It's important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons:
Book. The first time you cite a book, give the author's full name, the full title of the book as it appears on the title page, the place of publication, the publisher's name, the date of publication, and page from which your material has been drawn. Note that the publication data is enclosed in parentheses. For example:
Multivolume Works. When all the volumes in a multivolume work have the same title, a reference to pages within a single volume is given in the following manner. (Note that the volume number is given in Arabic numerals and that the volume and page numbers are separated by a colon.) For example:
When each volume in a multivolume work has a different title, a reference to pages within a single volume is given as follows:
Article in a Scholarly Journal. For the first citation of an article, give the author's full name, the full title, and the name, volume number, month and year, and page number of the journal or quarterly. For example:
Subsequent Citation. Subsequent citations of the same book or article should give only the author's last name and an abbreviated (short) title. For example:
Use of the Abbreviation “Ibid.” If a footnote refers to the same source that was cited in the immediately preceding footnote, the abbreviation ibid. (for ibidem, which means “in the same place") may take the place of the author’s name, title of the work, and as much of the succeeding material as is identical. For example:
Collected Works. In citing printed collected works such as diaries or letters, the author’s name may be omitted if it is included in the title. The name of the editor follows the title, preceded by a comma and the abbreviation “ed.,” which stands for “edited by.” For example:
Books and journal articles: Bibliography
Examples
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.
This footnote and bibliography citation section were adapted from the Princeton University Library history research guide with their kind permission.