LibraryGuides: WR090 Library Guide: MLA Quick Guide

Web Sites for MLA Help

OWL at Purdue MLA Guide
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. The OWL does a good job of including examples for the types of sources students are citing in college level research.
MLA Example Paper
Handy example paper with notes explaining the formatting.
Ask the MLA
A feature on the MLA web site where questions about MLA style are answered. Searchable.

The Basic Template

The MLA Works Cited Template with Punctuation
Author.
Title of source.
Title of container,
Other contributors,
Version,
Number,
Publisher,
Publication date,
Location.

MLA citation for a Ted Talk

The MLA Handbook 8th edition doesn't specifically address how to cite a TED Talk, but Ask the MLA gives an example.

General Format:

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName. "Title of Video." TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, Date, URL (without the https://).

Example (don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines):

Duckworth, Angela Lee. “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.” 

      TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, Apr. 2013, www.ted.com/talks/

      angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance.

Corresponding In-Text Citation:

(Duckworth)

(Duckworth, "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance")

Examples

Author.	Smith, John. [one author] Smith, John and Mary Doe. [two authors] Smith, John, et al. [more than two authors]
Title of source.	Book Title. [written in italics] “Article Title.” [surrounded by quotation marks; also applies to book chapter, episode of a TV series, page of a website, etc.] *
Title of container,	Title of Journal. [written in italics; the title of the work where your source is found: book title, TV series title, website name, etc.]
Other contributors,	Name of translator, director, illustrator, editor, etc. [only if important]
Version,	Typically an edition, such 3rd ed.
Number,	Vol. 1, no. 3, [most often with articles; may also be a book volume, episode number or issue number]
Publisher,	Name of book publisher, [or production company, organization sponsoring a Web site, etc.]
Publication date,	5 Nov. 2014,
Location.	www.website.com/12345. [could also be something like disk number for a set of DVDs, or DOI for a journal article.]

* When a source is untitled, provide a generic description, e.g., interview.

MLA Tips

Some types of publication may have a second container, for example an online journal article has a journal as its first container and a database as a second container. If part of the template does not apply to the item you are citing, just leave it out.

Works Cited: A Quick Guide
The MLA Style Center includes a downloadable practice template to walk you through the steps of creating an MLA style citation. The Style Center also includes answers to common questions about citing sources and formatting papers in MLA style.