MLA Citation Guidelines for Admission Essays and Personal Statements

MLA Citation Guidelines for Admission Essays and Personal Statements

Introduction

When writing an admission essay or personal statement, it's essential to properly cite sources used in your research to maintain academic integrity and credibility. The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style is commonly used in the humanities and arts disciplines. In this article, we'll provide a step-by-step guide on how to format citations for online sources in MLA style, which is particularly useful when writing about admission essays and personal statements.

Section 1: Citing Online Sources

To cite an online source in MLA format, start with the author's last name followed by the page numbers (if applicable) or a "n.d." if no publication date is available. For example:

• Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Website Title, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Example: Citing a Website

Suppose you're writing about the impact of climate change on society and cite an article from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website:

• EPA. "Climate Change Impacts in the United States." United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2022, www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-us. Accessed 10 Feb. 2023.

Section 2: Citing PDFs and E-books

If you're citing a PDF or e-book, format the citation as follows:

• Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Document." Title of Container, Publication Date, pp. Page Numbers. Container Type, Publisher, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Example: Citing an Online PDF

Suppose you're writing about the effects of social media on mental health and cite a PDF from a research paper:

• Smith, John. "The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health." Journal of Psychology, 2020, pp. 12-25. JSTOR, doi: 10.1037/psych0000123. Accessed 20 Jan. 2022.

Section 3: Citing Online Articles and Newsletters

For online articles and newsletters, format the citation as follows:

• Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine/Newsletter Title, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers. Magazine/Newsletter Title, Publisher, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Example: Citing an Online Newsletter

Suppose you're writing about current events and cite a news article from The New York Times:

• Johnson, Jane. "Climate Change Projections Unchanged." The New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/climate-projections.html.

Section 4: Citing Blogs and Online Forums

When citing blogs or online forums, format the citation as follows:

• Author's Last Name, First Name. "Blog Post Title." Blog Title, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Example: Citing a Blog

Suppose you're writing about technology trends and cite a blog post from TechCrunch:

• Lee, David. "The Future of Artificial Intelligence." TechCrunch, 10 Jan. 2022, techcrunch.com/2022/01/10/artificial-intelligence-future/.

Section 5: Citing Videos and Audio Files

For videos and audio files, format the citation as follows:

• Title of Video/Audio File. "Title." Producer's Last Name First Name, Day Month Year, Runtime, URL.

Example: Citing a YouTube Video

Suppose you're writing about educational content and cite a YouTube video by Crash Course:

• Crash Course. "The Science of Climate Change." 10 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz123.

Conclusion

By following these MLA citation guidelines for online sources, you can ensure that your admission essay or personal statement is properly formatted and credible. Remember to always check with your instructor or consult the MLA Handbook for specific guidance on citing various types of sources.