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MLA Style 9th Edition

This Resource Guide is an Overview of MLA 9th Edition Citation Style.

  • This guide is a quick introduction to the Modern Language Association 9th edition citation style. Be sure to consult the MLA Handbook or the online MLA Style Center for detailed standards and procedures. 

  • If your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences.

Basic Rules

Basic rules for citing most sources: 

  • Works cited must be double spaced and have a hanging indent. This means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

  • Alphabetized by the first listed author. 

    • If same author, list sources in alphabetical order. 

  • In the titles of articles, books, webpages and most other sources capitalize each word, unless it is an article (the, an), preposition, or conjunction, unless it is the first word of a title: The Art of War, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Core Elements

List of core elements

MLA Manual

MLA Resources