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Citation guide using Noodletools: MLA Examples

Learn to cite sources, create notecards, utilize an outline of your work, and format your paper with NoodleTools.

FORMATTING WORKS CITED

For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

How to make a citation and tips for creating a hanging indent at the end.

MLA Core Elements

The core elements are in the order in which they should appear, followed by the appropriate punctuation mark. If an element cannot be found or does not apply to the source being cited, omit that element from the entry. End the entry with a period.

Image credit: Modern Language Association. Works Cited: A Quick Guide. 2021, MLA Style Center, style.mla.org/works-cited/works-cited-a-quick-guide/.

MLA Citation Physical Books

Type of information

Works Cited example

Generic Form

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. 

Book with one author

Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall. Picador, 2010.

Book with two authors

Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter. The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. Sage, 2005. 

Book with more three or more authors

Nickels, William, et al. Understanding Canadian Business. 9th ed., McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2016.

If there are three or more authors list only the first author's name followed by et al. instead of listing all authors' names. The first author is the first name listed on the work you are citing, not the first name alphabetically.

MLA Citation Introduction

MLA Core Elements Explained

 Each core element answers a question:

  • author: Who is responsible for this work?
  • title of source: What is this work called?
  • container: Where was this work published?
  • publication date: When was this work published?
  • location: Where exactly can this work be found?

MLA Citation Youtube/ Vimeo

Type of information

Works Cited example

Generic form

Last Name, First Name of video creator or Username of Creator. "Title of Video." Title of the Hosting Website, uploaded by Username, Day Month Year of Publication, URL of video. Accessed Day Month Year video was viewed.

YouTube video

Green, John. “Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3.” YouTube, uploaded by CrashCourse, 23 Jan 2019, https://youtu.be/GoQG6Tin-1E. Accessed 30 Aug 2021.

If the video creator is unknown, begin the citation with the title of the video.