How to Cite an Unpublished Work in MLA Format

You will almost always use published materials as references and resources for a research paper. In fact, if scientific findings are not deemed worthy of publication, then it is very questionable to base your own research conclusions on such unstable evidence. However, there may be instances in which a master's thesis or a doctoral presentation remains unpublished or is not yet published but is available to you at your local learning institution's library. In this event, it may be acceptable to use the research in such a document as source material for your own paper. Consult your professor before doing so in case they do not approve of your source. MLA has a special format for citing such materials that should be used instead of the format for published work.

Things You'll Need

  • Author's name
  • Date that they received their degree
  • Title of the paper
  • Type of paper
  • University name
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start with the author's name. It should be listed in the order "last name, first name, middle initial." No titles should be included. If you do not have all of this information, then include as much as you know. For example, if the paper was written by Dr. Sophie Lister, then your citation should start out:Lister, Sophie.

    • 2

      Enclose the title of the paper in quotation marks and follow it with a period. You can use single or double quotes, but you must be consistent throughout your works cited page. For example, if the paper was titled "Romantic Botanical Imagery In Shakespeare's Comedies" then your citation should now read:Lister, Sophie. "Romantic Botanical Imagery In Shakespeare's Comedies."

    • 3

      Describe the purpose of the paper. Generally, it will be either a masters (MA) thesis or a doctoral dissertation (Diss.) Other types of unpublished material are usually inadmissable. Follow the description with a period, so that your citation now appears:Lister, Sophie. "Romantic Botanical Imagery In Shakespeare's Comedies." MA thesis.

    • 4

      Provide information on the university or college that granted the degree, followed by a comma. If the writer of the paper did not receive a degree, then you probably should not use the source in question. However, if they were awarded a degree, then you should be okay to cite the source without backing it up with someone else's research. If the University of Utah awarded the final degree, then your citation should look like this:Lister, Sophie. "Romantic Botanical Imagery In Shakespeare's Comedies." MA thesis. University of Utah,

    • 5

      Finish with the year that the degree was awarded and a final period. For example, if Sophie Lister received her degree in 2002, then your finished citation should read:Lister, Sophie. "Romantic Botanical Imagery In Shakespeare's Comedies." MA thesis. University of Utah, 2002.

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