Conquer the Citation Jungle: Mastering The New York Times in MLA Style
Ever felt like research papers were just an elaborate excuse to wrestle with cryptic citations? Fear not, brave student, for this guide will vanquish the mighty New York Times from your MLA works cited list!
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| How To Cite The New York Times Mla |
First Things First: The Author
BY GAWD, IT'S THERE!: Sometimes, The New York Times graces you with a byline. In this glorious scenario, simply list the author's last name, first name, followed by a period, then the article title in quotation marks. (Huzzah!)
The Enigmatic "The New York Times": But what if the author is shrouded in mystery, like the ghostwriter of a celebrity autobiography? No worries, intrepid scholar! Just begin with the article title in quotation marks, followed by a comma and "The New York Times."
Here's a handy dandy example to illustrate both situations:
With an Author: Lewis, Paul. "Why Your Cat Stares at You Like That." The New York Times, 12 March 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/
Authorless Woes: "Scientists Discover Laughter May Actually Be Contagious (and We're Not Talking About COVID)." The New York Times, 1 April 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/ (Yes, that publish date is VERY important!)
Don't Forget the Fancy Footwork: Dates and Page Numbers (if applicable)
The All-Seeing Date: Include the publication date after the newspaper title, with the day, month, and year separated by commas.
The Elusive Page Number: For online articles, you're usually out of luck on the page number front. But if you're citing a print edition, append "p." followed by the page number after the date.
Here's the completed Lewis citation with a date:
Tip: Break long posts into short reading sessions.
Lewis, Paul. "Why Your Cat Stares at You Like That." The New York Times, 12 March 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/
Remember: Since MLA style for online sources no longer requires an access date, you can ditch that unless your instructor insists on it.
QuickTip: Scan the start and end of paragraphs.
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Fear not, Fellow Scholar! Here are some Frequently Asked Questions to vanquish any remaining MLA anxieties:
How to cite an article with multiple authors?
List them last name, first name separated by commas, then "and" before the last author's name.
QuickTip: Read line by line if it’s complex.
How to cite an editorial or opinion piece?
Indicate it after the title in square brackets, like this: "Why Cats Rule the World [Editorial]."
Tip: Don’t skip — flow matters.
How to cite a specific section of a longer article?
After the URL, add a comma and the specific section title in quotation marks, followed by a paragraph number if available.
How to cite a review?
Mention the work being reviewed after the title, separated by a colon. For instance: "Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Squirrels'."
So there you have it! With these handy tips, you'll be citing The New York Times like a pro, ready to conquer any research paper that comes your way. Now, go forth and conquer that MLA beast!
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