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How to Cite a Short Story in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on June 28, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 5, 2024.

When you quote from a short story in MLA Style, make sure to properly introduce the quote and to follow it with an MLA in-text citation giving the author’s last name and the page number of the quote.

The narrator tells us that Bartleby “seemed to gorge himself on my documents” (Melville 11) .

The citation corresponds to an entry in your Works Cited list, giving the story’s author and its title in quotation marks, followed by the publication details of the container (e.g. a book, magazine, or website). The story in this example comes from a collection with an editor.

Our free MLA Citation Generator can help you create MLA citations for short stories.

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Table of contents

Quoting and citing a short story, citing a short story from a book, citing a short story from a newspaper or magazine, citing a short story found online, frequently asked questions about mla citations.

When you quote from a short story, it’s important to properly introduce the quotation in your own words.

For example, you could use an introductory sentence followed by a colon . The in-text citation is placed directly after the quotation.

The narrator refers to the mystery of his father’s behavior: “Why did Father smile to himself, why did his eyes turn up, misty, in a parody of mock admiration?” (Schulz 99) .

Or you can integrate the quote into your own sentence, as shown below. If you name the author when introducing the quote, you only need to include the page number in parentheses.

Schulz describes the interior of the shop as a “cosmogony of cloth” (89) .

If you quote more than four lines, format it as a block quote .

Consecutive citations of the same story

If you’re referring to the same story repeatedly, you don’t need to include the author name in every citation. As long as it’s clear you’re citing the same source again, omit the author name and just cite the page number.

Schulz describes the interior of the shop as a “cosmogony of cloth . . . a fantastic Canaan” (89) . The biblical imagery continues: the objects of the father’s anger are referred to as “idolaters” and “worshippers of Baal” (90) .

If you refer to a different source in between or start a new paragraph, include the author’s name in the citation again.

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To cite a short story from an edited collection , after giving the author and title of the story, list the title of the book, the editor(s), the publisher, the year, and the page range on which the story appears.

If the story is published in a single-author collection, without a named editor, simply omit the editor from the reference.

To cite a story published in a newspaper or magazine , list the name of the periodical, the date of publication, and the page range where the story can be found.

For a short story published online, whether in an online magazine or elsewhere, list the website name, the date it was published, and the URL.

Note that if there are no page numbers and the author is already named in your sentence (narrative citation), no parenthetical citation is needed.

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In MLA Style , you should cite a specific chapter or work within a book in two situations:

• When each of the book’s chapters is written by a different author.
• When the book is a collection of self-contained works (such as poems , plays , or short stories ), even if they are all written by the same author.

If you cite multiple chapters or works from the same book, include a separate Works Cited entry for each chapter.

In MLA style , book titles appear in italics, with all major words capitalized. If there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space (even if no colon appears in the source). For example:

The format is the same in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. However, when you mention the book title in the text, you don’t have to include the subtitle.

The title of a part of a book—such as a chapter, or a short story or poem in a collection—is not italicized, but instead placed in quotation marks.

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Caulfield, J. (2024, March 05). How to Cite a Short Story in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/short-story-citation/

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How to Cite Short Stories in MLA

Last Updated: April 29, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 91,114 times.

Short stories can be great resources for a literary essay or a paper for an English class. To cite a short story, you have to include an in-text citation, which will take the form of "(O'Connor 10)" and then create a citation in the Works Cited page, which will look like this: "O’Connor, Flannery. ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find.’ The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor. New York: FSG, 2000. 255-356. Print."

Sample Citations

Writing In-Text Citations

• For example, you may write, “In the short story 'A Good Man is Hard to Find', the Misfit character notes, ‘I found out the crime don’t matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you’re going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it.’”

‘She was a talker, wasn't she?’ Bobby Lee said, sliding down the ditch with a yodel. ’She would of been a good woman,’ The Misfit said, ‘if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.’ ‘Some fun!’ Bobby Lee said. ‘Shut up, Bobby Lee,’ The Misfit said. ‘It's no real pleasure in life.’

• For example, you may write, “In the short story 'A Good Man is Hard to Find,' the Misfit character notes, ‘I found out the crime don’t matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you’re going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it’ (O’Connor 10).”

‘She was a talker, wasn't she?’ Bobby Lee said, sliding down the ditch with a yodel. ’She would of been a good woman,’ The Misfit said, ‘if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.’ ‘Some fun!’ Bobby Lee said. ‘Shut up, Bobby Lee,’ The Misfit said. ‘It's no real pleasure in life’(O'Connor 23)."

• For example, you may write a citation such as: “(O’Connor 23)” or “(Gaitskill 12).”

Creating a Citation for the Works Cited Page

• For example, you may write, “O’Connor, Flannery” or “Erdrich, Louise, and Diaz, Junot.”

• For example, you may write, “O’Connor, Flannery. ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find.’ The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor. ” or “Erdrich, Louise. ‘The Flower.’ The Best American Short Stories 2016. ”

• For example, you may write, “Erdrich, Louise. ‘The Flower.’ The Best American Short Stories 2016, Ed. by Junot Diaz.”

