Now updated from the
7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

Most Jefferson College faculty members require the MLA documentation style described below. Other styles you may be required to use are APA style and Chicago Manual of Style.  Be sure to check with your instructor! 

These guidelines are adapted from the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers (ninth edition) by Lynn Quitman Troyka and Douglas Hesse. A copy of this handbook may be checked out for in-house use at the Library's Circulation Desk at Hillsboro or Arnold or in the office at Jefferson College Northwest. Copies may be purchased at the Jefferson College Bookstore.

Cite articles as you would cite their print counterparts. Add the following information about the online product:

• The title of the database in italics (Academic Search Elite, etc.);
• Medium of publication (Web); and
• The date you accessed the article.
• Include the URL for the article only if you think the reader will have trouble locating the article you cited or if your instructor requires the URL. If you must include the URL, give the complete web address and put the URL in angle brackets after the date of access. Remove the hyperlink for the URL.

In the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers Ninth Edition, see nos. 1-33 on pages 606-13 for guidelines for print articles. Guidelines for articles from the Library’s databases are on pages 613-16; see nos. 34-38.

EBSCOhost Examples:
Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, and Business Source Premiere, etc.

The Library subscribes to several different databases through EBSCO Publishing. Examples are listed below. The first illustrates how to cite a magazine article; the second shows the citation format for a journal article; the third is an example from CINAHL and the last is from Business Source Premiere.

Millar, Erin. “Resumé Builders.” Maclean’s 24 Nov. 2008: 50-51. Academic

        Search  Elite. Web. 22 Apr. 2009. Stavrianopoulos, Katherine. "Service

        Learning within  the Freshman Year Experience." College Student Journal

        42.2 (2008): 703-12. Academic Search Elite. Web. 23 June 2009.

Allen, PLJ. "Primary care approaches. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment

        of celiac disease in children." Pediatric Nursing 30.6 (Nov. 2004): 473-476.

        CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 13 August 2009.

Forseter, Murray. “To Everything There is a Season; Now is the Time for

        Goodbye.” Chain Store Age 85.7 (Jul. 2009): 90. Business Source

        Premiere. Web. 19 August 2009.

Gale Examples:
Academic OneFile, Business & Company Resource Center, General OneFile, etc.

Two examples are listed below. The first example illustrates how to cite a journal article; the second shows the citation format for a magazine article. Use these examples for other Gale databases, such as Business and Company Research Center, Communication and Mass Media, and General OneFile.

Cornell, Renee and Mary Lou Mosley. “Intertwining College with Real Life: The

        Community College First-Year Experience.” PeerReview 8.3 (2006): 23-25.

        Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Sept. 2006. 

Stroud, Suzanne, et al. "A Winning Recipe for Volunteerism." Parks &

        Recreation Jan.2006: 50-55. Academic OneFile. Web. 25 June 2009.

The Chronicle of Higher Education Example:

Hoover, Eric. “Colleges Face Tough Sell to Freshmen, Survey Finds." Chronicle

        of Higher Education 2 Feb. 2008: A1+. Web. 28 Feb. 2009.

CQ Researcher Example:

Cite CQ Researcher as a magazine with one article per issue. Your entry should include the author and title of the article, the title of the magazine (CQ Researcher), the date of the article and “n. pag.” to show that the article has no page numbers, the name of the database in italics, the medium of publication, and the date you accessed the article. The URL is optional.

Glazer, Sarah. “Future of Books: Will Traditional Print Books Disappear?” CQ

        Researcher 29 May 2009: n. pag. CQ Researcher. Web. 6 June 2009.

Education Full Text Example:

Adamle, Kathleen N., Tracy A. Riley and Tracey Carlson. "Evaluating College

        Student Interest in Pet Therapy." Journal of American College Health 57.5

        (2009): 545-48. Education Full Text. Web. 19 June 2009.

Issues and Controversies in American History Example:

Articles in Issues and Controversies have no page numbers, so citations from this database will include the phrase, "n. pag." Use the following information in your citation: (1) author, if given; (2) title of article in quotation marks; (3) title of publication in italics (I ssues and Controversies in American History); (4) date of article, followed by a colon and "n. pag."; (5) database title in italics (Facts on File News Services); (6) medium of publication (Web); (7) date you accessed the article; and (8) URL (optional).

DeFrees, Allison. “Middle East Peace Process.” Issues and Controversies in

        American History 11 Apr. 2006: n. pag. Facts On File News Services.

        Web. 24 June 2009.

