When citing ebooks in MLA style follow the same format as a printed work but include at the end, medium of publication, such as Kindle file, Nook file, PDF file.
Common file types include:
- EPUB (Standard e-reader format; used by iPad/iPod/iPhone, Nook, Sony Reader, etc.)
- AZW (Kindle)
- Some e-readers also support Adobe PDF, MS Word, and other file types.
The MLA Handbook 7th edition FAQ’s webpage recommends that if the “work presents electronic and print publication information, the electronic information should usually be cited.”
https://www.mla.org/style/handbook_faq/cite_an_ebook
Example:
Reynolds, Guy. Apostles of Modernity : American Writers in the Age
of Development. University of Nebraska Press, 2008. EPUB file.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999. Kindle file.
Format for in text citation:
The numbering system for ereaders is not reliable therefore if the text is divided in chapters, include in the citation a label identifying the nature of the number (MLA 6.4.2. Citing Part of a Work)
Example:
According to Hazel Rowley, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt began their honeymoon with a week’s stay at Hyde Park (ch. 2).
Or
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt began their honeymoon with a week’s stay at Hyde Park (Rowley, ch. 2).
Format for citing ebooks from the databases:
Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. edition. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Name of Database. Place of access. Web. Date of access.
Example:
Roush, Chris. Inside Home Depot: How One Company Revolutionized an Industry through the Relentless Pursuit of Growth.
New York: McGraw, 1999. ebrary. Web. 4 Dec. 2005.
