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John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Citing Sources: APA, MLA & Chicago Styles

An Overview of Common Citation Styles

Why Citations?

When using outside sources or others’ ideas to strengthen an argument in your paper, you must give the author(s) credit to avoid any charges of plagiarism (see John Jay College’s policy on Academic Integrity).

MLA (Modern Language Association) is one style of formatting citations for outside sources for BOTH your Works Cited page (list of your sources at the end of your paper) and in-text citations (references, within the body of your paper, that refer to a specific source you have listed on your Works Cited page).

This guide provides citation examples to the most common sources.  Use the tabs on the left for help with formatting your paper, citing different types of source and creating in-text citations.

If you need more guidance, contact your instructor, a Lloyd Sealy librarian or the John Jay Writing Center.

MLA 9

MLA 9th edition is the most current edition of the Modern Language Association's style guide.  There are some changes from the 8th edition style guide, so please make sure to ask your professor what MLA edition they require.

Print copies of the MLA Handbook 9th edition may be found both by request at the Reference Desk (2nd floor) and on Reserve (1st floor) under the call number LB2369 .M52 2021.

MLA's Style Center is a MLA's homepage for information on formatting research papers, as well as creating works cited and in-text citations. Their site also provides helpful Citations by Format examples.

MLA 9 Handouts and Additional Sources

If your professor is requesting you use MLA style, please ask if MLA 8 or MLA 9. 

Click below to see our MLA Handouts:

MLA 9           

MLA 8

This libguide for MLA 9 (the most current MLA style) is in process. Feel free to consult other MLA 9 Style sources below for information not found in this guide: 

MLA's Style Center is a MLA's homepage for information on formatting research papers, as well as creating works cited and in-text citations. Their site also provides helpful Citations by Format examples.

MLA (9th ed.) Citation Style (Douglas College Library)

MLA Style (Excelsior Online Writing Lab)

MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

Many databases now create a citation for you.  Watch our video, How to Use Citation Tools in Databases and read the screen carefully in each database to locate the citation tool.  ALWAYS check the database citation for errors by checking it against our Library citation guides--learn how by watching our video Creating Flawless Citations.

For further assistance, contact a John Jay librarian or the John Jay Writing Center.

MLA 9 Paper Format

MLA 9 sets rules and standards for formatting writing projects such as research papers and essays.  Here are some online sources that provide an easy to understand guide for spacing, indenting, headings, etc. in MLA 9 format:

MLA's Introduction to Formatting Your Research Project

View sample papers directly from the MLA website: SAMPLE ESSAYS: Writing with MLA Style

MLA Formatting Guide, Excelsior Online Writing Lab (PowerPoint instructions).

MLA-9 Sample Paper, Liberty University (instructions for layout and formatting your paper MLA 9 style).

Works Cited: Basic Format

* List sources on separate page at end of your paper with title, Works Cited (centered)

* List sources alphabetically by author (last name or group/organization) OR title when there is no author (ignoring initial articles like "A," "An," or "The")

* Follow examples for citing different forms of sources using the tabs on the left side of this guide

* Double space throughout

* Format entries with a hanging indent

Here is a sample Works Cited page:

 

Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing: Incorporating External Sources

Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing are three ways to incorporate outside sources into your paper. When incorporating external sources in the body of your paper you must include in-text citations to give credit to those sources.

In-text citations refer the reader to a particular source listed on your Works Cited page.  It, therefore, helps to first complete your Works Cited page--the alphabetical listing of all sources used in writing your paper.

Quoting

Quoting is reproducing text verbatim (exactly as written) from another source. You must include an in-text citation for direct quotes in order to give credit to the author/source.  The in-text citation should also refer the reader exactly to where in the source they may find the particular quote you've included. 

There are 2 different formats for incorporating quotations into your paper:

Short Quotations (no more than 4 lines in your paper): 

Incorporate the quote into the narrative of your text using quotation marks. MLA does not require the year of the publication you are citing.  Place the citation in parentheses without any punctuation inside and before the punctuation that ends the sentence.

When mentioning an author by name: add the page number where the quote can be found either after the author's name or at the end of the sentence after the end quotation mark but before the period:

According to Geppert (116), "it is imperative that development economists extend their research beyond purely economic factors and focus their attention on creating more inclusive, and hence more accurate, measures of development and national well-being." 

According to Geppert, "it is imperative that development economists extend their research beyond purely economic factors and focus their attention on creating more inclusive, and hence more accurate, measures of development and national well-being" (116).

Quote without mentioning an author by name: provide the author's name and page number within parentheses without any punctuation before the punctuation that ends the sentence:

According to some, "it is imperative that development economists extend their research beyond purely economic factors and focus their attention on creating more inclusive, and hence more accurate, measures of development and national well-being" (Geppert 116).

When your work has no author (Works Cited entry begins with the title of the work) provide a shortened version of the title beginning with the first word, ignoring initial articles such as the, an, a.

In ancient Egypt, black pigment “was the best-known form of makeup…used by people of all classes” (Egyptian 39).