• For example, you may write, “O’Connor, Flannery. ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find.’ The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor. New York: FSG, 2000.” Or you may write, “Erdrich, Louise. ‘The Flower.’ The Best American Short Stories 2016, Ed. by Junot Diaz, New York: Harper Collins, 2016.”

• For example, you may write, “Gaitskill, Mary. ‘Something Better Than This.’ Fictionaut.'"

• For example, you may write, “Erdrich, Louise. ‘The Flower.’ The Best American Short Stories 2016, Ed. by Junot Diaz, New York: Harper Collins, 2016. 324-414.”

• For example, you may write, “O’Connor, Flannery. ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find.’ The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor. New York: FSG, 2000. 255-356. Print.”
• Or you may write, “Gaitskill, Mary. ‘Something Better Than This.’ Fictionaut. Web. 12 December 2017.”

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• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/cite-short-story-mla-format-1134.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/quotation_marks_with_fiction.html
• ↑ https://otis.libguides.com/mla_citations/books#s-lg-box-15872775
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/cite-short-story-anthology-8558144.html
• ↑ https://warren.libguides.com/c.php?g=1062317&p=7724336
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_books.html

About This Article

Citing a short story can be a great way to strengthen your paper. To do an in-text citation, include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses after the quoted text. For example, if you’re citing from page 10 of O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” you would follow your quote with (O’Connor 10). Always place the period in the sentence after your citation. On your works cited page, you need to provide a more detailed citation. It should begin with the author’s last and first names, with a comma separating them. Then, add the title of the story in quotation marks, the name of the anthology in italics, the place of publication, the publisher’s name, and the date of publication. A completed citation may look like, “O’Connor, Flannery. 'A Good Man is hard to Find.' The Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor. New York: FSG, 2000.” To see some additional examples of MLA citations, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Cite a Short Story

Last Updated: April 1, 2021

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 121,639 times.

In many research papers, you may want to cite a work of fiction, such as a short story. Since short stories normally appear in collections or anthologies, you generally cite them the same way you would cite a chapter or an essay in a larger work. Your specific format will differ depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.

Sample Citations

• Example: Moore, Lorrie.

• Example: Moore, Lorrie. "Community Life."

• Example: Moore, Lorrie. "Community Life." Birds of America ,
• If the larger work is an anthology or collection of stories by several authors, include the name of the editor after the title of the anthology or collection. Place a comma after the editor's name. For example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy,
• If the short story was published independently, such as on a website, skip this part of the citation and move on to the publication information.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy, 5th ed., D.C. Heath, 1996,
• If you found the short story online, provide the direct URL for the story instead of print publication information.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy, 5th ed., D.C. Heath, 1996, pp. 202-206.

• Example: (Poe 204).

• Example: Poe, E. A.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996).

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature
• If you found the short story by itself, online or elsewhere, skip this portion of the citation.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature (5th ed., pp. 202-206).

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature (5th ed., pp. 202-206). Washington, D.C.: Heath.

• Example: (Poe, 1996).
• If you directly quote the short story, include a page number after the year. For example: (Poe, 1996, p. 204).

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death."

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." In The Heath Introduction to Literature, ed. Alice S. Landy, 202-206.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." In The Heath Introduction to Literature, ed. Alice S. Landy, 202-206. Washington, D.C.: Heath, 1996.

• Example: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Masque of the Red Death," in The Heath Introduction to Literature , ed. Alice S. Landy (Washington, D.C.: Heath, 1996), 204.

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• ↑ http://irsc.libguides.com/c.php?g=483085&p=3303416
• ↑ http://libguides.heidelberg.edu/chicago/book/chapter

About this article

To cite a short story using MLA format, write the author's last name, add a comma, and write their first name, followed by a period. Next, write the story's title in quotation marks using title case and put a period after it, inside the closing quotation marks. Then, type the title of the anthology or collection, the name of the publisher, the name of the publication, and the page numbers for the story. For tips on citing a short story using APA or Chicago format, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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APA 7th Edition Citations Guide - Maple Woods

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A Work (e.g., essay, short story) in an Anthology or Compilation

When you are citing a work from an anthology, you will treat the work as being republished and not reprinted.  Consult section 9.40 in the APA Style Guide for more information.

Author of Work Within Book Last Name, First initial. (Publication year of the anthology). Title of the particular story/chapter/essay/poem. In Editor             first initial. Last name (Ed.),  Title of the anthology ( pp. of chapter/essay/poem). Publisher. URL or DOI, if available (Original work published             XXXX)                      

Note:  The reference list entry for a republished or reissued work should contain information about the new publication that was used. Follow the new publication information with the year the work was originally published in parentheses using the following format:  (Original work published XXXX)

Frost, R. (2006).The road not taken. In J. Parini (Ed.), T he Wadsworth anthology of poetry ( p. 598). Cengage Learning. (Original work published 1916)          

Parenthetical Citation: (Frost, 1916/2006)

Narrative Citation: Frost (1916/2006)

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• Next: Books- Later Editions >>
• Last Updated: Aug 21, 2024 3:46 PM
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Works Cited (Short Stories)

In-text (short stories).

