Which date do I use in my MLA style citation?
Answer
Publication Date is one of the core elements that makes up a citation in MLA Style, telling your reader when the version of the work you are citing was published.
Record the publication date as fully as you find it in your source. A publication date could include one or more of the following:
- a year
- a day and month
- a season
- a time stamp
- a range of dates or years
Works may be associated with more than one publication date. Use the publication date provided by the version of the source that you consult.
Books and E-Books
Look for the publication date on a book's title page. If there is no date listed there, next look on the copyright page. There may be several dates listed on the copyright page; use the most recent copyright date. There may be a month as well as a year; however, only use the year for book and e-book citations.
Journal Articles
If you're citing an online version of an article, you can usually find the date in the publication information provided by the database or website. If there is more than one date, use the most specific one.
If you're citing a print article, you can usually find the date on the title page of the journal or in the header or footer of the article.
Websites
Finding the publication date for online sources can be challenging. Often, the publication date is listed near the title or author’s name or in the copyright area at the bottom of a website. If there's more than one date listed, use the date that provides the most meaningful information.
How to Format the Publication Date in Your MLA Style Citation
Cite the publication date using the day-month-year style. (e.g. 19 Mar. 2021).
More Information
See our MLA Citation Guide for more information.
Also, see the MLA Handbook 5.68-5.83 (login with your RDP credentials) for more information.
