Citelle · Library
MLA 9: cite a report
Cite an unnumbered standalone report in MLA 9: author, italic report title, issuing institute and year, with no city of publication.
A report treated as a standalone work
This example is a report that stands on its own and has no report number. Its italic title follows the author, then the issuing organization and the year. The page records London as the place, but this MLA entry does not print it.
As a works-cited entry, the report reads: Stone, Maya. A Sample Report. Example Institute, 2024.
Report fields for works cited
Report with individual authors expects a person in the author row. If an organization wrote the report, use the Organization name, instead of a personal name box instead. When that organization is also the publisher, MLA output does not repeat its name before the title; the entry begins with A Sample Report.
- Choose MLA 9 works-cited entry and Report with individual authors.
- MLA reads the Reviewed title-case title, so type A Sample Report there, keep A sample report in Source title, and add Maya Stone as the author.
- Type Example Institute as Publisher and 2024.
- Set Report-number availability to The source has no assigned report number.
- Press Create reference.
If the report has a number
When a report does have a number, the workbench accepts A report number is supplied with the number filled in, but the MLA entry here does not print it. Check MLA's guidance, linked below, for where a number belongs in your entry. If you leave the availability on Not yet checked, the workbench holds the entry until you decide. Sponsor and performer arrangements are outside this version.
Example Institute is listed on the page as both publisher and responsible institution. Either field is enough for the workbench, and the MLA entry prints the name once.
The report in Citelle
Citelle's Report type has Publisher, City, Edition and University / institution, and no separate report-number box. Its MLA entry for a report follows the book pattern: italic title, publisher or institution, and year. MLA 9 is open in the free version, and Copy citation keeps the italics when you paste.
Reports looked up by DOI bring the publisher into the app's University / institution field as well, which the MLA entry uses when Publisher is empty. Check both against the report's title page.
Report element checks
- Is the organization the publisher, the author, or both?
- Did a funder or a distributor end up in the publisher position?
- Is the title the report's own title, not a series name?
- Did you check the report itself before choosing no assigned number?
- Is the year the report's publication year, not the year you downloaded it?
Gather the source details
- Inspect the report’s title and publication pages.
- Record an actual individual or organizational author.
- Keep any supplied report number with the source.
- Verify which organization published the work and which version you read.
- Author
- Maya Stone
- Title as supplied
- A sample report
- Publication year
- 2024
- Publisher
- Example Institute
- Awarding or responsible institution
- Example Institute
- Publication place
- London
Tools
Sources
Next guide: NLM Vancouver: cite a report