mla condensed

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MLACitation Style (7th Edition, 2009)Indian River State College Academic Support Center (Version 2012)

In-text Citations

In the written body of your paper, you must give credit whenever you quote or useanothers words, ideas, or thoughts. You give credit by using in-text citations thattypically consist of the authors last name (or the title of the source if the author is

unknown) and a reference marker (e.g., page number). Place a citation as close to thequoted or paraphrased material as possible without disrupting the sentence.

Subsequent Citations Within a ParagraphMLA 6.3

If you borrow more than once from the same source within a single paragraph andno borrowing from another source intervenes, you may give a single parentheticalreference after the last borrowing.

Missing Citation Information

*If no author is given, use an abbreviated version of the title (see examples).

*When a source lacks page numbers or any other kind of reference number, citethe author without a page reference. If a source has numbered paragraphs or sections,use the abbreviation "par." or sec. followed by the number (Hall, par. 5).

General Guidelines for Quotations

If a quotation is less than four typed lines in length, incorporate it into the text ofyour report. Do not use a quotation as a complete sentence all by itself.

Note:When you use quotations, you must use the authors exact words (andinterior punctuation and spelling). Note some exceptions in the examples that fol low.

Examples

Circadian rhythms are [biological] processes that occur repeatedly onapproximately a twenty-four hour cycle (Feldman 125).

Note: Brackets are used to enclose a word for clarification that was not in theoriginal quote. Since the quotation is blended into the sentence, a comma before thequotation and a capital letter on the first word in the quotation are not required.

Czeislerwrites, The timing of the light . . . had to be sinchronized [sic] withparticular phases of a persons circadian rhythm in order for it to be effective.

Note: Ellipsis pointsare used to show that some of the authors words have beenomitted, and brackets enclosing sic are used to indicate that the word synchronized

was misspelled in the source.

Long Quotations (more than four typed lines)MLA 3.7.2

*Use a colon to introduce the quotation.*Starting a new line, indent the entire quotation one inch from the left margin.*Use the normal right margin and double space.*Do not put quotation marks around an indented quotation.*Place the citation in parentheses at the end of the quotation.

Example (long quotation)

Other studies have revealed similar results. For example, researcher Czeisler explains

his findings:

People exposed to five hours of bright lights during the nighttime over a three-

day period reset their internal clocks as much as twelve hours. The timing of the

light could not be haphazard, however. The exposure had to be synchronized

with particular phases of a person's circadian rhythm in order for it to be

effective. (72)

In-text Citation Examples

In-text citations are written either as a signal phraseorparenthetical reference:

The reference marker for the cited material is placed in parentheses at the end of thesentence containing the quotation, paraphrase, or summary, followed by a period af terthe parentheses.

Signal phrase in a quotationCzeisler reports, "Bright light produces a clear resetting of the subject's circadian

rhythms, yet it is too early to know why this happens" (137).

Signal phrase in a paraphrase or partial quoteCzeisler reports that bright light affects one's "circadian rhythms" although the

explanation is not yet known (137).

Signal phrase in a summaryCzeisler finds that the proper timing of bright lights causes a longer period of

alertness and clearer thoughts (137).

Parenthetical reference in a summary.Other researchers confirm that bright light produces an actual resetting of the

circadian rhythms (Rosenthal 147).

Parenthetical reference in a quotationCircadian rhythms are [biological] processes that occur repeatedly on approximately

a twenty-four hour cycle (Feldman 125).


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A Work with One AuthorMLA 6.2-6.3

Signal phraseIn fact, Mapes believes that the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power

plant happened because engineers ignored a series of warning signals (15).

Parenthetical referenceThe accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant happened at 4:00 a.m.,

and the Chernobyl reactor exploded at 1:23 a.m. (Mapes 15).

A Work with Two or Three AuthorsMLA 6.2-6.3

List all authors in the signal phrase or parentheses each time you cite the source.

Signal phraseWorchel and Shebilske report that a person's biological clock is internally set at

twenty-four hours (125).

Parenthetical referenceA person's biological clock is internally set at twenty-four hours (Worchel and

Shebilske 125).

A Work with Four or More AuthorsMLA 6.2

When the work has more than three authors, follow the form you use in the WorksCited section of your paper; i.e., either list the first author's name followed byet al.(Latin for and others) or give all the last names.

Signal phraseCzeisler et al. find similar results in monkeys (155).

Parenthetical reference

Similar results have been found in monkeys (Czeisler et al. 155).Similar results have been found in monkeys (Czeisler, Johnson, Duffy, Brown,Ronda, and Kronauer 155).

Unknown AuthorMLA 6.4.4

If the author is not given, either use the complete title in the signal phrase or use thefull title (if brief) or a shortened form of the title in parentheses.