When the author has more than one work in your Works Cited page, add a shortened version of the title (NOT date) to distinguish the work.

We must remember that "culture is public because meaning is" (Geertz Interpretation 12).

Long or Block Quotations (quote that runs more than 4 lines in your paper): Separate the quote by creating a double-spaced indented block without quotation marks. Indent 5 spaces from the left margin. Place the in-text citation in parentheses after the author's name or at the end of the quote after the punctuation:

As Clifford Geertz reminds us:

From one point of view, that of the textbook, doing ethnography is establishing rapport, selecting informants, transcribing texts, taking genealogies, mapping fields, keeping a diary, and so on. But it is not these things, techniques and received procedures, that define the enterprise. What defines it is the kind of intellectual effort it is: an elaborate venture in, to borrow a notion from Gilbert Ryle, “thick description.” (Interpretation 6)

 

Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Paraphrasing is using your own words to present someone else's work/idea(s). Summarizing is stating the essence of another's idea(s). You need an in-text citation each time you paraphrase or summarize another's idea.  The citation refers the reader to that source listed on your Works Cited page and may include the specific page, chapter, section, etc. of the source being discussed.

Use quotation marks for original words or phrases that come directly from the author or source.

According to Zapf & Jung, “criminal responsibility” can be evaluated by referring to information from the defendant’s interview and forensic test results (340).

 

Author Format

MLA citations often begin with an author(s) name.  An author is the primary creator(s) of the work you are citing.  An author may be a writer, painter, filmmaker, Instagram producer; an author may be an individual, group of individuals, or an organization or government agency.

Follow the examples below:  

Single author:  Format names of individual authors in reverse order (lastname, firstname), including any middle name and/or initials exactly as it is written in the work

Alibhai, Naznin

Flynn, Leisa Reinecke

Schutt, Russel K. 

2 authors: List authors in the order they are presented in the work.  Use a comma after the first author's name (written in reverse order) followed by the word "and" and the second author's name written in normal order (firstname lastname).

Bachman, Ronet D., and Russell K. Schutt.

Furnham, Adrian, and Naznin Alibhai.

3 or more authors: List the first author listed in the work (in reverse order) followed by a comma and the abbreviation for "and others," "et al."

Delong, Marilyn, et al.

Anderson, Judith L., et al.

Group Author: An author may be an institution, association, government association, etc.  Capitalize group authors as a proper name omitting initial articles such as "The" and "A:" 
American Psychiatric Association.
United Nations.
United States, Census Bureau.
 
Social Media/Online Handles: If an author's social media or online handle differs from their account name, supply the handle in square brackets after their name: 
Jenkins, Matthew [@chefsgreatestplates].
Drummond, Ree [thepioneerwoman].

Format for Publisher Name

MLA 9 defines specific rules for publishers names in a citation:

1. include Publishing or Publishers in publisher name (Blackwell Publishing)

2. omit Company (or Co.), Corporation (or Corp.), Incorporated (or Inc.) and Limited (or Ltd.)

3. abbreviate "University Press" with UP (example, Oxford University Press to Oxford UP) or use U of P in examples such as State U of New York P for "State University of New York Press"

4. change ampersand to "and" (Farrar & Rinehart changes to Farrar and Rinehart)

 

*Some examples directly from MLA Handbook*

Abbreviations for Months of the Year

Use the following abbreviations for the months of the year in your Works Cited page:

Jan.        January
Feb.        February
Mar.        March
Apr.         April
May         May
June        June
July         July
Aug.        August
Sept.       September
Oct.        October
Nov.        November
Dec.        December

DOIs and How to Find Them

Scholarship is becoming more and more available online.  Online academic sources are often assigned a DOI or "digital object identifier." A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string and persistent link to a permanent location on the internet. 

MLA recommends using online locations in the following order of preference:

1. DOIs: they remain fixed over a publication's lifetime where URLs (uniform resource locator) may change over time.

2. Permalinks: a stable, permanent or persistent URL.

3. URL (uniform resource locator): an online location to where a source can be found although this location can change.

 

Not every publication has a DOI but many databases do include them. You may also find DOIs online by viewing the publication's webpage or searching here: https://doi.crossref.org/simpleTextQuery 

DOIs may look like any of the following formats (“xxxxx” refers to the DOI number)

https://doi.org/xxxxx

http:/dx.doi.org/xxxxx 

doi:xxxxx or DOI:xxxxx

Whatever version you find, MLA recommends using or converting the DOI to this format:

https://doi.org/xxxxx

In-Text Citation Format

Formating In-text Citations

See the Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing: Incorporating External Sources box in this guide for how to properly incorporate outside sources within the body of your paper.  For information and examples of how to cite parts of a source other than page numbers, see the box in this guide labeled Citing Sources without Page Numbers or consult the MLA Handbook 9th edition (at the Reference or Reserve Desk under the call number LB2369 .M52 2021) or the MLA Style Center's website Using MLA Format.

  1 author

Henry, William A., III. "Beyond the Melting Pot." Time, 9 Apr. 1990, pp. 28-31.

