Citing Your Sources
Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship. Citing properly allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information. Failure to acknowledge sources of information properly may constitute plagiarism. For an explicit definition of plagiarism, see the Boston University Academic Conduct Code.
For detailed instructions on how to cite within the text of your paper, please consult a style manual listed below. Please also note: some of the resources below do not cover every possibility you might encounter when trying to cite your sources. For this reason, it is suggested that you consult a style manual to create your bibliography.
BU Librarians often recommend 
RefWorks as the best tool to manage citations. Accounts are free for the BU community, and most importantly RefWorks can automatically create a bibliography in hundreds of styles. There are other such tools.
MLA Style
MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, and its style guidelines have been assisting authors since 1951. MLA style is most commonly used to cite sources within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines. For more information, please consult the official MLA Handbook (9th ed.).
Please note that MLA guidelines do change over time, so it’s important to be aware of the most current information. As always, follow the requirements of your teacher or professor; their requirements take precedence.
- MLA Formatting & Style GuideExcelsior's Online Writing Lab offers this open access style guide, tutorial, and checklist for formatting your papers in MLA style.
- MLA Essay TemplateThe Excelsior Online Writing Lab created this template to give writers a foundation for formatting using the Modern Language Association guidelines.
- MLA Style: How to Format (Excelsior Online Writing Lab)Excelsior Online Writing Lab is an excellent open-access resource for citing in MLA style.
MLA Handbook by Location: Mugar Reference LB2369 G5ISBN: 9781603293518Publication Date: 2021-04-22The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook is a textbook and reference guide that offers student writers and writing instructors guidance on creating works-cited-list entries in MLA style using the template of core elements. It features advice on punctuation, grammar, inclusive language, formatting research papers, and in-text citations. Includes an appendix of sample works-cited-list entries, illustrations, and an index.
