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A Brief Guide to MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition

Since the first "MLA Style Sheet" in 1951, the Modern Language Association, like other style guides for academic writers, has followed the practice of assigning a specific citation format to a specific type of source.mla cover thumbnail

In the Internet Age, this procedure has become unrealistic as new types of sources pop up like digital mushrooms, requiring the MLA to quickly sanction a new citation format for each new 'shroom. In addition, today the same source can be accessed from multiple nodes in cyberspace, adding more pressure to a scheme that works well only in the paper-and-ink world of yesteryear.

Enter the Solution:
In the 8th edition, the MLA Handbook takes a bold step in "rethinking documentation for the Digital Age." The Handbook no longer defines a unique citation format for each source type in the universe. Instead, this edition offers a rubric that can be applied to any type of source, now and in the future, regardless of where or how the source was accessed. 

The student begins with a set of universal traits and applies them to the source, whatever it may be. MLA admits this approach may mean a given source could be correctly documented in several ways. However, the MLA believes this freedom allows students to create citations based upon audience needs.

Enter the Core:
The primary new feature of MLA's new Handbook is a table of "core elements." This table contains data fields which the student fills in and, following the punctuation rules provided, self-creates the citation.

Fill in the Blanks:
Next to the list of core elements, the student fills in applicable information. The result, after appropriate punctuation, capitalization, italics, quotation marks and hanging indentation are applied, is the finished citation.

For example, Michael Robbins wrote the article "Paul Muldoon's Covert Operations" in the journal Modern Philology. Using the library's listing for this source, the student would fill in the core elements table:

1 Author. Robbins, Michael.
2 Title of Source. "Paul Muldoon's Covert Operations,"
3 Title of container, Modern Philology,
4 Other contributors,
5 Version, vol. 109,
6 Number, no. 2,
7 Publication date, 2011,
8 Page number.
 pp. 266-99.
9
 Database,
 JSTOR,
10
 Location. (doi or URL)
 doi:10.1086/663233.
Work Cited:
Robbins, Michael. "Paul Muldoon's Covert Operations," Modern    Philology, vol. 109, no. 2, 2011, pp. 266-99, JSTOR, doi:10.1086
   /66323
In-Text Citation:
Irish poet Paul Muldoon is a leading proponent of discovering a poem's meaning by finding words the writer chose not to use (Robbins 2011).

Is It Really So Simple?
Yes and no. MLA has found an approach that negates unique formats for each source type. On the other hand, there is still a list of guidelines specific to MLA:

  • For more than three authors, use only the name of the first author followed by et al.
  • Use the abbreviations "vol." and "no." for scholarly journals
  • Provide the location URL for web sources without angle brackets
  • Use doi's whenever available
  • Do not use placeholders like n.d. ("no date")
  • Provide an organization's name only once when it is both author and publisher.
  • Please see "What's New in the Eighth Edition" for examples.


What? No Guidelines for Manuscript Format?
Correct. MLA 8th does not provide a sample document specifying margins, spacing and so forth. The authors of the 8th edition make it clear they understand that today's students no longer submit only the standard research paper. This edition is concerned about documents for the digital age and further opens the door to non-traditional submissions.