Short Story from a Book (like your textbook)

Putting it all together:

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 7th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2020, pp. 197-211.

Short Story from a Website

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." AmericanLiterature.com , 2020, americanliterature.com/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/short-story/the-yellow-wallpaper.

Short Story Your Professor Posted on Canvas

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Canvas , uploaded by LeeAnn Thomas, 10 Oct. 2020, learn.vccs.edu.

Essays are treated like short stories.  Here are examples of the same essay published three different ways following the examples above.

• Essay from a Book

Lorde, Audre. "The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism." Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. edited by Patricia Hill Collins, 3rd ed., Routledge, 2020, pp. 127-138.

• Essay from a Website

Lorde, Audre. "The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism." BlackPast , 2020, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1981-audre-lorde-uses-anger.

• Essay from a Magazine or Journal

Lorde, Audre. "The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism." Women's Studies Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 3, 1981, pp. 7-10. Academic Search Complete.

• Essay Your Professor Posted on Canvas

Lorde, Audre. "The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism." Canvas , uploaded by LeeAnn Thomas, 10 Oct. 2020, learn.vccs.edu.

Novels and short stories are easy to cite in-text, because authors and page numbers are almost always given.  Most in-text citations for novels and short stories will look like this (Baldwin 27).

There are two ways to format quotes:

During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was; but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.

Brief Quote

As the narrator rides "on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country", he feels an increase sense of foreboding, and when he reaches his destination, the first glimpse of the "melancholy House of Usher" fills him with "a sense of insufferable gloom" (Poe 9).

Block Quote

The Fall of the House of Usher opens with dark foreshadowing:

During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was; but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. (Poe 9)

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A work (e.g., essay, short story) in an anthology or compilation

When you are citing one work from a book in the text of your paper and the book has many different authors, you will list the information about that work (critical essay, short story from an anthology, etc) first.

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MLA Short Story Citation – Format & Examples

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In academic writing , it is crucial to cite short stories properly to maintain academic integrity and avoid plagiarism . The MLA style guide (Modern Language Association) has specific formatting rules for this. In MLA , specific components such as the author’s name, the story title within quotation marks, the anthology title in italics, and other details regarding publication like the page number or range, must be included. This allows the readers to find original sources and ensures proper credit.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 MLA Short Story Citation – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: MLA short story citation
• 3 MLA short story citation: Quoting & citing
• 4 MLA short story citation: Book
• 5 MLA short story citation: Newspaper or magazine
• 6 MLA short story citation: Online

MLA Short Story Citation – In a Nutshell

• MLA short story citation entails a proper introduction of the quoted content.
• Make sure to write the introduction in your own words.
• It is always followed up with an in-text citation in accordance with MLA guidelines
• An MLA in-text citation includes the author’s name and the page number of the quote.

Definition: MLA short story citation

The structure for MLA short story citation includes an introduction of the quote in your own words, followed by an in-text citation . The in-text citation should include the name of the author, followed by the page number from which you obtained the quote. See the format and an example of an MLA Works Cited entry below.

MLA short story citation: Quoting & citing

One key element you must consider during MLA story citation is the introduction quotation. The introduction should be done in your own words so it does not go against plagiarism regulations. After the introductory sentence, you can place a colon, then place an in-text MLA story citation immediately after.

Then the narrator speaks of his experience in first person as he refers to his background and influence: “I never saw my parents argue or have a misunderstanding in my presence.” (Andrew, 100).

Alternatively, you can integrate the quote in a different sentence. If you decide to name the author in the introductory quote, then the page number should appear in parentheses .

Andrew describes his childhood as peaceful and “without any parental conflict” (87).

Ensure to use block quote format when quoting more than four lines.

Citing the same story consecutively

When referring to the same story more than once, you do not need to include the author’s name repeatedly. However, you must clarify that you are citing the same source repeatedly. Instead of the author’s name, just add the page number in the MLA short story citation.

Andrews describes his childhood as peaceful and “without any conflict” (97). His narration includes descriptions of his father’s temperament, which is “calm and orderly” (101).

However, if you start a new paragraph or refer to a different citation, the above rule does not apply. The next MLA short story citation should include the name of the author.

MLA short story citation: Book

You can also cite a short story from a book containing a collection of stories. In this citation, you must include the author’s name, story title, book title, editor (s), year, and the page range where the short story is featured. Below are guidelines for MLA short story citation for a book source:

If the cited story is published in a collection from a single author and does not have an editor’s name, you can omit the editor from the MLA short story citation. Below is the format:

MLA short story citation: Newspaper or magazine

You must also follow MLA short story citation when referencing stories from a newspaper or magazine. In such a case, you must list the periodical’s name, publication date, and the page range where the content is sourced. Below is the MLA short story citation format for newspaper or magazine sources:

MLA short story citation: Online

When citing a short story published online, you must list the name of the website, the publication date, and the URL. If the page name is not available and the author’s name is mentioned in your sentence, then you only need a parenthetical citation .

