How to Format Dates in the MLA Style

In this article, we will explore the MLA rules of formatting publication dates, the omission of dates, and the appropriate use of abbreviations for months in works cited.

  • MLA Citation Guidelines: Follow the Day-Month-Year format for online sources, using access dates for websites without publication dates and publication year for books.
  • No Publication Info? Skip the Date: For print works without publication information, simply exclude the date in your MLA citation.
  • Month Abbreviations: Abbreviate months longer than four letters in the works cited, except for May, June, and July, which remain unabbreviated.

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PUBLICATION YEAR IN PRINT SOURCES

The publication year is a required field for various source types, such as books, articles, and other printed materials. With the exception of online works like websites and webpages, use the inclusion of publication date. 

Example 2023
Structure Publication Year 

NO PUBLICATION DATE IN PRINT SOURCES

In cases where a printed source, especially a book, has no publication date (though rare, it is not unheard of), the date field should be omitted. The citation should conclude after the publisher field, with no need for the inclusion of ‘n.d.’ (no date) notations in the MLA Style.

Example Green, Robert. The Enigma of Time. Time Publications.
Structure Contributor. Title of Book. Publisher. 

The absence of a date is acknowledged by its omission, adhering to MLA guidelines.

Uncommon but Possible: Acknowledge the rarity but not the impossibility of encountering printed sources, particularly books, without a publication date.

Avoid ‘n.d.’ Notations: Resist the urge to include ‘n.d.’ (no date) notations in your citations for printed sources with missing publication dates.

Altered or Removed Online Works: When dealing with online sources, especially those lacking publication dates, an access date becomes crucial. 

HOW TO USE DATE IN ONLINE SOURCES

When citing online sources in MLA format, it’s important to follow the Day-Month-Year format. 

Example 11 Dec. 2023
Structure Day Abbreviated Month Year 

NO PUBLICATION DATE IN ONLINE SOURCES

If an online work has no publication date, exclude this information from the citation. However, it is crucial to include an access date in the citation for online sources without publication dates.

Example Accessed 12 Dec. 2023
Structure Accessed Day Abbreviated Month Year 

ABBREVIATING MONTHS IN WORKS CITED

For months longer than four letters, such as January, February, March, April, August, September, October, November, and December, use the abbreviated form: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.

However, no abbreviations are required for May, June, and July. 

HOW TO USE DATE IN-TEXT CITATIONS

Unlike some other citation styles, MLA in-text citations doesn’t incorporate dates. In practice, this means that when quoting or paraphrasing within the text, there’s no need to worry about inserting the publication date alongside the author’s name.

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Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)

Tomas Elliott is an assistant Professor of English at Northeastern University London. His research specialisms include the history of theatre and film, European modernism, world literature, film adaptation, transmedia studies and citation practices. He read English and French Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, before completing a PhD in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn how to cite in MLA