(Henry 29) 

  2 authors

no pagination

paragraph identification

Brown, Mary, and Nakhita Mendis. "The Separation of Immigrant Families: Historical Anecdotes."Center for Migration Studies 25 July 2018, https://cmsny.org/from-the-cms-archive-separation-of-families/.

(Brown and Mendis par. 7)

3 or more authors

Kroop, Silvana, et al., editors. Responsive Open Learning Environments: Outcomes of Research from the ROLEProject. Springer Open, 2015. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-02399-1.

(Kroop et al. fig. 1)

corporate author

no pagination

section of webpage

Amnesty International. Cuba, https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/cuba/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.*

(Amnesty International News)

multiple

pages

Ness, Sally Ann Allen.  "Being a Body in a Cultural Way: Understanding the Cultural in the Embodiment of Dance." Cultural Bodies: Ethnography and Theory, edited by Helen Thomas and Jamilah Ahmed, Blackwell Publishing, 2004, pp. 76-97, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470775837.ch5.

(Ness 80-83)

no author**

"Egyptian Body Decorations." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear Through the Ages, edited by Sara Pendergast, et al., 2nd ed., vol. 1: The Ancient World, 2013, pp. 39-45. Gale eBooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2760000020/GVRL?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=c4b3aa28.

("Egyptian Body Decorations" 33)

indirect quote

Marcella, Albert, Jr., and Doug Menendez. Cyber Forensics: A Field Manual for Collecting, Examining, and Preserving Evidence of Computer Crimes, 2nd ed., Auerbach Publications, 2010.

RSA Security found... (qtd. in Menendez and Marcella 51)

audiovisual

material

Angelou, Maya. "Still I Rise (Official Lyric Video)." YouTube, uploaded by Caged Bird Songs, 23 Apr. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UFMB4i1AJo&feature=emb_title.

(Angelou 1:19-1:25)

McNeel, Ronald. "New Hope for Fading Memories: Alzheimer's Disease." BioEd Online, http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/hot-topics/new-hope-for-fading-memories-alzheimers-disease/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.*

(McNeel slide 7)

*Provide the date you accessed an online work if there is no publication date or if that site is likely to be revised or deleted.

**Use quotation marks when title appears in quotation marks in your Works Cited page citation.  Use italics when the title appears in italics in your Works Cited page citation.  You may shorten titles as long as your in-text citation clearly points to the correct source.

 

In-Text Citations for Sources without Page Numbers

You may need an in-text citation for a source that does not have page numbers.  There are many types of sources without page numbers such as some ebooks, webpages, PowerPoint presentations, videos, recorded music, etc. 

Here are some common alternatives to identify a particular location/section of a source that does not have page numbers*:

paragraph(s): 

(Smith par. 17) OR (Smith pars. 2-13)

line(s) of a poem/speech:

(Smith line 57)  OR (Smith lines 23-24)

chapter(s): 

(Smith ch. 18) OR (Smith chs. 1-3)

video/audio source use the start and end timestamp:

(Dahl 00:03:49--00:5:13)  

PowerPoint sources use author's name and slide number(s):

(Smith slide 2)  OR  (Smith slides 3-5)

major heading: (Forward of a book): 

(Smith Forward)

 

*Please consult the MLA Handbook 9th edition (at the Reference or Reserve Desk under the call number LB2369 .M52 2021) or the MLA Style Center's website Using MLA Format  for additional abbreviations.

Print Books

 See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format and Format for Publisher Name in this guide for additional information.  Include DOI if available.

  Author Lastname, Firstname Initial(s). Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Publisher, Date, DOI. (if available)

  Single Author

Saunders, George. Pastoralia: Stories. Riverhead Books, 2000.

  Two Authors

Anaya, Rudolfo, and Antonio C. MárquezCuentos Chicanos: A Short Story Anthology. Rev. ed., University of New Mexico P, 1984.

  Three or More Authors

Adler, Freda, et al. Criminal Justice. McGraw-Hill, 1994.

  Group Author (include DOI if available for print books)

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies. Library Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions. American Library Association, 1992.*

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. 5th ed., American Psychiatric Association, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.104.**

  Additional Contributors

Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Translated by Talcott Parsons, Routledge, 1992. 

 

 * From MLA Style Center

** When an organization is both the author and publisher, skip naming them as an author and begin with the title.  Name the organization as publisher.

 

eBooks

 See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, Format for Publisher Name and DOIs and How to Find Them in this guide for additional information.  Include DOI if available. 

          MLA distinguishes between an electronic version of a book with a specific online location (DOI, URL or permalink such as to a specific database) AND an ebook version of a book read on or downloaded to a personal device (e-reader, app or computer) that requires specific software.

