Creating a Works Cited page in MLA format can seem daunting, especially when you’re dealing with books. Whether it’s a novel, textbook, or anthology, citing your sources correctly is crucial for academic integrity and giving credit where it’s due. This guide will break down the process of how to cite a book in MLA format (8th edition), ensuring your citations are accurate and your research papers are polished.
Understanding the Core Elements of an MLA Book Citation
The 8th edition of the MLA Handbook emphasizes a principle-based approach to citation. Instead of rigid rules, it focuses on understanding and applying core elements to any source. For books, these core elements typically include:
- Author: Who wrote the book? This could be a single author, multiple authors, or a corporate author/organization.
- Title of the Book: What is the name of the book? This is always italicized.
- Publisher: Who published the book?
- Publication Date: When was the book published?
These elements are arranged in a specific format to create a complete MLA book citation. Let’s explore the basic format and then delve into specific examples for different types of books.
Basic MLA Book Citation Format
The most fundamental format for citing a book in MLA is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Let’s break down each component:
- Last Name, First Name: Start with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, and then their first name. For example, “Gleick, James.”
- Title of Book: The full title of the book, including any subtitles. Italicize the entire title. For example, “Chaos: Making a New Science.”
- Publisher: The name of the publishing company. Shorten publisher names where possible (e.g., “Penguin” instead of “Penguin Books”). For example, “Penguin.”
- Publication Date: The year the book was published. For example, “1987.”
Putting it all together, a basic MLA book citation looks like this:
Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. Penguin, 1987.
This basic format serves as the foundation for citing various types of books. Now, let’s examine how to adapt this format for different scenarios.
Citing Books with Different Numbers of Authors
The number of authors affects how you format the author portion of your citation.
Book with One Author
As shown in the basic format, for a single author, list their name in “Last Name, First Name” format.
Example:
Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House. MacMurray, 1999.
Book with Two Authors
When citing a book with two authors, list the first author in “Last Name, First Name” format, followed by “and” and then the second author in “First Name Last Name” format.
Example:
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
Book with Three or More Authors
For books with three or more authors, list only the first author in “Last Name, First Name” format, followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”).
Example:
Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition. Utah State UP, 2004.
Citing Multiple Books by the Same Author
If you are citing two or more books by the same author, list them alphabetically by title in your Works Cited page. For the first entry, provide the author’s name as usual. For subsequent entries by the same author, use three hyphens and a period (—.) in place of the author’s name.
Examples:
Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. St. Martin’s, 1997.
—. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Southern Illinois UP, 1993.
Citing Books with Corporate Authors or Organizations
Sometimes, a book is authored by an organization or corporate body rather than an individual. In these cases, use the organization’s name as the author.
Example:
American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children. Random House, 1998.
If the corporate author is also the publisher, list the title first and then the corporate author as the publisher.
Example:
Fair Housing—Fair Lending. Aspen Law & Business, 1985.
Citing Books with No Author
When a book has no identifiable author, begin the citation with the title of the book. Alphabetize it in your Works Cited list by the first significant word of the title.
Example:
Encyclopedia of Indiana. Somerset, 1993.
Citing Translated Books
When citing a translated book, you have options depending on whether you want to emphasize the original author or the translator.
Emphasizing the Original Work
To emphasize the original author’s work, cite the book as usual and include “translated by” followed by the translator’s name.
Example:
Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. Translated by Richard Howard, Vintage-Random House, 1988.
Emphasizing the Translation
To focus on the translation itself (less common), you can list the translator as the author. In this case, use the translator’s name followed by “, translator.” Then, include “By” and the original author’s name after the title.
Example:
Howard, Richard, translator. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. By Michel Foucault, Vintage-Random House, 1988.
Citing Republished Books
For republished books (not new editions), include the original publication year before the publisher information.
Example:
Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble. 1990. Routledge, 1999.
Citing Editions of Books
Books can have different editions. If you are using an edition other than the first, you need to indicate this in your citation.
Subsequent Editions
For editions beyond the first, include the edition number after the title, using abbreviations like “2nd ed.” or “3rd ed.”
Example:
Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.
Edited Books
If the book is prepared by an editor (meaning the editor’s role is significant beyond just compiling works), include “edited by” followed by the editor’s name after the title.
