MLA Citation Generator (9th Edition)
Create MLA 9 author-page citations from metadata or manual details. First 3 sources free. Check containers and quotation page numbers.
Add a website
Start with a link or identifier. We’ll find the details for you to review.
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Find papers and develop your writing with linked sources. Review the evidence behind each claim. Opens in a new tab; references saved here stay in this browser. Copy or export before continuing.
How to cite in MLA 9th edition
Build a Works Cited entry from the source and its container. MLA 9 emphasizes consistent core elements over source-specific templates.
Citation software formats the information supplied to it; it cannot confirm that every field is complete or that a source is suitable for your work. Compare the output with the original source and the current instructions you must follow.
Use the selected source and style together
MLA 9 builds a Works Cited entry from the work and its container. In the book example, Daniel Kahneman is the author, Thinking, Fast and Slow is the work and Farrar, Straus and Giroux is the publisher. The year appears near the end of that reference. The short example (Kahneman) identifies the whole work; a cited passage needs its page locator, such as (Kahneman 24). Match the author to the Works Cited entry and add the passage page where required. Do not turn a full source page span into a quotation locator or add an author–date year to an ordinary author-page marker.
For the shared lookup and formatting walkthrough, see the citation generator guide. Keep this page’s edition and source-specific checks beside your output as you review it.
What to check
- Putting the publication year in a normal author-only parenthetical citation
- Losing the distinction between a work and its container
Book example · MLA 9
In-text citation
(Kahneman)
Full reference
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Book pattern checked against the MLA Works Cited guide and pinned CSL file. Italicize the title and put the year after the publisher. The in-text example cites the whole book; add the page number for a specific passage, for example (Kahneman 24).
Check the official style guideSource fields for MLA 9
For an article, keep its title separate from the journal that contains it. For an online work, distinguish the page or item from the larger website or collection. These relationships are more useful than treating every URL as a generic website reference. Enter the available creator, title, container, publisher, date and location in the appropriate fields, then review which elements the selected source type actually uses.
Review MLA 9 in your manuscript
A normal MLA parenthetical marker should not acquire a publication year merely because another style uses author–date. Check that the creator named in your prose or parentheses leads readers to the correct Works Cited entry. Keep the quoted passage’s page number separate from a journal article’s complete page span, and verify container details before polishing punctuation.
Metadata and formatting
DOIs use Crossref, with DataCite when Crossref has no record; PMIDs use NCBI PubMed and ISBNs use Open Library. Public URLs use page metadata; YouTube oEmbed supplies title and channel, but no upload date. Pinned CSL styles format the records. No AI generates citation details, and PDFs are not uploaded or read here.
Frequently asked questions
Is this MLA 9?
Yes. The page selects the MLA CSL file labeled for the ninth edition; MLA 8 remains a separate legacy option.
How do I use the MLA 9 reference in my writing?
Match the author to the Works Cited entry and add the passage page where required. Do not turn a full source page span into a quotation locator or add an author–date year to an ordinary author-page marker. Compare the final manuscript and reference list after edits; a correct isolated entry cannot establish that it is attached to the intended claim.
Can I enter MLA 9 source details manually?
Yes. Select the actual source type and enter verified creators, title, date and publication details. For a book, check the edition and publisher; for an article, check the journal, volume and pages; for a website, use the specific page’s metadata. Manual entry changes the source record, not the rules of the selected style.
How should I enter a corporate author in MLA 9?
Enter an organization as a group author in braces, for example {World Health Organization}, so its words are not parsed as a person’s given name and surname. Keep individual authors in publication order. Check how the group’s name appears in the reference and the accompanying citation or note. Do not replace a credited individual with the website owner.
What if my MLA 9 source has no publication date?
Leave an unknown date blank and let the pinned style handle missing information. Do not invent a year from a footer, file timestamp or the day you looked up the source. Check the publication before accepting a provider date, and keep access information separate. Review missing-date and title treatment against the exact edition or variant required for your document.
What does the MLA 9 example demonstrate?
Book pattern checked against the MLA Works Cited guide and pinned CSL file. Italicize the title and put the year after the publisher. The in-text example cites the whole book; add the page number for a specific passage, for example (Kahneman 24). The example is tied to the named source and pinned file; it does not demonstrate every source type or publisher override.
Is MLA 9 free, and can I export BibTeX or RIS?
The first 3 sources are free per browser, shared across citation pages. Copy the formatted reference or export your saved bibliography as BibTeX or RIS. These files retain structured records for compatible tools; a destination can apply a different style. Check imported fields and keep a downloaded copy, since browser storage can be cleared and opening AnswerThis does not transfer this bibliography.