Author Lastname, Firstname Initial(s). Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Publisher, Date. Location, DOI/Permalink/URL. (electronic location, if available.  See below when there's no online location available.)

  eBook with DOI (DOI, if available, is preferred over URL)

Thomas, Helen, and Jamiliah Ahmed, editors. Cultural Bodies: Ethnography and Theory. Blackwell Publishing, 2014. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470775837.

  eBook with Permalink (from database or website providing a permalink) 

Akou, Heather Marie. Politics of Dress in Somali Culture. Indiana UP, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/johnjay-ebooks/detail.action?docID=713686.

Haffner-Ginger, Bertha. California Mexican-Spanish Cook Book: Selected Mexican and Spanish Recipes. 1914. Project Gutenberg, 2012, https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39586*

  eBook with URL (no DOI or Permalink, add accession date)

Saunders, George. Pastoralia: Stories. Riverhead Books, 2000. J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, http://ereserve.library.utah.edu/Annual/ENGL/2500/McCarty/engl2500pastoralia.pdf. Accessed 5 May 2023.**

   eBook without DOI, Permalink or URL (add "e-book ed." after a comma or "E-book ed." after a period to books that lack a specific online location or were published as an electronic book) 

Bennett, Brit. The Vanishing Half. E-book ed., Riverhead Books, 2020.
 
* While providing an original date of publication is not necessary and may be mentioned in a note or within the body or your writing, you may include it if it provides an understanding of the work.
** Although access dates are not required, MLA suggests adding the date you viewed an online source if it lacks a permanent location (DOI or permalink), there is no publication date, the site may change or be revised frequently or perhaps may be deleted. 

Edited Book as a Whole

 See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, Format for Publisher Name and DOIs and How to Find Them in this guide for additional information.

  Editor Lastname, Firstname Initial(s)., editor(s). Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. 

          Publisher, Date. Location, DOI/Permalink/URL (if online).

  One Editor

Ellwood, David W., editor. Movies as History: Visions of the Twentieth Century. History Press, 2000.

  Two Editors

Boyd, C. Clifford, and Donna Boyd, editors. Forensic Anthropology : Theoretical Framework and Scientific Basis. John Wiley and Sons, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/johnjay-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5191222.

Bowers, Jane, and Judith Tick, editors. Women Making Music: The Western Art Tradition, 1150-1950. U of Illinois P, 1986.

  Three or More

Cullen, Francis T., et al., editors. Criminological Theory: Past to Present: Essential Readings. 7th ed., Oxford UP, 2022.

  Edited eBook with DOI

Thomas, Helen, and Jamiliah Ahmed, editors. Cultural Bodies: Ethnography and Theory. Blackwell Publishing, 2014. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470775837.

Part of an Edited Book (Chapters/Essays/Articles)

 See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, Format for Publisher Name and DOIs and How to Find Them in this guide for additional information.

Author Lastname, Firstname Initial(s). "Title of Part: Subtitle of Part." Title of Whole: Subtitle of Book, edited by Editor(s) Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Date, pp. xx-xxx. Location, DOI/URL/Permalink. (if online).

Part in Edited work (within specific edition)

Anderson, Elijah. "The Code of the Street." Criminological Theory: Past to Present--Essential Readings, edited by Francis T. Cullen, et al., 6th ed., Oxford UP, 2018, pp. 93-104.

Part in Edited work with DOI

Ali, Suki. "Reading Radicalized Bodies." Cultural Bodies: Ethnography and Theory, edited by Helen Thomas and Jamilah Ahmed, Blackwell Publishing, 2004, pp. 76-97. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470775837.

Part in Edited work with URL

Nussbaumer, Alexander, et al. "Supporting Self-Regulated Learning." Responsive Open Learning Environments: Outcomes of Research from the ROLE Project, edited by Sylvana Kroop, et al., SpringerLink, 2015, pp. 17-48, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-02399-1_2.

 

*Compare these entries with their Edited Book as a Whole counterpart above.*

Dictionaries/Encyclopedias (including Wikipedia)

See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, Format for Publisher Name and DOIs and How to Find Them in this guide for additional information.

Encyclopedia with Named Author:

     Author Lastname, Author Firstname. "Title of Entry." Encyclopedia Title, edited by Editor Firstname Lastname, vol. #(if multivolume), Publisher, Date, pp. xx-xxx. Location, URL/DOI/Permalink. (if online)

Collins, Elizabeth Fuller. "Tattooing and Piercing." Encyclopedia of Global Religion, edited by Mark Juergensmeyer and Wade Clark Roof, vol. 2, SAGE Reference, 2012, pp. 1265-1267. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1958900692/GVRL?u=cuny_centraloff&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=f9671dee.

Speaks, Jeff. "Theories of Meaning."  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Stanford University, Winter 2019, https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/meaning/. Accessed 5 May 2023.*

Encyclopedia with No Author

    "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia, edited by Editor Firstname Editor Lastname, edition(if not first), vol. #(if multivolume), Publisher, Date, pp. xx-xx. Location, URL/DOI/Permalink. (if online)

"Egyptian Body Decorations." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and  Footwear Through the Ages, edited by Sara Pendergast, et al., 2nd ed., vol. 1, The Ancient World, Gale, 2013, pp. 39-45. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2760000020/GVRL?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=c4b3aa28. 

