MLA Handbook 8th Edition

Overview: Part 1

MLA (Modern Language

Association) Style formatting is

often used in various humanities

disciplines.

In addition to the handbook, MLA

also offers The MLA Style

Center, a website that provides

additional instruction and

resources for writing and

formatting academic papers.

https://style.mla.org/

What is MLA?

MLA Handbook & John B. Cade Library

You can find a print copy of the MLA Handbook 8th

Edition at the Ask Here Desk, located on the 1st

floor of the library.

Call Number: LB2369.G53 2016b

The MLA Handbook will

provide pointers on:

• Document format

• In-text citations

• Works-cited list

The MLA 8th edition handbook introduces a new way to cite sources. Instead of a long list of rules, MLA guidelines are now based on a set of principles that may be used to cite any type of source.

The three guiding principles are:

1. Cite simple traits shared by most works.

2. Remember that there is more than one way to cite the same source.

3. Make your documentation useful to readers.

Basic rule for any formatting

style:

Always

Follow your instructor’s

guidelines

There is more information available today, in more formats, than ever before, so the way we cite sources needs to evolve to keep pace.

MLA 8 was designed to simplify the process, helping writers accurately and intuitively cite sources more easily, requiring that every source type follow the same format.

This means that books, websites, periodicals, videos, photographs, and all other types of sources now use this same standard format.

MLA 8 requires researchers to locate the same “core elements” from their sources and place them in a standard order in order to create their citations.

The “Core Elements” of an MLA 8 citation, along with their corresponding punctuation marks, include the following (in this order).

MLA CORE ELEMENTS

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN YOU ARE STRUCTURING YOUR MLA CITATION!

Don’t forget the corresponding punctuation marks, include the following (in this order).

The Title Container is crucial to the identification of the source.

Understanding containers Containers are generally the item that holds a source.

Think of containers as…..1. Articles found in a

journal.2. Songs found on your

favorite CD.3. Pictures found inside a

book.

Containers were introduced in the 8th Edition of MLA Style and can be found as the third item in an MLA citation.

Remember, it is important that you place all of the core elements together along with the specified punctuation to create an MLA Citation.

Types of containers

• Compilations, such as books of essays, poems, or short stories

• Newspapers, magazines, and academic journals

• Websites (including online periodicals)

• Library databases and online book platforms

A Source in a Single

Container

Example

Works Cited: A Quick Guide

An Essay in a Book

Collection

This is A Video on a Web Site

Example of a single source container.

Containers are generally the item that holds a source.

For more information on MLA 8 HandbookGo to: https://style.mla.org/

You can find a copy of the MLA Handbook 8th Edition at the Ask Here Desk, located on the 1st floor of the library.