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MLA Style:  Book chapters

UON Library guide to MLA referencing style 8th edition for UON students

Book chapters: General rules

 

Author Names

  • Appear first in the reference. Use the full names of authors and invert only the first author in the reference list.
  • List all authors when a chapter has up to 2 authors; list only the first author followed by et al. for 3 or more authors in the in-text citation and works-cited list.

Chapter Titles

  • The title of the chapter appears after the author, and is enclosed in quotation marks.
  • Capitalise all words in the chapter title and sub-title (except for common words - of, and, etc.).

Editor Names

  • Use the editor's full names (first name first) in the works-cited list.

Book Titles

  • Capitalise all words in the book title and sub-title (except for common words - of, and, etc.).
  • Book titles appear in italics.

Edition

  • The edition other than the first is cited. The standard first edition is not cited. 
  • Terms of edition are abbreviated, e.g. 2nd ed. (Second Edition), rev. ed. (Revised Edition), or 1st Aust. ed. (First Australian Edition).
  • Remove any superscript from editions when typing - all letters should be on the same line (e.g. 2nd ed.).

Page Numbers

  • In-text citation may list the page(s) cited, or the section (sec.) or other number.
  • Inclusive page numbers for the chapter are included in the works-cited list.

Place of Publication is not needed in MLA 8th

Publisher

  • The publisher’s name may be given either in full or in an abbreviated form.
  • Omit an initial The from a publisher’s name and the words such as "Inc.", "Ltd.", "Co.", "Corp." or "& Co."

Year of Publication 

  • For books and book chapters, only the year, not the month or day, is included in the publication date.
  • When the publication date is unknown, omit this element; the abbreviation n.d. is not used in MLA 8th.

eBooks Chapter

  • Chapters in ebooks may have their own individual DOI so where possible use the chapter DOI rather than the one for the whole book.
  • For books consulted online, include the DOI if available or the URL at the end of the citation.
  • For an ebook located from a library database, add the name of the database in italics, before the DOI or URL.

Secondary Sources

For citations taken from secondary sources, see Secondary Sources.

Book chapters with 1 author

 

The following is the general format of a reference to a book chapter with one author from an edited book. Ignore the editor's element if the book is a single-author book (the author of the books is the author for all chapters), as shown in example 2, or simply reference the whole book.

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Chapter Author's Last Name Page/s cited) ...

... (Ashman 28) ...

... (Brower 215) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name. "Chapter Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year, pp. page range of chapter.

AshmanAdrian. Contemporary Cultures and Education.Education for Inclusion and Diversity, edited by Adrian Ashman and John Elkins, 3rd ed., Pearson Education Australia, 2009, pp. 3-34. 

Brower, Kate Andersen. “Backstairs Gossip and Mischief.” The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, Harper, 2015, pp. 207-22.

 

Book chapters with 2 authors

 

When a chapter has 2 authors, list both authors and use and (not &) to connect them. 

The following is the general format of a reference to a book chapter with 2 authors from an edited book. Omit the editor's element if the book is a single-author book (not an edited book with different chapter authors).

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Chapter Author's Last Names Page/s cited) ...

... (Juvonen and Graham 234) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

First Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name, and 2nd Chapter Authors' First Name Last Name. "Chapter Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year, pp. page range of chapter. 

Juvonen, Jaana, and Sandra Graham. “Research Based Interventions on Bullying.” Bullying: Implications for the Classroom, edited by Cheryl E. Sanders and Gary D. Phye, Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, pp. 229-55. 

Book chapters with 3 or more authors

 

When a chapter has 3 or more authors, list only the first author followed by et al. in the in-text citations as well as in the works-cited list. 

The following is the general format of a reference to a book chapter with 3 or more authors from an edited book. Omit the editor's element if the book is a single-author book (i.e. not an edited book with different chapter authors).

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (First Chapter Author's Last Name et al. Page/s cited) ...

... (Marsh et al. 88) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

First Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name, et al.  "Chapter Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year, pp. page range of chapter.

Marsh, Herbert W., et al. “In the Looking Glass: A Reciprocal Effects Model Elucidating the Complex Nature of Bullying, Psychological Determinants, and the Central Role of Self-Concept.” Bullying: Implications for the Classroom, edited by Cheryl E. Sanders and Gary D. Phye, Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, pp. 63-106.

eBook chapters with a DOI

 

eBook chapters follow the same formatting patterns as those of physical books, but with the DOI added to the end of the citation. 