"New York." The Hispanic Databook: Detailed Profiles of States and 782 Places with Hispanic Population, including 23 Ethnic Backgrounds from Argentinean to Venezuelan, with Rankings and Comparisons of States, Counties and Places, 3rd ed., Grey House Publishing, 2013, pp. 741-744. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2715900596/GVRL?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=12b412aa.

Individually Titled Volume

"Egyptian Body Decorations." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and  Footwear Through the Ages, edited by Sara Pendergast, et al., 2nd ed., vol. 1, The Ancient World, Gale, 2013, pp. 39-45. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2760000020/GVRL?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=c4b3aa28. 

St. George, Joyce, and Francis P. Canavan. "Crisis Intervention." Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement, edited by Larry E. Sullivan, et al., vol. 1, State and Local, SAGE Reference, 2005, pp. 122-125.

Wikipedia: (date of last revision at bottom of page)

    "Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Date page last modified, URL. Date Accessed.*

"Eyewitness Testimony." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 17 June 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_testimony. Accessed 26 July 2024.

"Folk Music." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 3 July 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music. Accessed 26 July 2024.

Dictionary:

     PRINT: "Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary, Publisher, Date Published, p. xx.   

"Goat." Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed., Merriam-Webster, 1977, pp. 499-500.

      ONLINE:  "Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary, Publisher, Date (published or last revised/updated), URL.  

"Phobic Avoidance." APA Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association, 19 Apr. 2018, https://dictionary.apa.org/phobic-avoidance.

 

* Although access dates are not required, MLA suggests adding the date you viewed an online source if it lacks a permanent location (DOI or permalink), there is no publication date, the site may change or be revised frequently or perhaps may be deleted. 

Journal Articles

See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, Abbreviations for Months of the Year and DOIs and How to Find Them in this guide for additional information.

Author Lastname, Firstname, Initial(s). "Title of Article: Subtitle of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. x-xx. Location (database name or website w/o DOI), DOI/URL/Permalink (if online).

Print Article:

Lawson, Nicole. "It’s a Man’s Prison: How the Traditional Incarceration Model Fails Female Offenders in Kansas." Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, vol. 25, no. 2, spring 2016, pp. 273–288.*

  Article from a Database: (add database name, use DOI if available, if not use the permalink)

Laitala, Kirsi, and Ingun Grimstad Klepp. "Motivations For and Against Second-Hand Clothing Acquisition." Clothing Cultures, vol. 5, no. 2, June 2018, pp. 247-262. Gale OneFile: Contemporary Women's Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A561511709/CWI?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-CWI&xid=b8d57d1f.

Ramos, Aida I., et al. “The Strategic Practice of ‘Fiesta’ in a Latino Protestant Church: Religious Racialization and the Performance of Ethnic Identity.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 59, no. 1, Mar. 2020, pp. 161–79. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/10.1111/jssr.12646.

Article from an Online Journal:

Abraham, Martin, et al. "Gender Differences in Willingness to Move for Interregional Job Offers. Demographic Research, vol., 40, no. 53, 2019, pp. 537-1602, https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2019.40.53.

PDF of an Online Article: (with a DOI)

Geppert, Katharina. "Does Money Buy Happiness? A Cross-Country Look at the Relationship Between Income and Happiness. Issues in Political Economy, vol. 28, no. 2, Sept. 2019, pp. 102–121. https://blogs.elon.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/456/files/2021/02/v28-2-Geppert-2019.pdf. PDF download. Accessed 5 May 2024.**

Article in Special Issue of Journal:

Young, Allison. "From Object to Encounter: Aesthetic Politics and Visual Criminology." Visual Culture and the Iconography of Crime and Punishment, special issue of Theoretical Criminology, edited by Michelle Brown and Eamonn Carrabine, vol. 18, no. 2, May 2014, pp. 159-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480613518228.

 

*According to MLA9, seasons, when part of the publication date, appear lowercase.

** Access date given because the source is a blog and thus, the online location may change or article may be deleted.

Magazine Articles

See Works Cited: Basic Format, Author Format, and Abbreviations for Months of the Year in this guide for additional information.

 Author Lastname, Firstname, Initial(s). "Article Title." Magazine Title, vol. #, 

           no. #, Date, pp. xx-xxx. Location (if database or website), Permalink/URL. (if online)

There may be different versions of the same article: online and in print.  These versions may differ in title and date of publication.  Provide all relevant information for the specific version you actually viewed: provide or exclude date, volume/issue numbers, and page numbers as available.

 Two different versions of the same article: one published online, the other in print (from a database)*

Gregory, Sean.  "'Without Empathy, Nothing Works.’ Chef Jose Andres Wants to Feed the World Through the Pandemic." Time, 26 March 2020, https://time.com/5810564/without-empathy-nothing-works-chef-jose-andres-wants-to-feed-the-world-through-the-pandemic/.

Gregory, Sean. “A Chef’s Mission: In the Community Formed by Catastrophe, Jose Andres Sees a Way to Serve." Time, vol. 195, no. 12/13, 6-13 Apr. 2020, pp. 68–75. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=142419636&site=ehost-live.

