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MLA - Magazine
MLA (Modern Language Association) is an author-page number style, based on listing core elements of your source in a particular order. It has the flexibility to reference a wide variety of source materials. A summary of this approach is available at Purdue OWL, and a practice template is available at style.mla.org (practice template).
Works Cited
Add a 'Works Cited' list at the end of your essay, citing all sources used in the body of your writing.
For a numbered edition, place the abbreviation after the book title, eg ‘2nd ed.’ This part should not be italicised. Use ‘Rev. ed.’ for revised editions and ‘Abr. ed.’ for abridged editions.
Include the DOI number (Digital Object Identifier), if the book has one, and add the name of the database where applicable. The DOI resolver can be used to find a DOI from the citation details if it is not given on the publication. If there is no DOI assigned, MLA 8 recommends adding the URL, even though it may change, as it may still be possible to find the source from an outdated URL. Use a permalink if possible and omit http://www.
One author
Formats (Electronic)
Author. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, pp. page numbers. URL.
Formats (Print)
Author. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, pp. page numbers.
Be as specific as you can with the date of publication. The year of publication may be preceded by the name of an edition, eg ‘Spring 2015.’
Examples
Easther, Elisabeth. "Drama Queens." North & South, no. 374, May 2017, pp. 28-31. search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=anh&AN=122601983&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Larsen, David. "Hidden Gems." Metro, no. 393, 19 May 2015, pp. 106-7.
Two authors
Reverse the order of the first author's name. Place a comma preceding an ‘and’ before the second author's name.
Format
Author One, and Author Two. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, pp. page numbers.
Example
Britton, Catriona, and Samantha Gianotti. "Water We Doing?" Craccum. no. 5, 2017, p.4, craccum.ausa.auckland.ac.nz/2017/issue-05-2017
See One Author above for Formats (Electronic and Print)
Three or more authors
Include only the first author's name, followed by ‘et al.’
Format
Author One, et al. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, pp. page numbers.
Author One, et al. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Edition if relevant, date of publication, edition, pp. page/section numbers.
Example
Jenkins, Edward, et al. "Tax Incentives for Offshore Companies." Institutional Investor, no. 331, Feb. 2054, pp. 9-10.
See One Author above for Formats (Electronic and Print)
Unknown
If the author is unknown, start with the article title.
Format
"Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, pp. page numbers.
Example
"People are Talking about: Warhol's Women Who are Men." Vogue, vol. 159, no. 10, Jun 01, 1972, pp. 134-134, 135, The Vogue Archive.
See One Author above for Formats (Electronic and Print)
Retrieved from a website
Format
Author. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, vol. volume, no. issue, date of publication, URL.
Example
Priestley, Rebecca. "Colony Collapse Disorder : New Zealand Under Threat?" New Zealand Listener, vol. 229, 9 July 2011, www.noted.co.nz/archive/listener-nz-2011/colony-collapse-disorder-new-zealand-under-threat.
In-text citation
Cite the source when paraphrasing another person's ideas or words. Either add parenthesised author and page number following the cited material, or if you name the author in the structure of your text, just add the page number at the end of your sentence. When citing material from the same author in the same paragraph, only the page number is needed, as long as the work cannot be confused with other citations.
One author
- ... it was the case as shown in a recent study (Smith 125). His other finding was that pass rates increased (128).
- In a recent study, Smith showed that this was indeed the case (125). His other finding was that pass rates increased (128).
Two authors
- A recent study showed that laughter had a positive effect (Cooper and Dewe 38). Another finding was that there were fewer confrontational episodes (40).
- In a recent study, Cooper and Dewe showed that laughter had a positive effect (38). Another finding was that there were fewer confrontational episodes (40).
Three or more authors
When the work has three or more authors, either cite all names as they appear on the title page, or only the first author, followed by et al.
- A recent study showed that testosterone levels of male rats declined (Smith et al. 78). Another finding was that the rats became less aggressive (92).
- In a recent study, Smith et al. showed that testosterone levels of male rats declined (78). Another finding was that the rats became less aggressive (92).
Quoting
Direct quotes require quotation marks and page numbers.
- Research suggests that "students perform better when rested" (Smith 56).
- Smith observed that "students perform better when rested" (56).
See also: more on quoting, including long quotes ...
This material is based on:
MLA Handbook. 8th ed. Modern Language Association of America, 2016.
"MLA Works Cited: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University, 2016. owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/18.
For further information please consult the manual directly.
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