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ENG 101 - Pop Culture Analysis (Hughes/Lawrence/Young)

5. Cite Your Sources in MLA Format

Here are a few examples to help you cite your sources in MLA format

How to Cite an Entire Book or Ebook (Print or Electronic)

Format: Author(s). Title of Book in Italics. Edition, Publisher, Year. Database Name in Italics. (if electronic) URL.

*Note: if using a print book, skip the database name.

Print Book:

Example: Smith, John. Social Media Basics. Revised ed., Smithfield Publisher, 2015.

Ebook:

Example: McEvoy, Sean. Shakespeare: The Basics. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2006. eBook Collection,https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=170965&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s9007306.

*Note: Include URL for database at end if instructor requires it.


How to Cite Part of a Book or Ebook (Print or Electronic)

Format: Author(s). "Title of Part." Title of Book, edited by Editor, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic), URL.

Print Book:

Example: Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants." The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays, shorter 13th ed., W. W. Norton, 2019, pp. 114-18.

Ebook:

Example: Hennessy, Michael. “Sinking the Titanic.” Critical Survey of Poetry, edited by Frank Magill, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Harvard UP, 1991, pp. 80-89. Literature Resource Center, www.gale.com/databases/literature-resource-center.

*Note: Include URL for database at end if instructor requires it.


How to Cite a Magazine/Newspaper Article from a Database

Format: Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Magazine/Newspaper, Date of Publication, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic), URL

Example: Medeiros, Brian. "Keep Cows Comfortable." Dairy Today, 13 Oct. 2011, pp. 33+. General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A250824516/ITOF?u=spartechcl&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5dfbfe11.


How to Cite a Journal Article from a Database

Format: Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic).

Example: Godwin, John. "Wallace’s 'Jest'." Explicator, vol. 61, no. 2, 2003, pp. 122-24. General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A186269246/ITOF?u=spartechcl&sid=ITOF&xid=1e4615a6.

Article with a DOI:

Example: Goldman, Ann. “Reading Primo Levi Reading.” The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://doi.org/10.1632/adfl.43.2.11.


How to Cite a Website

Format: Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Website in Italics, Website Publisher (if different than title), Date of publication, URL.

*Note:  Exclude publisher if title of website and publisher are the same.
*Note: If website does not have a date, add an access date at the end after the URL: Accessed 7 May 2016.
*Note: Do not include the http:// or https:// in the URL.

Website Article:

Example 1: Stewart, Bob. “Biostimulants.” Plant News, University of Maryland, 5 Aug. 2009, www.ipmnet.umd.edu/ 5-4art1.htm.

Example 2: “Biospheres.” Amazing Earth, www.amazingearth.com/biospheres/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2020.


Citing an Online Video

Format: Author(s). “Title of Video.” Website Title in Italics, Website Publisher (if different than title), uploaded by Name of User, Date of Upload, URL.

Example: “The Bystander Effect: The Death of Kitty Genovese.” YouTube, uploaded by HeroicImaginationTV, 12 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdpdUbW8vbw&t=1s.


Additional MLA Examples

Citing Social Media

General Rules

Author: If the source uses a username, screen name, or other pseudonym, include it as the author’s name, if the author’s real name is not known. Example: One Frugal Girl. If both are known, list the author's name first, then follow it with the username in brackets with the @ symbol. Example: Rose, Adam [@therealarose].

If the author's name and username are similar, you do not have to include both the account name and username if you include the URL. Example: Angie Thomas and user name @angiethomas, you would just use Thomas, Angie.

Alphabetizing: When alphabetizing works cited entries, ignore any special characters (such as @) in an online username.

Titles: For emails, use the subject as the title (in quotation marks, capitalize like a title). For short messages/posts without title (like a tweet or Facebook post), list the entire message (without changes) in quotation marks in place of a title. For longer messages or images without a title, create a description of the source, and list this in place of a title (written plain text, no quotes/no italics, capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns).

Accessed Date: Include the date you accessed the source if it can be edited (examples: a blog, Instagram or Facebook post). For sites like Twitter and Tiktok that do not allow editing (only deleting), you do not need to include a date accessed. If you are unsure, include the date accessed.


A Blog Post, Listserv, or Discussion Group

Format: Author(s). “Post Title or Email Subject.” Title of Website in Italics, Website Publisher (if different than title), Date Posted, Time, URL. Accessed Date.

*Note: Include username as author when author’s real name is not known.  If the author is using a username, include author’s real name if known in parenthesis after the username.

Example 1: Pierdinock, Amber. “Black History Month.” The Stacks, Spartanburg Community College Library, 2 Feb. 2021, libguides.sccsc.edu/blog/Black-History-Month. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Example 2: One Frugal Girl. “Use Your Why to Find Purpose In Life.” One Frugal Girl, 8 Nov. 2019, www.onefrugalgirl.com/category/minimalism/page/3/. Accessed 14 June 2020.


