?

No. Do not use placeholders for unknown information like n.d. (“no date”) and n. pag. (“no pagination”) unless your teacher asks you to do so. (If facts… Read More

Should writers include the edition of a newspaper (such as “late ed.”) in works-cited-list entries?

Yes. If an edition is named on the newspaper’s masthead, include it as the version in your entry. For more on versions, see section 2.3… Read More

Do I italicize Cyrillic book titles in the list of works cited?

In the past, titles and terms in the Cyrillic alphabet were not italicized, partly because it is based on the Greek alphabet, which traditionally is… Read More

Can I look at source code to determine a publication date for online materials that don’t publicize a date?

When doing so is useful to readers, specialists often supply missing publication dates, using a range of methods. For example, a medievalist with expertise in… Read More

I am citing a paginated journal article that appears online. Should I include the page range, the URL, or the DOI as the location element in the works-cited-list entry?

The location of an online work is typically indicated by a DOI or URL, one of which should be included, and, as the MLA Handbook… Read More

Can I use et al. in place of translators’ names in a works-cited-list entry?

Yes. As page 22 of the MLA Handbook notes, the use of et al. for three or more authors extends to other types of creators… Read More

In a works-cited-list entry, how do I indicate that a work is forthcoming?

When documenting forthcoming publications in the list of works cited, use the word forthcoming in place of the date. Read More

When documenting unpublished letters, should the descriptions of the letters that are used in place of a title appear in quotation marks or italics? If I am citing more than one letter written by the same person, how should I distinguish the letters in my in-text citation?

For unpublished letters, provide a generic description in place of the title (see pp. 28–29 of the MLA Handbook); do not enclose the description in… Read More

How do I cite a dissertation in MLA style?

A dissertation is a unique type of source. It is a finished, stand-alone work written under the auspices of an institution. In a change from the… Read More