Complete title in the signal phraseThe article "Are You a Day or Night Person?" states that the pineal gland, which

releases melatonin at night, regulates the biological clock (14).

Partial title in the parenthetical referenceThe pineal gland, which regulates melatonin at night, regulates the biological clock

("Are You" 14).

Corporate AuthorMLA 6.4.5

For names of groups that serve as authors, use the name of the corporate author inthe signal phrase or the parenthetical reference. If you give the name in theparenthetical reference, you may abbreviate it.

Signal phraseThe National Institute of Mental Health is studying the effect that altering circadian

rhythms has on the memory (91).

Parenthetical referenceScientists are studying the effects that changing circadian rhythms may produce on

the memory (Natl. Inst. of Mental Health 91).

A Work in an Anthology or Collection Edited by AnotherMLA 6.2

If you are citing an essay that appears within a collection or anthology, cite the author

of the essay or articlenot the editor.

The black box in The Lottery symbolizes the towns peoples fear as evident in thewords the villagers kept their distance and there was hesitation before two menvolunteered to help steady the box (Jackson 572).

Note: On the Works Citedpage, you will cite the author and the title of the essayfollowed by the editor, title, and publishing information for the anthology or collection.(5.5.6)

A Scholarly Article Reprinted in a CollectionMLA 6.2

If you are quoting or paraphrasing a work that was previously published, cite the

author of the work, not the collections author or editor.

Demont reports that most individuals feel sleepy in mid-afternoon, a phenomenondue solely to the time of day, not to eating a heavy lunch (103).

Note: On the Works Citedpage, you will indicate that you were reading an articlereprinted in Feldmans book and were not reading the originally published Demontarticle. You will cite the original publishing information of Demont (usually found at theend of the article). Then you will add Rpt. infollowed by the title, editor, publishinginformation, and page numbers of the book in which the article appears. If you areciting an excerpt of Demonts work that you found in Feldmans book, you will addExcerpt frominstead ofRpt. in. (5.5.6)


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Indirect SourcesMLA 6.4.7

When quoting or paraphrasing a quotation from an indirect source (a source quotedin the source you used), put the abbreviation qtd. in(quoted in) before the indirectsource cited in your parenthetical reference.

A reprinted quotation with a signal phrase

Demont states that feeling sleepy in mid-afternoon is a phenomenon due solelyto the time of day, not to eating a heavy lunch (qtd. in Feldman 65).

Note: In this situation, Demonts entire article is not found in the book byFeldman; Feldman has only quoted from Demonts article. In the Works Citedpage, youwill include a cite for Feldman (and not for Demont) because the quote was obtainedindirectly from Feldmans book.

LiteratureMLA 6.4.8

For verse plays and poems, cite the canto, stanza, and line number. For plays, givethe act, scene, and line numbers (if used). Use periods between these numbers. If onlyline numbers are cited, the first cite should include the word line; subsequent cites will

be only the number.

For novels, if you give the chapter and the page number, your citation will be easierto find in any edition of the novel. If you use both a page number and chapter number,follow the page number with a semicolon and precede the chapter number with theabbreviation ch.

A poem with a signal phrase

In The Bustle in a House, Emily Dickinson describes the emotionalhousecleaning after death by the words The Sweeping up the Heart / And puttingLove away (lines 5-6).

A verse play with a parenthetical reference

The lady doth protest too much, methinks is a frequently quoted line from Hamlet(Shakespeare 3.2.206).

A novel with a signal phrase

Conrad is quite adept at using animal imagery as when Gentleman Brown identifieshimself as a rat in a trap (232; ch. 41).

Works Cited Format: Printed Resources

Note:Abbreviate publishers names.

Book with One AuthorMLA 5.5.2

Hartman, Charles. The Sleep Book. Chicago: Foresman, 1987. Print.

Book with Two or Three AuthorsMLA 5.5.4

Worchel, Stanley, and William Shebilske. Psychology: Principles and Application. Newark:Prentice, 1996. Print.

Book with Four or More AuthorsMLA 5.5.4

Gillman, Sandra, et al. Hysteria Beyond Freud. Berkeley: U of California P, 1993. Print.

Unknown Author of an Article in a Weekly MagazineMLA 5.4.6 and 5.4.9

If the page numbers are not consecutive, cite only the fir st page number and a plussign.

"Are You a Day or a Night Person?"Newsweek 7 Mar. 1994: 26+. Print.

Corporate AuthorMLA 5.5.5

Cite the author by the corporate author (American Medical Association, PublicHealth Foundation) even if the corporate author is the publisher. Omit any article (A,An, The) in the beginning of the name.

