HOW TO WRITE A BIBLIOGRAPHY
Modern Language Association (MLA) Format
6th Edition 2003
What sources should be cited? Sources that are directly quoted AND those used for background information (often paraphrased). Materials used and not cited can get you in trouble for plagiarism. L
BEFORE you start taking notes from a source, record all pertinent information that is needed for the bibliography (see examples below) on the top of the page where you will record your notes. This prevents two common problems: 1) not knowing which source the notes came from and 2) not knowing the source at all. Both of these dilemmas are further complicated (and often impossible to solve) once the item is returned to the library! Taking the extra minute will save time in the end! J
· All items in the list should be arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of the author. If there is no named author, list the item alphabetically by the first significant word in the title (skip words like a, an, and the).
· The first line of each entry should be placed against the left hand margin and all other lines should be indented five spaces.
· All entries should be double-spaced. The title (Bibliography or Works Cited) should be centered one inch from the top of the page.
· Titles of books are underlined, one or two spaces after periods and one space after other forms of punctuation are acceptable; all significant words in book titles are capitalized.
· For more detailed information than what is provided here, refer to a copy of the MLA Handbook. (A copy is kept behind the Reference desk, just ask).
Book, single author:
Frog, Kermit. Leaps of Faith: a Commentary on Floating Lily Pads. London: Ponds Publishing, 1989.
Book, multiple authors:
Conehead, Bert, and Ernie Smith. Memories from Sesame Street. New York: CTW Books, 1979.
Corporate author:
Society for the Advancement of Muppets. Mr. Snufflepagus: Bird’s Best Friend. New York: CTW
Books, 1984.
Book with an editor:
Delgado, Emilio, ed. Twenty Years on Sesame Street: 1969 – 1989. Boston: Snuffy Press, 1990.
A Work in an Anthology:
(Use for citing an essay, a short story, a poem, or another work that appears within an anthology.)
More, Hannah. “The Black Slave Trade: A Poem.” British Women Poets of the Romantic Era.
Ed. Paula R. Feldman. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 1997. 472-82.
(example borrowed from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 6th ed.)
Encyclopedia article:
Rogers, Fred. “Big Bird.” Encyclopedia of Children’s Television. 2nd ed. Glenview: Scott Publishing,
1994.
“Sesame Street.” Encyclopedia Americana. 1990 ed. (For well-known or general encyclopedias, the publisher information can be omitted).
Magazine/Journal article:
Kronkite, Walter. “Muppets, Puppets and People.” Sesame Street Oct/Nov 1997: 38-41.
Video recording:
The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. Dir. John Chiappardi. Perf. Frank Oz and Steve Whitmire. Sony
Wonder, 1998.
Article from the Library’s online subscription service (Not considered an Internet Source)
Kronkite, Walter. “Muppets, Puppets and People.” Sesame Street Oct/Nov 2002 : 38-41.
InfoTrac OneFile. InfoTrac. Warwick Public Lib., Warwick, RI. 26 Dec. 2002. (date accessed
online)
Henson, Jim. “Health Implications of Being Green.” Pediatrics May 2003: 933-935. Health Source-
Consumer Edition. EBSCO. Warwick Public Lib., Warwick, RI. 13 Aug. 2003.
“The Birmingham News Urges Bus Riders to Be Held ‘In Check’ .“ New York Times 23 May 1961:
29. Proquest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times. Warwick Public Lib., Warwick, RI.
17 July 2003.
Article from a CD-ROM:
Kangaroo, Captain. “Mr. Greenjeans and Children’s Television.” New York Times 13 Apr. 1993: C1. New York Times Ondisc. CD-ROM. 1993. (date material made available on CD-ROM, usually
same year as article).
World Wide Web:
“Sesame Street Today.” Sesame Street Parents. 2003. Sesame Workshop. 14 Feb. 2003.
<http://www.sesameworkshop.com> (Title of article, Title of site, Date of last update, Sponsoring organization, if any, Date of access,URL.)
Personal e-mail:
Author last, first (or username). “Subject line from message.” Personal email. (26 Dec. 2000). (date
accessed).
Artistic Works:
Author's Last Name, First Name. Title. Gallery or Museum, Location. (date seen if temporary exhibit)
Picasso, Pablo. Guernica. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
January 2008
6th ed.-2003
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