Citation of books in the MLA (Modern Language Association) style is usually quite simple and easy. When citing a book in writing, include the author's name and page number in parentheses. The in-text citation directs the reader to the complete entry of the source on the reference page or bibliography. For complete reference entries, use the following basic format: Author. Book title. Publisher, date of publication. Writing more complicated entries (eg translated books) is a bit tricky, but with attention to detail. You can master the MLA citation style.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating In-Text Quotes
Step 1. Cite the source whenever you include a citation or reference
Enter the source information in parentheses, immediately after a direct quote, paraphrased text, or information that references another author's opinion. This short excerpt provides enough information for readers to find the complete entry of the source on the page or reference segment of your writing.
Why Cite Sources?
Show appreciation and respect for other writers
By citing sources, you acknowledge that what is written is the opinion or idea of another thinker. In addition, plagiarism is dishonesty that can get you into trouble.
Have an intellectual dialogue
Academic writing is a form of exchanging opinions or ideas. Making references or citing sources is like having a dialogue with other educated individuals.
Give Others the Opportunity to Grow From Your Writing
The reference page or segment acts as a “blueprint” showing readers accessible text or literature to explore further on the topic.
Step 2. Write the author's last name and page number in parentheses
Place the opening parenthesis right after the quote or reference, but before the period at the end of the sentence. Include the author's name and page number like this: (Smith 41).
- Alternatively, you can mention the author's name in the text, then include only the page numbers in quotation marks. For example: “Smith argues that the painting is the artist’s most successful abstract work (52).”
- For Indonesian: “Smith thinks painting is the artist's most successful abstract work (52).”
- If you are citing a source written by multiple authors with the same last name, include the initials of the first name in the in-text citation. For example: (A. Smith 24).
- Use hyphens if you are citing information from a series of pages: (Smith 25-26).
Step 3. List all the authors' last names if the book was written by two people
Insert the word “and” (or “and”) between the two names, then include the page number: (“Doe and Smith 98” or “Storia and Purwadinata 98”). You can also mention the authors' names in the text, then include only the page numbers in parentheses.
For books with 3 (or more) authors, enter the first author's last name, insert a comma, then add the phrase “et al.” (or “etc.”). Your in-text citation should look something like this: (“Smith, et al. 61” or “Storia, et al. 61”)
Step 4. Include a brief title if you are citing multiple sources from the same author
To more clearly indicate the work or passage you are citing, write the author's last name, insert a comma, enter the first few words of the title/source, and include the page number. For example, if the reference page or segment contains several book entries by Fyodor Dostoevsky, you might create an in-text citation like this: (Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, 232).
If you cite multiple sources from the same author, but don't include the title of the in-text citation, readers won't be able to identify the source you're referring to
Step 5. Attach in-text citations and reference entries
Since bracketed citations and reference entries help each other, you need to include both when citing sources. In-text citations usually include only the author's name and page number. However, the reference entry must contain the author of the source text, the title of the text, the publisher, and the date of publication.
In-text citations provide enough information for readers to find a complete entry of reference on a reference page or bibliography. This full entry can lead readers to the source of the information you cite
Method 2 of 3: Creating Reference Entries or Basic Bibliography
Step 1. Begin the entry with the author's last and first name
Put a comma after the last name and a period after the first name. If the author has a middle name, put his initials after the first name. For example: Kennedy, John F.
If the book or resource reads the name of the company or organization, and not the name of the individual, write the name of the organization, then add a period. For example: American Allergy Association
Step 2. Write the title of the book in italics
In the MLA style, the title of the book should always be italicized. Also include the subtitle of the book in the entry if available. Add a period after the title.
At this point, your bibliography entry should look like this: Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Step 3. End the entry with the name of the publisher and the date of publication
Insert a comma after the publisher's name, include the year of publication, and add a period. In previous editions of the MLA citation style guide, authors are required to include the name of the city of publication. However, the latest edition of the guidelines indicates that city names should only be included for books published before 1900.
The final result of a bibliography or reference entry will look like this: Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Scholastic, 1999
Variation:
For books published before the reissue date, include the initial publication date after the title: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. Scribner, 2004.
Method 3 of 3: Citing More Complex Sources
Step 1. Enter the second author's name in first-name-last-name format
For books with two authors, enter the first author's name in last name-first name format, insert a comma, then enter the words “and” or “and”. Enter the second author's name in first-name-last-name format.
- Write two names like this: Masterson, Kathleen, and Noelle Poremski.
- For Indonesian: Storia, Enzy, and Hesti Purwadinata.
- For books with three or more authors, list the first author's name, insert a comma, then add the phrase “et al.” or “etc”. For example: Masterson, Kathleen, et al.
- For Indonesian: Storia, Enzy, et al.
Step 2. Include the name of the contributor after the title of the book
Book contributors include translators, editors, and illustrators. Add the phrase “Translated by” (“Translated by”) or “Illustrated by” (“Illustrated by”) in full, and do not use abbreviations for the contribution form. Insert a period after the name of the editor, translator, or illustrator.
- A bibliography entry containing contributors would look like this: Breton, André. Nadja. 1923. Translated by Richard Howard. Grove Press, 1960.
- For Indonesian: Breton, André. Nadja. 1923. Translated by Richard Howard. Grove Press, 1960.
Step 3. Cite the name of the collection of works after the author's name
Let's say the source you cite is a poem or an essay in an anthology. Write the author's name, the title of the poem or essay (enclosed in quotation marks), and the title of the anthology (in italics). Include the name of the editor or translator after the anthology title if necessary, and enter the page number after the date of publication.
- For example: Camus, Albert. "The Minotaur, or the Stop in Oran." The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays, translated by Justin O'Brien. Vintage International, 1991, pp. 155-84.
- For Indonesian: Camus, Albert. "The Minotaur, or the Stop in Oran." The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays, translated by Justin O'Brien. Vintage International, 1991, p. 155-84.
- When citing edited or translated anthologies or collections, separate titles and names of other contributors with commas.
Step 4. Skip the name of the author and publisher if you are citing the reference text
Dictionaries and encyclopedias are slightly different from the books or readings they are written in. Begin the entry with a term or article, enclose it in quotation marks, then insert a period. Write the title of the reference text, and enter the edition and year of publication.
- For example: “Content.” Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2003.
- For Indonesian: “Content.” Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2003.
Step 5. Include the URL if you accessed the book from the internet
To cite electronic text, replace the comma with a period after the date of publication. Enter the URL (without the “https” section), add a period, and include the date the content was accessed. Write the date in date-month-year format, and briefly name the month.
- The format you need to use is: Author name. Book title. Publisher, year of publication, URL. Accessed by date, month, year.
- For English, change the phrase “Accessed on” to “Accessed”.
Tips
- Apart from creating citations manually, you can also take advantage of a citation generator. You can visit https://www.bibme.org/mla/book-citation to search for the book you want to cite by author name, title, or ISBN number, and then create citation entries in MLA style automatically.
- Learn more about MLA-style citation at
