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MLA citation generator

Format works-cited entries in MLA 9th edition — the standard for literature, languages and much of the humanities. Enter the details once or paste BibTeX/RIS, and copy the finished entry.

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Who uses MLA style

MLA (Modern Language Association) style dominates literature, languages, cultural studies and humanities coursework. The 9th edition (2021) keeps the container system of the 8th: every source is described by the same nine core elements, from author to location, applied flexibly.

MLA 9th edition at a glance

Reference-list example

Chen, Maria, and James Okafor. “Sleep Deprivation and Working Memory.” Cognitive Science, vol. 47, no. 2, 2023, pp. 112–39.

In-text citation

Working memory declines under sleep loss (Chen and Okafor 118) — page number, no comma, no year.

The rules that trip people up

  • First author inverted (Chen, Maria), subsequent authors in normal order; three or more authors become "et al." after the first.
  • Titles of articles and chapters in quotation marks; titles of journals, books and websites in italics — both in Title Case.
  • Volume and issue written out as "vol. 47, no. 2"; page ranges shortened (112–39, not 112–139).
  • In-text citations give author and page only — (Chen and Okafor 118) — with no comma and no year.
  • The works-cited list is alphabetized by author surname and titled "Works Cited", not "References" or "Bibliography".

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between MLA and APA?
MLA cites by author and page — (Chen 118) — because humanities arguments point at passages; APA cites by author and year — (Chen, 2023) — because sciences care when a finding was published. Title formatting, author-name forms and list titles all differ too, so switch styles with software rather than by hand.
How do I cite a website in MLA 9?
Author (if known), page title in quotation marks, site name in italics, publication date, and the URL without https://. Example: Chen, Maria. “Why We Sleep Badly.” Sleep Notes, 12 Mar. 2023, sleepnotes.example/why-we-sleep-badly.
Do I include the DOI in MLA?
MLA 9 recommends a DOI (formatted as https://doi.org/...) over a URL when one exists for a scholarly article. The generator includes it automatically when you provide one.

Other citation styles

APAChicagoHarvardIEEEVancouverAll styles

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In Kahubi, your library carries the metadata: the agent cites papers as it writes in MLA style, and the bibliography always matches the in-text citations — in LaTeX or rich text.

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