Creating a Works Cited page in MLA (Modern Language Association) format is a crucial skill for students and researchers alike. Accurately citing your sources, especially books, lends credibility to your work and avoids plagiarism. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of How To Cite A Book in MLA 9th edition, ensuring your research papers are both academically sound and properly formatted. We’ll break down the general format and then delve into specific examples for various book types, making the citation process straightforward and efficient.
Understanding the Core Elements of an MLA Book Citation
The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook emphasizes a principle-based approach to citation. This means focusing on core elements rather than rigid rules. For citing a book, these core elements generally include:
- Author: Who wrote the book? This could be an individual, multiple authors, or a corporate body.
- 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 order to create a standard MLA book citation. The general format is as follows:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Let’s explore how to apply this basic format to different types of books you might encounter in your research.
Citing a Book with One Author
When citing a book with a single author, the author’s name is presented in “Last Name, First Name” format.
Format:
Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Gleick, James. *Chaos: Making a New Science*. Penguin, 1987.Henley, Patricia. *The Hummingbird House*. MacMurray, 1999.Citing a Book with More Than One Author
For books with two authors, list them in the order they appear on the book’s title page. The first author’s name is in “Last Name, First Name” format, while subsequent authors are listed in “First Name Last Name” format.
Format (Two Authors):
Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. *The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring*. Allyn and Bacon, 2000.If a book has three or more authors, you can list only the first author followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”).
Format (Three or More Authors):
Last Name, First Name, et al. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. *Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition*. Utah State UP, 2004.Citing Two or More Books by the Same Author
If you are citing multiple books by the same author, list them alphabetically by title on your Works Cited page. For the first entry, provide the author’s name in full. For subsequent entries by the same author, use three hyphens (—) followed by a period in place of the author’s name.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of First Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.
---. *Title of Second Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Palmer, William J. *Dickens and New Historicism*. St. Martin's, 1997.
---. *The Films of the Eighties: A Social History*. Southern Illinois UP, 1993.Citing a Book by a Corporate Author or Organization
Sometimes, a book is authored by a corporate body, such as an association, committee, or government agency. In these cases, list the name of the corporate author where you would typically put an individual author’s name.
Format:
Corporate Author Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.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.
Format (Author and Publisher are the Same):
*Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
*Fair Housing—Fair Lending.* Aspen Law & Business, 1985.Citing a Book 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.
Format:
*Title of Book*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
*Encyclopedia of Indiana*. Somerset, 1993.Citing a Translated Book
To cite a translated book, generally begin with the author of the original work. Include “Translated by” followed by the translator’s name.
Format (Focus on the Work):
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Translated by Translator First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Foucault, Michel. *Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason*. Translated by Richard Howard, Vintage-Random House, 1988.If you want to emphasize the translator’s work, you can list the translator first, followed by “translator.” This is less common and typically used when the translation itself is the focus of your discussion.
Format (Focus on the Translator):
Translator Last Name, First Name, translator. *Title of Book*. By Author First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Howard, Richard, translator. *Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason*. By Michel Foucault, Vintage-Random House, 1988.Citing a Republished Book
For books that have been republished, include the original publication year before the publisher information.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Original Publication Year. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Butler, Judith. *Gender Trouble*. 1990. Routledge, 1999.Erdrich, Louise. *Love Medicine*. 1984. Perennial-Harper, 1993.Citing an Edition of a Book
Books can have different editions. If you are using an edition other than the first, include the edition number after the title.
Format (Subsequent Edition):
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Edition number ed., Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. *Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students*. 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.If the book is prepared by an editor (e.g., a critical edition), include “edited by” followed by the editor’s name after the title.
Format (Edited Book):
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Bronte, Charlotte. *Jane Eyre,* edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.Citing an Anthology or Collection
To cite an entire anthology or collection, list the editor(s) followed by “, editor” or “, editors.” This is less common than citing individual works within an anthology.
