UWMC Library Guide - MLA - Citing Electronic Resources 

With the proliferation of electronic resources and the changing nature of the internet, it has become difficult to find standardized documentation styles.  Individual instructors may require that you follow a specific style that differs from those shown below.  This is an interpretation of the MLA (Modern Language Association) Style that will hopefully meet the needs of UWMC students in citing resources.

  
 

USE THIS GUIDE WHEN CITING FULL-TEXT PERIODICAL ARTICLES FROM AN ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

* Note - When documenting sources, the first line should be flush with the left margin. Subsequent lines should be indented 5 spaces or ½ inch. If necessary, use the following abbreviations:  N.p. (no publisher), n.d. (no date), and n.pag. (no page).

 

Formula for Magazines:
 

Author’s last name, first name [if known]. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical [italicized] Date of publication: Page numbers. Name of Database [italicized]. Publication medium. Date of access <URL of home page of Subscription Service>. [URL used only if previous information in citation is insufficient to find source]

 

Formula for Journals:
 

Author’s last name, first name [if known]. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical [italicized] Volume.Issue (Year): Page numbers. Name of Database [italicized]. Publication medium. Date of access <URL of home page of Subscription Service>. [URL used only if previous information in citation is insufficient to find source]

 

  * Note – Always list the volume and issue number when documenting journals no matter the type of pagination used.

 

Formula for Newspapers:
 

Author’s last name, first name [if known]. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical [italicized] Date of publication, edition: Section and pages. Name of Database [italicized]. Publication medium. Date of access <URL of home page of Subscription Service>. [URL used only if previous information in citation is insufficient to find source]

 

Changes to MLA format for 2009:

  • Titles and online databases are italicized rather than underlined.

  • Include a medium of publication (Print, Web, Film, DVD, etc.).

  • For Web publications include a URL only when you think a reader would need it in order to find the work cited or if your instructor requires it.

  • All journal citations use an issue number, regardless of how they are paginated.

  • Use abbreviations for Web publications when there is no publisher (N.p.), no date (n.d.), or no pagination (n.pag.) available.

  • For database sources, the subscription service, library providing the service, city, and state are no longer used in the citation. 

CITATION EXAMPLES
 

EBSCOHOST

 

McMillan, Margaret. “History Revisited.” Australian Journal of Rural Health 12.6 (2004): 233-234. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 November 2009.
 

Siegel, Robert. “Commentary:  Physics Is Like Everyday Life.” All Things Considered. Aaron Freeman. National Public Radio. 10 May 2005. Newspaper Source Plus. Transcript. Web. 14 February 2009.

 

PROQUEST

 

Jindal, Bobby. “How to Make Health-Care Reform Bipartisan.” Wall Street Journal. 22 July 2009, eastern ed.: A15. ABI/‌INFORM. Web. 25 July 2009.

 

WILSONWEB

 

Prewitt, Milford. “Loyal Customers Fund Restaurant Rescues.” Nation’s Restaurant News 42.12 (2008): 1, 27-28. Wilson Business Full Text. Web. 10 November 2009.

 

LEXIS-NEXIS

 

“A Hard Road to Hoe; Teaching Poor Children.” Economist  6 Oct. 2007. n. pag. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 10 January 2009.

 

CQ RESEARCHER

 

Katel, Peter. “Legalizing Marijuana.” CQ Researcher 12 June 2009: 525-548. CQ Researcher Online. Web. 15 June 2009.

 

POINTS OF VIEW

 

Sexton, Jennifer. “Celebrity Activism: An Overview.” Points of View: Celebrity Activism. 2008: 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 30 October 2009.

 

 

FORMULA FOR NON-LIBRARY DATABASE WEB SITES
 

Author’s name [if known]. “Title of the Work.” Title of the Complete Work [if applicable]. Document date [if known]. Name of organization sponsoring the site [if applicable]. Web (the publication medium). Date you accessed the document <Complete http address>. (URL used only if previous information in citation is insufficient to find source)

 

GENERAL WEB SITES

 

Essig, Maria G. “Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac.” WebMD. Ed. Susan Van Houten and Pat Truman. 25 Sept. 2007. Web.
1 February 2009.

 

  NEWSPAPER WEB SITES

 

Halter, Nick. “J.W. Perry Floral Company Tries to Move on after Fire.” Wausau Daily Herald. 7 July 2009. n. pag. Web.

            22 July 2009.

 

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES

 

Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. "Stimulus payments subject to intercept." WDCF. N.p., 31 July 2009. Web. 22 Sept. 2009.<http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/bcs/stimulus_intercept.htm>.

  

GOOGLE BOOKS

 

Austen, Jane. Emma. Vol. 1. 1892. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1902. Google Books. Web. 29 July 2009

 

 

*Note – Follow standard indentation as described for databases above.

 

All of the above examples are for use in a Bibliography or Works Cited list.

 

For further information, please refer to the following books in the UWMC Library:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers CALL #  REF LB 2369 .G53 2009