Style

MLA 8

Used In

Humanities (legacy)

In-text Format

(Smith 45)

Published by

Modern Language Association (MLA)

What Is MLA 8th Edition?

MLA 8th Edition (2016) introduced the universal "container" model, allowing any source to be cited using the same core elements regardless of format. MLA 9th Edition (2021) built on this foundation with minor clarifications. MLA 8 is still required by some instructors and publications — the main difference from MLA 9 is in handling of optional elements and some edge-case rules.

Primary disciplines: Humanities (legacy)

MLA 8 Citation Examples

Journal Article

Smith, John. "The Rhetoric of Digital Media." Journal of Communication, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, pp. 112–128.

Book

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Little, Brown, 2008.

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Key MLA 8 Rules

Same container model as MLA 9 — most rules are identical
Works Cited list, hanging indent, alphabetical order
Three or more authors: use first author "et al."
In-text: (Author Page) — no comma, no "p."

MLA 8 vs Other Formats

MLA 9

MLA 9 added clarifications on optional elements, punctuation, and edge cases. For most papers the two editions produce identical citations

Supported Source Types

✓ Literary works✓ Academic journals✓ Books✓ Websites✓ Films✓ Interviews

Generate Citations in Other Formats

APA 7 →MLA 9 →Chicago 17 →Harvard →IEEE →

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