MLA 9th Edition

A basic citation with only one container would look like:

Author. "Title of Source." Title of Container, Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

A source with multiple containers, like a journal article found on a library database, would look like:

Author. "Title of Source." Title of Container 1, Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location. Title of Container 2, Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location. Container 3. etc.

A source that is self-contained, like a book, would look like:

Author. Title of Source. Contributor, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

Scroll down on the page to see specific examples of how to cite different sources.

Containers are new to MLA beginning in the 8th edition. They were created in an effort to make citing different types of sources easier, so writers could focus on citing based off commonly found elements, rather than learning how each individual type of source (i.e. book, article, video, etc.) needed to be cited.

As the name suggests, containers are the larger works containing the actual source being cited.

For example, if you are citing an article, the journal that published the article is the container, and the article is the main source (see fig. 2 below). If that article came from a library database, then the journal would be container 1 and the database container 2 (see fig. 3). If you are citing an entire book the book is considered to be "self-contained" and does not have a separate container, unless accessed through a library database or other non-physical means.

What is it?

"Author" refers to the person, people, or organization responsible for writing or creating the work. The author may be the writer(s) or editor(s) of a book or article, the artist of a piece of artwork or musical piece, the creator of a video, etc.

Where can you find it?

The author can usually be found near the title of the work, often (though not always) preceded by indicator phrases like:

• by...
• written by...
• edited by...
• translated by...
• created by...

How do I format it?

The author is included at the beginning of the citation and written in Last Name (Family Name), First Name format and ended with a period.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica...

*See the "Other Common Scenarios" section for how to format in cases with no author, more than 1 author, or with an organization as the author.

What is it?

The "title of source" is the title of the specific work you are referencing. For example, if you are citing a journal article, the title of the article (not the journal containing the article) is the "title of source".  If you are citing a short-story or chapter within a book, the short-story or chapter name/title is the "title of source" not the book itself.  If you are citing an entire book, the title of the book is the "title of source".  

Where can I find it?

The title of the source is usually prominently displayed on the front-cover or page of a written work in letters that stand out from the rest of the text.  If a source does not have a title, as may be the case when citing advertisements or social media posts, provide a brief description of the source in place of a title.

How do I format it?

The source title comes after the author in a works-cited entry.  In general, if the source is considered "short-form" and typically contained within another work (i.e. a journal article, a chapter or short-story contained within a book, poem, episode of a show or podcast, song, etc.) then the title is enclosed in quotation marks and ended with a period.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." ...

If the source is considered "long-form" and typically self-contained (i.e. a book, movie, podcast or TV series, etc.) then the title is italicized and ended with a period.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. Lessons from the Classroom. ...

Notice the use of capitalization in both examples. In general, when writing titles you should capitalize the first and last word in the title and all "important" words.  This excludes articles (a, an, the, etc.), conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.), prepositions (as, of, to, between, against, etc.), and "to" when used as an infinitive, unless they begin or end the title.  

What is it?

The "title of container" is the title of the larger work in which your source is located.  This could be the name of the journal containing an article, the website or database on which the article was found, the title of the book containing the chapter or short-story being cited, the name of a TV or podcast series, etc.

Where can I find it?

The container title is frequently prominently displayed on the front page or cover of a written work, or in the header of a website or database, and is often located above or near the title of the source.

How do I format it?

The container title comes after the source title in a works-cited entry, is typically italicized, follows the rules for capitalizing titles, and ends with a comma.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, ...

What is it?

"Contributors" are the other people or organizations that helped create a work but were not the primary people responsible for its creation.  This could include editors, translators, directors, conductors, etc.

Where can I find it?

Contributors are often, though not always, listed near or under the actual author or creator of the work. Sometimes, however, you will have to search to find out who contributed.  Look for keywords like:

• edited by...
• directed by...
• illustrated by...
• adapted by...

How do I format it?

Contributors are listed after the "title of container" in a works-cited entry, begin with a label indicating how they contributed to the work, and ended with a comma. Contributor names are listed in First Name Last Name format.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, ...

What is it?

"Version" refers to any indicated variant of the work, as in different editions of a books, different formats (i.e. an eBooks vs. a print book), an updated or modified version of the original work (like a directors cut of a film), etc.  

Where can I find it?

The location of the version depends on the type of source being cited.  Books typically have the version listed on the title page underneath the title of the book.  On other works, usually those made available digitally (i.e. a video, audio recording, website, etc.) the version may be found on an "About" page, or footer.  For non-book sources, you will likely have to search for the version.  Look for keywords like:

• edition
• version
• or anything else indicating the work has multiple variations, of which this is one

How do I format it?

The version comes after any contributors in a works-cited entry and is ended with a comma. If it is a numbered version, write the ordinal number numerically and abbreviate "edition" to "ed." Do not use superscript.

Ex.) 2nd ed., ... OR 13th ed., ...

If a descriptive version is given (i.e. revised edition, expanded edition, directors cut, etc.) write the description as provided using lowercase letters, unless it comes after a period in the works-cited entry. Note that "revised" should be abbreviated to "rev."

Ex.) rev. ed., ... OR expanded ed., ... OR directors cut, ...

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, 2nd ed., ...

What is it?

