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    Citing Sources in MLA: Works Cited Examples

    Getting Started With Works Cited

    The citation of any source for MLA can be composed of any or all of the following core elements. The elements are represented in the correct sequence and punctuation:
    1. Author.                    

    Last Name, First Name. This can be a username or organization name. If the author is a publisher,
    exclude the authors' information. If there is an editor or translator for the source, add the words editor
    or translator after their name.
    2. "Title of Source."  Place the title in quotation marks if the source is part of a larger work such as a chapter in a
    book, journal article, newspaper article, website, television series, song, poem, short story, or
    webpage. If the Source is untitled, provide a generic description of it in sentence case with no
    quotation marks. If the source is self contained and independent, such as a book or a website,
    the title will be in italics without quotation marks.
    CONTAINER 1
    3. Title of Container,

    When the source is part of a larger whole such as an anthology, a periodical, television seriesor website. Put the tile of the container in italics.
    4. Contributors,

    Credited contributors besides the author such as an editor, translator, narrator, or director.
    5. Version, The version is applicable if the  work was released in more than one format, such as an abridged
    edition, an expanded edition, or director's cut. Example: 3rd ed.
    6. Number,

    Used when the resource is part of a numbered sequence, such as a volume, issue, season orepisode. Use abbreviations such as vol. or no. to indicate the type of number being included in the citation.
    7. Publisher,

    Publishers include book publishers or film studios. No publisher city is needed in MLA. There is no
    need to shorten or abbreviate the name of a publisher, unless the publisher is a university press inwhich case, it is acceptable to use the abbreviation UP. If more then one publisher is found, list them
    and separate them with a forward slash.
    8. Publication Date, The date that the resource was published. This can be the year, the month and year, or the day, month, and year, depending on the type of source. Months with more then four letters in the name can be abbreviated. Example: Nov.
    9. Location. The location includes any applicable information that can help others find the same source you used.
    Examples are page numbers (pp.), a URL for a PDF found online, a DOI number, etc.
    CONTAINER 2
    10. Title of Container Second containers are used if the source is nested inside another. A journal article found in an online
    database is an example. The article is the source, the journal is the first container, the database is the second container.
    Repeat Steps 4-9 If your source has a second container to it, fill out any relevant information for it following the format above.

    Works Cited Examples

    The examples in this section have been updated to 9th edition.  Additional examples can be found in MLA Handbook Plus linked above.

    Bible

    Cite the Bible on the Works Cited page like a book without an author.

    Example:

    The Bible . Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 2008.

    Online Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

    Format:

    "Term being Defined.” Name of Dictionary/Encyclopedia , Year published, URL.

    Example:

    “Entrepreneurship.” Merriam Webster Dictionary Online , 2017, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary.

    Print Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

    Format:

    "Term being Defined.” Name of Dictionary/Encyclopedia , edition, Publisher, Year published, page number.

    Example:

    “Leadership.” Encyclopedia Britannica , 15th ed., Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2010, p. 400.

    Dissertations

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. Title . Year published. University Name, type of paper. Database Name , URL.

    Example:

    Mulligan, Daniel F.  Servant Leadership and Its Impact on Classroom Climate and Student Achievement ​. 2016. Grand Canyon University, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global , lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/docview/1794167033?accountid=7374.

    Entire Book

    Book with 1 author

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

    Example:

    Daresh, John C. Beginning the Assistant Principalship: A Practical Guide for New School Administrators . Corwin, 2009.

    Book with 2 authors

    Format:

    First Author's Last, First Name, and Second Author's First and Last Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

    Example:

    Nsiah, Joseph, and Keith Walker. Servant: Leadership Role of Catholic High School Principals . Sense Publishers, 2012.

    Book with 3 or more authors

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name, et al.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

    Example:

    Beers, Carol S., et al. A Principal's Guide to Literacy Instruction . Guilford Press, 2014.

    Anthology or Book Chapter

    Note that the citation includes the same information as used when citing an entire book, plus the chapter or entry title, the editors' names, and the chapter page numbers.

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. "Section Title."  Book/Anthology Title , edited by First Name Last Name, edition if present, volume if present, Publisher, Year Published, Page(s). 

    Example:

    Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Raven." Norton Anthology of American Literature , edited by Nina Baym et al., 8th ed., vol. 1, W. W. Norton, 2011, pp. 637-640.

