How to Use an MLA Citation Generator
If you are writing a research paper or an academic essay, you need to cite your sources properly. Citing your sources means giving credit to the original authors or creators of the information you used in your paper. It also helps your readers find and verify the sources you used, and avoid plagiarism. This is were an mla format citation generator can help.
Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit. Plagiarism can have serious consequences, such as lower grades, academic probation, or even expulsion. To avoid plagiarism, you need to follow the citation style required by your instructor or discipline. One of the most common citation styles is MLA (Modern Language Association), which is used in the humanities, such as literature, language, and cultural studies.
MLA citation style has two main components:
MLA citation style has two main components: in-text citations and works cited entries. In-text citations are brief references that appear in parentheses within your text, usually at the end of a sentence, to indicate where you got the information from. Works cited entries are full citations that appear at the end of your paper, on a separate page, to list all the sources you cited in your paper.
However, citing sources can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have many sources to cite. That’s why many students and researchers use an MLA citation generator to help them create accurate and consistent citations. An MLA citation generator is an online tool that automatically generates citations for different types of sources, such as books, articles, websites, podcasts, etc. All you need to do is enter some basic information about the source, such as the author, title, date, etc., and the tool will format the citation for you according to the MLA style.
However, citing sources can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have many sources to cite. That’s why many students and researchers use an MLA citation generator to help them create accurate and consistent citations. An MLA citation generator is an online tool that automatically generates citations for different types of sources, such as books, articles, websites, podcasts, etc. All you need to do is enter some basic information about the source, such as the author, title, date, etc., and the tool will format the citation for you according to the MLA style.
In this article, we will show you how to use an MLA citation generator to create citations for different types of sources. We will also explain the differences between in-text citations and works cited entries, and how to format them correctly. Finally, we will give you some tips on how to avoid plagiarism and common citation errors.
How to Use an MLA Citation Generator
There are many MLA format citation generators available online, but they may vary in terms of quality and accuracy. Therefore, it is important to choose a reliable and reputable one that follows the latest edition of the MLA Handbook (9th edition). One of the best MLA format citation generators is EasyBib.com, which offers a free service for students and researchers. Here are the steps to use EasyBib.com to create MLA citations:
- Go to https://www.easybib.com/mla-format/website-citation
- Choose the type of source you want to cite from the drop-down menu, such as website, book, journal article, magazine article, podcast, etc.
- Enter the URL or ISBN of the source, or search for it by title or author.
- Review the information retrieved by the tool and make any necessary changes or additions.
- Click on “Create Citation” and copy the citation that appears on the screen.
- Paste the citation into your works cited page at the end of your paper.
Examples of MLA Citations for Different Types of Sources
Here are some examples of how MLA citations look like for different types of sources:
Website:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Web Page.” Title of Website, Publisher or Sponsor of Website, Date of Publication or Update, URL. Accessed Date.
Example:
Smith, John. “How to Write a Blog Post.” Writing Tips Blog,
Writing Academy Inc., 15 Jan. 2020,
https://www.writingtipsblog.com/how-to-write-a-blog-post/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
Book:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher,
Year of Publication.
Example:
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. HarperCollins,
1988.
Journal Article:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal,
Volume Number,
Issue Number,
Year of Publication,
Page Range.
Database Name,
URL or DOI.
Example:
Jones, Mary. “The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health.” Journal of Psychology,
vol. 25,
no. 3,
2019,
pp. 123-145.
ProQuest,
https://doi.org/10.1111/jpsy.12345.
Magazine Article:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine,
Date of Publication,
Page Range.
Example:
Brown, Susan. “The Benefits of Meditation.” Health Magazine,
1 Oct. 2023,
pp. 56-59.
Podcast:
Host’s Last Name, First Name (if available). “Title of Episode.” Title
of Podcast,
Season Number (if applicable),
Episode Number (if applicable),
Publisher or Sponsor (if applicable),
Date of Publication,
URL.
Example:
Doe, Jane. “The Secrets of Happiness.” The Happiness Podcast,
season 2,
episode 5,
Happiness Foundation,
10 Sep. 2023,
https://www.happinesspodcast.com/the-secrets-of-happiness/.
Differences Between In-Text Citations and Works Cited Entries
As mentioned earlier, MLA citation style has two main components: in-text citations and works cited entries. Here are the main differences between them:
- In-text citations are brief references that appear in parentheses within your text, usually at the end of a sentence, to indicate where you got the information from. They usually include the author’s last name and the page number (if available) of the source. For example: (Smith 12).
- Works cited entries are full citations that appear at the end of your paper, on a separate page, to list all the sources you cited in your paper. They include more details about the source, such as the title, date, publisher, URL, etc. For example: Smith, John. “How to Write a Blog Post.” Writing Tips Blog, Writing Academy Inc., 15 Jan. 2020, https://www.writingtipsblog.com/how-to-write-a-blog-post/.
- In-text citations and works cited entries should match each other, meaning that the reader should be able to find the corresponding works cited entry for each in-text citation by looking at the author’s last name and/or the title of the source.
- In-text citations and works cited entries should follow the same format and punctuation rules as specified by the MLA style.
How to Format In-Text Citations and Works Cited Entries Correctly
Here are some general guidelines on how to format in-text citations and works cited entries correctly according to the MLA format style:
- Use double quotation marks around the titles of articles, web pages, podcast episodes, etc., and italicize the titles of books, journals, magazines, podcasts, etc.
- Capitalize the first word and all major words in the titles of sources, except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions (of, in, on, etc.), and conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.), unless they are the first or last word of the title.
- Use a comma to separate the author’s name and the title of the source in works cited entries, and a period to end each element of the citation.
- Use a colon to separate the title of a source and its subtitle, if any.
- Use abbreviations such as vol. for volume, no. for number, pp. for pages, etc., when applicable.
- Use a hyphen to indicate a page range, such as pp. 123-145.
- Use “n.d.” (no date) if the date of publication or update is not available for a source.
- Use “Accessed” followed by a date in day-month-year format to indicate when you accessed an online source.
- Use a URL or a DOI (digital object identifier) to provide the location of an online source. A DOI is preferable if available, as it is more stable and permanent than a URL. A DOI usually starts with “https://doi.org/” followed by a string of numbers and letters.
- Use a hanging indent for each works cited entry, meaning that the first line of each entry is flush with the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented by half an inch.
How to Avoid Plagiarism and Common Citation Errors
Here are some tips on how to avoid plagiarism and common citation errors when using an MLA format citation generator:
- Always cite your sources whenever you use someone else’s words or ideas in your paper, whether you quote them directly or paraphrase them in your own words.
- Always use quotation marks around direct quotes from sources, and include an in-text citation with the author’s name and page number (if available) after the quote. For example: “Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit” (Jones 124).
- Always introduce your sources by providing some context or background information about them, such as their authorship, credibility, relevance, etc. For example: According to Mary Jones, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and an expert on social media and mental health…
- Always check your citations for accuracy and consistency before submitting your paper. Make sure that all the information is correct and complete, that all the punctuation marks are in place, that all the in-text citations match their corresponding works cited entries, and that all the sources are listed alphabetically by author’s last name on your works cited page.
- Always use a reliable and reputable MLA citation generator that follows the latest edition of the MLA Handbook (9th edition). One of the best MLA citation generators is EasyBib.com
This is very helpful. Thank you.
Good to know. Thanks.