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BY 104: Human Biology

MLA Handbook

MLA Style online

The MLA Style Center website provides useful resources including notices on recent updates and sample papers.

Cite Your Sources

Citation is your indication that certain material in your work came from another source. It also provides readers with the information necessary to find that source again. Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use other people's work without plagiarizing.

The following situations almost always require citation:

  • quotation
  • paraphrasing
  • use of an idea not your own
  • specific reference to the work of another
  • use of someone else's work to develop your own ideas

Adapted from: Plagiarism.org

Understanding MLA Citation Style

MLA Examples

These examples are from the MU Writing Services's Resources for Writers, MLA 8 Works Cited

Book with Two Authors:
Authors’ names (only the first is reversed). Title. Publisher, Year.

Cole, George F. and Christopher E. Smith. Criminal Justice in America. Wadsworth, 1996. 

Article in a Scholarly Journal:
Author. “Article Title.” Journal Title, Volume number, Issue number, Month or season (if available) Year, Page numbers.

Goldsmith, Meredith. “White Skin, White Mask: Passing, Posing, and Performing in The Great Gatsby.” MFS Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 49, no. 3, Fall 2003, pp. 443-68. 

Newspaper or Magazine Article Published on the Web:
Author. “Article Title.” Newspaper or Magazine Title, Date of Publication (if available). URL (without http:// or https://).

Nordland, Rod. "Iran Plays Host to Delegations after Iraq Elections." New York Times, 1 Apr. 2010. www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/world/middleeast/02iraq.html?_r=0.

Publication in an Online Database:
Author. “Article Title.” Journal Title, Volume number, Issue number, Month or season (if available) Year, Page numbers. Name of Database, URL (without http:// or https://). Note: In terms of volume and issue, one or both may be available.

Chan, Evans. “Postmodernism and Hong Kong Cinema.” Postmodern Culture, vol. 10, no. 3, May 2000, pp. 17-18. Project Muse, muse.jhu.edu/article/37463.

How to Avoid Accidental (Unintentional) Plagiarism

Managing Citations

NoodleTools

This research platform offers tools for note-taking, outlining, citation, document archiving/annotation and collaborative research and writing. You will need to create a personal account to save your work. 


Zotero

This platform offers tools that assist with collecting, organizing and citing research as well as for collaborative research and writing. You will need to create a personal account to save your work.