MLA REFERENCE GENERATOR AND STYLE GUIDE

• Tomas Elliott (MA)
• Published on 17-04-2021
• Updated on14-05-2022

This page provides an introduction to the MLA citation style. It has been compiled by experts, and the information comes from the most up-to-date version of the MLA Handbook (9th Edition).

WHAT IS ACADEMIC STYLE?

Academic style is simply a set of rules that outlines how to reference sources and format essays. The style outlined here was created by the Modern Languages Association and is most commonly used by students in the humanities. Note that there are lots of other style guides (such as Harvard, and APA), which tend to be more popular in other disciplines. You should always check with your institution or your professor about which guidelines to follow.

The rest of this page outlines the foundations of how to reference sources and explains the benefits of using an MLA citation machine. For details of how to format an academic paper, you should take a look at our MLA sample paper and guidelines.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO REFERENCE MY SOURCES?

There are several reasons why it is important to reference your sources accurately and consistently:

1. To credit others for their work and research. As anyone who has written an academic paper knows, research and writing are challenging, so it’s important to credit other people for their hard work.
2. To back up your claims. In constructing any kind of argument, you’ll need to provide evidence for the claims you make. One of the best ways to do this is to show that you’ve taken your information from reputable sources, such as journals, newspaper articles, and books.
3. To allow readers to follow up on your research. Academic research is a collaborative endeavour. By providing standardised and accurate documentation, you allow other researchers to continue your work.
4. To avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious form of academic dishonesty that can lead to sanctions from your institution. You can avoid it by referencing all of your sources, regardless of whether you quote them or paraphrase them.

WHAT UPDATES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE STYLE GUIDE?

The ninth edition of MLA style expands on the previous edition’s guidelines about how to format research papers and document sources. It includes hundreds of examples explaining how to reference online sources, videos, images, and new media. For example, it tells you how to reference a YouTube video:

“The 2020 Election is Here—And Trump is Trying to Steal It: A Closer Look.” YouTube, uploaded by Late Night with Seth Meyers, 2 Nov. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuZjdA1H8Ks&t=6s.

And how to reference a tweet:

President Barack Obama [@POTUS44]. “Hello, Twitter! It’s Barack. Really! Six years in, they’re finally giving me my own account.” Twitter, 18 May 2015, twitter.com/POTUS44/status/600324682190053376.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING AN MLA GENERATOR?

While it’s great to have detailed information about how to reference new media forms, all of the new rules can sometimes be overwhelming. If this is the case, then you should consider using an MLA citation maker. All you have to do is enter the title or URL of your source, and the generator will produce a properly formatted entry for you to use in your text and your Works Cited list. There are multiple benefits to this:

1. It will help to ensure that your documentation is accurate.
2. It will allow you to generate in-text references and Works Cited lists simultaneously.
3. It will allow you to copy and re-use your references as many times as you need.
4. It will allow you to save, download, and export your references in multiple formats.
5. It will help you save time, since you won’t need to input all of the data for every source.

All of this means that you can get on with the work of researching and writing without having to worry so much about referencing your sources!

WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TYPECITE?

TypeCite’s MLA generator doesn’t rely on the standard algorithms used by many other reference tools, some of which produce inconsistent references with misplaced punctuation marks, incorrect typesetting, and irregular formatting. TypeCite was designed by professionals in academia, publishing and education, and its developers understand the complexities and nuances of academic style. They recognise the need for a tool that is accurate and flexible at the same time. TypeCite was built with students and academics in mind, meaning that it is able to handle all the most common types of sources that they need to reference. The tool and the website are intuitive and easy to use, giving researchers one less thing to worry about whenever they have to cite MLA sources.

WORKS CITED

MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

“The 2020 Election is Here—And Trump is Trying to Steal It: A Closer Look.” YouTube, uploaded by Late Night with Seth Meyers, 2 Nov. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuZjdA1H8Ks&t=6s.

President Barack Obama [@POTUS44]. “Hello, Twitter! It’s Barack. Really! Six years in, they’re finally giving me my own account.” Twitter, 18 May 2015, twitter.com/POTUS44/status/600324682190053376.