Public Health Foundation. The Timing is Wrong. Boston: Public Health Foundation, 1992.Print.

Work/Essay in an Anthology or Collection Edited by AnotherMLA 5.5.6

Cite the author and title of the work; then cite information for a basic book entry. Theedition follows the name of the editor if there is one (if not, after the name of thebook). Place the title of the work in quotation marks unless it was originally publishedindependently (such as novels and plays). Italicize the title of independently publishedworks.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, andDrama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw, 2008. 1545-1648. Print.

Dickinson, Emily. The Bustle in a House. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama.Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw, 2008. 936. Print.


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A Scholarly Article Reprinted in a CollectionMLA 5.5.6

Cite the author, title of the work, and earlier publication information. Then add Rpt.in(Reprinted in) followed byinformation for page numbers and print medium of thecollection in which the article appears. The print medium for the earlier publication isnot required.

Demont, Alex. "Like Clockwork." The Science Monitor9 Aug. 1993: 127. Rpt. inEssentialsof Understanding in Psychology. 2nd ed. Ed. Robert Feldman. New York: McGraw,1994. 102-104. Print.

Article in a JournalMLA 5.4.2

Newman, Timothy. "Can We Regulate Circadian Rhythms?" Journal of Natural Heal ing6.2 (1994): 72-78. Print.

Aslan, Joseph. "Group Treatment of Sleep Disorders." Journal of Health22 (1993): 221-26. Print.

Works Cited Page: Electronic Resources

Article, Scholarly Journal (Online database) - Full TextMLA 5.6.4

Clemmitt, Marcia. Cyber Socializing. CQ Researcher16.27 (2008): 625-648. CQResearcher Plus Archive. Web. 3 Aug. 2008.

Article, Scholarly Journal (Web)Full TextMLA 5.6

Howe, Jeff. Social Networking Hits Campus.Journal of Students3.2 (2009): 32-43. Web.13 May 2009.

Article, Magazine (monthly) (Online database)Full TextMLA 5.6.4

Lane, Mandy. Cyberscope.Ms MagazineAug. 2008: 16. Business Source Complete. Web.21 June 2008.

Article, Magazine (weekly) (Online database)Full TextMLA 5.6.4

Corey, Patti. H1N1 Scare. Time4 Aug. 2009: 59. Business Source Premier. Web. 23 Aug.2009.

Article, Online Magazine (monthly) (Web)Full TextMLA 5.6

Howe, Jeff. H1N1 Hits Campus. Campus Health Issues. Campus Health,Aug. 2009.Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

Article, Online Magazine (weekly) (Web)Full TextMLA 5.6.2b

Letterman, David. CBS Librarian Researches Top Ten Lists. TelevisionToday.com.Television Today, 4 Aug. 2009. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

Article, Newspaper (Online database)Full TextMLA 5.6.4

Craig, Kevin. Differing Views of One Truth. Globe & Mail8 Jan. 2003: 20. OpposingViewpoints Resource Center. Web. 17 Mar. 2008.

Article, Newspaper (Web)Full Text- MLA 5.6

Lomartire, Paul. Spielbergs Earth 2. Palm Beach Post. The Palm Beach Post, 5 Nov.1994: C2. Web. 3 May 2009.

BlogMLA 5.6.2b

If there is no title for the blog entry, label it Weblog comment, but do not addquotation marks. If there is no sponsor or blog publisher, type N.p.

Kendrick, Marta. Future of Novels. Free Range Librarian.Wordpress, 23 June 2009.

Web. 31 Jul. 2009.

Book (eBook from the Web)MLA 5.6

Carroll, Lewis. Hunting of the Snark. NY: Macmillan, 1891. University of Virginia Library.Web. 21 Oct. 1995.

Dictionary EntryMLA 5.6.2 and 5.5.7

Oftentimes, the dictionary will provide several definitions for the same word andnumber them (Def. #).

Literature. Def. 3a.Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2008.Web. 19 Aug. 2011.

Discussion Groups, eConferences, Bulletin Boards, etc. (Web)MLA 5.6.2b

Magnuson, Nancy. Digitizing Books. Online posting. 15 June 1995. College LibrariesBulletin Board. Web. 21 Oct. 1995.

Encyclopedia ArticleMLA 5.5.7 and 5.6.2

Henri Bergson. Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008. Web. 15 Aug. 2011.


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Government Documents (Web)MLA 5.5.20 and 5.6

United States. Dept. of Justice. Crime Rates Increase during Winter Months. By JohnTimmons, Mary Jones, and Tom Bluestone. Feb. 2002. Web. 21 Oct. 2002.

Homepage (Web)MLA 5.6.2b

Shelley, Mary. Victor Frankenstein: An Absent Parent. Mary Shelley. n.d. Web. 22 June1998.

