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MLA Style Sheet

The Web is becoming the first place many students look for information. Though we now have access to an extraordinary amount of information, material found on the “free Web” should be carefully evaluated.

While the Web offers unprecedented access to breaking news, primary sources, multiple perspectives and experts in every field, the fact is that anyone can publish on the Web. There is no editorial board. There are no filters for the quality of information. If you are not careful, you may, in fact, be referencing the work of a sixth grade class! When you use Web resources be especially critical about the source of the materials; their accuracy, relevance and timeliness; the audience for which the material was created; the credentials, the perspective, or bias of the author or institution responsible for the content.

For most research projects THE FREE WEB IS NOT ENOUGH. Most copyrighted resources are not available on the free Web. Solid, equally convenient alternatives are provided by the many subscription services available on the library Web page. Services like GaleNet, SIRS Knowledge Source,  and EbscoHost provide full-text online access to reference materials, journal articles, and government publications.

Traditional print sources cannot be replaced! It would be a shame to overlook the writings of Bruce Catton when researching the Civil War, a well-reviewed biography of a Elizabeth I for a history project, or a convenient print collection of criticism on Mark Twain. Please check our online patron catalog frequently for print materials to support your research.

Good research involves a balance of varied sources, carefully evaluated. Your teacher will be looking for that balance as he or she reviews your Works Cited and Works Consulted pages.

Ask yourself questions as you evaluate the information you find on the Web and consider it for use in your projects:

Citing Online Sources

Uniform standards for citing online sources continue to be developed. Sites devoted to "cybercitation" now appear all over the Web. Though these sites vary in their interpretation of how MLA applies to online sources, the patterns in each example are similar.

What is most important in documenting online resources is to give the reader as much essential information as possible (e.g. author, title, publication data, URL) to identify the source you are citing.

Remember to check the official site of the Modern Language Association (http://www.mla.org) for more information.

In-text citations

Normally, in-text citations include the author's name and the page cited. Because electronic documents rarely contain page numbers, in most instances your in-text citation will include only the author's name, ex: (Smith). If your electronic document has no author, use the title of the page. You may use a shortened version of the title as long as it is distinct, ex.: ("Cloning"). If paragraphs in an electronic document are numbered, include that information, ex: (Smith pars. 112-120) "Pars." Is the standard abbreviation for paragraphs. Do not cite page numbers from printouts; paginations vary with different printers and fonts.

When working with articles from online databases, it is likely that the URLs will be quite long. Not all of these URLs are "durable." That is, they are not permanently attached to a particular article and are not particularly useful in identifying and relocating it. When working with long URLs, it is acceptable to truncate after the first slash mark, so that the address of the database you used is clearly noted.

Not all Web pages will include all the information recommended for inclusion in citations. If a piece of information is not available, simple leave it out. Include as much information as you can to lead your reader back to the source.

Visit our MLA Style Sheet page for examples. Reprints: Most of the material you access from online databases has been previously published, either in print or electronically.  Often, you will be citing the original publication information followed by information relating to the online database, followed by information related to the online service hosting that database.