  Article in Print:

Shell, Ellen Ruppel. "Obesity on the Brain." Scientific American, vol. 321, no. 4, pp. 38-45.

  Article from a Database:

Crabapple, Molly. “How the Taxi Workers Won.” Nation, vol. 313, no. 13, Dec. 2021, pp. 14–25. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=154065372&site=ehost-live.

  Online Article without Volume/Issue and Page Numbers:

Austen, Ben. "Peace Officers." New Republic, 21 June 2018,  https://newrepublic.com/article/148854/peaceofficers

Gregory, Sean.  "'Without Empathy, Nothing Works.’ Chef Jose Andres Wants to Feed the World Through the Pandemic." Time, 26 March 2020, https://time.com/5810564/without-empathy-nothing-works-chef-jose-andres-wants-to-feed-the-world-through-the-pandemic/.

 

*This article was published online before it was released in print.

Newspaper Articles

See Works Cited: Basic FormatAuthor Format, and Abbreviations for Months of the Year in this guide for additional information.

There may be different versions of a newspaper article: online and in print.  These versions may differ in title or publication date.  Provide all relevant information for the specific version you actually viewed: provide or exclude date, volume/issue numbers, and page numbers as available.

Author Lastname, Firstname, Initial(s). "Article Title." Newspaper Title, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. xx-xxx. Location, Permalink/URL(if online)

Two different versions of the same article: first one published online, second in print (from a database):

Johnson, Carolyn Y. "Excessive Brain Activity Linked to a Shorter Life." The Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2019. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A602898820/STND?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=09afaa49.

Johnson, Carolyn Y.  "'Use it or Lose it?' Study Links Excessive Brain Activity to Shortened Life. The Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2019, p. A3. 

  Article in Print:

Johnson, Carolyn Y.  "'Use It or Lose It?' Study Links Excessive Brain Activity to Shortened Life. The Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2019, p. A3. 

  Article from Database: (with original publication information provided)

Ahuja, Anjana. "Use It or Lose It: How Crosswords Can Beat Alzheimer's." Times [London], 1 Feb. 2005, p. 5. GaleOneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A127998074/STND?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=0dbbf7bd.*

Online Article: (with original publication information provided)

Hilts, Philip J. "In Forecasting Their Emotions, Most People Flunk Out." The New York Times, 16 Feb. 1999, p. F2. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/16/science/in-forecasting-their-emotions-most-people-flunk-out.html

Online Article: (without page numbers and with special contributor)

Wilson, Korsha. "A Family Reunion Menu Over 150 Years in the Making." Photographs by Andrew Cenci. The New York Times, 5 Aug. 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/dining/kentucky-family-reunion-menu.html

  Editorial or Opinion Piece: (no need to specify "Editorial" if author is stated as Editorial Board)

Appelbaum, Binyamin, and Peter Coy. "Why Is Everyone So Grumpy?" The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023. Op-ed. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/23/opinion/bidenomics-inflation.html.

Editorial Board. "A Way Back From Campus Chaos." The New York Times, 11 May 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/11/opinion/campus-protests.html.

“It’s Subpoena Time.” The New York Times, late ed., 8 June 2007, p. A28. Editorial.**

 

Add location in brackets (without italics) if not stated in newspaper's title.

** From MLA Style Center

Webpages

See Works Cited: Basic FormatAuthor Format, and Abbreviations for Months of the Year in this guide for additional information.

This is the format for websites or a page on a website.  Use other formats in this guide such as books, journal/magazine articles and/or audiovisual material, etc. for those types of sources that are available online.

Read “About Us” section for author and publisher information---it may be a person, institution, association, organization, government agency, etc. 

Author Lastname, Firstname Initial(s). "Webpage Title: Webpage Subtitle." Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.

Here are some general rules to follow:

1. If there is a named author(or authors), add name(s) in the author element. See Author Format in this guide.

2. If name of a website and publisher are essentially the same, omit the publisher element. Use only the website name element.

3. If there is a corporate/group author (institution, association, etc.) that is also the publisher, omit the author element (begin citation with title) and name the institution/association as the publisher. 

4. If a corporate/group author is essentially the same as the publisher and the name of the website, omit both author and publisher elements and just add the website name.

5. If the webpage is lacking a publication date, you may use the copyright date.  If the copyright date is a range of years, use last year in that range.

6. If there is neither a publication nor copyright, omit the date element and add the date you accessed the website/webpage (see below).

  Entire Website

The Lloyd Sealy Library, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, https://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/. Assessed 5 May 2024.

The MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association of America, https://style.mla.org/. Assessed 5 May 2024. 

  Named Author(s) (omit publisher if same as website name; omit author and publisher if similar to website name)

  Brown, Mary, and Nikhita Mendis. "The Separation of Immigrant Families: Historical Anecdotes." Center for Migration Studies, 25 July 2018, http://cmsny.org/from-the-cms-archive-separation-of-families/.

