Student's guide to writing college papers, Fourth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2010

Works cited
MLA style
Citing sources

Because you give readers only minimal bibliographical information in your text, you must give complete information for every source in the works cited list at the end of your paper. Normally you should not include a source you did not cite in your text, but your teacher may ask you to include all sources you consulted in order to see the scope of your research.

Start your list of sources on a new page. At the top of the first page center the heading “Works Cited.” (If you include works you consulted but did not cite, use the heading “Works Consulted.”) Skip a space and list all references in alphabetical order, double-spaced, each with a half-inch hanging indent. For a hyphenated last name, alphabetize by the first word in the compound. Strictly follow the order of the letters, and ignore apostrophes and hyphens. Do not change the order for names that include abbreviations or internal capitals (such as McArthur or St. Helena):

Macally, Mack, Madden, McArthur, Mecks . . .

Saint-Beuve, Schwab, Selleck, Skillen, St. Helena, Stricker . . .

If you have to list more than one source by the same author, order those sources alphabetically by their titles. If a source does not have an author or editor, the first element in the bibliography entry will be the title, so use that to place the entry alphabetically among the authors' names.

See the sample works cited list in MLA style on pages 196—97.

19.2.1 Elements Common to All Bibliographical Entries

When you create a bibliographical entry, pay attention to the kind of source you are citing, because many elements of citations are different for different kinds of sources. But all MLA-style entries consist of three basic elements—author's name, title of the work, and publication facts.

19.2.1.1 Author's Name

Whenever possible, begin each bibliographical entry with the name of the author(s). Spell the names exactly as they appear on the title page: use initials if that's how the name appears, but do not shorten names that are spelled out on the title page. Do not include titles such as Sir, Saint, Sister, Reverend, Doctor, and so on. However, list the author's name in inverted order: last name—comma—first name—middle name (if any).

Single Author

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma . . .

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and . . .

Multiple Authors

List all authors in the order they appear on the title page. List the first author last name first with a comma after the last and first name. List all other authors in regular order (first-middle-last). Put a comma after the name of the first author (even if there are only two); put and before and a period after the last author; and put a comma after all authors between the first and the last.

Levitt, Steven D., and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics . . .

Heatherton, Joyce, James Fitzgilroy, and Jackson Hsu. Meteors and Mudslides . . .

Multiple Works by One Author

If you cite multiple works by the same author or group of authors, you will have several entries that begin the same. For all entries after the first, replace the name(s) with three hyphens (not dashes). If the work is edited or translated, add the corresponding designation after the three hyphens and a comma. Note that the “ed.” or “trans.” is ignored in alphabetizing.

NOT

Schank, Roger C. Dynamic Memory . . .

Schank, Roger C., ed. Inside Multi-Media . . .

Schank, Roger C. Reading and . . .

Schank, Roger C. Tell Me a Story . . .

BUT

Schank, Roger C. Dynamic Memory . . .

---, ed. Inside Multi-Media . . .

---. Reading and . . .

---. Tell Me a Story . . .

19.2.1.2 Title

Give the title exactly as it is shown in the source, including a subtitle if there is one. For articles and other short works, you will need both the article title and the title of the book, journal, or other work in which it occurs. If an online source does not have an obvious title, use the name of the website or any other reasonable replacement.

Capitalize titles headline style: capitalize the first and last words of the title and subtitle and all other words except articles (a, an, the), coordinate conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), prepositions (of, in, at, above, under, and so forth), and the words to and as. If a title includes a subtitle, put a colon between the main title and the subtitle.

ARTICLES, ENTRIES, WEB PAGES, AND OTHER SHORT WORKS. Put the titles of short works that are part of longer ones in regular type, enclosed in quotation marks.

Hitchcock, Tim. “Begging on the Streets of Eighteenth-Century London.” Journal of British Studies. . . .

Porter, Charlotte M. “Artist-Naturalists in Florida.” Florida Naturalists. . . .