    For MLA citations, when you are citing a book on a website, the citation is much the same as print, with the added URL.

    E-book with 1 author

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date, URL.

    Example:

    Frankot, Edda. Banishment in the Late Medieval Eastern Netherlands. Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88867-1

    For books from academic databases, include the database.

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date. Database name , URL.

    Example:

    Milbank, Alison. Chesterton and Tolkien as Theologians: The Fantasy of the Real . T & T Clark, 2008. ProQuest Ebooks Central , lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gcu/detail.action?docID=1748191.

    Cite print textbooks as a book. Cite textbooks available online without logging in the same as a book on a website. Cite textbooks from BibliU or library databases as books from a database.

    Textbooks from BibliU

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date. Database Name , URL.

    Example:

    Kary, Michael. Acting in Faith: A Christian's Guide to the Acting World . Kendall Hunt, 2019. BibliU , bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781524996932/pdf2htmlex/index.html.

    Anthology or Book Chapter, Available OnlineNote that the citation includes the same information as used when citing an entire book, plus the chapter or entry title, the editors' names, and the chapter page numbers. For this example, the book is available on a website, so there is no database name.

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. "Section Title."  Book/Anthology Title , edited by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year Published, URL.

    Example:

    Hiles, Jason, and Anna Faith Smith. "Evaluating Wisely." The Beginning of Wisdom: An Introduction to Christian Thought and Life , edited by Dan Diffey and Rich Holland, Grand Canyon University, 2022, lc.gcumedia.com/webbooks/the-beginning-of-wisdom-an-introduction-to-christian-thought-and-life/v4.1/#/chapter/2.

    Course Material from an LMS (Halo):

    Follow the standard rules for titles to determine if the title should be in quotes or italics. In this example the guideline document is a stand alone document, so it is in italics. Include the author if there is one named. Most GCU course material will not have a named author.

    Format:

    Title of Material. Name of Course, taught by Professor Name. LMS Name , University, Publication date, URL.

    OR

    "Title of Material." Name of Course, taught by Professor Name. LMS Name , University, Publication date, URL.

    Example:

    Digital Design Assignment Submission Requirements . Web Design II, taught by Chris Murphy. Halo , Grand Canyon University, 2021, halo.gcu.edu/resource/ba394aab-6742-46b2-b4bb-1a698982c617?nestedResourceId=de2f18e5-7fc0-4e68-8473-3a01ead34193.

    Journal Articles

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Publication date, pages. Database Name, DOI/ URL.

    Example:

    The DOI is formatted to begin with https://doi.org instead of DOI:. Older articles may have previous forms of the DOI, change them to the current format by adding the DOI number after https://doi.org/

    Beatty, Ian D. and William J. Gerace. "Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment: A Research-Based Pedagogy for Teaching Science with Classroom Response Technology." Journal of Science Education & Technology , vol. 18, no. 2, 2009, pp. 146-162. EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-008-9140-4.

    Court Decisions

    In 9th Edition, titles are now formatted the same in works cited as in the text, so the case name is now in italics. Agencies are treated as author, and styled as they are in the publication, and you can specify where you located the material.

    Format:

    Court. Name v. Name . Date of Decision. Website or Database Name , Publisher, URL.

    Example:

    United States, Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education . 17 May 1954. Legal Information Institute , Cornell Law School, www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483.

    Media and Images

    Media such as film may be cited title first, if you are focusing on the work overall, or by listing first (in the author position) the contributor who is the focus of your writing.

    Music Recordings

    Format:

    Last Name, First Name. "Song Title." Album Name , Label, date, Medium/location.

    Example:

    Twain, Shania. "Love Gets Me Every Time." Come on Over , Mercury, 1997. CD.

    Motion Pictures

    Format:

    Title . Directed by First Name Last Name, Distributor, release year.

    Example:

    Hamlet . Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1996. 

    Television

    Broadcast Television Show

    Format:

    "Title of Episode."  Show Title, written by First name Last name, directed by First name Last name, Distributor/Network, release date.

    Example:

    "The Puffy Shirt." Seinfeld,  written by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, directed by Tom Cherones, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1993.

    Streaming Television Show

    Format:

    "Title of Episode."  Show Title, season number, episode number, Network, Release date. Streaming Medium, URL.

