The Modern Language Association (MLA) was formed in 1883 to support language study, research and the evolution of scholarship. The MLA citation style is most commonly used in disciplines such as the liberal arts and humanities.
The formats and examples provided in this guide follow the MLA Style guidelines in the MLA Handbook. Eighth Edition.
Citation in the Text : A minimal reference that directs the reader to the entry in “Works-Cited”
Works-Cited: A detailed entry in the list of works cited
“Cite simple traits shared by most works”
The 8th edition of MLA Handbook focuses on common facts shared by most works, instead of the publication format. The writer records the visible features of the source using a set of universal guidelines.
“Remember that there is often more than one correct way to document a source”
Depending on the situation, a writer may include more or less information on a source according to the purpose of the work. For instance, writers in a specialised field may need to provide more information than other writers making more general use of the same resource.
“Make your document useful to readers”
To provide sufficient information in an easy-to-understand and consistent structure