MLA Core Elements
MLA - Who is the author?
The author refers to the person or entity that created the source.
Authors can include individual people writing books and articles, Film directors, government agencies, corporations, and many more.
List the author last name first: Brown, Brene.
If the person you are listing as the creator is someone other than an author, such as an editor or translator, include a label that indicates this.
Example: Nunberg, Geoffrey, editor.
If the source was created by an organization, such as an institution, government agency, corporation, etc. list the name of the organization as the author.
However, if the authoring organization is also the publisher, do not list it in the author spot. Begin the entry with the source title and list the organization only in the publisher spot.
What if there are multiple authors?
When a source has two authors, list them in the order in which their names appear in the work. Only the first person will be listed last name first. The second person's name should appear in normal order.
Example: Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdrich
When a source has three or more authors, list only the first person's name (last name, first name), followed by et al (and others).
Example: Brown, Peter C., et al.
What if there is no author listed?
Do not list the author as Anonymous, rather simply skip the author element and begin the citation with the source title.
MLA - Journal Articles
Journal or Magazine Articles
Put the article titles in quotation marks, and italicize the name of the journal.
Example:
Oklander, Mandy. "Untangling Alzheimer's." Time, vol. 188, no. 7, 22 Aug. 2016, pp. 40-43.
If you found an article in an online database, make note of the database and include a permalink or doi.
Example: Article in a database
Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante." The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188.
MLA - Newspaper Articles
Newspaper Articles
Put the title of the article in quotation marks, and italicize the name of the newspaper. Not all newspapers use volume and issue numbers. If present, they will usually be listed near the date. List as much of the date as is available.
Example: Online news article
O'Connor, Anahad. "How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat" The New York Times. 12 Sept. 2016. http://nyti.ms/2c5GXmW
Example: News article in a database
Cha, Ariana Eunjung. "Measures to Deter Zika Ramp up around the Globe." The Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2016, p. A2. LexisNexis Academic. http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5KK9-MX91-DXXY-33N9&csi=237924&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true
Example: Newspaper in print