What is the general format of an MLA short story citation?

The general format is as follows: Name of author, First name. “Title of Story.” Book Title , edited by Editor’s first and last name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page range

Can you cite a book chapter using MLA short story citation guidelines?

You can cite a specific chapter if each chapter has a different author or if the book is a collection of works. In this case, add separate works cited entries for each.

What should you include when citing short stories in magazines?

You must list the periodical’s name, publication date, and the page range where the content is sourced.

What are the guidelines for citing online-sourced stories?

When citing a short story that is published online, you must include the name of the website, the publication date, and the URL.

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Books & Ebooks

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Book In Print With One Author

Book in Print More Than One Author

Chapters, Short Stories, Essays, or Articles From a Book (Anthology or Collection)

Article in an online reference book (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Authors/Editors

An author won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or company, for example Health Canada. These are called group or corporate authors.

If a book has no author or editor, begin the citation with the book title, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

If an author is also the publisher, omit the publisher from the reference. This happens most often with corporate or group authors.

When a book has one to 20 authors or editors, all authors' names are cited in the Reference List entry. When a book has 21 or more authors or editors, list the first 19 authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title. If there is a colon (:) in the title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. 

Italicize titles of journals, magazines, newspapers, and books. Do not italicize the titles of articles or book chapters.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Place of Publication

Do not include the publisher location in the reference. Only for works associated with a specific location, like conference presentations, include the location. For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Electronic Books

Don't include the format, platform, or device (e.g. Kindle) in the reference. Include the publisher name. For audiobooks, include the narrator and audiobook notation.

Ebooks from Websites (not from library databases)

If an ebook from a website was originally published in print, give the author, year, title, edition (if given) and the url. If it was never published in print, treat it like a multi-page website.

Book In Print With One Author or Editor

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Note: If the named person is an editor, place "(Ed.)." after the name.

Mulholland, K. (2003). Class, gender and the family business . Palgrave McMillan. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003, p. 70)

Book in Print More Than One Author or Editor

Last Name of First Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given, & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Note: Authors' names are separated by commas. Put a comma and an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author cited.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Note: If the listed names are editors rather than authors, include "(Eds.)." at the end of the list of names. The below example shows a list of editors.

Reference List Example:

Kaakinen, J., Coehlo, D., Steele, R., Tabacco, L., & Hanson, H. (Eds.). (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research (5th ed.). F.A. Davis Company.

In-text Citation

Two Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen et al., 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen et al., 2015, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL

Example from Website:

Rhode, D. L. (2002). Divorce, American style . University of California Press. http://www.escholarship.org/editions/view?docId=kt9z09q84w;brand=ucpress

Example: (Rhode, 2002)

Example: (Rhode, 2002, p. 101)

If no author or creator is provided, start the citation with the title/name of the item you are citing instead. Follow the title/name of the item with the date of publication, and the continue with other citation details.

Remember: an author/creator may be an organization or corporation, for example Health Canada. If you don't have a person's name as the author, but do have the name of an organization or corporation, put that organization/corporation's name as the author.

If and only if an item is signed as being created by Anonymous, use "Anonymous" where you'd normally put the author's name.

When you have no author, use a shortened version of the title where you'd normally put the author's name.

If you're citing something which is part of a bigger work, like an article from a magazine, newspaper, journal, encyclopedia, or chapter/short story from a book, put the shortened title in quotation marks in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ("A few words," 2014)

If you're citing an entire work, like a book, website, video, etc., italicize the shortened title in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ( A few words , 2014)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter, article, essay or short story. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page number-last page number). Publisher Name.

Note:  If you have more than one editor list their name(s) after the first editor listed in the book, giving their initials and last name. Put an ampersand (&) before the last editor's name.

When you have one editor the short form (Ed.) is used after the editor's name. If you have more than one editor use (Eds.) instead.

O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: A metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). Springer. 

Note: If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

(Author's Last Name, Year) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992, p. 998)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL or DOI

Caviness, L. B. (2008). Brain-relevant education. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of educational psychology . Sage Publications. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageedpsyc/brain_relevant_education/0?institutionId=5407

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008)

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008, Focus on the brain section, para. 2)

Note: When there are no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, you may cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from.

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• Formatting Guides

How to Cite a Short Story in MLA: Fast Way to Cite Your Favourite Stories

• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Main Academic Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Essay Guides
• Research Paper Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
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Table of contents

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When writing an academic essay, you can use various sources of information, inclusding short stories. 

To cite a short story in MLA format in your Works Cited, include the author's name, title of the short story in quotation marks, title of the collection or anthology in italics, name(s) of the editor(s), publisher, and year of publication. In-text, include the author's last name and page number(s) in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrased information. If the short story was accessed online, add the URL and date of access to the Works Cited entry.

There are several versions of short story citations depending on the source it is retrieved from.  Keep reading this article by our  college essay service  to see general structure for each citation along with practical examples.

Why Do You Need a Short Story MLA Citation?

