Creating a Bibliography Using MLA Format
First off, here are websites I recommend to help show exactly what is expected when creating a bibliography using MLA format:
- https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/ takes you to the page on citing a book
- https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ takes you to the page on citing the internet (look for the information on citing a page on a website)
- http://www.easybib.com/ can help build your bibliography for you, but should always be used with one of the previous resources so you know what you're doing, and so you can ensure that the bibliography is created correctly.
Citing a Quote Within Your Paper
When putting a direct quote in your paper, you need to include a citation so any reader knows where the quote came from. Here is how to do that:
Example citations:
Some scientists even believe it "was the worst tsunami ever to hit a coast, and killed over 500,000 people" (Gartshore, 26).
The four geological eras are: "precambrian, paleozoic, mesozoic, and cenozoic" (Naming the Eras). [in this example you can assume it was an online resource that was used, and that there was no author stated]
- after you've finished the quote DO NOT put a period. The period goes AFTER the citation
- after the quotation marks, make brackets, and then place the name of the author and the page number within the brackets (separated by a comma)
- if there is no page number, leave it blank (online source)
- if there is no author, cite the name of the article / website instead
Example citations:
Some scientists even believe it "was the worst tsunami ever to hit a coast, and killed over 500,000 people" (Gartshore, 26).
The four geological eras are: "precambrian, paleozoic, mesozoic, and cenozoic" (Naming the Eras). [in this example you can assume it was an online resource that was used, and that there was no author stated]