MLA8 does not spell out fixed rules for every possible source format, instead, it has guidelines that should be adaptable for any source.
In General, you should aim to include as many of these elements as possible, in this order, with this punctuation:
See the tabbed boxes on this page, or the suggested resources, for specific advice on how to format each of the core elements, full references, and in-text citations for common source type.
"You can apply for evidence of your Australian citizenship if you were...issued with an Australian citizenship certificate" (Evidence of Citizenship para. 1-2).
"Evidence of Australian citizenship - eligibility." Australian Government: Department of Immigration and Border Protection, www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi/Curr/evidence-of-australian-citizenship/eligibility. Accessed 18 August 2017.
Trying to cite something weird? Use the general advice on core elements in this guide or see the Easy Bib guides on how to cite a...
As a general rule:
In-text citations are, usually, the first element from your full reference, and then a location within your source.
Locations are formatted differently depending on your source. See the relevant tab in this box for examples.
Abbreviating titles:
If the first element in your full reference is a really long title it is permissible to abbreviate it, provided the abbreviation remains unique enough to help your teacher identify the correct entry in your reference list.
Paraphrasing:
You still need to include an in-text reference when you are paraphrasing or summarising somebody else's work. If you are paraphrasing the whole work do not include a location. If you are paraphrasing a paragraph, page or chapter within a work include a page, paragraph or time stamp range as your location.
Normal books:
Include the page number or range without any punctuation or P's. For instance:
(Smith 35).
(Jones 21-28).
Classic books:
It is useful to include a volume, section, chapter, or line reference as well as your page number/s to help reviewers locate the quote in any edition. The first element and first level of locations is separated from the secondary level of location details by a semi colon. For instance:
(Smith 433; vol. 1, ch. 2)
It is often not practical to include a location on a web page when they have a lot of paragraphs.
When it is possible, count the number of paragraphs from the top of the webpage to your quote. Include this number as your location with the inscription 'para.'
For instance:
(Smith para. 3)
Locations within DVDs, songs and other audio visual media are specified using a timestamp or timestamp range. Put the hour, minute and seconds into the dvd you are quoting from or referencing, divided by colons. For instance:
(Jones 00:03:16-17)
("Buffy" 00:03:16-18)
What counts as an author:
Single authors:
Two Authors:
Three or more authors:
Corporate authors:
Government authors:
No author:
More than one reference by the same author or authors:
The general idea with 'source' and 'container' is that if something can be inside another resource, then the larger or encompassing resource is the 'container'.
If there is no encompassing container, i.e. you are referencing a whole book or a whole movie, then only include a single source title.
Sometimes you have more than one container, i.e. a journal article inside a Journal which is inside a database.
Some examples:
| Source | Container |
| Web Page | Web Site |
| Journal article | Journal and Database |
| Chapter | Book |
| Song track | Album |
| Episode | DVD box set |
Book source titles:
Web page source titles:
Journal article source titles:
MLA Handbook by
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the MLA Handbook provided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions were required for new formats. In this groundbreaking new edition of its best-selling handbook, the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers can apply to any type of source. Shorter and redesigned for easy use, the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for their research. It then shows them how to cite sources in their writing and create useful entries for the works-cited list. More than just a new edition, this is a new MLA style.
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