Short story MLA citation is pretty useful! This material contains a brief and accurate plot with in-depth quotations and ideas that you can cite. But often, students ask themselves if they actually should include them cited within their work. And we absolutely encourage you to take advantage of it and provide an accurate citation of short stories. Each humanities work is rendered by MLA style specifically created for citation within this area. Additionally, it provides particular format rules each student should stick to.

MLA Short Story Citation: Printed Edition

MLA citation for short story involves entry elements incorporated within Works Cited and in-text citation. Short stories are typically gathered in a printed book or journal that should be cited too. Accordingly, such information as author and editor names, published date, title, and book/ journal title is presented within Works Cited. Keep following the next sections and learn applicable formulas.

How to Cite a Short Story in a Book in MLA

MLA citation short story in book discloses the principles of citing it from a book collection containing print information. Thus, more than a tale's title should be provided in the reference list and somehow within a text of paper. The general formula of bibliography is as follows:

If your story is not short and it is a Shakespeare masterpiece, for example, do not worry. Go to our library and find a blog about MLA citing Shakespeare . 

How to MLA Cite a Short Story in a Journal

On the other hand, such a source is often searched in journals, and you should provide a short story from a journal in MLA. An entry structure is quite the same with a difference in Journal Title. Thus, the general format looks like this:

If you need to cite journal article MLA , follow another guide. We prepared a special blog that will help you with this kind of citation.

MLA Citation for Short Story: Online Edition

Many sources are available in the network environment, and you can cite a short story online MLA. It is very convenient as you mustn't go to libraries and look for printed books. This way, the formula is different in some entry elements like website name and URL address. Accordingly, the general structure takes the following look:

It is a good idea to cite an interview in your work. Fortunately, we have a special well-detailed blog. It explains  how to cite an interview MLA .

Final Thoughts on Citing a Short Story in MLA

Whatever relevant information you find for your writing, now you know how to cite a short story MLA. You shouldn't limit yourself in sources because you don't know how to deal with a citation. Our article is created for you to succeed in your academic performance and help to provide quality work. MLA style is perfect for writing essays and citing short stories you find necessary to include within your paperwork. 

Check out our essay writing website for worthy insights! Our academic assistants will help you with anything, from simple advice to writing essays for you.

Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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Penn State University Libraries

Engl 184: the short story.

• Literary Terms & Short Story Selection
• Searching for Print Sources
• In-text Citation
• Citing Articles
• Citing Books
• Citing Web Pages and Social Media
• Other formats

Using In-text Citation

Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.

MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).

Example paragraph with in-text citation

A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al. 246; Thomas 15). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing and others conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program (258).

Derwing, Tracey M., et al. "Teaching Native Speakers to Listen to Foreign-accented Speech." Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 23, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-259.

Thomas, Holly K.  Training Strategies for Improving Listeners' Comprehension of Foreign-accented Speech. University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004.

Citing Web Pages In Text

Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is not known, use the title as the in-text citation.

Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list. Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.

Entire website with author: In-text citation Parents play an important role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraiser).

Reference entry Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.

Web page with no author: In-text citation The term Nittany Lion was coined by Penn State football player Joe Mason in 1904 ("All Things Nittany").

Reference entry "All Things Nittany." About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.

General Guidelines

In MLA style the author's name can be included either in the narrative text of your paper, or in parentheses following the reference to the source.

Author's name part of narrative:

Gass and Varonis found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (163).

Author's name in parentheses:

One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass and Varonis 163).

Group as author: (American Psychological Association 123)

Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)

Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass and Varonis 143; Thomas 24).

Direct quote:

One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass and Varonis 85).

Gass and Varonis found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (85).

Note: For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, display quotations as an indented block of text (one inch from left margin) and omit quotation marks. Place your parenthetical citation at the end of the block of text, after the final punctuation mark.

In addition to awareness-raising, practicing listening to accented speech has been shown to improve listening comprehension. This article recommends developing listening training programs for library faculty and staff, based on research from the linguistics and language teaching fields. Even brief exposure to accented speech can help listeners improve their comprehension, thereby improving the level of service to international patrons. (O'Malley 19)

Works by Multiple Authors

When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word "and." When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by et al.

One author: (Field 399)

Works Cited entry: Field, John. "Intelligibility and the Listener: The Role of Lexical Stress." TESOL Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 3, 2005, pp. 399-423.

Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)

Works Cited entry: Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. "The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech." Language Learning , vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.

Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)

Works Cited entry: Munro, Murray J., et al. "Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers." Prospect , vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.

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MLA Citation Style

• MLA Handbook online
• MLA template of core elements
• In-text citation basics
• Works cited basics

Permalinks and DOIs

• Journal articles
• Magazine and news articles
• Dictionary and encyclopedia articles
• Websites, social media, blogs
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Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) should be included in your works cited "instead of a URL or permalink" as they are more accurate and concise than information copied and pasted from your browser ( MLA 188).

If the DOI is not preceded by http:// or https:// in your source, precede the DOI in your [works cited] entry with the following:

https://doi.org/  ( MLA 194).