BOOKS, JOURNALS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, AND BLOGS. Put the titles of longer works in italics. If the title includes a title, put it in quotation marks and italics.

Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. . . .

Hitchcock, Tim. “Begging on the Streets of Eighteenth-Century London.” Journal of British Studies. . . .

Sitter, John E. The Poetry of Pope's “Dunciad.” . . .

19.2.1.3 Publication Facts

In addition to author's name and title, a bibliographical entry usually includes facts that identify where and when a source was published. Publication facts vary from one kind of source to another, so check each model carefully. All entries include the medium of publication (Print, Web, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

For articles obtained from an online database or similar provider, add the name of the online provider and the date you accessed the site. For other online materials, do not include a URL (uniform resource locator) but do include an access date.

For page ranges of three digits or more, abbreviate the second number to two digits (but not if the range crosses a hundreds boundary): 125—34, 1134—55, but 197—204.

For dates, use the day-month-year form, with no punctuation in the date: 4 May 2009. Abbreviate all months except May, June, and July: 6 Oct. 2008.

19.2.2 Bibliographical Entries for Periodical Articles

Most of the articles you will consult will be found in periodicals—journals, magazines, newspapers, and other works published at periodic intervals in print form, online, or both.

✵ Journals are scholarly or professional periodicals written for experts and available primarily in academic libraries. Journals often include the word journal in their titles ( Journal of Modern History), but not always (Postmodern Culture).

✵ Magazines are not scholarly publications; they are designed for more general readers in both their content and their availability outside of academic settings. If you are unsure whether a periodical is a journal or a magazine, see whether its articles include citations; if so, treat it as a journal.

✵ Newspapers are generally daily or weekly publications whose articles are closely tied to recent events.

The Basic Pattern

Print Journal

Green, Nancy L. “The Politics of Exit: Reversing the Immigration Paradigm.” Journal of Modern History 77.2 (2005): 263—89. Print.

Gold, Ann Grodzins. “Grains of Truth: Shifting Hierarchies of Food and Grace in Three Rajasthani Tales.” History of Religions 38.2 (1998): 150—71. Print.

Print Journal, Consulted Online

For articles obtained from an online database, include information on the print publication, followed by the database (in italics). If there are no page numbers, use “n. pag.” instead.

Whitney, Frank P. “The Six-Year High School in Cleveland.” School Review 37.4 (1929): 267—71. JSTOR. Web. 9 Oct. 2008.

Adelman, Jeremy. “An Age of Imperial Revolutions.” American Historical Review 113.2 (Apr. 2008): n. pag. Web. 15 Sept. 2008.

Online Journal

If there are no page numbers, use “n. pag.” instead.

Bass, Alan. “The Mystery of Sex and the Mystery of Time: An Integration of Some Psychoanalytic and Philosophical Perspectives.” Postmodern Culture 18.1 (2007): n. pag. Web. 5 Jan. 2009.

Print Magazine

Do not include volume or issue numbers, even if they are given. If the article is interrupted by other material, use only the first page number followed by “+.”

Schapiro, Mark. “New Power for ’Old Europe.’ ” Nation 27 Dec. 2004: 33+. Print.

Print Magazine, Consulted Online

Include both the title of the magazine and the online provider, even if they are the same.

Castro, Janice. “Scientology's Largesse in Russia.” Time. Time, 13 Apr. 1992. Web. 6 Aug. 2007.

Online Magazine

Burton, Robert. “Should Johnny Play Linebacker?” Salon.com. Salon Media Group, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2009.

Newspaper

Include the edition (abbreviate as ed.) and the letter designation of the section if there is one. If the article is interrupted by material, use only the first page number followed by “+.”

Bishop, Greg. “Favre Wins in Debut for Jets.” New York Times 7 Sept. 2008, late ed.: D1. Print.

Online Newspaper

Include both the title of the newspaper and the online provider, even if they are the same.

