MLA Citation Style  

Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in Humanities courses, such as English, for citing references in student papers. 

 The purpose of documentation is to:

• Identify (cite) other people’s ideas and information used within your essay or term paper.
• Indicate the authors or sources of these in a Works Cited list at the end of your paper.

This guide is based on the MLA Handbook (7th ed.), published in 2009. 

Here are three different ways you can present information you have found in your research to consciously avoid plagiarizing.

1. Direct quote

When you use or copy the exact words or section of words from an author, you can surround that direct quote by quotation marks. Include the correct citation acknowledging the original author in your sentence.

2. Summary

Write a summary using your own words of the ideas or the text you want to use. Be original without using the words of the original work and be sure you cite that statement.

3. Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is similar to a summary. It just means taking what you have read and rewriting it in your own words. You must cite that paraphrase.

Check out this tutorial from UTSA Libraries!

MLA recently published a new manual of style. 

Some of the changes include:

• Using italics instead of underlines.
• All citations now include an indication of the medium of the source that was viewed (e.g. Print or Web)
• Not including a URL when citing Web Resources unless specifically directed to do so by an instructor.

To learn more about these changes, you may also want to check out the "What is new" section on the official MLA Website.

Manage your research and citations easily with RefWorks.

• My RefWorks Account
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• RefWorks Tutorials
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• About RefWorks

Some instructors may have additional or specialized requirements for your citations.

For example, while the current MLA format does not require you to include the full URL in your citation, some instructors prefer that you do.

Always be aware of class requirements- check with your instructor if you're not sure!

MLA Citation Style- Quick Guide

Meet with a Librarian: TRU Library offers individualized, in-depth, one-on-one research consultations.

The Writing Centre can provide help with any stage of the writing process, and will provide feedback on your writing.