If no DOI is available, a permalink URL is preferred, as the information present in your browser window is often specific to your session, and your reader will not be able to use it for retrieval. ( MLA 195) . The preceding http:// or https:// can be omitted from a permalink in your Works Cited entry ( MLA 195).

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Essay in MLA

How to Cite an Essay in MLA

The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).

Citing an Essay

Mla essay citation structure.

Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).

MLA Essay Citation Example

Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.

MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure

(Last Name Page #)

MLA Essay In-text Citation Example

Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).

Citation in prose:

First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli

Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli

Parenthetical:

….(Wheeler Cafarelli).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.

To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).

For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

First mention: Mary Strine…

Subsequent mention: Strine…

First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…

Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…

First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others

Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others

…. (Strine).

….(Strine and Radick).

….(Strine et al.).

The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

When you are gathering book sources, be sure to make note of the following bibliographic items: the author name(s), other contributors such as translators or editors, the book’s title, editions of the book, the publication date, the publisher, and the pagination.

The 8 th  edition of the MLA handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

Please note these changes in the new edition:

• Commas are used instead of periods between Publisher, Publication Date, and Pagination.
• Medium is no longer necessary.
• Containers are now a part of the MLA process. Commas should be used after container titles.
• DOIs should be used instead of URLS when available.
• Use the term “Accessed” instead of listing the date or the abbreviation, “n.d."

Below is the general format for any citation:

Author. Title. Title of container (do not list container for standalone books, e.g. novels), Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs URL or DOI). 2 nd  container’s title, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Basic Book Format

The author’s name or a book with a single author's name appears in last name, first name format. The basic form for a book citation is:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

* Note: the City of Publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country, or if the publisher is unknown in North America.

Book with One Author

Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science . Penguin, 1987.

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House . MacMurray, 1999.

Book with More Than One Author

When a book has two authors, order the authors in the same way they are presented in the book. Start by listing the first name that appears on the book in last name, first name format; subsequent author names appear in normal order (first name last name format).

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring . Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

If there are three or more authors, list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for "and others") in place of the subsequent authors' names. (Note that there is a period after “al” in “et al.” Also note that there is never a period after the “et” in “et al.”).

Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition . Utah State UP, 2004.

Two or More Books by the Same Author

List works alphabetically by title. (Remember to ignore articles like A, An, and The.) Provide the author’s name in last name, first name format for the first entry only. For each subsequent entry by the same author, use three hyphens and a period.

Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism . St. Martin's, 1997.

---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History . Southern Illinois UP, 1993.

Book by a Corporate Author or Organization

A corporate author may include a commission, a committee, a government agency, or a group that does not identify individual members on the title page.

List the names of corporate authors in the place where an author’s name typically appears at the beginning of the entry.

American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children . Random House, 1998.

When the author and publisher are the same, skip the author, and list the title first. Then, list the corporate author only as the publisher.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending. Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

Book with No Author

List by title of the book. Incorporate these entries alphabetically just as you would with works that include an author name. For example, the following entry might appear between entries of works written by Dean, Shaun and Forsythe, Jonathan.

Encyclopedia of Indiana . Somerset, 1993.

Remember that for an in-text (parenthetical) citation of a book with no author, you should provide the name of the work in the signal phrase and the page number in parentheses. You may also use a shortened version of the title of the book accompanied by the page number. For more information see the In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author section of In-text Citations: The Basics .

A Translated Book

If you want to emphasize the work rather than the translator, cite as you would any other book. Add “translated by” and follow with the name(s) of the translator(s).

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 focus on the translation, list the translator as the author. In place of the author’s name, the translator’s name appears. His or her name is followed by the label, “translator.” If the author of the book does not appear in the title of the book, include the name, with a “By” after the title of the book and before the publisher. Note that this type of citation is less common and should only be used for papers or writing in which translation plays a central role.

Howard, Richard, translator. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason . By Michel Foucault, Vintage-Random House, 1988.

Republished Book

Books may be republished due to popularity without becoming a new edition. New editions are typically revisions of the original work. For books that originally appeared at an earlier date and that have been republished at a later one, insert the original publication date before the publication information.

For books that are new editions (i.e. different from the first or other editions of the book), see An Edition of a Book below.

Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble . 1990. Routledge, 1999.

Erdrich, Louise. Love Medicine . 1984. Perennial-Harper, 1993.

An Edition of a Book

There are two types of editions in book publishing: a book that has been published more than once in different editions and a book that is prepared by someone other than the author (typically an editor).

A Subsequent Edition

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the number of the edition after the title.

Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students . 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.

A Work Prepared by an Editor

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the editor after the title with the label "edited by."

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre,  edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.

Note that the format for citing sources with important contributors with editor-like roles follows the same basic template:

...adapted by John Doe...

Finally, in the event that the source features a contributor that cannot be described with a past-tense verb and the word "by" (e.g., "edited by"), you may instead use a noun followed by a comma, like so:

...guest editor, Jane Smith...

Anthology or Collection (e.g. Collection of Essays)

To cite the entire anthology or collection, list by editor(s) followed by a comma and "editor" or, for multiple editors, "editors." This sort of entry is somewhat rare. If you are citing a particular piece within an anthology or collection (more common), see A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection below.

