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MLA Style Guide for Citations (9th edition): Publication date

The publication date is the date the source is made available to the public.

Some sources may have multiple publication dates. If that is the case, list the publication date that is most relevant to your use of the source. For example, if you are using a book that is in its 4th edition, list the date of publication of the 4th edition, not the original date of publication.

A few guidelines

  • List dates as fully as possible. If a date is given in addition to the year, include the full date.
  • Dates are listed in Day Month Year format. For example: 14 Oct. 2016
  • Months with more than four letters are abbreviated as follows: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
  • Periodicals differ in their publication schedules. They can be published weekly, monthly, yearly, or during seasons. Your citation will reflect that.

Example citations

Clements, Jonathan. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Century of Japanese Animation. 3rd revised ed., Stone Bridge Press, 2015.

Gouveia, Sidney, et al. "Forest Structure Drives Global Diversity of Primates." Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 83, no. 6, Nov. 2014, pp. 1523-30.

Greenhouse, Steven. "Strong Voice in the Fast-Food Fight for $15 an Hour." The New York Times, 5 Dec. 2014, pp. B1(L).

Belton, John. "Painting by Numbers: The Digital Intermediate." Film Quarterly, vol. 61, no. 3, Spring 2008, pp. 58-65.

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