Bishop, Greg. “Favre Wins in Debut for Jets.” New York Times. New York Times, 7 Sept. 2008. Web. 11 Dec. 2008.

19.2.3 Bibliographical Entries for Reference Works

Begin with the entry, in quotation marks. If the reference work is a standard one, do not cite the author, editor, or publication data. List only the edition (if any), the year, and the medium of publication.

Dictionary or Encyclopedia

“Tool.” Def. 3c. Webster's Third New International Dictionary. 1981. Print.

“Tool, n.” Def. 2a. OED Online. 2008. Web. 22 Feb. 2009.

“Kabuki Drama.” The Encyclopedia Americana. 2004. Print.

Specialized Dictionary or Encyclopedia

Cite a specialized reference work as you would a book. If it does not have an editor or an author, cite by its title.

Aulestia, Gorka. Basque-English Dictionary. Reno: U of Nevada P, 1989. Print.

Austin, Tim, comp. The Times Guide to English Style and Usage. Rev. ed. London: Times Books, 1999. Print.

Grossman, James R., Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff, eds. Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society, 2005. Web. 4 July 2008.

Signed Entry in Encyclopedia

Masolo, Dismas. “African Sage Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Stanford UP, 14 Feb. 2006. Web. 5 Sept. 2008.

19.2.4 Bibliographical Entries for Websites and Blogs

Website

Websites are unpredictable, so you may have to improvise, but as much as possible include the same kind of information you need for other online publications:

✵ author, if any

✵ website title, if any (in italics)

✵ sponsor or publisher, if any (in regular type); if none put “N.p.”

✵ date of publication; if none, put “n.d.”

✵ medium of publication (“Web”)

✵ access date

Evanston Public Library. Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees, n.d. Web. 19 July 2008.

Web Page

For individual pages, add the page title in quotation marks between the author and the site title. If there is no title, you may use a generic title without quotation marks, such as Home Page, Introduction, Site Map, and so on.

Porter, Charlotte M. “Mark Catesby's Audience and Patrons.” Florida Naturalists. Florida Museum of Natural History, n.d. Web. 1 May 2009.

“Evanston Public Library Strategic Plan, 2000—2010: A Decade of Outreach.” Evanston Public Library. Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees, n.d. Web. 19 July 2008.

Blog

Blogs have relatively predictable bibliographical information:

✵ author

✵ title of blog (in italics)

✵ medium of publication (“Weblog”)

✵ sponsor or publisher, if any (in regular type); if none put “N.p.”

✵ date of publication; if none, put “n.d.”

✵ access date

Ellis, Rhian, J. Robert Lennon, and Ed Skoog. Ward Six. Weblog. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2008.

Blog Entry

For individual entries, add the entry title in quotation marks between the author and the blog title, followed by “Weblog entry.”

Ellis, Rhian. “Squatters' Rights.” Weblog entry. Ward Six. N.p., 30 June 2008. Web. 10 Aug. 2008.

Comment on Blog Entry or Web Page

To cite a comment on a blog entry or web page, begin with the name (or pseudonym) of the commenter, the comment's title (if any), the words “Weblog comment” or “Comment,” and the date of the comment, followed by the standard entry for a blog entry or web page.

AC, Weblog comment. 1 July 2008. Rhian Ellis, “Squatters' Rights.” Weblog entry. Ward Six. N.p., 30 June 2008. Web. 10 Aug. 2008.

Philogenes, “Shocked, Shocked, I Tell You.” Comment. 16 Mar. 2009. “Composition, Overcrowded,” Inside Higher Ed, 16 Mar. 2009. Web. 17 Mar. 2009.

19.2.5 Bibliographical Entries for Books

The Basic Pattern

19.2.5.1 Whole Books

Print Book

For publishers' names, abbreviate “University” to “U” (no period) and “Press” to “P” (no period).

Minow, Newton N., and Craig L. LaMay. Inside the Presidential Debates: Their Improbable Past and Promising Future. Chicago: U Chicago P, 2008. Print.

