Mastering MLA 9 Citation: A Comprehensive Guide for Researchers

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is a widely used citation style for writing research papers in the humanities and liberal arts. In MLA 9, the general format for citing sources is as follows:

1. Book:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Smith, John. The Art of Poetry. New York: Random House, 2010.

2. Article in a Scholarly Journal:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, year of publication, page numbers.

Example:

Jones, Mary. "The Role of Gender in Poetic Expression." Poetry Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 2019, pp. 45-55.

3. Article in a Newspaper or Magazine:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper/Magazine, day month year of publication, page numbers.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Future of Poetry." The New York Times, 15 May 2020, p. A1.

4. Website:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Webpage." Name of Website, URL, date of publication/last update.

Example:

Jones, Mary. "The Power of Poetry." Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69336/the-power-of-poetry, 10 May 2021.

5. Online Database:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, year of publication, page numbers. Database, URL.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Structure of Poetic Forms." Poetry Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 2019, pp. 45-55. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3456/poetryreview.32.4.45.'

6. Interview:

Last Name, First Name of Interviewee. Interview by First Name Last Name of Interviewer. Date of Interview.

Example:

Smith, John. Interview by Mary Jones. 15 May 2020.

7. Speech:

Speaker's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Speech." Event, Location, Date.

Example:

Jones, Mary. "The Power of Poetry." Poetry Festival, New York, NY, 10 May 2021.

8. Film:

Title of Film. Directed by First Name Last Name. Place of Production: Studio, Year of Release.

Example:

The Poet's Voice. Directed by John Smith. Los Angeles: Universal Pictures, 2020.Television 

9. Show:

Title of Show. Season number, episode number. Network, Year of Release.

Example:

Poetry Now. Season 3, Episode 10. PBS, 2019.

10. Podcast:

Last Name, First Name of Host. "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast, Date of Release, URL.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Art of Poetry." The Poetry Podcast, 10 May 2021, https://www.thepoetrypodcast.com/episode-10/.

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