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.

A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection

Works may include an essay in an edited collection or anthology, or a chapter of a book. The basic form is for this sort of citation is as follows:

Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection , edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.

Some 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.

Note on Cross-referencing Several Items from One Anthology: If you cite more than one essay from the same edited collection, MLA indicates you may cross-reference within your works cited list in order to avoid writing out the publishing information for each separate essay. You should consider this option if you have several references from a single text. To do so, include a separate entry for the entire collection listed by the editor's name as below:

Rose, Shirley K, and Irwin Weiser, editors. The Writing Program Administrator as Researcher . Heinemann, 1999.

Then, for each individual essay from the collection, list the author's name in last name, first name format, the title of the essay, the editor's last name, and the page range:

L'Eplattenier, Barbara. "Finding Ourselves in the Past: An Argument for Historical Work on WPAs." Rose and Weiser, pp. 131-40.

Peeples, Tim. "'Seeing' the WPA With/Through Postmodern Mapping." Rose and Weiser, pp. 153-67.

Please note: When cross-referencing items in the works cited list, alphabetical order should be maintained for the entire list.

Poem or Short Story Examples :

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.

If the specific literary work is part of the author's own collection (all of the works have the same author), then there will be no editor to reference:

Whitman, Walt. "I Sing the Body Electric." Selected Poems, Dover, 1991, pp. 12-19.

Carter, Angela. "The Tiger's Bride." Burning Your Boats: The Collected Stories, Penguin, 1995, pp. 154-69.

Article in a Reference Book (e.g. Encyclopedias, Dictionaries)

For entries in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry name as you would any other work in a collection but do not include the publisher information. Also, if the reference book is organized alphabetically, as most are, do not list the volume or the page number of the article or item.

"Ideology." The American Heritage Dictionary.  3rd ed. 1997. 

A Multivolume Work

When citing only one volume of a multivolume work, include the volume number after the work's title, or after the work's editor or translator.

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.

When citing more than one volume of a multivolume work, cite the total number of volumes in the work. Also, be sure in your in-text citation to provide both the volume number and page number(s) ( see "Citing Multivolume Works" on our in-text citations resource .)

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.

If the volume you are using has its own title, cite the book without referring to the other volumes as if it were an independent publication.

Churchill, Winston S. The Age of Revolution . Dodd, 1957.

An Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword

When citing an introduction, a preface, a foreword, or an afterword, write the name of the author(s) of the piece you are citing. Then give the name of the part being cited, which should not be italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; in italics, provide the name of the work and the name of the author of the introduction/preface/foreword/afterword. Finish the citation with the details of publication and page range.

Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction. Norms of Rhetorical Culture , by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.

If the writer of the piece is different from the author of the complete work , then write the full name of the principal work's author after the word "By." For example, if you were to cite Hugh Dalziel Duncan’s introduction of Kenneth Burke’s book Permanence and Change, you would write the entry as follows:

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.

Book Published Before 1900

Original copies of books published before 1900 are usually defined by their place of publication rather than the publisher. Unless you are using a newer edition, cite the city of publication where you would normally cite the publisher.

Thoreau, Henry David. Excursions . Boston, 1863.

Italicize “The Bible” and follow it with the version you are using. Remember that your in-text (parenthetical citation) should include the name of the specific edition of the Bible, followed by an abbreviation of the book, the chapter and verse(s). (See Citing the Bible at In-Text Citations: The Basics .)

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.

A Government Publication

Cite the author of the publication if the author is identified. Otherwise, start with the name of the national government, followed by the agency (including any subdivisions or agencies) that serves as the organizational author. For congressional documents, be sure to include the number of the Congress and the session when the hearing was held or resolution passed as well as the report number. US government documents are typically published by the Government Printing Office.

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.

Cite the title and publication information for the pamphlet just as you would a book without an author. Pamphlets and promotional materials commonly feature corporate authors (commissions, committees, or other groups that does not provide individual group member names). If the pamphlet you are citing has no author, cite as directed below. If your pamphlet has an author or a corporate author, put the name of the author (last name, first name format) or corporate author in the place where the author name typically appears at the beginning of the entry. (See also Books by a Corporate Author or Organization above.)

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.

Dissertations and Master's Theses

Dissertations and master's theses may be used as sources whether published or not. Unlike previous editions, MLA 8 specifies no difference in style for published/unpublished works.

The main elements of a dissertation citation are the same as those for a book: author name(s), title (italicized) , and publication date. Conclude with an indication of the document type (e.g., "PhD dissertation"). The degree-granting institution may be included before the document type (though this is not required). If the dissertation was accessed through an online repository, include it as the second container after all the other elements.

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.

List the names of corporate authors in the place where an author’s name typically appears at the beginning of the entry if the author and publisher are not the same.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending. Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

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It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.

