MLA (8th edition)

How is 8th edition MLA different from the previous edition?

• There are minimal changes.

• Titles of containers (major works) such as names of websites, journals, and databases are italicized.

• There is more flexibility that allows wider applicability (listing or citing for various sources)

• There is more emphasis on rigid rules from style guidelines

Core elements are those basic pieces of information that should be common to all sources, from books to articles, from lectures to tweets. What are the first three MLA core elements listed on the works cited page?

• Author. Publication Date. URL address.

• Author. "Title of Source." Title of Container,

• "Title of Source." Author. Title of Container,

• Author. Other Contributors. Publication Date.

What is type of source is this?

• Website

• Book

• Database

• eBook

What is a doi?

• Another name for an URL address

• The digital object identifier

• The data object indicator

• The name of the database

If there is no DOI, what do you include?

• Nothing

• Name of the database

• Name of website

• URL address where you found the source

Notice that the second line (and any additional lines beyond that) are indented. Reviewing the list below, what is correct about when and why to indent?

• Indenting is optional, but if the writer decides to indent, she must be consistent and indent all lines beyond the first one

• Indenting is mandatory for second and plus lines to help the reader discern one source from another on the works cited page

• Indenting the second and plus lines are called hanging indentation

What are the first three entries, and what punctuation marks are used?

• First, Author

  Second, "Title of Source (Article)"

  Third, Title of Container

• First, Authors

  Second, et al.

  Third, "Title of Source (Article)"

• First, put a period

  Second, put a period

  Third, put a period

• First, put a period

  Second, put a period,

  Third, put a comma

Why is there no author in this citation entry?

• It is optional since the writer includes the the URL address. The reader does not need it because by clicking on the URL address, the reader can find the author's name.

• The writer make a mistake and forgot to list the author.

• There is no author, so the rule in 8th edition MLA, if you do not have the information you simply skip and continue with the following information needed for the citation.

• The author's name is the Website Publisher.