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Examples of MLA Citations
In-Text Citations:
Scientists hold the "octopus as a counterexample to the established notion that where consciousness exists, it is unified" (Carls-Diamante 1270).
Godfrey-Smith takes a broad look at the origin of consciousness in the ocean (6).
Works Cited Entry:
Godfrey-Smith, Peter. Other minds: The octopus, the sea, and the deep origins of consciousness. Farrar, Straus and
Giroux., 2016.
Carls-Diamante, Sidney, et al. "The octopus and the unity of consciousness." Biology & Philosophy, vol. 32, no. 6, 2017,
pp. 1269–1287. ProQuest, doi: 10.1007/s10539-017-9604-0
Author: Last name, comma, First Name Middle Name If there is NO AUTHOR, use the organization name or list entry by title.
Jane Sally Doe = Doe, Jane Sally
Jane Sally Doe and Mary Lane = Doe, Jane Sally, and and Mary Lane (for 2 authors, only invert the first author's name)
Jane Sally Doe and Mary Lane and Rich Tomas = Doe, Jane Sally, et al. (for 3+ authors, list first author and "et al.")
No Author / Organization = American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
No Author = Article title
Title: Book Titles are Italicized, articles are in "quotations"
Article title = "Development and Validation of the Active Empathetic Listening Scale."
Book Title = Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend.
Publication: Journals or Newspapers (Italicized) Not a Book!
The New York Times
Nature
Volume: Volume typically refers to the number of years the publication has been circulated. (Italicized)
Issue: Issue refers to how many times that periodical has been published during that year. In ( ) , Not Italicized!
Journal started twelve years ago and published three times this year = 12(3)
Newspaper four years old and this is the fifth publication this year = 4(5)
Publisher: Who published a book or website? Not a Journal
Random House Publication
Page Number: p. = One page cited / pp. = Multiple pages cited
p. 12
pp. 234-254
Date: Day Month Year
Jan. 2022
14 Sept. 1980
5 May 1986
DOI: This is the permalink. Include with date accessed. Remove http.
doi: 10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.
Link: This is the website address from the browser, a URL (without the https://). Include with date you accessed it.
www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.
Hanging indentation: First line of citation should be as far left as possible and second or third lines should be tabbed in.
Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic
listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23(2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105
Works Cited: All of the citations you are using in a project / paper. Alphabetized by the first listed author's last name.
