MLA – Citing Digital Sources

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Citing digital sources in MLA format requires providing enough information that readers can accurately locate and reference the original content, including the author’s name, the title of the work (in quotation marks for articles and in italics for standalone works like ebooks), the title of the website or container, the publisher (if different from the website title), the publication or last updated date, and the URL. For sources such as online articles, the volume and issue numbers, as well as page numbers, should be included if available. When citing social media posts, include the author’s username in brackets and the content of the post. For multimedia sources like videos, include the uploader’s name and the platform. Providing detailed information ensures that the digital source is clearly identifiable and accessible, maintaining the integrity and traceability of academic work.

Citing a Website

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Web Page.” Website Name, Publisher, Date Published, URL.

Examples:

  1. Smith, John. “How to Learn Programming.” Code Academy, 15 Aug. 2020, www.codeacademy.com/learn-programming.
  2. Johnson, Linda. “Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet.” Healthline, 22 Mar. 2019, www.healthline.com/plant-based-diet.
  3. Williams, Mary. “The Importance of Mental Health.” Psychology Today, 5 Dec. 2021, www.psychologytoday.com/mental-health.

Citing an Online Article

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical, vol. number, no. number, Date Published, pages. URL.

Examples:

  • Doe, Jane. “The Future of Artificial Intelligence.” Tech Trends, vol. 12, no. 4, 10 Jan. 2020, pp. 34-56, www.techtrends.com/future-ai.
  • Brown, Sarah. “Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity.” Environmental News, vol. 8, no. 2, 20 July 2018, pp. 22-30, www.environmentalnews.com/climate-change.
  • Lee, Kevin. “Advances in Renewable Energy.” Green Energy Journal, vol. 5, no. 1, 5 Nov. 2019, pp. 12-19, www.greenenergyjournal.com/renewable-energy.

Citing an Ebook

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. URL.

Examples:

  • Martin, George R. R. A Song of Ice and Fire. HarperCollins, 2014. www.harpercollins.com/ebooks/song-of-ice-and-fire.
  • Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Pottermore, 2017. www.pottermore.com/harry-potter-ebook.
  • Orwell, George. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1949. www.hmhco.com/1984-ebook.

Citing Online Dictionaries

Format:
“Title of Entry.” Title of Dictionary, Publisher, Date Published, URL.

Examples:

  1. “Artificial Intelligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, n.d., www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artificial%20intelligence.
  2. “Sustainability.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, n.d., www.oed.com/sustainability.
  3. “Cryptocurrency.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, n.d., www.cambridge.org/cryptocurrency.

Citing Graphical Representations

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Graphic. Publisher, Year, URL.

Examples:

  • National Geographic. Global Warming Trends. National Geographic, 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/global-warming.
  • Smith, Adam. Economic Growth Chart. Economist, 2019, www.economist.com/economic-growth.
  • Doe, Jane. Population Distribution Map. World Atlas, 2021, www.worldatlas.com/population-distribution.

Citing Lecture Notes

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Lecture Notes. Institution Name, Year, URL.

Examples:

  • Johnson, Lisa. Introduction to Psychology. Stanford University, 2020, www.stanford.edu/psychology-notes.
  • Brown, Kevin. Data Structures and Algorithms. MIT, 2019, www.mit.edu/data-structures-notes.
  • Lee, Susan. Quantum Mechanics. Harvard University, 2021, www.harvard.edu/quantum-mechanics-notes.

Citing Presentation Slides

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Presentation. Institution Name, Year, URL.

Examples:

  • Doe, John. The Impact of Social Media on Youth. University of California, 2020, www.ucalifornia.edu/social-media-impact.
  • Smith, Mary. Advances in Medical Technology. Johns Hopkins University, 2019, www.jhu.edu/medical-tech.
  • Johnson, Andrew. Climate Change Solutions. Yale University, 2021, www.yale.edu/climate-change-solutions.

Citing Software

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Software. Version number, Publisher, Year, URL.

Examples:

  • Microsoft. Microsoft Word. Version 16.0, Microsoft, 2021, www.microsoft.com/word.
  • Adobe Systems. Adobe Photoshop. Version 21.0, Adobe, 2020, www.adobe.com/photoshop.
  • Smith, John. Budget Tracker. Version 2.3, Budget Software Inc., 2019, www.budgettracker.com.

Citing an Email

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Subject of the Email.” Received by Name, Date Sent.

Examples:

  • Doe, John. “Project Update.” Received by Alice Smith, 15 June 2020.
  • Johnson, Linda. “Meeting Rescheduled.” Received by Michael Brown, 10 Apr. 2019.
  • Smith, Alice. “Research Inquiry.” Received by Kevin Lee, 5 Nov. 2021.

Citing Social Media Posts

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name [Username]. “Content of the Post.” Platform, Date Posted, URL.

Examples:

  • Smith, John [@jsmith]. “Excited to announce our new product launch!” Twitter, 15 Aug. 2020, www.twitter.com/jsmith/status/1293857085123456789.
  • Johnson, Linda [@ljohnson]. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Instagram, 22 Mar. 2019, www.instagram.com/p/BvR5IJFFj1T.
  • Brown, Kevin [@kbrown]. “Starting a New Journey Today!” Facebook, 5 Dec. 2021, www.facebook.com/kbrown/posts/10158079234567890.

Citing a Podcast

Format:
“Title of Episode.” Title of Podcast, hosted by Host’s First Name Last Name, episode number, Production Company, Date Posted, URL.

Examples:

  • “The Future of AI.” Tech Talks, hosted by John Smith, episode 45, Tech Media, 10 Jan. 2020, www.techtalks.com/episodes/45.
  • “Climate Change Impact.” Green Earth, hosted by Linda Johnson, episode 22, Earth Productions, 20 July 2019, www.greenearth.com/episodes/22.
  • “Advances in Medicine.” Health Today, hosted by Kevin Brown, episode 12, Health Media, 5 Nov. 2021, www.healthtoday.com/episodes/12.

Citing Online Videos (like YouTube or Vimeo)

Format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name [Username]. “Title of Video.” Platform, Date Posted, URL.

Examples:

  • Doe, John [JohnDoe]. “How to Learn Programming.” YouTube, 15 Aug. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.
  • Smith, Mary [Smith123]. “Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet.” Vimeo, 22 Mar. 2019, www.vimeo.com/plantbaseddiet.
  • Lee, Kevin [LeeK]. “The Importance of Mental Health.” Dailymotion, 5 Dec. 2021, www.dailymotion.com/video/xyz5678.

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