Format (Entire Anthology):
Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. *Title of Anthology or Collection*. Publisher, Publication Date.Example:
Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, editors. *Defining Visual Rhetorics*. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.Citing a Work in an Anthology, Reference Book, or Collection
More often, you’ll cite a specific essay, chapter, poem, or short story from a larger collection. In this case, cite the author and title of the specific work, then the title of the collection, the editor(s), and publication information.
Format (Work within a Collection):
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Work." *Title of Collection*, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Year, Page Range.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.Poem or Short Story in a Collection:
Burns, Robert. "Red, Red Rose." *100 Best-Loved Poems,* edited by Philip Smith, Dover, 1995, p. 26.Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." *The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories*, edited by Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.Citing an Article in a Reference Book
For articles in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry name as the title. If the reference book is alphabetically organized, you usually don’t need to include page numbers or volume numbers.
Format:
"Title of Article." *Title of Reference Book*, Edition if given, Publication Year.Example:
"Ideology." *The American Heritage Dictionary.* 3rd ed. 1997.Citing a Multivolume Work
When citing only one volume of a multivolume work, specify the volume number after the title.
Format (One Volume of Multivolume Work):
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Multivolume Work*. Vol. Volume Number, Publisher, Publication Year.Example:
Quintilian. *Institutio Oratoria*. Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.When citing the entire multivolume work, indicate the total number of volumes at the end.
Format (Entire Multivolume Work):
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Multivolume Work*. Number vols., Publisher, Publication Year.Example:
Quintilian. *Institutio Oratoria*. Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.Citing an Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword
To cite an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword, begin with the author of that piece. Specify the part you are citing (e.g., Introduction, Preface). Use “In” before the title of the book.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name of Introduction etc. "Title of Introduction etc." Introduction. *Title of Book* by Author of Book First Name Last Name, Publisher, Publication Year, Page Range.Example:
Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction. *Norms of Rhetorical Culture*, by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.Citing a Book Published Before 1900
For older books, especially those published before 1900, you may replace the publisher with the city of publication.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. City of Publication, Publication Year.Example:
Thoreau, Henry David. *Excursions*. Boston, 1863.Citing The Bible
Italicize “The Bible” and specify the version you are using.
Format:
*The Bible.* Version Name, Publisher, Publication Year.Examples:
*The Bible.* Authorized King James Version*,* Oxford UP, 1998.*The Bible.* The New Oxford Annotated Version*,* 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.Citing a Government Publication
For government publications, start with the government name, followed by the agency responsible for the publication.
Format:
Government Name, Government Agency. *Title of Publication*. Publisher, Publication Year.Example:
United States, Congress, Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. *Hearing on the Geopolitics of Oil*. Government Printing Office, 2007.Citing a Pamphlet
Cite a pamphlet like a book. If there is no author, begin with the title. Corporate authors are common for pamphlets.
Format (No Author):
*Title of Pamphlet*. Publisher, Publication Year.Format (Corporate Author):
Corporate Author. *Title of Pamphlet*. Publisher, Publication Year.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 similarly to books, indicating the document type (e.g., “PhD dissertation”). Include the institution and year. Online repositories can be added as containers.
Format:
Author Last Name, First Name. *Title of Dissertation/Thesis*. Year. Degree-granting Institution, Document Type.Example:
Bishop, Karen Lynn. *Documenting Institutional Identity: Strategic Writing in the IUPUI Comprehensive Campaign*. 2002. Purdue University, PhD dissertation.Conclusion: Your Guide to Citing Books in MLA
Mastering MLA book citations is essential for academic integrity and clear communication in your research. This guide has provided a comprehensive overview of the most common book types and their corresponding MLA citation formats. By understanding the core elements and applying the specific examples, you can confidently create accurate and professional Works Cited pages for all your academic endeavors. Remember to consult the official MLA Handbook for the most detailed and up-to-date guidelines.
