The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook was published in April 2021. Rather than a revamping of the 8th edition, it follows the same template approach and provides more specific examples in its Works Cited List in Appendix II. It is filled with visual examples to make it easier for the reader to understand concepts. It gives more specific details about things like contributors and collaborative works. There is a new section on the principles of inclusive language. There is a whole appendix on abbreviations. UP can be used in most cases for university press. One change worth noting is that https:// should be inserted before a DOI so the reader can more easily follow its link. Seasons in journal issues such as spring should be in lower case. Supplemental elements (such as URLs) replace optional elements. No page numbers are required in intext citations if there are no page or paragraph numbers in the original text.
There is more detail on quoting and paraphrasing sources, punctuation with quotations, how to use ellipses, multiple works citing the same idea, citations in forms other than print, and capitalization with quotations. There is also a chapter on using notes (bibliographic or content) with intext citations. There is also more information on citing non-traditional research and indirect sources.
The Manual states that documentation is not needed for common knowledge, passing mentions and allusions, and it provides examples.
It should be noted that citation generators such as Easybib, Bibcitation and Citation Machine should not be relied on exclusively to create citations but should be used as a starting point only. You still need to edit their results.
(From: https://webinars.mla.org/webinar/whats-new-in-the-ninth-edition-of-the-mla-handbook/)
expanded, in-depth guidance on how to use the MLA template of core elements to create works-cited-list entries that shows what each core element is, where to find it, and how to style it
clarification that element names are not always literal and can apply to a range of situations (e.g., the Publisher element can refer to the publisher of a book or a sponsoring organization like the theater company that put on a play)
a new, easy-to-follow explanation of in-text citations
a new chapter containing recommendations for using inclusive language
a new appendix with hundreds of sample works-cited-list entries listed by publication format, including books, databases, websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more
updated guidelines on avoiding plagiarism
a new chapter on formatting a research paper
new, expanded guidelines on spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and more
a new chapter on using notes in MLA style
(https://style.mla.org/ninth-edition-whats-new/)
Entries in the works-cited list are created using the MLA template of core elements—facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date. To use the template, evaluate the work you’re citing to see which elements apply to the source. Then, list each element relevant to your source in the order given on the template.
The examples below show you how to cite five basic source types. Click on an entry to get more information, as well as links to posts with more examples. There are hundreds of sample entries by format, in the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook, published in April 2021.
Book by One Author
Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall. Picador, 2010.
Book by an Unknown Author
Beowulf. Translated by Alan Sullivan and Timothy Murphy, edited by Sarah Anderson, Pearson, 2004.
An Edited Book
Sánchez Prado, Ignacio M., editor. Mexican Literature in Theory. Bloomsbury, 2018.
Article on a website
Deresiewicz, William. “The Death of the Artist—and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur.” The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2014, theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/01/ the-death-of-the-artist-and-the-birth-of-thecreative-entrepreneur/383497/.
Book on a website
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Masque of the Red Death.” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, edited by James A. Harrison, vol. 4, Thomas Y. Crowell, 1902, pp. 250-58. HathiTrust Digital Library, hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924079574368.
Journal Article in a Database
Goldman, Anne. “Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante.” The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, spring 2010, pp. 69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188.
Song from an Album
Snail Mail. “Thinning.” Habit, Sister Polygon Records, 2016. Vinyl EP.
Song on a website
Snail Mail. “Thinning.” Bandcamp, snailmailbaltimore.bandcamp.com.
Concert Attended in Person
Beyoncé. The “Formation” World Tour. 14 May 2016, Rose Bowl, Los Angeles.
A Movie Viewed in Person
Opening Night. Directed by John Cassavetes, Faces Distribution, 1977.
A Movie Viewed Online
Richardson, Tony, director. Sanctuary. Screenplay by James Poe, Twentieth Century Fox, 1961. YouTube, uploaded by LostCinemaChannel, 17 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMnzFM_Sq8s.
A Television Show Viewed on Physical Media
“Hush.” 1999. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Fourth Season, created by Joss Whedon, episode 10, Mutant Enemy / Twentieth Century Fox, 2003, disc 3. DVD.
A Photograph Viewed in Person
Cameron, Julia Margaret. Alfred, Lord Tennyson. 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
A Painting Viewed Online
Bearden, Romare. The Train. 1975. MOMA, www.moma.org/collection/works/65232?locale=en.
An Untitled Image from a Print Magazine
Karasik, Paul. Cartoon. The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2008, p. 49.
Resources
- “Research and Citation Resources.” The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab, 2017. www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/.
-“Style Guides: Find the right citation guide for your research paper.” Dalhousie University Libraries. www.libraries.dal.ca/help/style-guides.html.
-“Write a paper and cite sources.” Acadia University, Vaughan Memorial Library.www.library.acadia.ca/writing.
-MLA Handbook. 8th ed., Kobo ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2016. (Reference book in our library) Our library will purchase the 9th edition when it has funds to do so.
-”The MLA Style Center: Writing Resources from the Modern Language Association”, Modern Language Association, style.mla.org/