Skip to Main Content

MLA 9th

This Research Guide lists examples of how to cite sources according to the MLA Handbook, 9th edition.

Blog Post

Nestle, Marion. “For the Record: The GMO Labeling Bill.” Food Politics, 24 Aug. 2016, www.foodpolitics.com/2016/08/for-the-record-the-gmo-labeling-bill.

Author of Post (if listed). “Title of Post.” Name of Blog/Website, Publisher(s) of Site (unless same as site name), Date of Post (if listed), URL of Post. Optional Blog Name (if different from website name). Optional Date of Access.

Author:

  • If an online name alone is listed as the author, start your citation with that as written: LeafyGreens.
  • If both an online name and real name is listed for the author, you may include both using square brackets, as follows: LeafyGreens [Judith Greenleaf] or Greenleaf, Judith [LeafyGreens].
  • If an author's real name is listed (with no online name), start your citation the same as you would for most other sources: Greenleaf, Judith.

No Author:

  • If no author is listed for your post, start your citation with the title of the post.

Publisher:

  • Look for the publisher(s) at the bottom of the webpage (often beside a copyright symbol), or on the “About Us” page on the site.

  • If the publisher of your site is essentially the same as the name of the site, you do not need to include it (e.g., the Fox News site is published by Fox News Network, so no need to include this publisher).

  • If you cannot find a publisher listed on the site, it is likely the same as the site name, so skip it and move on to the date of publication.

  • If more than one publisher appears to share equal responsibility for the site, include all publisher names separated by a forward slash: U of Nebraska / AGBIOS.

No Publication Date:

  • If you cannot find a publication date for your post, skip it and move on to the URL (do not use the site copyright date that is often found at the bottom of the page).

URL:

  • Many separate posts may appear on a blog page; click on the title of your particular post to find the URL that will lead to that individual post.
  • Look for a "permalink" when copying the URL for your post (sometimes found under a "share" feature). If you cannot find anything specifically labeled as a permalink, copy the URL from your web browser at the top of your screen.
  • You do not have to include the initial "https://" (or "http://") unless you need it to make a clickable hyperlink (test to see if it works without it).
  • Put a period at the end of your URL.
  • The exact format of your website URL (clickable or non-clickable) depends on your instructor's preferences. Make sure you know how your instructor prefers your URLs to appear in your Works Cited list.

Optional Blog Name:

  • It is not required, but if your blog has a name that is separate from the site name (such as a blog found on a news site or organization's site, for example), you may include it after your URL:

Schutz, Jennifer. “Giving Youth a Voice in Pediatric Health Research." Mayo Clinic, 6 May 2021, advancingthescience.mayo.edu/2021/05/06/giving-youth-a-voice-in-pediatric-health-research. Advancing the Science.

Supplemental Access Date:

  • As web publications can change or disappear, you should add your date of access after the URL if you feel your site might be altered or may be removed, and when no publication date is listed for your article:

Trottier, Lisa. “Moms Speak Up on How They Save." BabyCenter, www.babycenter.com/family/money/moms-speak-up-on-how-they-save_10357056. Accessed 22 July 2021.

Entire Website

Mark Twain Project Online. Regents of the University of California, 2007-21, marktwainproject.org.

Author(s)/Editor(s) of Website (if listed and different from publisher's name). Name of Website. Publisher(s) of Website (unless same as website name), Date or Date Range of Site's Creation or When Last Edited/Updated (if listed), URL of Website (from homepage). Optional Date of Access.

Publisher:

  • Look for the publisher(s) at the bottom of the homepage (often beside a copyright symbol), or on the “About Us” page on the site.

  • If the publisher of your website is essentially the same as the name of the website, you do not need to include it (e.g., the Fox News site is published by Fox News Network, so no need to include this publisher).

  • If you cannot find a publisher listed on the site, it is likely the same as the website name, so skip it and move on to the site date (if listed).