  Yeromiyan, Tania. "An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Clothing." CLI, 13 Dec. 2023, https://studycli.org/chinese-culture/traditional-chinese-clothing/.

  Corporate/Group Author with Date (if corporate/group author is also publisher, begin with title and place name as publisher)

  "Five Essential Facts to Know about Femicide." UN Women, United Nations, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/11/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide.

  Corporate/Group Author without Date (add accessed date; same author and publisher name--start with title; website name and publisher same--omit website name)

  "Food Safety." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/index.html. Accessed 5 May 2024.

"Cuba." Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/cuba/. Accessed 5 May 2024.

"U.S. and World Population Clock." United States Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/popclock/. Accessed 5 May 2024.

Dissertations and Theses

Dissertations may be published or unpublished. Unpublished dissertations are most likely in print and housed at the author’s institution. Published dissertations may be found in databases (such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, EBSCO Open Dissertations, or PQDT Open), institutional repositories or archives, and/or personal websites. 

It is important to note that MLA treats both published and unpublished dissertations the same. 

Citations for dissertations and theses include the author, title, date of publication, the institution granting the degree and a description of the degree (MA thesis or PhD dissertation). Make sure to follow abbreviations for University (degree granting institution AND online repository/archive).*

 

Print:

Author Lastname, Firstname, Initial(s). Title of Dissertation/Thesis: Subtitle of Dissertation/Thesis. Date. Institution, Description. 

         Mora, Kathy. A Leak in the Pipeline : College in Jail from the Participants’ Perspective. 2018. John Jay

College of Criminal Justice, MA thesis.

   Liao, Schuyler W. Psychological Determinants of Decision Making in Forensic/Police Context. 2013.  

  Alliant International U, California School of Forensic Studies, PhD dissertation.

Online:

Author Lastname, Firstname, Initial(s). Title of Dissertation/Thesis: Subtitle of Dissertation/Thesis. Date. Institution, Description. Name of Website/Repository/Database, URL.

Dajani, Daniel, D. Tattoos and Criminal Behavior: An Examination of the Relationship between Body Art and Crime. 2017John Jay College of Criminal Justice, MA thesis. CUNY Academic Workshttps://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=jj_etds.

Zambrano-Vazquez, Laura. The Interaction of State and Trait Worry on Response Monitoring in Those with Worry and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms. 2016U of Arizona, PhD dissertation. U of Arizona Campus Repository, https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615.

Zhou, Xiaochen. Leggings are the New Denim: An Investigation of Consumer Activewear Experience. 2018. Temple U, PhD dissertation. Proquest, https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/leggings-are-new-denim-investigation-consumer/docview/2100708110/se-2?accountid=11724

 

* Abbreviate "University" as U (example, Oxford University as Oxford U or State University of New York as State U of New York.

AI (ChatGPT or other AI Tools)

***Please consult the MLA Style Center for a more detailed discussion including AI generated images:  https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/***

 

MLA recommends providing a citation for any AI generated text, image, data, etc. that you incorporate into your work whether through quoting or paraphrasing.  Here is a general summary of the key elements for your MLA citation:

"Text of your prompt" prompt. AI tool, version, Publisher (company name), Date,

         URL.

The AUTHOR is NOT AI tool (such as ChatGPT). Begin your citation with the "title" (see below).

Title:  Generally speaking, the title is the prompt used (in quotes). You may also include a description of what was generated by the AI tool if that information is not included in your paper somewhere.

AI tool: Name of AI tool used (italicized).

Version: Version of the AI tool used--be as specific as possible.

Publisher: AI company name.

Date: Date content was generated.

Location:  URL

 

EXAMPLES (from the MLA Style Center):

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

“In 200 words, describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby” follow-up prompt to list sources. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 9 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

 

Audiovisual Materials in General

See Works Cited: Basic FormatAuthor FormatAbbreviations for Months of the Year and Audiovisual Materials in General for additional information.

AUTHOR: artist or other types of creator(s).  Audiovisual sources may have one creator or multiple creators and/or one or multiple producers, in addition to other various contributors. Key contributors should be listed with a label describing their role.  Some common author, producer and contributor categories for audiovisual works:

Film (Director)

Television Series (Executive Producer)

Television Episode (Writer and/or Director)

Performance (Choreographer, Performer, Director, Conductor, Composer)

Music Album or Song (Recording Artist or Composer)

Artwork (Photographer, Painter, Illustrator, etc.)

YouTube or Streaming Video (Uploader, Narrator or Speaker)

Podcast (Host)

Webinar (Speaker or Instructor)

Conference/Presentation (Presenter)

PowerPoint (Creator)

TITLE: Cite exactly as it appears in source.

PUBLISHER: Individual or group responsible for producing and/or making work available.  Some examples are:

Film or television (Studio, Production Company, Distributor, Network)

Performance (Theater Company)

DATE: Date made available. May be a range (2001-2003 or 2017-present)

LOCATION: URL or permalink if online OR location of physical object (piece of art in a museum) or event (such as a play or dance performance)

FILM/VIDEO/DVD/MOVIE:  It is not necessary to list every contributor.  Most commonly mentioned are director, producer and/or writer.