"Number" refers to the order number in a series in which your source is included.  This includes volume and issue numbers commonly used for journals or books in multivolume collections, as well as season and episode numbers of shows or podcasts, etc.

Where can I find it?

Print sources like books or journal articles often have the volume and/or issue number listed on the front cover, title page, or within the header or footer if accessed online via a library database.  For season and episode numbers you may need to look at the series or episode description information.  Keep your eye out for keywords or abbreviations like:

• Volume (vol.)
• Number (no.)
• Issue
• Season
• Episode 
• Or stand alone numbers (included roman numerals)

If you see a number with a decimal point (e.g. 10.5) the number before the decimal is usually the volume or season number, while the number after the decimal is usually the issue or episode number.

How do I format it?

The number comes after the version in a works-cited entry.  Start with a description of the type of number (i.e. volume, issue, season, episode, etc.), write the number numberically, and end with a comma.  Note that "volume" is abbreviated to "vol." and "number" and "issue" are abbreviated to "no."

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, 2nd ed., vol. 1, ...

What is it?

MLA defines the publisher as, "the entity primarily responsible for producing the work or making it available to the public," (164). This can include the publishing company or individual of a book, the studio (i.e. Lucas Films) or network (i.e. CBS, or Netflix) responsible for distributing a film or show, the organization responsible for producing the content of a website or government publication, or the theater company that organized the performance (i.e. New York City Ballet), etc.

Where can I find it?

Depending on the type of source being cited, the publisher may be found in different locations. For books, the publisher is usually found on the title page or copyright page at the beginning of the book.  On the title page it's usually located toward the bottom, often under the logo of the publishing company. On the copyright page the publisher may be found next to a © (copywrite) symbol or after the words "published by...". The publisher of a website can often be found in the footer or on an "about" page. For movies and shows, the production company or network responsible for producing the show may be mentioned in the title and/or end credits, on paperwork accompanying a physical format (i.e. a DVD case or booklet), or with the video description on a streaming service. Keep your eyes out for keywords like: 

• Publisher
• Published by...
• Produced by...
• ...Production
• Broadcast by...
• Copyrighted by... (or look for the © symbol)
• Press
• Publishing
• etc.

How do I format it?

The publisher is listed after the number in a works-cited entry, as it appears in the source, and is ended with a comma.  Note that standard rules for capitalization apply, so even if a publisher is written in all caps (i.e. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) in the source, your works cited entry will not be (i.e. Oxford University Press).  Ampersands (&) and plus signs (+) that appear in the publisher name are also written out as "and" in the works cited entry.

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Read and Richards Publishing, ...

What is it?

The publication date is the date and/or time that the source was published or made available to the public. This might be the date of publication for a book, the time-period of publication for a journal, newspaper, or magazine article, the uploaded or updated date for a webpage or other online content, or the release or first aired date of a movie or show. The publication date may consist of any of the following or a combination thereof:

• Day
• Month
• Year
• Season
• Time

Where can I find it?

The publication date is frequently found on the title page or copywrite page of a book or government document, at the top or bottom of an article, usually near the title or author's name, or on the cover of a journal, newspaper, or magazine.  Keep your eyes out for anything that looks like a date or keywords such as:

• Copyright (or the © symbol)
• Published
• Uploaded (usually for a piece of uploaded web content like a YouTube video)
• Last updated (usually for a webpage)
• Posted (usually for a social media or blog post)

If you see multiple publication dates use the date that is most recent and/or more specific.  

How do I format it?

The publication date comes after the publisher in a works-cited entry, is typically written using the day mon. year format (ex. 3 Jan. 2021) and is ended with a comma. Notice how the month was abbreviated (only May, June, and July are not abbreviated in a works cited entry).

If the publication date includes a time, add it after the year (ex. 3 Jan. 2021, 3:15 p.m.) using the same format as the source (i.e. 12-hour clock or 24-hour clock). 

If the publication date is a season write the season in lower case letters (ex. fall 2022).

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Read and Richards Publishing, Aug. 2020, ...

What is it?

"Location" refers to the physical or electronic location where the source was viewed. This can include the page numbers for a printed source contained withing a larger work, the URL, DOI, or permalink for an online resource, or the physical location where a performance or artwork was viewed. 

Where can I find it?

Page numbers can often be found in the header or footer of the pages on which the work was written. Include the first and last page of the source in your works-cited entry.

The URL can be found in the address bar at the top of the browser. However, if a DOI or permalink is available that is strongly preferred to the URL because they are more stable.  DOI's can often be found next to the title or citation information for an online article, whereas permalinks are often found by clicking a button in the database used to access the article. Ask a librarian if you want help locating the DOI or permalink for an article.

How do I format it?

The location is the last part of works-cited entry and is ended with a period. 

Page number locations are indicated with "pp." for multiple pages or a "p." for a single page.  (ex. p. 13 or pp. 111-113.).

DOIs, Permalinks, and URLs are oftentimes pasted into the works-cited entry as they are. Make sure they are not hyperlinked. 

Ex.) Johnson, Jessica. "Teaching Students to Write Citations." Lessons from the Classroom, edited by Mary Howard, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Read and Richards Publishing, Aug. 2020, pp. 33-40.