Citation Abbreviations (MLA Handbook, 7)

Citation Examples / Sample Papers / In-Text Citations

Months:

Always abbreviate, except for May, June, July
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

No Pagination:

Use no pag.

No Publisher:

Use N.p. (used mostly for Web sources) (MLA Handbook, 5.5.24)

No Date:

Use n.d. (MLA Handbook, 5.5.24)

Publisher Names:

Almost always shortened.

Examples:

Government Printing Office: use GPO
Harry N. Abrams: use Abrams
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: use Harcourt
Cambridge University Press: use Cambridge UP

Edition:

Use ed. (MLA Handbook, 5.5.13)

Editor or Edited by:

Use ed. (lower case) when citing an entire work that has only one editor listed on the title page of the book.
Use Ed. when citing a work published in an anthology with one or more editors (MLA Handbook, 5.5.3, 5.5.6)

Editors or Compilers:

Use eds. or comps when citing an entire edited work or an anthology edited or compiled by two or more people (MLA Handbook, 5.5.4)

Geographic Names:

Use US Postal Service abbreviations for states (e.g.: CA, NY, NJ, etc)
For a complete list go to: www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/usps_abbreviations.html

Time:

Examples:
Anno Domini: use AD
Before Christ: use BC
Afternoon: use p.m.
Morning: use a.m.
Year: use yr.
Month: use mo.
Week: use wk.

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