Before using any literary piece in your writing, you have to cite it effectively to avoid penalties for plagiarizing. It may seem confusing to cite sources because of the variety of citation styles available. But that isn’t the case. Citations are straightforward if you stick to the laid down principles.
You have to understand a citation style to utilize it better. Some of the major ones are MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
This post explains how to cite an anthology in MLA. You’ll also learn how to use other citation styles, as well. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
What Is An Anthology?
An anthology is a compilation or collection of books. It may consist of essays, poetry, songs, short fiction, plays, movies, and other literature. The typical anthologies are mostly literary works. An editor compiles various literatures and publishes them as one book.
How To Cite A Whole Anthology In MLA
Works cited entries: Refers to citations on the reference page.
For a single editor: Write the name of the editor or compiler, add a comma and then write “editor or ed.” or “comp.” Start with the surname first before the first name. Next, write the title of the anthology in italics. After that, write the publishers and year published. An example is:
Collins, Jane, editor. Tenets of Humanity: Practical and Theoretical Approaches. Peterson Publishers, 2006.
For multiple editors: List the editors, add a comma and then write “editors.” Write their names the same way they appear on the title page of the anthology. Write the first editor’s surname first, add a comma and write the first name. Now, write the other editors’ first names before surnames.
Just like the one for a single author, write the title of the anthology in italics. Then write the details of the publication. For example:
Collins, Jane, Robert Freeman, and James White, editors. Tenets of Humanity: Practical and Theoretical Approaches. Peterson Publishers, 2006.
In-text citation: Refers to sources within the text.
When you are mentioning the anthology as a whole in your text, use the editor’s name. However, use the author’s name if you are quoting or paraphrasing a work in the anthology.
But if you quote a work within the anthology, you need to create a works cited citation that’s different from that of the anthology (if you wrote one for it).
How To Cite A Book Within An Anthology In MLA
Works cited entries:
When you what to cite a book that’s part of an anthology, write the author’s name first. After that, write the book’s title in quotation marks. Next is the anthology’s title in italics. Then write the editor’s name and the publication city, publisher, and year.
Furthermore, add the page numbers of the book and finally the medium. For example:
Westland, George. “The Rise of a New Moon.” The Scarlet Anthology of Old Literature. Eds. Robert Freeman and Lucy Collins. Illinois: Scarlet, 2008. 27 – 39. Print.
In-text citation:
When you write sources within your text, add the author’s surname and the page number. Place them at the end of the sentence in parentheses. An example is:
“She took what was left of her diary and drove home” (Westland 32).
If you write the author’s name in the sentence, you don’t have to include it in the parenthesis. For example, Westland uses a simile to compare Lucy’s courage to a lion (37).
Other Ways To Cite An Anthology
APA style:
It allows you to cite your work under two categories: the reference list and in-text citation.
For an anthology reference list citation:
Write the editor’s last name, then a comma before the first name initials. Put “Ed.” in parentheses and add the year. After that, write the anthology’s title in italics and subtitle if included. Next, write the volume number, if any.
Place the publisher location (city and state) and publisher’s name.
For example:
Peters, D. (Ed.). (2003). Ancient Literature: The Pioneers of Poetry. Washington, DC: Miter’s House.
When you use an in-text citation, write the editor’s last name, a comma, and year. Place it at the end of the sentence. An example is (Peters, 2003).
You can add the author’s name within the text and add the editor’s name and year. For instance:
Ron Laker was a significant contributor to ancient literature (for a collection of his works, see Peters, 2003).
For an anthology with multiple volumes:
Include the editor’s surname and first name initials. And let an “ed.” follow in parentheses.
Next, write the different years in which all the volumes were published in parentheses after the title. Then insert the volume numbers in parentheses. And add the publisher’s city and publishers.
For example:
Peters, D. (Ed.). (2003 – 2006). Ancient Literature: The Pioneers of Poetry (Vols. 1 – 3). Washington, DC: Miter’s House.
To write an in-text citation for an anthology with multiple volumes, write the editor’s name in parentheses. Also, include the volume years in the same parentheses.
