§1
MLA 9: journal article (with DOI)
PATTERN
Surname, First, and First Surname. “Title of Article.” Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx, https://doi.org/xxxx.
EXAMPLE
Jergas, Hannah, and Christopher Baethge. “Quotation Accuracy in Medical Journal Articles—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” PeerJ, vol. 3, 2015, e1364, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1364.
KEY RULES
- One author: Surname, First. Two authors: the first inverted, then “and” and the second in normal order. Three or more: the first author followed by “et al.”
- Article titles go in quotation marks in title case; the journal (the “container”) is italic.
- MLA 9 prefers a DOI, written with https://doi.org/, over a URL.
§2
MLA 9: book
PATTERN
Surname, First. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
EXAMPLE
Doe, Jane A. Evidence and Argument in Student Research. Example UP, 2021.
KEY RULES
- Leave out the publisher's city.
- Abbreviate “University Press” to “UP” (and “University” to “U”) in publisher names.
§3
MLA 9: chapter in an edited book
PATTERN
Surname, First. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by First Surname and First Surname, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
EXAMPLE
Roe, Richard B. “Reading Statistics Critically.” A Handbook of Research Methods, edited by Maria C. Sample and Lee D. Example, Example UP, 2020, pp. 45–67.
KEY RULES
- The chapter is the source (in quotation marks); the book is its container (italic).
- Use “pp.” before a page range and “p.” before a single page.
§4
MLA 9: web page
PATTERN
Surname, First. “Title of Page.” Name of Website, Day Mon. Year, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
EXAMPLE
Public, Pat Q. “How to Check That a Source Exists.” Example Research Hub, 12 Mar. 2024, www.example.org/guides/check-a-source. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.
KEY RULES
- Dates run day, month, year, with months longer than four letters abbreviated (Jan., Feb., Mar., Sept., Oct.).
- The access date is optional; add it when the page has no date or is likely to change.
- You may leave out http:// or https:// at the start of a URL.
§5
MLA 9: report
PATTERN
Title of Report. Organization, Year, URL.
EXAMPLE
Student Research Practices in Higher Education. Example Institute for Education, 2023, www.example.org/reports/student-research-2023.
KEY RULES
- When an organisation is both author and publisher, skip the author and begin with the title; the organisation appears once, as publisher.
- The in-text citation then uses the title, shortened if long: (*Student Research Practices*).
§6
MLA 9: thesis or dissertation
PATTERN
Surname, First. Title of Dissertation. Year. University, PhD dissertation.
EXAMPLE
Placeholder, Alex B. Peer Feedback and Revision in First-Year Writing. 2022. Example U, PhD dissertation.
KEY RULES
- The dissertation title is italic, and the year comes straight after it.
- If you read it in a database or repository, add that as a second container: its name in italics, then the URL.
§7
MLA 9 in-text citations
Give the author's surname and the page number, with no comma and no “p.” between them.
| Parenthetical | (Doe 14) |
| Narrative | Doe argues that… (14). |
| Two authors | (Jergas and Baethge) |
| Three or more authors | (Surname et al. 27) |
KEY RULES
- Leave out the page number when the source has none, such as a web page.
- Two authors: give both surnames joined by “and”. Three or more: the first surname and “et al.”
§8
Common MLA 9 mistakes
- Adding “p.” or a comma in the in-text citation. Write (Doe 14), not (Doe, p. 14).
- Italicising article or chapter titles. They go in quotation marks; only the container is italic.
- Giving the publisher's city. MLA 9 does not use it.
- Using “&” between authors. MLA writes “and”.
§9
Format a reference in MLA 9
Fill in a journal article once and our free in-browser formatter gives it to you in MLA 9, ready to copy, with the author-list rules applied. It opens with MLA 9 highlighted.
Format a reference in MLA 9 →NO ACCOUNT · RUNS IN YOUR BROWSER
§10
MLA 9 questions
Is it “Works Cited” or “Bibliography” in MLA?
“Works Cited” for a list of the sources you cite. MLA uses other titles only for lists that also include works you consulted but did not cite.
When do I use “et al.” in MLA 9?
For three or more authors, both in Works Cited (first author's name followed by “et al.”) and in the text (Surname et al. page).
Do I need an access date in MLA 9?
It's optional. MLA recommends one for online works that have no publication date or that may change.
How do I cite a source with no page numbers?
Give only the author's name, e.g. (Public). Don't count paragraphs or screens unless the source numbers them.
§11
About the examples
Every style guide on this site formats the same six sources, so you can compare styles side by side. The journal article is real; the others are fictional, with placeholder names.
- Journal article (with DOI) (real): Hannah Jergas and Christopher Baethge, “Quotation accuracy in medical journal articles—a systematic review and meta-analysis,” PeerJ, volume 3, article e1364, published 27 October 2015, DOI 10.7717/peerj.1364.
- Book: Jane A. Doe, Evidence and argument in student research, Example University Press, London, 2021.
- Chapter in an edited book: Richard B. Roe, “Reading statistics critically,” pages 45–67 of A handbook of research methods, edited by Maria C. Sample and Lee D. Example, Example University Press, London, 2020.
- Web page: Pat Q. Public, “How to check that a source exists,” Example Research Hub (London), published 12 March 2024, https://www.example.org/guides/check-a-source, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Report: Example Institute for Education (author and publisher, London), Student research practices in higher education, 2023, https://www.example.org/reports/student-research-2023, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Thesis or dissertation: Alex B. Placeholder, Peer feedback and revision in first-year writing, unpublished PhD thesis, Department of Education, Example University, London, 2022.
Based on the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. Last reviewed 2026-11. Your instructor's or journal's own guidelines take precedence. Spotted an error? Email support@moremind.ai.