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MLA Guide

This guide contains information to help you cite your sources in MLA format.

Citing an Article Written for a Database

Some database articles are not contained in a journal, magazine, book, or newspaper.  These articles are written exclusively for the database such as Mergent Intellect, Issues and Controversies or Today's Science. 

The following format and examples can help you cite an article written for a database.

Format: Author. "Article Title." Database Name, Publisher of Database, Date, URL.

*Author Note: If the article does not have an author listed, begin the citation with the "Article Title." If the article has more than one author listed look here.

*Title Note: See when to Italicize Titles and when to put "Titles in Quotation Marks" here.

*Note: You can usually omit the http:// unless needed to hyperlink.

*Note: For URLs longer than 3 lines, you can shorten the URL. Always retain the host (main website) of the URL.

Mergent Intellect

Example: “05-195-7769. Walmart Inc.” Mergent Intellect, Mergent, July 2022, www.mergentintellect.com/index.php/search/companyDetails/51957769.

Gale Business Insights (Company Profile)

Example (Company Profile): Apple Inc. Company Profile. Gale Business Insights, go.gale.com/ps/profileDocumentdocId=Gale%7CWXAHBA886749614&userGroupName=spartechcl.

Example (Financial Information): Apple Inc. Income Statement. Thomson-Reuters, 2020-2022. Gale Business Insights, go.gale.com/ps/bi?view=financialPerformance&userGroupName=spartechcl&prodId=GBIB&tab=incomeStatement.

Issues and Controversies:

Example: “Human Trafficking.” Issues and Controversies, Infobase, 17 Nov. 2010, icof-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/search?articleType=ARTICLES&q=human+trafficking&aid=97845.

Today's Science:

Example: Smith, Eric. “The Carbon Solution.” Today’s Science, Infobase, July 2016, tsof-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6NTAxNQ==?q=the+carbon+solution&aid=97845.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context (only some articles):

Example: “Guns and Violence.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.gale.com/apps/portal/00000000LVWZ/OVIC?u=spartechcl&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=b7da96f5.

CultureGrams:

Example: “Kenya.” CultureGrams, Proquest, 2024, https://online-culturegrams-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/world/world_country.php?cid=85&cn=Kenya.

Helpful Resources