For example: (Peters, 1999 – 2003).
For a book that’s part of an anthology:
Write the author’s surname, first name, initial, and date. Then, include the book’s title. Next is the editor’s name, and then “ed.” follows, with the anthology’s title and page where the book is located.
Finally, write the publisher’s location and publisher’s name. Then the original publication date in parentheses. For example:
Laker, R. (2018).The Ancient Art. In D. Peters (Ed.), Ancient Literature: The Pioneers of Poetry (pp. 92 – 104). Washington, DC: Miter’s House. (Original work published 2001).
For the in-text citation of a book within an anthology, write the author’s name in parentheses. Then include the original work’s publication date and the anthology’s publication date.
For instance: (Laker, 2001/2018).
The Chicago style:
It has both the bibliography citation and in-text citation. For in-text citation, use superscript to show the footnote number after the sentence.
To write the bibliography citation for an anthology, start with the editor’s last name before the first name. Now add “ed.” and include the anthology’s title in italics. Next is the publication information, which includes place, publisher, and date.
For example:
Martins, John, ed. The Collection of American Contemporary Literature. New York: Wellers Press, 2004.
For the footnote, write the editor’s name (first name and last name), the title, and the publication information in parentheses. However, include the page number of the part you use in your text.
For example:
John Martins, ed. The Collection of Contemporary Literature (New York: Wellers Press, 2004), 56-58.
If the anthology has more than three editors, write the first editor’s name and write “et al.”
For a book within an anthology:
Under the bibliography, write the author’s last name, first name, and the title of the book (in a quotation mark). Additionally, note the anthology’s title in italics and the editor’s first and last names. Then, include the page of the book, place of publication, and publisher in parentheses.
After that, add the publication year. For instance:
Woodland, James, “The Adventures of the Sea.” In The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, edited by John Martins, 69 – 77. New York: Wellers Press, 2004.
Under the footnote, the format follows the bibliography except that the author’s first name comes before the last name and the page numbers come last. Also, the place of publication, publisher, and publication year are in parentheses.
For instance: James Woodland, “The Adventures of the Sea,” in The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, ed. John Martins (New York: Wellers Press, 2004), 69 – 77.
For a work credited to more than one author:
Under the footnote, write the authors’ first names and last names as it appears in the book. Next, include the title of the work, anthology’s title, and editor’s name.
Lastly, write the publication city, publisher, and publication year in parentheses. And add the page number.
However, for more than three authors, start with the first author’s first name and last name and write “et al.”
For example:
James Woodland et al., “The Adventures of the Sea,” in The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, ed. John Martins (New York: Wellers Press, 2004), 69 – 77.
Under the bibliography, start with the first author’s last name before the first name, and then write the first and last names of subsequent authors. The format is constant even when the authors are more than three.
However, the rest of the format follows the footnote except that the page numbers come after the editor’s name. Also, the place of publication, publisher, and publication year are not in parentheses.
For instance: Woodland, James, Mary Lander, James Brown, and Jodi Ashton, “The Adventures of the Sea.” In The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, edited by John Martins, 69 – 77. New York: Wellers Press, 2004.
For work without a credited author:
Under the footnote, start with the work’s title in quotation marks, and the anthology’s title follows. Then, write the editor’s name, including the publication city, publisher, and publication year (in parentheses). Lastly, note the page number.
For example: “The Adventures of the Sea,” in The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, ed.
John Martins (New York: Wellers Press, 2004), 69 – 77.
Like other ones, the format for the bibliography follows the footnote except that the page numbers come after the editor’s name. Additionally, the place of publication, publisher, and publication year are not in parentheses.
For instance: “The Adventures of the Sea.” In The Collection of American Contemporary Literature, edited by John Martins, 69 – 77. New York: Wellers Press, 2004.
Conclusion
It can be challenging to cite an anthology in MLA, but once you learn the basics, you’ll get the hang of it. Additionally, learning to use other referencing styles will help you differentiate them. It’ll also help you use anyone that’s recommended at any time.
Now that you know how to cite an anthology in MLA, utilize them appropriately in your work.
