{"id":36759,"date":"2025-07-14T10:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T04:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?post_type=comic_strip&#038;p=36759"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:32:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T03:02:37","slug":"looking-closely-at-the-fine-print-mla-citation-mistakes-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"comic_strip","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/looking-closely-at-the-fine-print-mla-citation-mistakes-to-avoid","title":{"rendered":"How to perfectly format MLA citations and references"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide is a staple in the field of humanities, and as researchers start their writing and publishing journeys, they are expected to have a good grasp on this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/research-paper-manuscript-formatting-services?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=mla-citation-mistakes-to-avoid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formatting<\/a> style. But some of its nuanced requirements and rules can trip up even the most experienced researchers. This is not surprising given the nature of this style guide whose strength lies in the details that most of us stop checking after grad school.<\/p>\n<p>In the list below, we focus on five specific citation oversights that can come up in reference formatting, especially while following the MLA 9 framework.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-36760\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"Infographic by Editage titled \u201cLooking Closely at the Fine Print: 5 MLA Citation Mistakes to Avoid.\u201d The infographic lists five common MLA 9 citation mistakes with explanatory text and blue-and-pink icons beside each section. The mistakes include: misrepresenting containers and nested sources, missing details of digital sources, incorrect use of \u201cet al.\u201d and author name formatting, citing indirect sources without attribution, and incorrect date formatting. The infographic explains rules such as properly identifying nested containers, including DOIs or stable URLs, formatting author names correctly, using \u201cqtd. in\u201d for indirect citations, and writing dates in MLA\u2019s day-month-year style. A closing note advises readers to consult the latest MLA Handbook and follow journal-specific formatting instructions when submitting manuscripts.\" width=\"893\" height=\"1264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-724x1024.jpg 724w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-768x1086.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/INSIGHTS_MLA-Formatting-Mistakes-to-Avoid-1448x2048.jpg 1448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 893px) 100vw, 893px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>5 Key considerations for MLA citations and references<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th style=\"text-align: left;\">Description<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Check for containers and nested sources<\/td>\n<td>In MLA 9, sources are often part of larger works, referred to as \u201ccontainers.\u201d For example, an article within a journal, accessed through a database, involves multiple containers. MLA requires identifying each layer. Failing to properly represent these nested structures can lead to incomplete or incorrect citations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Supply all details of digital sources<\/td>\n<td>Citations of digital sources should not omit key elements such as DOIs, stable URLs, or publication dates. MLA 9 recommends including the DOI when available, formatted as a URL (e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/\">https:\/\/doi.org\/<\/a>&#8230;), or a reliable permalink if no DOI is provided. These details ensure the source is easily retrievable.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Verify use of et al. and author name formatting<\/td>\n<td>In the Works Cited list, MLA 9 requires listing up to two authors in full and using et al. only for three or more. When listing two authors, their names must be formatted differently: the first author\u2019s name is inverted (Last Name, First Name), while the second is written in natural order (First Name Last Name). This rule is easy to overlook and is often applied inconsistently.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Avoid citing indirect sources without attribution<\/td>\n<td>It\u2019s a common mistake to cite a source you only encountered, quoted, or discussed in another work, without crediting the intermediary. MLA requires you to cite only what you actually consulted. If you didn\u2019t read the original source, use the phrase \u201cqtd. in\u201d to credit the one you did (e.g., qtd. in Jones 112).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Crosscheck date formatting<\/td>\n<td>MLA uses the day-month-year format without commas (e.g., 5 June 2025), which differs from APA and standard U.S. formatting. A common mistake is writing dates in formats like June 5, 2025 or 2025-06-05. MLA also abbreviates all months with names longer than four letters (e.g., Sept. not September).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"author":2739,"featured_media":36765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2427],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[5754,5855,5856],"series":[],"class_list":["post-36759","comic_strip","type-comic_strip","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-style-format","new_tags-manuscript-formatting","new_tags-mla-formatting","new_tags-reference-formatting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to perfectly format MLA citations and references | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore five common citation oversights that can come up in reference formatting, especially while following the MLA 9 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