Remember that MLA 8 standardizes the citation formatting, making it easier to cite your sources. The following is a guide to citing different types of titles using MLA 8. If you are looking for information on how to format the title of your own paper, see this guide on creating an MLA title page.
How to Cite Book Titles in MLA 8
When citing book titles using the MLA 8 format, always enter the full title, in italics, followed by a period.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. Italicized Title . Publisher, Publication Year.
The full citation might look like this:
Sparks, Nicholas. The Notebook. Warner Books, 1996.
If there is a subtitle, place it after the title, using a colon to separate them. The subtitle should also be in italics.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. Italicized Title : SubTitle. Publisher,
The full citation might look like this:
Weiland, K.M. Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an
Outstanding Story. PenForASword, 2013.
If the source is part of a larger work, such as an essay, chapter, short story, or poem, place the title in quotation marks, making sure to put a period at the end of the title. Follow it with the title of the larger work, in italics, with a comma at the end.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. “Title.” Italicized Larger Work Title, Editor first
and last name, Publisher, Publication Year, Page Numbers.
The full citation might look like this:
Langer, A.J. “Lessons in Friendships.” Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul:
101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning, edited by Jack Canfield, et al.,
Simon & Schuster, 1997, pp. 56-62.
How to Cite Periodical Titles in MLA 8
When citing periodicals in MLA 8, place the title of the article in quotes, with a period at the end of the title. The italicized title of the periodical follows, along with a comma.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Periodical Title,
Publication Year, Page Numbers.
The full citation might look like this:
Barack, Lauren. “Y is for Yoga: Libraries Embrace the Practice to
Ease Stress and Promote Literacy.” The School Library Journal,
January 2015, pp. 23-28.
How to Cite Television Shows in MLA 8
If you’re citing a television show, place the title of the episode first, followed by a period. The title of the series follows in italics, along with a comma.
The citation format is as follows:
“Title of the Episode.” Title of the Series, Author of the show,
Season Number, Episode Number, Network, Air Date.
The full citation might look like this:
“Dunder Mifflin Infinity.” The Office, written by Michael Schur,
season 4, episode 3, NBC, 2007.
How to Cite Websites in MLA 8
These days, much of our information comes from digital resources such as websites. When citing websites, place the title of the article in quotation marks, with a period at the end of the title. Follow with the name of the website in italics, followed by a comma, and ending with the website URL.
The citation format is as follows:
“Title of the Article.” Name of the Website, Publication date, URL.
The full citation might look like this:
“MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here.” EasyBib, 25 July 2021,
https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/mla-format/ .
How to Cite Songs in MLA 8
If you need to cite a song, place the title of the song in quotation marks, with a period at the end of the title. Follow with the title of the album in italics, with a comma at the end.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. “Song Title.” Album Title, Record Company, Release Year.
The full citation might look like this:
Sinatra, Frank. “Summer Wind.” Strangers in the Night, Reprise, 1966.
How to Cite Untitled Works in MLA 8
If a source doesn’t have a title, include the creator of the source and a brief description. Do not italicize or place this information in quotation marks.
The citation format is as follows:
Last Name, First Name. Description of the work. Year, Location of the Work, City, State.
The full citation might look like this:
Johnson, Sarah. Painting of a horse. 1984, Bronx, NY.
How to Cite Email Messages in MLA 8
When citing email messages in MLA 8, the subject of the email is the title. Place the title in quotation marks, with a period at the end of the subject.
The citation format is as follows:
Sender Last Name, Sender First Name. “Subject of the Email.” Receiver First Name and Last Name, Date Sent.
The full citation might look like this:
Morgan, Michael. “Re: Meeting this Afternoon.” Received by Michele Kirschenbaum, 18 April 2016.
Including Titles in In-Text Citations
According to MLA 8 guidelines, in-text citations should include the author’s surname and the page number, formatted as (Smith 12). Therefore, it is not usually necessary to include the title in your in-text citation.
However, there are some situations where you would need to include the title in your in-text citation, for example, if the source you are citing does not have an author listed. In that case, you would replace the author’s name with the title of the source, formatted the same way as in the full bibliography citation (i.e., if the title in the full citation is in quotation marks, it should be in quotation marks in the in-text citation). If the title is long, it can be shortened as needed.
“Annotated Bibliography Format & Examples” EasyBib, 7 July 2022,
https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/citation-basics/annotated-bibliographies/ .
For more information, see this guide on MLA in-text citations.
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