Books:

Form:

(Author’s last name),(Author’s first and middle  name).(Title.)  (City of publication):(Publisher),(Year of Publication).

Example:

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5^th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1999.

Or:

Gordimer, Nadine. Selected Stories.  London: Penguin Books, 1975.

An edited book by a single author:

Form:

(Author’s last name),(Author’s first name). (Title of

    Book).    Ed.(Editor’s first name),(Editor’s last name).

    (City of publication):(Publisher),(Year of Publication).      

Example:

Clemens, Samuel L. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Ed.

Sculley Bradley et al. 2nd ed.  NY: Norton, 1977.

(Note: If there are more than two editors, use et al.  ("and others").  Always use the most recent copyright date.)

An article or chapter from an edited volume:

Form:

(Author’s last name), (Author’s first name).  (“Title of

article or chapter”).  (Title of book). Ed. (Editor’s

first name, Editor’s last name). (City of

publication):(Publisher),(Year of Publication).

Example:

Booth, Wayne C.  “Macbeth as Tragic Hero.”  Macbeth.  Ed.

Harold Bloom.  NY: Chelsea House Pub., 1991. 

Note: Although the article’s author’s name should be listed last name first, the editor’s name should be given in normal order.

A summarized article from a source like TCLC or CLC:

Form:

(Article author’s last name),(article author’s first

    name). (Title of article). (Title of original

           publication, volume, year, page numbers).(Title of

    source where you found this article excerpt). (Volume,

    year, page numbers in the source you consulted).

Example:

Lynn, Kenneth S.  "Welcome Back from the Raft, Huck

    Honey!"  The American Scholar.  46  (1977): 338-47.

    Twentieth Century Literary Criticism.  6 (1982):482-5.

                                                            OR:

Leary, Lewis.  "Mark Twain."  American Writers.  (1974).

Note: you need not include publication information for TCLC, CLC, and American Writers, which are standard, well-known reference materials.

Newspaper Articles:

Form:

(Author’s last name),(Author’s first and middle name). ("Title of article.")  (Newspaper)  (Day Month Year), (Edition):(Section and page).

Example:

Smith, Harvey K.  "Afghanistan Today." The Buffalo Bulletin.  17 April 2002, final ed.: A4.

Magazine Articles:

Form:

(Author’s last name), (Author’s first and middle name).  ("Title of Article").  (Magazine Title). (Date information):(Page Numbers)

Example:

Gladwell, Malcolm.  "Blowing Up."  The New Yorker.  22 Apr. 2002:162-173.

Internet Sources:

Note: Not all of the information below will be included on all web pages.  You must provide as much of it as you can in the proper order.

Form:

(Author’s last name),(Author’s first and middle name).  ("Title of Article"). (Name of Site). (Version number or last update date).  (Sponsoring organization).  (Date accessed).  <URL>. 

Example:

Shapiro, Walter.  "My Man Pervez! How Bush makes foreign policy too personal." Slate.  16 Apr. 2002.  Microsoft.  17 Apr. 2002 <http://slate.msn.com/?id=2064361>

CD-Rom:

Note: Not all of the information below will be included on all CDs.  You must provide as much of it as you can in the proper order.

Form:

(Name of author of CD). (Title of CD). (Version of

     CD).  (The descriptive label CD Rom).  (Distributor,

year of publication).

Example:

Macbeth.  Films for the Humanities and Sciences.  CD-Rom. 

Cromwell Productions, 1997.

Electronic sources:

Note: Not all of the information below will be included in all databases.  You must provide as much of it as you can in the proper order.

Form:

(Name of author). (Title of item). (Title and publication information for printed source). (Title of site).  (Title of the project or database). (Date of electronic publication or posting).  (Numbered sections).  (Institution or agency sponsoring site).  (Date of your access).  (URL  in < >).

Example:

Weller, Philip.  Macbeth Navigator.  17 April 2000.

     <www.clicknotes.com/macbeth/welcome.html>

 (Because these rules are changing so fast, check the MLA website at www.mla.org/main_stl.htm#sources for more particular information about documenting electronic sources.)