MLA Style Guide

• MLA is a style of documentation that may be applied to many different types of writing
• Since texts have become increasingly digital, and the same document may often be found in several different sources, following a set of rigid rules no longer suffices
• The current MLA system is based on a few guiding principles, rather than an extensive list of specific rules
• This gives writers a flexible method that is near-universally applicable
• Core elements for MLA citations

  • Author
  • Title of source
  • Title of container
  • Other contributors
  • Version
  • Number
  • Publisher
  • Publication date
  • Location
• Author


  Begin the entry with the author's last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name, as presented in the work
• Title of source


  Depending upon the type of source, it should be listed in italics or quotation marks
• Title of container


  The larger wholes in which the source is located
• Other contributors


  Editors, illustrators, translators, etc. whose contributions are relevant or necessary to identify the source
• Version


  If a source is listed as an edition or version of a work, include it in the citation
• Number


  If a source is part of a numbered sequence, such as a multi-volume book or journal, those numbers must be listed
• Publisher


  The publisher produces or distributes the source to the public
• Publication date


  The date the source was published
• Location


  The location of the source, such as a URL or page numbers