JSTOR Example:

Crossley, Scott. “Metaphorical Conceptions in Hip-Hop Music.” African

        American Review 39.4 (2005): 501-12. JSTOR. Web. 2 July 2009.

LexisNexis Academic Example:

Schemo, Diana Jean. "What a Professor Learned as an Undercover Freshman."

        New York Times 23 Aug. 2006, final ed.: B1. LexisNexis Academic. Web.

        30 Aug. 2009.

NewsBank Example:

Thomas, Jim. "L.A. Move is Unlikely for Rams." St. Louis Post-Dispatch 7 June

        2009, 2nd ed.: C1+. NewsBank. Web. 25 June 2009.

SIRS Knowledge Source Example:

Rogers, Kipp D. "Cell Phones as Instructional Tools." Principal Leadership Feb.

        2009: 65-67. SIRS Knowledge Source. Web. 22 Apr. 2009.

For reference books, follow guidelines 13 and 14 in Simon and Schuster’s Handbook for Writers (p. 608) for signed or unsigned “Article[s] in a Reference Book,” then add information for the online source. Include the following: (1) the author (if signed); (2) the title of the article in quotations; (3) the title of the reference book in italics; (4) the editor(s) if given; (5) the edition and volume if given; (6) the place of publication: the publisher, the year of publication; (7) title of the database, in italics; (8) medium of publication (Web); and (9) the date of access (day, month and year).

African-American Experience Example:

This database includes articles from web resources and reference books. A reference book citation is shown.

Gubert, Betty Kaplan, Miriam Sawyer and Caroline M. Fannin. “Marcella A.

        Ng.” Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Science.

        Westport, CT: Oryx, 2002. African American Experience. Web. 7 Aug.

        2009.

Contemporary Literary Criticism Select Examples:

This database contains: (1) articles from the print edition and (2) links to excerpts from books or articles in journals.

• Articles from the print edition
Citations begin with the author (if given), title of the article in quotation marks, and then the title of the book in italics. Follow this with publication information for the print version, the name of the database in italics, medium of publication (Web), and the date you accessed the article. The URL is optional.

MLA Citation:

“Joyce Carol Oates.” Contemporary Literary Criticism. Farmington Hills, MI:

        Gale, 2008. Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Web. 23 June 2009.

• Linked journal article or book excerpt
Cite articles as you would their print counterparts. Add information about the online product, including title of the database (in italics), medium of publication (Web), and your access date. The URL is optional.

MLA Citation:

Singh, Sushila. “Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood: Two Faces of the

        New World Feminism.” Panjab Univ. Research Bulletin (Arts) 18.1 (1987):

        83-93. Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Web. 15 Aug. 2009.

DISCovering Collection Examples:

The DISCovering Collection contains essays from a variety of anthologies/collections, reference books, and transcripts of radio programs and podcasts. DISCovering Collection also provides links to additional multimedia sites. Cite anthologies, reference books and transcripts as you would the print source, and then add the information for the Web version. Example 1 below is from an anthology, while example 2 is a transcript of a radio program. If you use the DISCovering Collection to link to another website, cite that website separately. (See section on Websites.)

1)  Essay from an anthology/collection:
Include the following in your citation: (1) the author (if given); (2) title of the article in quotation marks, and (3) original publication information. (4) Follow this with “Rept. in” plus the title of the collection in italics and new publication facts. (5) End with the name of the database in italics; (6) medium of publication (Web); (7) and the date you accessed the article. Add the URL if requested by your professor.

MLA Citation:

Burnett, Mark Thornton. “The Heart of My Mystery: Hamlet and Secrets.” New

        Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. N.p.:

        AMS, 1994. 21-46. Rept. in Exploring Shakespeare. Detroit: Gale, 2003. n.

        pag. DISCovering Collection. Web. 4 July 2009.

2)  Transcript of a radio broadcast:
Cite the article as you would its print counterpart. Add information about the online source as shown in the example listed below.

MLA Citation:

“All-Male Romeo and Juliet True to Bard’s Time.” Talk of the Nation. Natl.

        Public Radio. 2 Oct. 2008. Transcript. DISCovering Collection. Web. 5

        Aug. 2009.

For Students Series Examples:

Drama for Students, Novels for Students, Poetry for Students, and Short Stories for Students are sets of electronic reference books. These books contain detailed analyses about literary works (author biographies, summaries, themes, etc.) as well as literary criticism. The analyses are unsigned, but the literary criticism is signed; this will make a difference in how you cite the source. For the unsigned analyses, begin your citation with the title of the literary work. List the title of the book in italics, the editor(s), the volume number of the book, publication information, and follow this with database information (Ex. 1 below). For signed literary criticism, follow Ex. 2 below.