Facebook

Format: Author or Facebook Account Name. Description of post or meme. Facebook, Date Posted,  URL. Accessed Date.

*Note: Individual authors should be listed last name, first name.

*Note: For short posts without title, list the entire message (without changes) in quotation marks in place of a title. For longer messages or images without a title, create a description of the source, and list this in place of a title (written plain text, no quotes/no italics, capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Example 1: Inspirational Quotes for Students Life. “Every student has some failures in past...... I think we should forget that failures ..... But we should Never forget That we taught from our failures in the past....”Facebook, 20 Feb. 2018, www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1205511206246047&id=475499445913897&__tn__=-R. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Example 2:  The Weeknd. Information on red suit on Rolling Stone including pictures. Facebook, 19 Sep. 2020, 5:46 p.m., www.facebook.com/theweeknd/posts/3484052348285226?__tn__=-R. Accessed 15 Dec. 2020.

Example 3:  Witherspoon, Reese. “I did it! Did you? Feels good to exercise my right to VOTE. 18 days until the election! Have you sent your ballots in?? Text me a photo of your "I Voted" stickers! 615-235-5390.” Facebook, 16 Oct. 2019, 11:33am, www.facebook.com/ReeseWitherspoon/photos/a.613856408733999/3397354113717534/?type=3&theater. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020.


Instagram

Format: Author [@Username]. “Entire caption of the picture or video.” Instagram, Date Posted, URL. Accessed Date.

*Note: Include author’s real name if known then their username in brackets unless their username is very similar to their real name.

*Note: In place of a title for images with a short caption, include the entire caption (no changes) in quotation marks. For longer captions or images without a caption, create a description of the source, and list this in place of a title (written plain text, no quotes/no italics, capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Example 1: @coolerfuture. “FACT: The countries that pay the highest price for #globalwarming, are the countries least responsible for causing the problem!” Instagram, 19 Oct. 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CGhpXJPFaze/?igshid=1dwjn4m3wr1xc. Accessed 23 Oct. 2020.

Example 2:  Rose, Adam [@therealarose]. “double maskin’ it. also i feel like it’s been forever since i posted a picture on ig. been mostly videos. should i be posting more pics??” Instagram, 23 Jan. 2021, www.instagram.com/p/CKaGReGlmQt/?igshid=12m32sym43h5k. Accessed 1 Feb. 2021.


TikTok

Format: Author [@Username]. “Caption of video.” TikTok, Date Posted, URL.

*Note: Include author’s real name if known then their username in brackets unless their username is very similar to their real name.

*Note: If there is no caption for the video, create a description to use in place of a title. Write it in plain text (no quotes/no italics), and capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Example 1: Remillard, Lisa [@todaysnews]. “#tax #unemployment #stimulus I asked the IRS, YOUR most most popular questions.” TikTok, 5 Feb. 2021, vm.tiktok.com/ZMedmreM3/.

Example 2:  @cbsnews. “How NASA's Mars Perseverance rover will make the most difficult landing ever attempted on the red planet. #news #mars #nasa #edutok #stepbystep.” TikTok, 5 Feb. 2021, vm.tiktok.com/ZMedm1xu8/.


Twitter

Format: Author [@Username]. “Entire post without changes.” Twitter, Date Posted, URL.

*Note: Include author’s real name if known then their username in brackets unless their username is very similar to their real name.

Example 1:  Green, Hank. “The wild thing about Crash Course is that students think everyone knows about it, teachers think it’s their little secret, and administrators have no idea it exists. This is not a great outcome for getting funding, but we’ll figure it out.” Twitter, 8 Feb. 2021, twitter.com/hankgreen/status/1358645423460683776.

Example 2:  @ColIegeStudent. “Haven’t gotten enough attention today, think i’ll put my dog on my lap during my zoom lecture.” Twitter, 12 Jan. 2021, twitter.com/ColIegeStudent/status/1349104103708913666.

In-Text Citations

This in-text citation information will get you started, but see our full In-text Citation Guide for more information and additional examples.

Basic Format: 1 Author and Page Numbers

Place the author’s last name and page number in parenthesis. If the in-text citation is at the end of a sentence, place the period outside the parenthesis.

Example 1: (Hennessy 81).

Example 2: (Hennessy 81-82).

No Page Numbers

If a source has no page numbers, omit the page number. Keep in mind, most electronic sources do not include pages.

Example 1: ("Everyday Victims")

Example 2: (Jones)

No Author

If the source has no author, your in-text citation will use the title of the source that starts your works cited entry. The title may appear in the sentence itself or, abbreviated, before the page number in parenthesis.

Example 1: (“Noon” 508).

Example 2: (Faulkner’s Novels 25).

Example 3: (“Climate Model Simulations").

2 Authors

If the entry on the Works Cited page begins with the names of two authors, include both last names in the in-text citation, connected by and.

Example: (Dorris and Erdrich 23).

3+ Authors

If the source has three or more authors, include the first author’s last name followed by et al.

Example: (Burdick et al. 42).