Citing sources is one of the most critical elements of creating not only ethical material, but credible documents. Traditionally, writers have had to access the MLA handbook–a 250+ page source book for referencing citation standards–or they have had to look up citation information online, one source at at a time in order to cite their sources in MLA format.
In the chart below, however, writers have access to all the rules and guidelines and formats for citing the most common sources in MLA format in one easy-to-use visual guide!
MLA format, developed by the Modern Language Association, is one of the most widely-used citation formats in our society. Taught in high school and throughout college, MLA format is typically best for citing essays and reports for the humanities.
How It Works
Using the fan chart and by associating the numbers with the citation parts in the key to the right, you can cite nearly any source in MLA format. Here’s how:
1) Locate the type of source you are trying to cite within one of the four source categories: Books, Periodicals, Online Sources, or Other.
2) Identify the colored thread in the fan chart that is associated with your source.
3) Moving left to right in your source’s column of trapezoids, jot down each number.
4) Use the list below to match the number with the complete citation information for each number. Note: The punctuation in each numbered item is exactly as it should appear in your citation.
5) Fill out your citation in the proper order.