 

Film, DVD and Video

See Works Cited: Basic FormatAuthor Format, Abbreviations for Months of the Year and Audiovisual Materials in General for additional information.

Films are collaborative works. Your citation depends on your discussion of the film

1. Discussing film in general or numerous aspects of the film viewed in theater or on DVD:

Begin your entry with the title of the film, copying it exactly as it appears. Add "Directed by" followed by director's name, producer(s) name, release date:

Film Title. Directed by Name of Director, Name of Producer, Date.

Opening Night. Directed by John Cassavetes, Faces Distribution, 1977.*

Harold and Maude. Directed by Hal Ashby, Paramount Pictures, 1971. DVD.

2. Focus on specific contributor (such as the director or screenwriter):

Begin with contributor's name as author, adding title/role:

Dahl, Ronald, screenwriter. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Mel Stuart, Wolper Pictures/The Quaker Oats Company, 1971.**

Puzo, Mario, screenwriter, and Francis Ford Coppola, director. The Godfather. Paramount Pictures/Alfran Productions, 1972.**

Stevens, Cat, songwriter. Harold and Maude. Directed by Hal Ashby, Paramount Pictures, 1971. DVD.

 3. Include additional contributors (such as performers) after director name if meaningful to your discussion:

The Godfather. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, performances by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, Paramount Pictures/Alfran Productions, 1972.**

4. Add location if accessed online through database, website or App:

Film from Library Database:

 Women in Blue. Directed by Deirdre Fishel, Mind's Eye Productions/Inmatt Productions, 2020. Docuseek 2, https://docuseek2.com/gd-wib.**

Film from Website:

  Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story. Directed by Jennifer Takaki, produced by George and Hillary Hirose and Lily M. Fan, 13 May 2024. PBS.org, https://www.pbs.org/video/photographic-justice-the-corky-lee-story-jptcqb.

Film viewed on App:

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Universal Studios, 1982. Netflix app.*

5. Upload to Shared Streaming Site (including YouTube):

If creator is clearly stated, name them as author. If not, begin citation with title, add uploader account after location.  Titles are written exactly as they appear.  

Chance The Rapper. "Chance the Rapper All Day Long (Ft. John Legend)." YouTube, uploaded by Chance The Rapper, 26 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V846b5ETp-c.

"Still I Rise by Maya Angelou (Official Lyric Video)--Caged Bird Songs." YouTube, uploaded by Caged Bird Songs, 23 Sept. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watchv=_UFMB4i1AJo&feature=emb_title.

 

 *Example from MLA's Style Center

** Use forward slash with more than one producer

Television Series or Episode

See Works Cited: Basic FormatAuthor FormatAbbreviations for Months of the Year and Audiovisual Materials in General for additional information.

TV SERIES Broadcast:

Title of Series. Created/Hosted/Directed by Name, Network/Producer/Production Company, Date.

I Love Lucy. Created by Dezi Arnaz, starring Lucille Ball, Dezi Arnaz/Desilu Studios, 1951–1957.*

The Twilight Zone. Created by Rod Serling, Cayuga Productions/CBS Productions, 1959–1964.

TV EPISODE Broadcast:

"Title of Episode." Title of TV Series, Contributor Role, Contributor Name, Producer/Production Company, Original Air Date.

"It's a Good Life." The Twilight Zone, created by Rod Serling, season 3, episode 8, Cayuga Productions/CBS Productions, 3 Nov. 1961. 

"Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress." I Love Lucy, directed by William Asher, written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr., starring Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, 17 Sept. 1953.*

  EPISODE viewed on Website (Netflix, Hulu, etc.):

"Cake Week." The Great British Bake Off, collection 5, episode 1, BBC One, 2014. Netflix, https://www.netflix.com/watch/81001542?trackId=251128852.

"Raspberry-Fig Crostata with Flo Braker and Leslie Mackie." Baking with Julia, season 3, episode 13, PBS, 27 Dec. 2017. WLIW PBS, https://watch.wliw.org/video/julia-child-baking-julia-raspberry-fig-crostata-flo-braker-and-leslie-mackie/.

  EPISODE uploaded to Sharing Site (including YouTube): Type title exactly as it is written.

All in the Family S6 E16-New Year's Wedding. Dailymotion, uploaded by Wedding @TammaraHammons, 13 July 2015, https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xwujg.

All In The Family | The Bunkers And The Inflation | S5E2 & S5E3 & S5E4 | MARATHON. YouTube, uploaded by All in the Family, 28 Sept. 2024, https://youtu.be/goXnqfLcM5o?si=HuGLgSx0wFIB9A4j.

 EPISODE viewed through APP:

"New Normal." Directed by Dan Attias. Homeland, season 5, episode 10, Showtime, 24 July 2016. Amazon Prime Video app.**

 

* You may name specific contributors when relevant to your discussion.

** From MLA Handbook, 9th edition