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MLA Style

Your guide to citations and works cited in MLA Style, 9th Edition

Book in Print

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name Author initials. Book Title in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words. Publisher, Publication date.

Miley, Karla K., et al. Generalist Social Work Practice: An Empowering Approach. Pearson, 2017.

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Miley et al. 125).

eBook from a Library Database

The eBook database or platform is listed with the location information following the publication date. Italicize the database or platform to indicate that it is a second container for the source. Although MLA recommends including URLs for online sources, database URLs are not permanent links. It is recommended that you provide the database name for online resources found in library databases and a DOI, if it is available.

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name initials. Title of Book in Italics. Publisher, Publication date. Database or eBook platform name. DOI (if available)

Balgopal, Pallassana R. Social Work Practice With Immigrants and Refugees. Columbia UP, 2000. EBSCO eBook Academic Collection.

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Balgopal 105).

eBook from a Website

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name initials. Title of Book in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words. Publisher, Year, URL

Niosi, Andrea. Introduction to Consumer Behavior. BCcampus, 2021, opentextbc.ca/introconsumerbehaviour/

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Niosi 132).

Edition Other Than the First

Include edition information for books that are editions other than the first. For first editions, no edition information is necessary.

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name initials. Title of Book in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words. Edition, Publisher, Year.

Spillner, Andreas and Tilo Linz. Software Testing Foundations. 5th ed., Rocky Nook, 2021.

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Spillner and Linz 132).

Chapter in an Edited Book

The chapter in an edited book is part of a larger container. The chapter title appears in quotation marks, and the title of the book appears in italics.

Work Cited

Author (of the chapter) lastname, Author first name initials. "Title of the Chapter." Book Title in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words, edited by Editor first name Initials Lastname, Publisher, Year, pp. page range. 

Cimon, Yan. "Defence Policy and the Aerospace and Defence Industry in North America: The Changing Contours of the Post-9/11 Era." Game Changer: The Impact of 9/11 on North American Security, edited by Jonathan Paquin and Patrick James, UBC Press, 2014, pp. 213-229. 

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Cimon 216).

Work in an Anthology

Include edition information for books that are editions other than the first. For first editions, no edition information is necessary.

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name initials. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words, edited by Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Year, page range.

Martin, Paul. “The Poetry of Hockey in Richard Harrison’s Hero of the Play.” Writing the Body in Motion: A Critical Anthology on Canadian Sport Literature, edited by Angie Abdou and Jamie Dopp, Athabasca University Press, 2018, pp. 20-30.

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Martin 23).

Entry in an Online Encyclopedia

If there is no author, begin the works cited entry with the title of the encyclopedia entry. 

Work Cited

Author Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Entry." Title of Reference Work in Italics, Publisher, Year, URL.

Bingham, Russell. “Viola Desmond.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 27 Jan. 2013, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/viola-desmond

In-text Citation

(Author lastname).

(Bingham).

Entry in a Print Encyclopedia

Work Cited

Author lastname, Author first name initials. Title of Book in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words. Edition ordinal number ed., Publisher, Year.

Jerup, Janita et al. “Hallucinogens.” Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment & Recovery, edited by Gary L. Fisher and Nancy A. Roget, SAGE Publications, 2009, pp. 437-440.

In-text Citation

(Author lastname page).

(Jerup et al. 438).

Book in Translation

Work Cited

Original Author lastname, First name Initials. Title of Book in Italics: Capitalize all Major Words. Translated by translator firstname lastname. Publisher, Year. 

Freud, Sigmund. Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. Translated by James Strachey. Liveright, 1967.

In-text Citation

(Original Author lastname page).

(Freud 52).

Open License Statement

MLA Style by Centennial College Libraries is licensed under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license unless otherwise stated.

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