Citation Guides

Use the left column to navigate this MLA help guide, or download the PDF linked below.

MLA style can refer to 3 different things:

1. Citations: a way to format information that describes sources you use in your research.
2. In-text citations: the brief references to those same sources, integrated into your own writing.
3. Paper formatting and grammar guidelines: MLA provides guidance and suggested formatting for writing papers. This is not the focus of this guide, but we do have a brief summary of formatting rules in these pages. More extensive information on paper formatting is in the printed MLA Handbook, available at the Kirkwood Library.

Basic information on MLA style citations and this guide:

• This guide is organized by the type of format (such as book, e-book, website, video, etc.) of the source you want to cite. Click on the type of source you have on the left, and follow the directions and examples on that page.
• If you are new to MLA style, read through the MLA Style Basics page, or view our MLA Citation Help videos on YouTube. 
• MLA style citations are all built from the same set of core elements (such as author, title, and date published). MLA also uses the concept of publications as "containers" for sources. For detailed descriptions of core elements and how to format them, see the MLA: Details on core elements page on this guide. 
• Our librarians are great resources for help with MLA. Stop by the library or click into our online chat under the Ask a Librarian tab on this page.
• We also provide videos that explain key concepts, and printable handouts for off-line use.
• MLA style citations are printed at the end of your paper as a "Works Cited" list. Each citation in the Works Cited list is double-spaced and has a hanging indent paragraph style. Please note that although our examples don't always show this hanging indent, it is always required for your Works Cited page. See our Works Cited guide for more information.
• This guide is based on the MLA Handbook, 9th edition, and on the MLA Style Center website. 

About the 9th edition:

The 9th edition of MLA Handbook, published in 2021, builds on the major changes introduced in the 8th edition, and provides more examples and guidance on citations and in-text citations than the 8th edition did. 

These directions are for how to format your document in Word or other word processing programs in MLA style.

From MLA Style Center, Formatting a Research Paper

Margins:

• 1 inch on all sides (Word default) 
• To check margin settings, go to Word menu "Layout" then "Margins". It should be called "Normal" and show 1 inch margins all around.

Font style and size:

• Any readable font, where regular and italic have good contrast
• Generally 12 point font. MLA states the font size should be "set to a standard size"
• To change font of your paper, press Ctrl+A to select all text, then use the drop downs on the "Home" menu, in the "Font" section, to make any needed changes.

Line spacing

• Spacing throughout your paper should be double-spaced. This is NOT the Word default, and should be changed in the "Home" menu.
• To change line spacing, press Ctrl+A to select all text, then click the up-and-down arrows in the Home menu, in the Paragraph section, to select 2.0.
• In the same line spacing menu, also click "Remove space after paragraph".

Paragraphs and tab

• Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch from the left margin. This should be the default tab size on Word.
• Indent quote blocks half an inch as well, using the "Increase Indent" button with the right-pointing arrow in the Paragraph menu section.

Heading and Title

• Begin at the top of the first page, flush with the left margin.
• Type your name, your instructor's name(s), the course numbers, and the date, each on separate lines. Double-spaced.
• On a new, double-spaced line, use the "Center" button in the Paragraph menu section to center your title. Do NOT put title in quotes, italics, or all caps. Follow title capitalization, capitalizing the first word and all important words. Do not use a period in your title.
• Begin your first paragraph one double-spaced line after the title, and return to left-flush margin. Tab to indent your first line a half inch.
• See sample heading and title on the MLA Style formatting page. 

Page numbers and running header

• Number all pages of your paper, in the upper right-hand corner. In Word, find the automatic page number settings in the "Insert" menu, "Header & Footer" section. Click "Page Number" drop down, move mouse to "Top of Page" and select the number in the top right-hand corner.
• When the page number appears on your paper, leave the cursor there and type in your last name. This creates the running header for your paper.
• If your instructor prefers no running header on the first page: While your cursor is still in the header area, click the box in the "Desgin" menu "Options" box that says "Different first page". This should take the page number and your last name off the first page, but leave it on the remaining pages.

This YouTube video playlist contains videos to help you understand every aspect of MLA Citation Style.

More MLA Style Videos