Example:
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre, edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.
Citing Anthologies or Collections
Anthologies and collections are books comprised of works by different authors, compiled by an editor or editors.
Citing the Entire Anthology
To cite the entire anthology as a whole, list the editor(s) as you would an author, followed by “, editor” or “, editors.”
Examples:
Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, editors. Defining Visual Rhetorics. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.
Peterson, Nancy J., editor. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Johns Hopkins UP, 1997.
Citing a Work Within an Anthology
More commonly, you will cite a specific essay, story, or poem from an anthology. In this case, cite the individual work’s author and title first, then the anthology information.
Format:
Last name, First name. “Title of Essay.” Title of Collection, edited by Editor’s Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.
Examples:
Harris, Muriel. “Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers.” A Tutor’s Guide: Helping Writers One to One, edited by Ben Rafoth, Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34.
Swanson, Gunnar. “Graphic Design Education as a Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge in the University and The ‘Real World.'” The Education of a Graphic Designer, edited by Steven Heller, Allworth Press, 1998, pp. 13-24.
Burns, Robert. “Red, Red Rose.” 100 Best-Loved Poems, edited by Philip Smith, Dover, 1995, p. 26.
Citing Articles in Reference Books
For articles in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry title. If the reference book is alphabetically organized (as most are), you don’t need to include page numbers or volume numbers.
Example:
“Ideology.” The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed. 1997.
Citing Multivolume Works
When citing a multivolume work, and you are using only one volume, specify the volume number after the title.
Example:
Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.
If you are citing the entire multivolume work, indicate the total number of volumes at the end of the citation.
Example:
Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.
Citing Introductions, Prefaces, Forewords, or Afterwords
To cite an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword, cite the author of that piece, then the name of the part being cited (e.g., “Introduction”). Follow this with “In” and then the title and author of the main book.
Example:
Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction. Norms of Rhetorical Culture, by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.
Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction. Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose, by Kenneth Burke, 1935, 3rd ed., U of California P, 1984, pp. xiii-xliv.
Citing Books Published Before 1900
For books published before 1900, cite the city of publication instead of the publisher, unless you are using a newer edition.
Example:
Thoreau, Henry David. Excursions. Boston, 1863.
Citing the Bible
When citing the Bible, italicize “The Bible” and specify the version you are using.
Examples:
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.
The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version, 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.
The New Jerusalem Bible. Edited by Susan Jones, Doubleday, 1985.
Citing Government Publications
Cite government publications by the author if known. If not, start with the government name, followed by the agency.
Examples:
United States, Congress, Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearing on the Geopolitics of Oil. Government Printing Office, 2007. 110th Congress, 1st session, Senate Report 111-8.
United States, Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and DOE Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs. Government Printing Office, 2006.
Citing Pamphlets
Cite pamphlets like books without authors, starting with the title. If there is a corporate author, use that as the author.
Examples:
Women’s Health: Problems of the Digestive System. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2006.
Your Rights Under California Welfare Programs. California Department of Social Services, 2007.
Citing Dissertations and Master’s Theses
Cite dissertations and theses with the author, title, date, institution, and type of dissertation. If accessed online, include the repository as a second container.
Examples:
Bishop, Karen Lynn. Documenting Institutional Identity: Strategic Writing in the IUPUI Comprehensive Campaign. 2002. Purdue University, PhD dissertation.
Bile, Jeffrey. Ecology, Feminism, and a Revised Critical Rhetoric: Toward a Dialectical Partnership. 2005. Ohio University, PhD dissertation.
Mitchell, Mark. The Impact of Product Quality Reducing Events on the Value of Brand-Name Capital: Evidence from Airline Crashes and the 1982 Tylenol Poisonings. 1987. PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Conclusion
Mastering MLA book citations is a fundamental skill for academic writing. By understanding the core elements and applying the appropriate formats for different types of books, you can ensure the accuracy and credibility of your Works Cited pages. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to cite a book in MLA format, equipping you with the knowledge to confidently cite your book sources in any academic context. Remember to always double-check your citations against the MLA Handbook or a reliable online resource like the Purdue OWL for the most up-to-date guidelines.
