Reference List Format | Using MLA | Useful Books & Websites | Main Page

Reference List Format:

Every source that is used must be included in a reference list or bibliography included at the end of the document. The format used in the reference list or bibliography varies depending upon the type of source being referred to. Entries in your reference list should be ordered according to the author's last name.

• Books
• Book Chapters
• Journal Articles

Books: 

Surname, First name and initial(s). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date.

Example 1: Book with a single author:

Comfort, Andrew P. A Good Age. London: Mitchell Beazley, 1997.

Example 2: Book with 2 authors:

Hogan, Thomas R, and Ronald Madden. The Definition of Disability in Australia: Moving towards National Consistency. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1998.

Example 3: Book with 3 or more authors:

Rabkin, Eric S., eds. No Place Else: Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction. Southern Illinois: Carbondale, 1983.

Book Chapters:

Surname, First name and initial(s). "Chapter title." Book Title. Ed. Editor first name, Editor surname. Place of Publication: Publisher, date. Pages in book.

Example:

Real, Michael. "Cultural Theory in Popular Culture and Media Spectacles." Culture in the Communication Age. Ed. James Lull. London: Routledge, 2001. 167-78.
 

Journal Articles:

Surname, First name and initial(s). "Title of article." Title of Periodical  volume.issue number (date): page numbers.

Example:

Wharton, Norman. "Health and safety in outdoor activity centres." Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership 12.4 (1998): 8-9.

Using MLA: 

Modern Language Association style referencing involves in-text citation using parentheses. You must also include a full reference list at the end of the document. When citing references within the text of an assignment, state the name of the author followed by the page number. In general, page numbers should be included in all in-text citations. Various formats should be used depending upon the type of source and the way that the source is used. Some examples are shown below.

General:

This argument was first put forward in the early 19th century (Hulme 58) The argument was first put forward by Hulme (58).

Quotations:

Smith (245) noted that "such conduct was largely counter-productive".  "Such conduct was largely counter-productive" (Smith 245).

Secondary sources:

Ngu (qtd. in Larson 51) reported that such conclusions were "generally invalid". Such conclusions are generally invalid (Ngu, cited in Larson 51).

Useful Books & Websites:

Books

• Lester, J.D, and J.D. Lester jr. The Essential Guide: Research Writing Across the Disciplines. New York: Longman, 2002.

• Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
• Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2008.

Websites

• James Cook University - MLA Referencing

• University of Wisconsin - Citing References: MLA Style

• Honolulu Community College Library - MLA Citation Examples

• Australian Catholic University - MLA Referencing Style