MLA which is an acronym for The Modern Language Association of America. MLA citation style is one of many different citation styles in academic writing, especially in humanities. MLA Citation styles are standardized systems for mentioning and acknowledging sources you have used for your research paper or assignment.
Since there are many different citation styles, your program or degree will require you to use a specific citation style. There are over 100 citation style and it is essential to follow the required style and not be tempted to follow another style to avoid inconsistency. On this post, I will tell you everything you need to know about MLA in-text citation of a website.
What is MLA in-text citation for a website?
MLA In-text citation, usually parenthetical or in brackets, is an act of mentioning a website or its content within the body of research work or paper while providing a full reference (Work cited) at the end of the page of the research work. It is called “in-text” because another source had been cited within the body of research work.
What usually follows after MLA in-text citation is the Works Cited List. While the In-text citation is used to cite a text or resources from another source by including only the author’s, name, the former provides full information about the source cited by including the website title, title of the page, date, URL, last accessed etc…
MLA In-text citation format for websites.
Citing a website is not as easy as MLA citation for a book. In-text citation for a website means mentioning the content a website on your research work or assignment usually in parentheses. Citing a website should be done with caution because the content are usually volatile and dynamic. This simple means its content can be deleted, edited and restructured. The URL can also be changed at will.
The information you need to cite a website using MLA format is usually found at the Header (top of the website) and the Footer section.
Before I show you various examples of in MLA In-text citation for website. Let’s consider what must be included In-text citation.
The following must be included when citing a website using MLA style format
- The author’s surname (last name) appears in the in-text citation
- If a source has no author or editor, use the title in quotation
How to evaluate a website to be used for MLA in-text citation of a research work
- Is the author well known and frequently published?
- Are there any reviews available for the author’s work?
- How easy is it to find contact information for the author within the website?
- When the source was originally published?
- When it was last updated?
- Are you citing the latest update?
- Does it appeal more to an academic reader, or is it more casual?
- Would someone not familiar with the subject be able to understand the source’s topic after reading it?
- What is the intended audience of the website?
- Is it similar or different from your intended audience?
- What is the purpose of the website topic? Is it to persuade or argue?
- To entertain or inform?
- What is the author’s tone of voice?
- Do they seem to only present one side of the argument?
- How do they address the counter-argument, if at all?
- How much information can be learned from the website on a particular topic?
- Does it talk about a broad topic or a specific element of a topic?
- Are there larger, more popular websites on the topic than this one?
- Are there similar content within the websites
What is the purpose of MLA In-text citation of a website?
- The main purpose of MLA In-text citation of a website is to indicate within your assignment the sources of the information you have used to write your research work or assignment and in turn, demonstrates support for your ideas, arguments and views.
- Another main purpose of MLA In-text citation of a website is plagiarism. If you make use someone else’s online article and fail to acknowledge them, you may be accused of plagiarism and infringing copyright if noticed.
- Another main purpose of MLA In-text citation is to direct your readers to your sources through your Works Cited list at the end of your academic work.
- Professionally, In-text citation is a required parameter for any research work or assignment. For any research work to be fully approved, MLA In-text citation is a requirement. A research work without citation is more or less literature.
One last thing to note before I show you MLA In-text citation format examples for websites, let me tell the things you must remember. When creating MLIA in-text citation, the following are fundamental to help you create a great Work Cited List at the end of your research work.
- Who – wrote /edited it – author or editor
- What is it – the title of the website, the title of the article, title of the web document etc
- Where was it published or last updated (Websites)
- Where was the article located within the website?
- Where you located it (Internet sources) – URL – web address.
MLA Works Cited List entry format of a website/web page
Remember Reference encompasses citation. While citation only points to a building and landlord, Reference points to the building, rooms, landlord and possibly the children. In essence, the reference (Works Cited List) includes details of the sources cited in your paper. It starts on a separate page at the end of your assignment paper and is titled Works Cited. Each item cited in the Works Cited list must have been cited in your paper.