Note: When a professional or personal site has no title, use the description Homepage without italics and without quotations. You may want to include the Web addressfor this type of citation. For example:

Chambers, Allison. Home page. Allison Chambers. 7 June 2003. Web. 8 July 2005..

Poem (Online database)- MLA 5.6.4

Browning, Robert. Half-Rome. Columbia Granger's World of Poetry Online. Web. 18 Aug.2009.

Works Cited Page: Missing Citation Information

Use the following abbreviations for information that cannot be supplied.

n.p. No place of publication or no publisher.n.d. No date of publication given.n. pag. No pagination given.

Photographs of the Big Bend, Fort Davis, the Rio Grande, and West Texas Historical Sites. N.p.,n.d. N. pag. Print.

For a more detailed guide to MLA style, visit the one of the following IRSC

library or ASC websites:

http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/tutorials/tutorials.aspx?id=1239

http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaper

/researchpaper.aspx?id=4294967444

General MLA Guidelines

Use 8 x 11 inch white, standard typing paper.

Double space the entire paper and use a standard black typeface (not script or italics).

Except for page numbers, leave margins of one inch on all sides of paper. Let the rightmargin remain uneven. Do not justify.

Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by

a space and a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numbers, one-

half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

Center your title on the first page of the paper, and double space between it and the

header. If your instructor prefers a separate title page, see page 6 for a sample title page.

Do not underline your title, place it in quotation marks, or put it in all capital letters.

(Italicize or place in quotation marks only those words that would normally be italicized

or in quotation marks, e.g., the name of a book that you have included in your title.)

Space once after the following punctuation marks:

*After commas, colons, and semicolons.

*After concluding punctuation (unless your instructor prefers two spaces).

*After periods within author, date, title, or publishing information of a citation on

the Works Citedpage.

*After periods following initials in personal names (J. R . Harris).

When writing about literature or general truths, use the present tense

Always check with instructor for exact requirements.
http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/tutorials/tutorials.aspx?id=1239http://www.irsc.edu/libraries/tutorials/tutorials.aspx?id=1239http://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaperhttp://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaperhttp://www.irsc.edu/students/academicsupportcenter/researchpaperhttp://www.irsc.edu/libraries/tutorials/tutorials.aspx?id=1239


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Sample MLA First Page and Works Cited Page

Andrews 1

Pat Andrews

Professor Manning

Introduction to Research 1201, Section A1

17 November 2012

Texting While Driving: A Deadly Dilemma

Andrews 6

Works Cited

"Are You a Day or Night Person?" McCallsMar. 1994: 12. Print.

Automotive Review Council. Time for a Change. Stuart: Automotive Review

Council, 2009. Print.

Bandelier, Adolfo. Watching Out for You. Scholarly Journal of Automotive

Safety and Security22 (2007): 26-30. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

Buck, Arva. Texting Driver Involved in Fatal Accident. Terlingua Daily

Express10 July 2011: A1+. Print.

Demont, Alex. "Like Clockwork." The Science Monitor9 Aug. 1993:127. Rpt.

in Robert Feldman.Essentials of Understanding in Psychology. 2nd ed. NewYork: McGraw, 1994. 102-104. Print.

Howe, Jeff. Social Networking Hits Campus.Journal of Students3.2

(2009): 32-43. Web. 13 May 2009.

Lane, Mandy. Cyberscope.Ms MagazineAug. 2008: 16. Business Source

Complete. Web. 21 June 2008.

Rosenthal, Edgar. "Pulses of Light Give Astronauts New Rhythms."New

York Times23 Apr. 1991, sec. 1: 1. Print.

Shelley, Mary. Victor Frankenstein: An Absent Parent. Mary Shelley. n.d. Web.22 June 1998.

When Gary Golatas climbed into the passenger seat of Allyson

P. Smitters sports car on the morning of July 4, 2011, he had no

idea that she would be taking him for his last ride. According to an

article in the Terlingua Daily Express, Golatas, 17, and Smitter, 18,

had planned a holiday excursion to festivities in nearby AppaloosaCounty. Six months later, it was no holiday when a Kiva County

grand jury indicted Smitter for vehicular homicide (Buck A1+).

Texting, statistics prove, is not only rising but creating

problems on the nations highways. In the United States, texting

increased from 9.8 billion messages a month in January of 2009 to

99.4 billion in January of 2010 (Bandelier 28). As quoted in Time

for a Change, researcher Alan M. Tercero claims, As many as 70

percent of those messages are being sent by people drivingcars

(Automotive Review Council 29). An insurance accident

investigator, Barry Hulicki, says that drivers using cell phones