MLA STYLE CITATIONS

Based on the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition

There are two components of an MLA style citation: the in-text citation (parenthetical or narrative), as well as the full
reference list entry at the end of the paper. Both components provide the information necessary for the reader to locate
and retrieve the source(s) used to inform a paper. Each cited source in the text of your paper (in-text citation), must also
appear in the list of Works Cited. Below are some examples of both parts of an MLA citation.

Source with 1 author

Works Cited Hanauer, Nick. "Education Isn't Enough." Atlantic, vol. 324, no. 1, July 2019, pp. 19-22. Academic
Search Complete, login.ezproxyness.helmlib.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=136960062&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
In-Text Citation Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
(Hanauer 20) Hanauer (20) (Hanauer 20)

Source with 2 authors

Works Cited Everly, George S., Jr., and Jeffrey M. Lating. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Psychological First Aid.
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017
In-Text Citation Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
(Everly and Lating 86) Everly and Lating (86) (Everly and Lating 86)

Source with 3+ authors

Works Cited Schwartz, Joel, et al. “Estimating Causal Effects of Local Air Pollution on Daily Deaths: Effect of
Low Levels.” Environmental Health Perspectives, 2017, vol. 125, no. 1, pp. 23–29,
doi.org/10.1289/EHP232.
In-Text Citation Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
(Schwartz et al. 25) Schwartz et al. (25) (Schwartz et al. 25)

Source with a group author*

*Some sources will not have individual authors, but rather group authors. In these instances, you will still need to cite the item as you would any source
with an author. It is important to note that you should always define the abbreviation for a group author before using it. Thereafter, it is appropriate to
use the abbreviation for all mentions of the group in the text.

Works Cited Central Intelligence Agency. “Central America: Haiti.” The World Factbook, 16 July 2021,
www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/ the-world-factbook/geos/aa.html.
First In-Text Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
Citation (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]) Central Intelligence (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA])
Agency (CIA)
Subsequent In- Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
Text Citations (CIA) CIA (CIA)

Source with no author*

*If there is no author listed, use a shortened version of the title in your in-text citation.

Works Cited “Charles Hull.” National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/charles-hull. Accessed
12 Sept. 2020.
"Where Angels no Longer Fear to Tread." The Economist, vol. 386, no. 8572, 19 Mar. 2008, pp. 89-
92. www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2008/03/19/where-angels-no-longer-fear-to-
tread.
In-Text Citation(s) Parenthetical Narrative Direct Quote
(“Charles Hull”) “Charles Hull” (“Charles Hull”)
(“Where Angels” 90) “Where Angels” (90) “Where Angels” 90)

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978-556-3400 (Haverhill) ∙ 978-738-7400 (Lawrence)
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Citing Multiple Works

When citing two or more sources in the same parentheses, separate each in-text citation with a semicolon. The order of
the sources (alphabetical, by date, by level of importance) is up to you. 

Example: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Everly and Lating 27; Shukman)

Short Quotations (Fewer than 4 lines)

Include the quotation in the regular text of your paper. Be sure to use quotation marks and add an in-text citation with a
page number.

Example: For Charles Dickens, the eighteenth century was both "the best of times" and "the worst of times"
(35).

Block Quotations (4 or more lines)

If a quote runs for four or more lines, treat it as a block quote. Start the block quote on its own line and indent the entire
quote 0.5” from the left margin, be sure that it is also double-spaced, with no extra spaces before or after it. Do not use
quotation marks for block quotes.

Use a parenthetical citation after the closing punctuation for the sentence or use the author in a narrative introduction
before the quote. If you choose to use a narrative introduction, be sure to include the page number of the quote after the
final punctuation.

Example 1:
Hanauer discusses the many ways in which the American education system has seemingly failed its people and
led to significant income inequality. He explains that the problem is far greater than just that of the

"skills gap"—the notion that decades of wage stagnation are largely a consequence of workers not
having the education and skills to fill new high-wage jobs. If we improve our public schools, the thinking
goes, and we increase the percentage of students attaining higher levels of education, particularly in the
STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—the skills gap will shrink, wages will rise,
and income inequality will fall. (20)

Example 2:
When people think of the word "pirate" today they probably conjure up images of shipwrecks on beaches,
cracked bottles of rum, perhaps of Johnny Depp. They also probably think that piracy on the ocean is a thing of
the past, however, piracy on the open seas, especially the Atlantic Ocean is still booming even today.

According to the Office of Naval Intelligence’s “Weekly Piracy Reports” 72 reported incidents of
piracy and armed robbery at sea occurred in the GoG region this year as of July 9, 2019. Attacks,
kidnappings for ransom (KFR), and boardings to steal valuables from the ships and crews are the most
common types of incidents with approximately 75 percent of all incidents taking place off Nigeria.

Additional Resources
Citations:
http://necc.mass.libguides.com/citation/MLA
Formatting: Updated 7/2021
http://necc.mass.libguides.com/formatting/MLA
NoodleTools:
http://necc.mass.libguides.com/noodletools
Librarians: http://necc.mass.libanswers.com
MLA STYLE CITATIONS
Based on the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition
During the first six months of 2019, there were 15 kidnapping and 3 hijackings in the GoG. (Central
Intelligence Agency)

Questions? Ask a Librarian! http://necc.mass.libanswers.com

978-556-3400 (Haverhill) ∙ 978-738-7400 (Lawrence)