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MLA 9 Citation Style: Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

• Textbook With One Author
• Textbook With Two Authors
• Textbook With Three or More Authors
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook with One Author (Mobile)
• Textbook with Two Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook with Three or More Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Anthology or Edited Book
• Work in an Anthology or Edited Book
• Two or More Selections from the Same Anthology or Edited Book
• Journal Article (Print)
• Journal Article (Online)
• Newspaper Articles (Print)
• Newspaper Articles (Online)
• Database Article with One Author
• Database Article with Two Authors
• Database Article with More Than Three Authors
• Database Previously Published Scholarly Article (Blooms, MasterPlots, Literary Reference Center)
• Online Government Publication
• Website with an Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Website with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Web Page with Author
• Web Page with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Art – From a Book
• Art – From a Web Page
• Picture/Photo Online -- General
• Motion Picture -- DVD
• Motion Picture -- Streaming
• Video -- Online (YouTube, etc.)
• An Interview You Conducted
• Lecture Notes, PowerPoints, or Handouts from Class
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
• Popular vs. Scholarly Sources
• Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

MLA Citation -- Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

Works Cited Format

Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of the Part of the Book Being Cited.” Title of Anthology .

     Edited by First and Last Names, edition * (if any), Publisher, Date, Page(s).

In-Text Citation Format 

(Editor’s Last Name p. # * )

* Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

Works Cited Example

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing . Edited by Laurie G.

     Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, Compact 9 th ed. * , Cengage Learning, 2017, pp. 379-391.

In-Text Citation Example 

(Gilman 381)

*Sometimes the edition may include a qualifier, such as shorter edition or portable edition . When citing an anthology itself, you should include the qualifier before the edition number. For example: Compact 9 th ed.

A Word About Punctuation

The punctuation in your citations does matter.  Make sure you pay attention to where the periods and commas are in the examples. 

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APA Style Guide: 7th Edition

• How To Use This Guide
• Ethical Use of Sources & Plagiarism This link opens in a new window
• Introduction to DOI
• Formatting: Title Page, Body, References
• Formatting: Annotated Bibliographies
• Formatting: Appendices
• Formatting: Quotations
• Formatting: Business Reports
• How to Format In-text Citations
• Citing Multiple Works
• Number and Type of Author
• Publication Date
• Page, Paragraph Number, Heading, and Time Stamp
• Citing Text Content Created by AI
• Citing Image Content Created by AI
• Brightspace, with Author
• Brightspace, No Author
• Comment on Blog Post
• Book with Author(s)
• Book with Author(s) and Editor(s)
• Book with Editor(s), No Author
• Book with Organization as Author
• Book with the Same Organization as Author & Publisher
• Textbook Chapter with Book Editor(s) and Chapter Author(s)
• Translation, Print Book

Work in an Anthology

• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
• Dictionary with Editor(s)
• Entry in Online Dictionary, No Author
• Report with Author(s)
• Report, No Author
• Report with Report Number
• Report with Multiple Levels of Government
• eBook from Website or Library Database, with DOI
• eBook from Library Database, no DOI
• eBook from Website, no DOI
• Open Textbook
• General Information & Checklist
• Figure Notes & Legend
• In-text Citation & Reference Formatting
• Journal Article, Print
• Journal Article from Website or Library Database, with DOI
• Journal Article from Library Database, no DOI
• Journal Article from Website, no DOI
• Referencing: Images
• Referencing: Indigenous Elders & Knowledge Keepers
• Magazine Article, Print
• Magazine Article from Website, with DOI
• Magazine Article from Website, no DOI
• Newspaper Article, Print
• Newspaper Article from Library Database
• Newspaper Article from Website
• Newspaper Article, No Author
• Personal Communication, General
• Traditional Knowledge or Oral Traditions of Indigenous Peoples
• Referencing: Podcasts
• Referencing: PowerPoint Presentations
• Referencing: Secondary Sources
• Twitter Profile
• X (Tweet) or Instagram Post
• Facebook Page
• Post on Facebook, Tumblr, Linkedin, etc.
• TikTok Profile
• TikTok Post
• Referencing: Statistics Canada
• Table Notes
• Film or Video
• Online Film or Streaming Video
• YouTube Video, Personal Author
• YouTube Video, Username (No Personal Author Listed)
• Webpage on a News Website
• Webpage with Group or Organization as Author
• Webpage with a Personal Author
• Webpage with a Retrieval Date
• Common Knowledge
• Additional Resources
• Annotated Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
• Take A Quiz

Anthologies have an editor or editors for the entire work and separate authors for each story, essay or poem. You must cite and reference every story, essay or poem that you use in your paper separately , unless you are referring generally to the entire work.

Formatting Examples

• Reference Format
• In-text Citation Format
• Author, A. A. = Author's surname followed by first and middle initials, when available.
• Start the reference with the author of the story, essay, or poem.
• Follow the title with the editor(s) first initial and last name and "Ed." for one editor or "Eds." for multiple.
• Always include the original publication date of the story, essay, or poem.

Examples of formatting an in-text citation for this item are outlined below:

Remember, in-text citation formatting changes depending on a number of factors .

See  Number of Authors , Publication Date , and  Page/Paragraph Number or Heading  for more information.   

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