How to Cite Book Titles in Text

Modern Language Association (MLA)

• 1

  Use the MLA style of citations if you write a humanities or literary work.

• 2

  Cite the reference book's page in parentheses if you have included the author's name as part of your own work -- "MacMurry says ... ." Place the page number in parentheses directly after the citation in your document's text. Then, in the Works Cited page, fully cite the reference by author's name, book title, publisher and publishing date.

• 3

  Note the page and author of the reference book in your text, directly after the citation, if your own work does not include the reference author's name. Follow up by writing the reference according to the author's name, book title, publisher and publishing dates on the Works Cited page.

• 4

  Write the reference book's title as the reference within the text, in parentheses and quotation marks, along with the page number, if you do not know the author of the reference book. On the Works Cited page, again cite the book's name in quotation marks along with the date of publications.

American Psychological Association (APA)

• 5

  Use the APA style if you write a research paper.

• 6

  Cite the reference according to the author's name within the text, along with a quote's page number, if you have the author's name. Continue on to cite the reference's author, book title, page, publisher and publishing date on the Works Cited page.

• 7

  Include the first two or three words of the reference work's title as your text reference if the reference work had no author. Capitalize each word. If the title refers to a book chapter or article, place the title in quotation marks. If the title refers to a periodical, brochure or report, italicize the title.