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MLA Style Guide, 8th ed.

This guide provides tips and examples for MLA style formatting of papers and citations.

Government Documents

Government Publication on a Website

If there is an author listed, start with the author's last name. If the government agency acts as the author, start with the title of the document. If the website name is essentially the same as the publisher, there is no need to list it twice.

Examples

Rosenfeld, Richard. Documenting and Explaining the 2015 Homicide Rise: Research Directions. National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, United States, June 2016, www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249895.pdf.  Accessed 5 July 2016.

“Natural Gas Extraction: Hydraulic Fracturing.” Environmental Protection Agency, 27 Apr. 2016, www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing. Accessed 24 June 2016.


Congressional Document (House or Senate)

When the author of a source is a government agency, start with the name of the government, followed by the name of the agency units moving from largest to smallest entity. The following examples include several optional elements at the end of the citation, including the number and session of Congress, document type and number, and the date of access.

Examples

United States, Congress, House, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. Government Publishing Office, 17 Apr. 2012, 112th Congress, 2nd Session, House Report 112-445. www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt445/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt445.pdf. Accessed 15 Aug. 2016.

United States, Congress, Senate, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act of 2016. Government Publishing Office, 11 July, 2016, 114th Congress, 2nd Session, Senate Report 114-295. www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-114srpt295/pdf/CRPT-114srpt295.pdf. Accessed 31 Aug. 2016.


Document from Congressional Record

If your research project involves the use of many congressional publications, MLA instructs authors to consult The Chicago Manual of Style, which refers to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Harvard Law Review Association) for specialized guidelines (105). Italics are not used, the page number is preceded by "H" or "S" to designate House or Senate, the date is listed in parentheses, and the name of the speaker is listed in parentheses.

Examples

162 Cong. Rec. S5099-S5100 (daily ed. July 14, 2016) (statement of Mitch McConnell), www.congress.gov/crec/2015/07/14/CREC-2016-07-14.pdf.

162 Cong. Rec. H4479 (daily ed. 7 July 2016) (statement of Sam Johnson), www.congress.gov/crec/2016/07/07/CREC-2016-07-07-pt1-PgH4479.pdf. Accessed 14 Aug. 2016.


Supreme Court Decision

If your research project involves the use of many congressional publications, MLA instructs authors to consult The Chicago Manual of Style, which refers to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Harvard Law Review Association) for specialized guidelines (105). In the examples below, the citation begins with the case name, followed by the volume number, U.S., and the page number.

Examples

Reno v. American Liberties Union, 521 U.S. 844 (1997). Supreme Court of the United States, www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes/521bv.pdf. Accessed 15 June 2016.

Georgia v. Randolph, 547 U.S. 103 (2005). Supreme Court of the United States, www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes/547bv.pdf. Accessed 25 July 2016.


Public Law

If your research project involves the use of many laws and legal materials, MLA instructs authors to consult The Chicago Manual of Style. Public federal laws are collected in the annual publication of the United States Statues at Large (Stat).

Example

Healthy Meals for Children Act. Pub. L. No. 104-149, 110 Stat. 1379 (1996). Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-110/pdf/STATUTE-110-Pg1379.pdf. Accessed 15 June 2016.


United States Code

If your research project involves the use of many laws and legal materials, MLA instructs authors to consult The Chicago Manual of Style.

Example

Conduct During Hoisting, Lowering, or Passing of Flag, 4 U.S.C. Sec 9 (2008). Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2015-title4/pdf/USCODE-2015-title4-chap1-sec9.pdf. Accessed 15 June 2016.