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I need help citing sources in MLA format

MLA format is commonly used in the humanities. In MLA, you will cite information in two ways: in the body of your paper (in-text citations) and at the end of your paper (the Works Cited page). Here are some resources to help you cite in the correct MLA style:

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers a useful and comprehensive guide to citing different types of sources in MLA format.

Prefer videos? Watch this introduction to MLA citations from CSU Dominguez Hills:
https://youtu.be/o7MyM_V8-EA

Microsoft Word also offers MLA style templates you can download and use to format your paper. Click File>New and search on MLA style in the template search box. 

Machine-Generated Citations

There are several ways to find citations using online tools. DO NOT TRUST THESE CITATIONS! Garbage in, garbage out. You should always double-check what you find to make sure it is the correct format and correct information. That being said, machine-generated citations are often a good source for the basics, such as title, author, and publication date.

OneSearch

After running a search, click on the title of the article or book you are citing to open the record. In the record, you will see a Citation link above the title. 

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Screenshot of citation link in a OneSearch record

 

Google Scholar

After running a search, click on the Cite link below the description.

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Screenshot of Cite link in Google Scholar

Library Databases

Many library databases offer a cite option, and this option will appear usually after opening an article record. Here is an example for where to look in an EBSCO database:

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Screenshot of cite option in an EBSCO database

 

REMEMBER: ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK MACHINE-GENERATED CITATIONS. DO NOT TRUST THEM.