Citing a textbook in MLA format is a similar process to citing other types of books within the format. Gather as much bibliographic information as possible about each work referenced in the paper. Remember that textbooks often have multiple authors and editions. It is important to cite the correct version, as the location of content may change when the book is updated.Citations within the text
. are placed in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. If the author is referenced within the sentence, i.e "Author states x", then just referencing the appropriate page number is sufficient. If not, then list the author's name alongside it. Up to three authors are allowed in a single in-text citation. In cases of more than three authors, it is often simplest to cite as follows: (Author1 et al. 19). When citing multiple books by the same author, it is considered appropriate to include the title of the book with the page number ("Title X" 175). In situations where the author is unknown, use a shortened form of the title of the work and page number ("Proper Citation" 87).Full bibliographic information for sources referenced within the text is placed at the end of the paper on a separate works cited page. This information include names of authors, title of the book, the edition, where it was published, what company published it, the year of publishing and the format of the book. Alphabetize the list in order of the last name of the primary author in each reference. Use title in lieu of last name when there is no author information. Make sure to indent every line within each citation after the first one. Place the title of books in italics or quotation marks.Example of a real textbook citation: Kenrick, Douglas, Steven Neuberg, and Robert Cialdini. "Social Psychology: Goals in Interaction". 5th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. Print.
