MLA Citation Style is created by the Modern Language Association of America. This style of citation is often used in humanities studies, such as English and literature. 

The following resources provide more information on how to write MLA papers and create MLA citations. 

• Excelsior Online Writing Lab: MLA Style

            This resource provides formatting, style guides, in-text citation examples, and sample student papers. 

• Purdue Online Writing Lab MLA Guide

            This resource provides formatting and style guides, examples of in-text citations, and sample student papers. 

• The MLA Style Center

            For more sample essays, a quick guide to works cited, and an interactive works-cited template, check out this resource.

MLA citations require an in-text citation, and a works cited list. Here is some general information about MLA citations. Consult the MLA Quick Guide below for examples. 

Purpose of in-text citations:

• They are written within the body of the paper and placed after information or ideas to give credit to the original source. 
• Every in-text citation should reference a full citation in the works cited list. The in-text citation guides the reader to that longer citation.
• In MLA style, in-text citations are parenthetical. In other words, they appear within (parentheses).

Format of in-text citations:

• Within parentheses
• Includes authors' last names if one or two authors. If there are more than three authors, it's Last name et al.
• Includes page number.

Important Points About the Works Cited List:

• Happens at the end of the paper
• References appear in alphabetical order. The first author in the in-text citation should be the first author in the works cited list as well.
• The information in the works cited list should include everything a reader would need to discover the original item being cited.