All sources appearing in the Works Cited list must be ordered alphabetically by surname because the Works Cited list provides all the details necessary for the person reading and/or marking the assignment to locate and retrieve any information source cited. An accurate and properly constructed Works Cited list provides credibility to the written work it accompanies and helps readers find the particular sources you have used.
The following are Core Element of MLA citation for websites (however, you should ignore any element not found on the source you cited) Check out the core element for book
Core Elements are important criteria when citing a website or an E-book using MLA. You should note that not every Website/Web page or E-book will provide all of the Core Element. However, you should gather as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
- Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
- “Article name in quotation marks.”
- Title of the website, project, or website in italics.
- Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
- Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
- Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
- URL (without the https://) DOI or permalink.
- The date you accessed the material (Date Accessed) — while not required, it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently, do not have a visible copyright date or publication date
- Remember to cite the website containers after your regular citation. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.
The format is thus:
Author. “Title.” Title of container (self-contained for website), other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2nd container’s title, other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, and Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable). Only provide available information.
MLA citation for websites examples:
How to cite a Blog post with MLA format
You should cite a blog post using this format: Author’s Last Name, First Name or username if real name not provided, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the blog name in italics, the publisher, and the date the blog was published, URL of blog post, follow with the date of access.
When citing a blog post, last accessed date is now optional though recommended when no publication date is visible. Moreover, Blog posts have no page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings so this information is left out of the in-text citation. If the author is not known, the blog title (or an abbreviated version of the title) is used in the in-text citation, in quotation marks.
In-text citation: (Counsellor)
Work Cited: Counsellor, “The heat in Lagos State and how to cope”, Fatherprada, Fatherprada Enterprise, 6, April 2019, https://fatherprada.com/blog/the-heat-in-lagos-and-how-to-cope/
To see the practical application of intext quotation of MLA Check out the core element for book
How to cite a Website with a Known Author using MLA format (Citing an Entire Web Site)
You should cite a website using this format: Author’s Last Name, First Name or username if real name not provided. Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed access date. If the author is not known, the website title (or an abbreviated version of the title) is used in the in-text citation, in quotation marks.
In-Text Citation: (Okpala)
Works Cited: Okpala Azuka. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016.
How to cite a Page or Document on a Website with a Known Author using MLA format (Potion a Web Site)
You should cite a web page using this format: Author’s Last Name, First Name or username if real name not provided. “Title of Page or Document.” Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed access date. If the author is not known, the web page title or document (or an abbreviated version of the title) is used in the in-text citation, in quotation marks.
In-Text Citation: (Okpala)
Works Cited: Okpala Azuka. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016.
How to cite a Website Created by an Institution, or Group with MLA format (Citing an Entire Web Site)
“Title of Section.” Title of Website, Publisher or Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or last modified date, URL. Accessed access date.
Please note: The publisher or sponsoring organization can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site. When the page is authored and published by the same corporation/group/organization, begin your citation with the section title. The publisher may be omitted from the citation if the website title is essentially the same as the publisher name
In-text citation: (“Faculty of Law”)
Work Cited: “Faculty of Law.” The University of Benin, http://law.uniben.edu/ Accessed 16 June 2019
How to Format the Works Cited in MLA
- Start the Works Cited list on a new page at the end of your assignment, including only sources cited within your writing.
- The title Works Cited, or Work Cited if there is only one source, should be centred and at the top of the page.
- Double-space the entire Works Cited list, including the title line. Do not add an extra blank line after the title.
- Put the first line of each new entry to the left margin (left justified). Use a hanging indent (standard half-inch tab) for all subsequent lines of the entry. Tip: In MS Word, highlight all lines of the entry and press Ctrl + t
- Organize the list alphabetically according to the first letter of each entry. Ignore “A,” “An,” and “The” when alphabetizing.