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MLA 9th Edition: Article in an Online Reference Book (encyclopedia or dictionary)

Help with formatting an MLA research project, creating a Works Cited page and citing sources in the text.

Instructions for DOIs, permalinks and URLs

In order of preference, MLA recommends the use of a DOI, then a permalink, and lastly the URL. 

DOIs should include: https://doi.org/ in front of the DOI.

Permalinks are more stable URLs, often provided in the SPC databases.

URLs should not include the protocol http:// or  https://.

Long URLs, generally more than three lines, should be truncated. See the MLA style website for further details:

style.mla.org/urls-some-practical-advice/.

Article in an Online Reference Book -- Templates

Works Cited

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Book Title,

edited by First Name Last Name, vol. #, Publisher,

Publication Date, pp. xx-zz. DOI or permalink or URL.


 

Article in an Online Reference Book -- Citation Example

Works Cited

Botterill, Steven N. “Angela Da Foligno, Saint.” 

Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia,

edited by Christopher Kleinhenz et al.,

vol. 1, Routledge, 2004,

pp. 35-36. Google Books,

books.google.com/.

“Pendragon.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,

15 Dec. 2016, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Pendragon.“Pendragon.” Wikipedia: The

Free Encyclopedia, 15 Dec. 2016, Wikimedia

Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendragon.

"United States." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the

Nations, edited by Timothy L. Gall and

Jeneen M. Hobby, 12th ed., vol. 3, Thomson

Gale, 2007, pp. 499-548. Gale eBooks,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2586700176/

GVRL?u=lincclin_spjc&sid=bookmark-GVRL

&xid=952a5b3e. 

Article in an Online Reference Book -- In-Text Citation -- Example

According to Botterill, "A direct quote from the

article" (35)Only include the page number if the electronic

article has the publication page numbers ("Pendragon)..

or

Typically, a paraphrased sentence will have the author's name

and the page number, if available, at the end. When paraphrasing from

an article without a named author, use the title of the article for the

citation and the page number if available ("United States" 502).