How do I cite an ebook in MLA?
Answer
To cite an ebook accessed through a library database in MLA style, include the following information:
- The author
- The title of the book
- The publisher
- The year of publication
- The container (name of the database)
- The location (DOI, permalink, or URL)
Formatting a citation for an ebook in MLA style should follow the structure and examples below:
Format:
Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title of ebook. Publisher, Year of Publication. Container, Location.
Example:
Ayers, David. English Literature of the 1920s. Edinburgh University Press, 1999. EBSCOhost, https://research-ebsco-com.cue.idm.oclc.org/linkprocessor/plink?id=b7462035-0538-36c7-b1b4-a87de6ff2a5c.
NOTE: According to MLA, if a URL is more than three lines long or longer than the rest of the entry, you need to truncate it (shorten it). When truncating, you must include the host site.
Example:
Ayers, David. English Literature of the 1920s. Edinburgh University Press, 1999. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com.
When citing an ebook in the body of your text, include the author's last name and the page number.
Example:
(Ayers 10)
For more information, see Appendix 2 page 325 of the MLA Handbook.