    Example:

    "Under the Gun."  Pretty Little Liars , season 4, episode 6, ABC Family, 16 July 2013. Netflix , www.netflix.com.

    YouTube Video

    For videos with a single, identified creator, you can use the creator as author and include the handle as uploader (if different). This may be of particular use if you are using multiple videos from a single creator, to list them together in your works cited list. For videos that are collaborative works, ambiguous, or not the work of the uploader, lead with the video title.

    Formats:

    Creator. "Posting Title." Name of Site , uploaded by Handle (if different from creator), Date, URL.
    "Posting Title." Contributors if needed. Name of Site , uploaded by Handle, Date, URL.

    Examples:

    "The GCU Story, A Modern, Purpose-Driven University." YouTube, uploaded by Grand Canyon University, 9 Nov. 2021, youtu.be/C5SA61ZXhPI.
    Reardon, Ann. "Testing Kitchen Gadgets, Clever or Never." YouTube, uploaded by How to Cook That, 2022, youtu.be/jGXMHnnsPqw.

    Images

    Artwork/Photographs or Sculptures Viewed Online

    Format:

    Artist Last Name, First Name. Title of Work . Date of creation. Site Name , URL.

    Example:

    Michelangelo. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel . 1508-1512. Vatican Museums, www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/cappella-sistina.html.

    Online Images

    Format:

    Creator Last Name, First name. Title of Image. Date. Website name, URL.

    Example:

    Hennig, Wilfried. Nervous System . 1996. 3B Scientific, www.a3bs.com/nervous-system-chart-vr1620uu-3b scientific,p_1380_2744.html.

    Report from University, Government Organization, or Corporate Author

    Note:You may find that many reports from government organizations will list multiple departments.

    Note:Use the agency name as presented in the source.

    Organization Name. Title of Resource. Report  No., Publisher or Website , Publication date, URL.

    Example:

    U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools. 2014, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/resources/lung/NACI_ManagingAsthma-508%20FINAL.pdf.

    General Webpages

    Webpage With No Author:

    9th edition clarifies that you should not repeat names, and to place organizations in the publisher or site name spot rather than author when the same.

    Format:

     "Name of Page." Name of Site. Publisher if Different, Publication date, URL.

    If the source is undated, you may add an accessed date if the source is one that is updated regularly.

    Example:

    "Plagiarism." Citing Sources in MLA. Grand Canyon University Library, libguides.gcu.edu/MLA/Plagiarism. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.

    Blog Entries

    Format:

    Author, Editor, Screen Name, or Compiler Name. “Entry Title.” Title of Blog,   Publication date, URL.

    Example:

    Sew, Jyh. "Primary Learning in a Multilingual Society."  Grammar Gang , 5 May 2014, thegrammargang.blogspot.com/2014/05/primary-learning-in-multilingual-society.html.

    Generative AI

    Please refer to the Student AI Policy in the Student Success Center AI Resource Center for GCU's official policy on AI use. Read this policy to be familiar with GCU expectations before using generative artificial intelligence in coursework, to avoid academic integrity violations.

    According to MLA's current guidance , Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, should be cited as a webpage with no author. Use your prompt, or the start of your prompt, as the title, the AI name as the source title, and the company as the publisher. 

    Format for Text:

    "Title from prompt" prompt. Program Title , version, Publisher, Date, URL.

    Example:

    “Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt.  ChatGPT , 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

    Format for Images:

    As per the normal MLA rules, images may be captioned with their full information and then need not appear in the Works Cited list. 

    Fig. #. "Title from prompt" prompt, Program Title , version, Publisher, Date, URL.

    Example:

    Fig. 1. “Pointillist painting of a sheep in a sunny field of blue flowers” prompt,  DALL-E , version 2, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, labs.openai.com/.

    No Author or No Date

    MLA does not use placeholders for missing elements. Simply skip the element and move on to the next item in the sequence. 

    Example Format:

    "Title of Article."  Website Name , Date, URL.

    Author. "Title of Article." Website Name , URL.

    New for 9th Edition

    If a website source is undated, you may add an accessed date if the source is one that is updated regularly.

    Example:

    "Plagiarism." Citing Sources in MLA. Grand Canyon University Library. libguides.gcu.edu/MLA/Plagiarism. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
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