  • If more than one publisher appears to share equal responsibility for the site, include all publisher names separated by a forward slash: U of Nebraska / AGBIOS.

Site Date:

  • The site creation date is often found at the bottom of the site's homepage, beside a copyright symbol. It may be shown as a single year (e.g., © 2021) or a range of years (e.g., © 1994-2019).
  • If you see a date for when the whole site was "last edited" or "updated/revised/modified," use that instead of the creation date.
  • If you cannot find any type of date that applies to the site as a whole, skip it and move on to the URL.

URL:

  • Look for a "permalink" when copying the URL for your website (sometimes found under a "share" feature). If you cannot find anything specifically labeled as a permalink, copy the URL from your web browser at the top of your screen.
  • You do not have to include the initial "https://" (or "http://") unless you need it to make a clickable hyperlink (test to see if it works without it).
  • Put a period at the end of your URL.
  • The exact format of your website URL (clickable or non-clickable) depends on your instructor's preferences. Make sure you know how your instructor prefers your URLs to appear in your Works Cited list.

Supplemental Access Date:

  • As web publications can change or disappear, you should add your date of access after the URL if you feel your site might be altered or may be removed, and when no site date is listed:

Nutrition for Kids. nutritionforkids.com. Accessed 3 Sept. 2021.

GenAI

What You Need to Know:

There’s a lot of discussion about whether it’s okay to include generative AI (GenAI) tools—like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini—in your references. These tools are constantly evolving, so the rules aren’t always clear. When in doubt, ask your instructor. They have the final say in how your papers and assignments should be structured. 

Here’s what matters for you as a student: 

  • Don’t use GenAI to write your assignments unless your instructor says it’s okay. Doing so without permission is considered plagiarism. 

  • Cite the original source (if applicable). Just like with Wikipedia, always look for the original source and use that instead. If a GenAI tool doesn't provide a source, ask it to. Make sure that the source provided actually exists and cite that instead (but only if it is an acceptable source). 

  • Using GenAI without guidance can hurt your learning. It may limit your growth in critical thinking, creativity, and analysis—skills that are essential for academic success. 

  • GenAI isn’t like a regular source. It doesn’t have a real author, its answers can change each time, and it doesn’t “think”—it just predicts text. So, you can’t fully trust what it generates. 

  • Citation rules are still developing. MLA, APA, and other style guides offer suggestions, but they’re not final. Your instructor decides how you should cite GenAI content. 

  • If GenAI use is allowed, ask your instructor how to cite it properly. Don’t assume—always check. 

"How do you make coffee using a French press?" prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4o, OpenAI, 25 June 2025, chatgpt.com. 

"Prompt text" prompt. Title of AI Tool, Version (if available), Publisher of AI Tool (unless same as website name), Date Content was Generated, URL of AI Tool or Link to Specific Content Generated (do not include https:// at the beginning). 

Author:

  • MLA does not recommend treating the AI tool as an author. Skip this step.

Title of Source (Prompt):

  • If you do not refer to or mention information about the prompt in the body of your text, you should indicate that it is a prompt in your citation (e.g., "How do I make French press coffee?" prompt.)

Version:

  • The version of the tool may be indicated as a date (e.g., June 2025 version), a version name (e.g., GPT-4o), or a version number (e.g., Version 3.5).
  • You may be able to determine the version of the AI tool by asking (prompting) it to tell you what version you are using. 
  • If no version is indicated, just skip this part of the citation.

Publisher:

  • If the publisher of the AI tool is essentially the same as the name of the tool, you do not need to include it.

  • If you cannot find a publisher listed on the site of the tool, it is likely the same as the tool name, so skip it.

URL:

  • Do not include https:// at the beginning.
  • If the generated content is publicly available without having to log in or create an account, provide the direct link to the chat transcript.
  • If logging in is required to view the content, then provide the main URL for the tool itself (e.g., copilot.microsoft.com).