• Unsigned Analysis of a Literary Work, For Students Series

MLA Citation:

        “Immortality.” Short Stories for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne. Vol. 24.

        Detroit: Gale, 2007. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 July 2009.

• Signed Literary Criticism/Review of Literary Work, For Students Series

MLA Citation:

Davis, Heather. Rev. of “Small Town with One Road,” by Gary Soto. Poetry for

        Students. Ed. Mary K. Ruby. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale, 2000. 212-14. Gale

        Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 July 2009.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Examples:

Viewpoints Essays in Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
If the article is a “viewpoint essay,” list it as a selection (or selections) from an anthology (Nos. 10, 11 or 12 on pages 607-8 of the handbook). Your citation will include information on the article: (1) author; (2) title of article in quotation marks; (3) the name of the anthology in italics; (3) editor (if given); (4) print publication information; (5) page numbers if known; (6) and database information.

MLA Citation:

McKay, Floyd J. “Airbus and Other European Companies Are Thriving Fair and

        Square.” Opposing Viewpoints: The European Union. Ed. Noël Merino.

        Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.

        Web. 14 July 2009.

Many of the viewpoint essays are reproduced from another original source (indicated at the beginning of the article) and then compiled into an anthology. Sometimes the title of the article has changed since its original publication. In this case, you need to show: (1) author,; (2) revised title; (3) and information about the anthology (title, editor, publisher, publication date and page numbers, if given). Then incorporate the original source information by using the phrase “Rpt. of” [reprint of] or “Excerpt from” before the information about the original article (original title and original publishing information). Lastly, add the title of the database in italics, medium of publication (Web) and date you accessed the article. See example below.

MLA Citation:

Poppink, Joanna. “Education Programs Can Help Prevent Eating Disorders.”

        Opposing Viewpoints: Eating Disorders. Ed. Jennifer A. Hurley. San Diego:

        Greenhaven, 2001. N. pag. Excerpt from “Eating Disorder Education:

        Benefits for Parents and Teens.” Self-Help Magazine 28 May 2009: n. pag.

        Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 23 July 2009.

If the title has not changed from the original publication, list the original publication first, followed by the phrase “Rpt. in.” List the citation information in this order: original source, anthology, database, medium of publication, and date of access.

• Reference Books/Statistical Sources in Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
If the article is shown under the “reference” or “statistics” tab, cite it as a signed or unsigned article in a reference book (nos. 13 or 14 on p. 608 of the handbook).

MLA Citation:

Brint, Steven. “Higher Education.” Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ed. Edgar F.

        Borgetta and Rhonda J.V. Montgomery. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan,

        2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 23 May 2009.

• Articles in Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
If the article is shown under a magazine, news or academic journal tab, make a citation for that type of source, then add the information about the database. The example below shows a newspaper article in which the database does not show the page number for the print version of the article.

MLA Citation:

Willis, Rick. “U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Gives Priority to Special Education.”

        Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 6 July 2009: n.pag. Opposing Viewpoints

        Resource Center. Web. 5 Aug. 2009.

Follow guidelines 13 and 14 in Simon and Schuster’s Handbook for Writers Ninth Edition (p. 608) for articles in a Reference Book. Include the following information: (1) the author (if signed); (2) the title of the article in quotations; (3) the name of the reference source in italics; (4) the editor(s) if given; (5) the edition and volume if given; (6) the place of publication: publisher, year of publication; (7) the name of the database in italics; (8) medium of publication (Web); and (9) the date of access (day, month and year).

Credo Reference Example:

This database contains information from reference books. Cite as you would a reference book using the appropriate example in Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers Ninth Edition, Nos. 13 and 14 on p. 608.

"Globalization." An Encyclopedia of Macroeconomics. Cheltenham: Elgar, 2002.

        Credo Reference. Web. 16 July 2009.

Encyclopedia Britannica Onine Example:

“Baseball.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web.

         30 June 2009..

Literary Reference Center Example:

This product contains information from reference works, books, and literary journals used to create reviews, synopses and more. Cite as you would for the print publications, guidelines 24 through 33, and add the following: (1) the title of the database (italicized); (2) the medium of publication; and (3) the date you accessed the information. The first example below is cited as an article in an alphabetically arranged reference book. The second example is an article in a scholarly journal.

