Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook , the official guide to MLA format. Works are published today in a dizzying variety of ways: a novel, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to as an audiobook. Writers of research papers routinely need to know how to cite works on Web sites, videos on platforms like YouTube , interviews and other works created by multiple authors, journal articles contained in databases, online images, posts on social media sites, song lyrics, and more. Instead of providing separate instructions for each format, the MLA's unique, innovative approach recommends one set of guidelines that writers can apply to any type of source.

This groundbreaking edition of the MLA's best-selling handbook is short and designed for easy use. It guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for their research and thus focuses on the key skills of information and digital literacy. It then shows writers how to cite sources in their writing, offering detailed guidance on in-text citations, quoting and paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, and more. Intended for students, teachers, librarians, and advanced scholars, the handbook is an indispensable resource in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Incorporating input from users after the major 2016 revamp of MLA style, citation format, and guidelines, this well-organized update contains abundant examples, clear language, and helpful cross-referencing. While keeping the author-title-container format, the MLA editorial team beefed up examples, tweaked guidance for formatting tables and lists, and added sections on inclusive language and how to determine a work's author, title, or contributors when that information isn't readily available. VERDICT A necessary addition to every library's reference desk, this work is likely to see use from students and scholars, even with the plethora of online citation creators.

CHOICE Review

English teachers rejoice! This eagerly awaited edition's first section dictates how to format a research project, including margins, running heads, and placement of the works cited list. Even better, it provides much-needed information on basic grammar. Readers actually see the words subject, verb, and object in print. "When a Comma Is Necessary" and "When a Comma Is Incorrect" alone are worth the price of admission. Very welcome is an entirely new section called "Principles of Inclusive Language," which gently guides students away from language bias and toward more neutral or compassionate treatment of age, race, gender, culture, or disability. Responding to our increasingly online and paper-free learning environments, guidelines on electronic submission are now included. The section on plagiarism has been slightly expanded. Specific examples of common knowledge would have been helpful; this is a concept often difficult for students to grasp without concrete illustration. In-depth explanations of the core elements of a citation are extremely helpful. What really lifts this edition off the page is the addition of pictures of a variety of sources with citation elements clearly labelled. Especially useful is the variety of web sources illustrated, which are not nicely formatted like a book's title page. Previously complex and abstract text-based explanations are now made simpler and more real. This is a visually oriented generation, and photos resonate with them. More discussion and examples of containers, especially regarding websites, is a great improvement. An appendix gives numerous examples by source type. Though this version is significantly heftier (more than 400 pages--prepare for the groans), the additions were necessary to gear the work to the needs of today's students and teachers. The index has accordingly been expanded from sixteen to thirty-four pages. A great improvement. Buy it. Summing Up: Essential. Community college and undergraduate students through researchers/faculty; professionals/practitioners. --Lisa K. Miller, formerly, Western Kentucky University Libraries

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs in the humanities. For more than a century, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature.