How To: Cite Your Sources

MLA: Tips and Tricks

• If someone else thought of the ideas that you are writing, cite them!
• Your works cited page should be:
  • Alphabetized
  • Double-spaced
  • Have a hanging indent
• In-text citations typically require the first piece of information from the works cited as well as the page number of the information you are citing.

How do you handle authors?

Single Author

Last name, First name.

Ex: Foster, Michael.

Two Authors

Last name, First name and First name Last name.

Ex: Lukas, Scott A. and John Marmysz.

Three or more authors

Last name, First name, et al.*

Ex: Doe, John, et al.

*Note: et al. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase "and others".

Book

Works cited:

Doe, John, et al. Yōkai: Magic, Mystery, and Myth. Harvard University Press, 2019.

In-text:

(Holland, et al. 212)

Journal Article

Works cited:

Shamoon, Deborah. "The Yōkai in the Database: Supernatural Creatures and Folklore in Manga and Anime." Marvels & Tales, vol. 27, no. 2, 2013, pp. 276-289. Project MUSE, muse.jhu.edu/article/524101.

In-text:

(Shamoon 280)

Newspaper

Works cited:

Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's Uninsured Patients." Washington Post, 24 May 2007, p. LZ01.

In-text: (Brubaker LZ01)

Website

Works cited:

Hill, Keiko. "Japanese Monsters, Ghosts, and Spirits: Mythical Yōkai (妖怪) at OSU Libraries." The Ohio State University Libraries, 9 Sept. 2019. https://library.osu.edu/site/japanese/2019/09/09/japanese-monsters-ghosts-and-spirits-mythical-yokai-%e5%a6%96%e6%80%aa-at-osu-libraries/.

In-text: (Hill)

Online Video

Works cited:

TEDx Talks. "Urushi and Japanese Culture: Kazumi Murose at TEDxTokyo." YouTube, 12 May 2013, https://youtu.be/5FIwrsoTJfM

In-text: (TEDx Talks)

Films

Works cited:

Seven Samurai. 1954. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, Embassy Home Entertainment, 1987.

In-text: (Seven Samurai)

Image

Works cited:

Meyer, Matthew. "Okuri inu," Yokai.com, http://yokai.com/okuriinu/

In-text: (Meyer)

Personal Interview

Works cited:

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.

In-text: (Smith)

Podcast

Works cited:

Nasser, Latif, narrator. "Cuba-ish." The Other Latif, 10 Mar. 2020, WNYC Studios.  https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/other-latif/articles/other-latif-cuba-ish

In-text: (Nasser 2020)

Reference Work (Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, etc.)

Works cited:

"Apparition, N."  Oxford English Dictionary. 1989, https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/9527?rskey=7EtOx2&result=1&isAdvanced=false&p=emailASAIwOs1t6/iU&d=9527

In-text: ("Apparition")

Archival Materials

Acknowledgement

All information on the Citing archival materials page is used with permission of the USC libraries and comes from their Citing Archival Sources FAQ. 

Galoozis, Elizabeth. "Q. How do I cite archival sources?" Library FAQs. 13 Aug. 2015. http://libanswers.usc.edu/faq/90617. Accessed 3 March 2018.