The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, was released this spring. The most significant change is that MLA calls for listing the medium of publication (print, Web, television, etc.) for every citation.Other changes include:
- simplified format for citing Web publications
- new citation format for graphic narratives
- new citation format for digital files
- no requirement to include a URL for a Web publication, unless the citation information does not easily lead readers to the site
- inclusion of volume and issue number for every journal article cited
- new instructions for preparing figure, tables, and captions
Or, if you buy your own copy, MLA provides an activation code for the Handbook Web site, where you can browse the complete contents of the print volume and see additional citation examples.
Here are a few online citation guides that incorporate the seventh edition changes:
- Dixie State College of Utah MLA Citation Guide
- Duke University Libraries: Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper
- Scottsdale Community College MLA Citation Guide
p.s. APA users, don't rest easy thinking you're off the hook. The sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual is on its way!
2 comments:
Yet another MLA book, it really is forever changing! Any suggestions for a user-friendly APA text?
Anonymous, It's hard to keep up, isn't it? One Web site about APA style I like is Diana Hacker's Documentation and Style Online. For a print text, you could try Hacker's book Research and Documentation in the Electronic Age, or Writing with Style: APA Style Made Easy. Keep in mind that these will probably be outdated when the new APA Publication Manual comes out this summer.
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