If the book is produced by an organization rather than a person, list the organization as the author:

World Health Organization. Health and Economic Development in South-Eastern Europe. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2006. Print.

Book in Electronic Reader Format

Use the publication date of the e-book edition; identify the e-book format.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle edition.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008. PDF e-book.

Online Book

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. New York, 1855. The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 2 Jan. 2008.

Edited or Translated Book

If a book has an editor or translator but no author, put the editor or translator in place of the author, followed by the abbreviation “ed.” or “trans.”

Young, Glenn, ed. The Best American Short Plays, 2002—2003. New York: Applause, 2007. Print.

Silverstein, Theodore, trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1974. Print.

If a book has an author as well as an editor and/or a translator, identify the editor and/or translator in a separate section between the title and the publication data:

Bonnefoy, Yves. New and Selected Poems. Ed. John Naughton and Anthony Rudolf. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1995. Print.

Menchú, Rigoberta. Crossing Borders. Trans. and ed. Ann Wright. New York: Verso, 1999. Print.

Adorno,Theodor W., and Walter Benjamin.The Complete Correspondence, 1928—1940. Ed. Henri Lonitz. Trans. Nicholas Walker. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1999. Print.

Revised Edition

If you consult a book labeled as a “revised” edition or a “second” (or subsequent) edition, place this information between the title and the publication facts, using abbreviations as in the following examples.

Harper-Dorton, Karen V., and Martin Herbert. Working with Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. 3rd ed. Chicago: Lyceum Books, 2002. Print.

Babb, Florence. Between Field and Cooking Pot: The Political Economy of Marketwomen in Peru. Rev. ed. Austin: U Texas P, 1989. Print.

Multivolume Work

If you cite one book from a group of books (called a multivolume work), list only the specific volume you consulted. Identify the volume number (“Vol. X”).

Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, ed. The Lisle Letters. Vol. 4. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1981. Print.

If the one volume you cite has a different title from that of the whole group, cite the title of the volume. You do not need to add the title of the group.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1971. Print.

If you consulted more than one volume in a group, list the whole group in a single entry. State the number of volumes after the title (“X vols.”).

Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, ed. The Lisle Letters. 6 vols. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1981. Print.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. 5 vols. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1971—1989.

19.2.5.2 Parts of Books

Chapter in an Edited Book

Cite the specific chapter, not the whole book, if you refer only to that one chapter in your text. You may cite two specific chapters separately, if you specifically compare them in your text. Otherwise, cite the edited book as a whole.

Ellet, Elizabeth F. L. “By Rail and Stage to Galena.” Prairie State: Impressions of Illinois, 1673—1967, by Travelers and Other Observers. Ed. Paul M. Angle. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1968. 271—79. Print.

Introductions, Prefaces, Afterwords

If you refer to a supplemental part of a book that was written by someone other than the book author, cite it separately. Put a generic title such as “introduction” in regular type, without quotation marks.

Prose, Francine. Introduction. Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done. By Barbara Wallraff. New York: Harcourt, 2000. ix-xiv. Print.

Letter in a Collection

Adams, Henry. “To Charles Milnes Gaskell.” 30 March 1868. Letters of Henry Adams, 1858—1891. Ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1930. 141. Print.

Short Story or Poem in a Collection

Cite the specific work, not the whole book, if you refer only to that one work. You may cite two or more specific works separately, if you specifically compare them in your text. Otherwise, cite the collection as a whole.

Eisenberg, Deborah. “Someone to Talk To.” All around Atlantis. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997. 61—92. Print.

Heaney, Seamus. “To George Seferis in the Underworld.” District and Circle. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. 22—23. Print.

Wigglesworth, Michael. Excerpt from The Day of Doom. The New Anthology of American Poetry: Traditions and Revolutions, Beginnings to 1900. Ed. Steven Gould Axelrod, Camille Roman, and Thomas Travisano. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2003. 68—74. Print.

Sample

Works Cited