The following is the general format of a reference to an ebook chapter from an edited book. Omit the editor's element if the book is a single-author book (i.e. not an edited book with different chapter authors). If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or other number in the text citation if available, or simply omit this element.

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Chapter Author's Last Name Page/s cited) ...

... (Lamb 332) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name.  "Chapter Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year, pp. page range of chapter. DatabaseDOI.

Lamb, Stephen. “School Dropout and Completion in Australia.” School Dropout and Completion: International Comparative Studies in Theory and Policy​, edited by Stephen Lamb, et al., Springer, 2010, pp. 321-339. SpringerLinkdoi:10.1007/978-90-481-9763-7_18.

 

General guidelines:

  • Some ebooks do not include page numbers - in these cases, use the chapter number instead.
  • Chapters in ebooks may have their own individual DOI so where possible use the chapter DOI rather than the one for the whole book.
  • Include a full-stop after the DOI at the end of the reference.
  • eBooks do not require an access date unless the date of publication is not available.

eBook chapters without DOI

 

eBook chapters without a DOI follow the same formatting patterns as those of physical books, but with the URL added at the end of the citation. 

The following is the general format of a reference to an eBook chapter from an edited book without a DOI. Omit the editor's element if the book is a single-author book (i.e. not an edited book with different chapter authors). If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or other number in the text citation if available, or simply omit this element.

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Chapter Author's Last Name Page/s cited) ...

  ... (Martin 45) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name. "Chapter Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year,  pp. page range of chapter. Database, URL.

Martin, Andrew J. “Student Motivation and Engagement: Strategies for Parents and Educators.” Better Than OK: Helping Young People to Flourish at School and Beyond, edited by Helen Street and Neil Porter, Fremantle P, 2014, pp. 41-47. ProQuest Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com.

 

General guidelines:

  • Some eBooks do not include page numbers - in these cases, use the chapter number instead.
  • Do not insert a hyphen if you need to break a URL across lines. Break the URL before a slash or dash or at another logical division point.
  • If the book is located in one of the library databases, add the database name in italics before the URL.
  • Include a full-stop after the URL at the end of the reference.
  • eBooks do not require an access date unless the date of publication is not available.

Entries/chapters from reference works

 

Be sure to check with your lecturer if these kinds of resources are suitable for use in your assignments.

 

General notes:

  • Reference works include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, thesauri, handbooks, indexes, etc.
  • It is often sufficient simply to describe the reference content in the text, unless there is a need for a works-cited list entry.
  • If a DOI is assigned it should be included in the reference. Otherwise, include the URL.
  • For entries without an author, cite the entry under the entry title.
  • No access date is required unless the date of publication is not available.
  • Remove the university proxy information from the DOI or URL, e.g. use www.oed.com NOT www.oed.com.ezproxy.newcastle.edu.au/

The following is the general format of a reference to an entry from an electronic reference book. Omit the last element if the source is in print.

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Entry Author's Last Name Page/s cited if available) ...

  ... (Middleton) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

Entry Author's Last Name, First Name. "Entry Title." Book Title: Subtitle, edition, edited by Editor's First and Last Names, Publisher, Year,  pp. page range of entry. DatabaseDOI or URL.

Middleton, Richard. “Lennon, John Ono (1940–1980).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online ed., Oxford UP, 2017. Oxford Reference Online, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31351.

Introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword

 

Citing the introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword is similar to citing a chapter, with the relevant descriptive term added after the title if there is one. If the introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword doesn't have a unique title, just omit the title element. The descriptive term should be capitalised, but not italicised nor enclosed in quotation marks. 

The following is the general format of a reference to an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword from a book and an edited book. 

See general rules for book chapters for more details. 

 

In-text citation: format and example

... (Preface Author's Last Name Page/s cited) ...

... (Felstiner xix) ...

... (Wallach xvi) ...

 

Works-cited list entry: format and example

Preface Author's Last Name, First Name. "Preface Title." Preface. Book Title: Subtitle, edited by/by Editor/Author's First and Last Names, edition, Publisher, Year, pp. page range of preface.

Felstiner, John. Preface. Selected Poems and Prose of Paul Celan, by Paul Celan, translated by Felstiner, W. W. Norton, 2001, pp. xix-xxxxvi.

Wallach, Rick. “Cormac McCarthy's Canon as Accidental Artifact.” Introduction. Myth, Legend, Dust: Critical Responses to Cormac McCarthy, edited by Wallach, Manchester UP, 2000, pp. xiv-xvi.

 

Note: In the two examples above, the translator's and the editor's name appears as a surname only as their name has been given previously in full in the entry.