Halio, Jay L. “William Shakespeare.” Research Guide to Biography and Criticism.

        Vol. 2. N.p.: Beacham, 1985. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 July

        2009.
Petrina, Alessandra. “Forbidden Forest, Enchanted Castle: Arthurian Spaces in

        the Harry Potter Novels.” Mythlore 24.3-4 (2006): 95-110. Literary

        Reference Center. Web. 23 July 2009.

NetLibrary eBook Example:

Begin your citation for an electronic book from the NetLibrary collection as you would a print book (see pages 606-7). Add (1) the title of the database (NetLibrary), (2) the medium of publication, and (3) the date you browsed the book.

Brown, Duane. Career Choice and Development. San Francisco: John Wiley,

        2002. NetLibrary. Web. 12 July 2009.

Web Site Example:

Cite according to the appropriate model in the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers Ninth Edition, (Nos. 45 -75 on pages 618-25). The basic citation will include:

• Name of author or corporate author, if any.
• Title of a short work, in quotation marks. Examples include one web page of a larger web site, a photograph from a web site, an online posting, etc.
• Title of the overall website (if different from item 2 above), italicized, and followed by a period. Sometimes websites do not have a title. In that case, describe the site but do not use italics or quotation marks:
Online posting. Home page.
• Version or edition used (such as edition of an online book), if any.
• Name of a publisher or sponsoring organization of the site, if listed, followed by a comma. Use N.p. if there is no publisher or sponsoring organization.
• Date of publication on the web or date of most recent update. Use n.d. if there is no date.
• Medium of publication (Web).
• Date you accessed the material.
• The URL is optional.

MLA Citation:

Archer, James and Christina Carroll. "Stress and College Students." University of

        Florida Counseling Center. University of Florida, 28 Jan. 2002. Web. 3 July

        2009.

“Missouri’s State Bird.” State Symbols of Missouri. Missouri Secretary of State,

        n.d. Web. 27 June 2009.

Naturale, Joan. “Deaf Studies Internet Resources.” RIT Libraries. Rochester

        Institute of Technology, 12 June 2008. Web. 23 July 2009.

United States. Dept. of Labor. “Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.”

        Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2008-09 ed. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

        18 Dec. 2007. Web. 2 Mar. 2009.

For audio recordings posted online include as much information you can identify: (1) author; (2) title; (3) sponsoring organization or Web site; (4) date posted; and (5) date accessed.

Armitage, Simon. “Gooseberry Season.” Audio Clip. Poets.org. Academy Audio

        Archive. September 29, 2008. Web. 13 August 2009.

Palmer, Parker. “Parker Palmer on Economic Crisis, Morality and Meaning”

        Interview with Krista Tippett. Podcast. Speaking of Faith. 23 July 2009.

        American Public Media. Web. 16 August 2009.

For Online video or film clips include as much of the following information that is available (1) Title of the work; (2) Title of the overall Web Site (italicized) followed by a period; (3) Publisher or sponsor of the Web Site; (4) Date of Publication (day, month and year if available. If none is available us “n.d.”; (5) Medium of Publication; (6) Date
of Access

“Lec 1 | MIT 6.451 Principles of Digital Communication II” Online Video.

        YouTube. YouTube. February 15, 2008. Web. 13 August 2009.

“How to Can Fruits” Online Video. Howcast. Howcast. July 28, 2009. Web. 19

        August 2009.

According to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, “…a photograph, map, line drawing, graph, or chart…should be labeled Figure (usually abbreviated Fig.), assigned an arabic numeral, and given a caption: ‘Figure 1. Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child, Wichita Museum, Wichita.’ A label and caption ordinarily appear directly below the illustration and have the same one-inch margins as the test of the paper.” If the caption of a table or illustration provides complete information about the source and the source is not cited in the text, no entry for the source in the works-cited list is necessary.” But, if cited within your text use the format shown below for your works-cited.

”Administrative tablet with seal impressions,.” ca. 3000–2900 B.C.

        Protocuneiform inscription. Clay. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

        Web. 17 Aug. 2009.

Dominis, John. “Woodstock Music & Art Fair” August 1969. Man seated with

        two young boys in front of a wildly painted school bus, during the

        Woodstock Music Art Fair. Time-Life. Web. 19 August 2009.

Hamilton, Timothy K. Blue Medusa. Photo of Chihuly’s Chandelier at Missouri

        Botanical Garden Entrance. Date taken. Flikr. 17 August 2009. Web.