How to Cite an Anthology in a Works Cited

A works cited page gives credit to the original creators of the information used in a paper or report and is required when writing in Modern Language Association (MLA) style. Cite all locations where you pulled information from, including books, periodicals, websites and anthologies, which are merely collections of works selected by the author. When citing, you can either cite the entire anthology as a whole, or cite a specific work from inside the collection.

Instructions

Citing the Entire Anthology

1. Begin your citation with the author's name, last followed by first, and a period at the end. In an anthology compiled by Tracy Smith, the anthology begins with "Smith, Tracy."

2. Continue the citation the same way you would cite a traditional book in MLA format. Write the title of the anthology in title case in italics after the author's name. If the title of the anthology is "Works of Famous Poets," the citation continues as "Smith, Tracy. Works of Famous Poets."

3. Add the edition of the anthology, if listed, followed by the place and name of the publisher and finish with the year of publication. For example, "Smith, Tracy. Works of Famous Poets. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Famous Publishing Company, 2005."

Citing a Work Inside an Anthology

1. Begin your citation with the author or authors of the specific work within the anthology. A poem written by Sam Morris begins with "Morris, Sam."

2. Follow the author's name with the name of the piece in quotation marks. If the poem was titled "Darkness Follows Me", the citation expands to "Morris, Sam. 'Darkness Follows Me.'"

3. Add the title of the anthology. Using the original example of "Works of Famous Poets," your citation becomes "Morris, Sam. 'Darkness Follows Me.' Works of Famous Poets. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Famous Publishing Company, 2005." Italicize the title of the anthology.

4. Include the author or author's of the anthology after its title, but include "ed." before the author or editor's name. Example: "Morris, Sam. 'Darkness Follows Me.' Works of Famous Poets. Ed. Smith, Tracy."

5. Add the publication information to the citation including the edition, place and date of publishing, then add the pages where the piece if found in the anthology at the end of the citation. "Morris, Sam. 'Darkness Follows Me.' Works of Famous Poets. Ed. Smith, Tracy. 200-201."

Tips & Warnings

• Some professors include exceptions to the rules. Consult yours if you have any questions or concerns about a specific guideline of MLA format.

References

• University of Calgary: Anthologies
• Indiana University: Citing Sources in MLA Style