MLA Citation Help 

Example with an author:
Lustig, T. Gutenberg: First modern inkmaker? The inventor of movable
type probably also created the first workable printing ink. Grand Rapids, MI: Spiral, 2007.

If this article did not have an author it would be cited as:
Gutenberg: First Modern Inkmaker? The Inventor of Movable Type Probably Also Created
the First Workable Printing Ink. Grand Rapids, MI: Spiral, 2007.

Explanation:
Start with the name of the article, book, or web page if no author is given.

Example:
McGill, Ivan, John Kurt Glenn, and Alice Brockbank. The Action Learning Handbook: Powerful Techniques for Education. New York: Routledge Falmer, 2004.

Explanation:
List the first author last name first followed by the first and middle names followed by a comma. All other authors are listed first name followed by the last name. Insert the word "and" before the last author.

Jones, Malcom. "Scatology." Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales,

   Beliefs, andCustoms. Ed. Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, and John Lindow. 2 vols.

   Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2000.

Author of the article: Jones, Malcom.
Last name of the author, then the complete spelling of the first and middle names. Avoid initials, if possible.If your article does not list an author, begin with the title of the article. End with a period.

Title & subtitle of the article: "Scatology."
The title & subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize the first and last words of the title and subtitle, and all proper nouns and important words. Place article title & subtitle in quotations and end with a period.

Title & subtitle of the encyclopedia: Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs.
The title & subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize the first and last words of the title and subtitle, and all proper nouns and important words. Underline encyclopedia title & subtitle and end with a period

Edition of the encyclopedia:
If the encyclopedia is a 2nd edition, 3rd, etc., give the edition number followed by ed. The sample citation above is a first edition, so this field is not need. Here is a hypothetical example - 2nd ed.

Editor or editors of the encyclopedia: Ed. Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, and John Lindow.
Editor or editors are indicated by "Ed." preceding their name or names. The name is presented with the first name followed by the last (this is the reverse of the traditional MLA form). End with a period.

Total number of volumes of the encyclopedia: 2 vols.
Total number of volumes in the set, not the number of the volume the article appears in. This field is not needed if the encyclopedia is a single volume.

Place of publication & publisher: Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO,
If the city is so well known that the name can stand alone, i.e. New York or Los Angeles, do not include the state. Use standard postal abbreviations for states if the city is not well known, i.e. Duluth, MN. Shorten publisher's name to most concise form (see p. 218-220 of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Separate place of publication from publisher with a colon. Place a comma after the publisher's name to separate it from the year of publication.

Year of publication: 2000
List the year of publication which appears on the title page or the title page verso (back side of title page). Separate from publisher with a comma.  End citation with a period.

[The above information is based on p.161 of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition].

Example:
Smith, Susan. Clinical Skills: Basic to Advanced Skills. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.

Explanation:
Place the edition number after the book title. Follow by ed.

Example:
Gibbs, Janet Trist, ed. Children of Color: Psychological Interventions With Minority Youth. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Explanation:
Place the word "ed." preceded by a comma after the editor's name.