MLA Handbook
Publication Manual 7th Edition of the American Psychological AssociationOne of the most frequently used style manuals for citing sources is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, which is published by the Modern Language Association.
The most recent edition, the eighth edition, was published in 2016. Copies of this edition are found in the Ready Reference section of the Library. The call number is Ready Reference LB 2369 .G53 2016. Listed below are examples of sample citations.
MLA 8th Edition: Guiding Principles
In the 7th edition of the Handbook, a separate set of citation instructions were given for each format type. The problem with this approach is that there is no way to anticipate all format types a student may encounter.
To solve this problem, this new edition of the MLA Handbook provides a "universal set of guidelines" for citing sources across all format types.
These guidelines state that, if given, these major elements should be included in the citation:
1. Author.
2. Title of Source
3. Title of Container
4. Other Contributors
5. Version
6. Number
7. Publisher
8. Publication date
9. Location
Sometimes, elements 3-9 will repeat again, if say, your journal was inside a database.
Putting it all together (citation example)
Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante." The Georgia Review, vol.64, no. 1, 2010, pp.69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188.
The American Psychological Association publishes the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as its style manual for Psychology and used by other social sciences disciplines.
The most recent edition, the seventh edition, was published in 2020. This edition can be found in the Ready Reference section of the Library at the Reference Desk on the first floor. The call number is Ready Reference BF 76.7 P83 2020.
Created by Tessa Withorn. CC by NC SA 2.0
Did you know that when you locate an article on many of our electronic databases, a citation for that article can be generated?
In Gale databases, such as Academic OneFile and Opposing Viewpoints in Context, the citation generator can be found by clicking on the article (NOT the PDF version!) and locating Citation Tools on the Tools menu on the right side of the page. You can either save the citation or export it to some citation generator software.
ProQuest databases, such as Criminal Justice Periodicals, citation generators can be found when you open an article. Look for Cite (with a quotation mark icon) at the box at the top right side of the page. A pop-up box gives you a citation, while a drop-down menu lets you choose your citation style. You can copy and paste the citation into a Word document.
Always remember to check the citation with a style guide or Web site listed in this guide to ensure that it is accurate and compliant with the style you are required to use!