Learning Outcome:
Students will produce accurate citations of online sources using a required style guide (MLA).

Overview

In this activity, you will find three different types of credible online resources and create accurate MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries for each.
You will also demonstrate your understanding of how to evaluate a source before citing it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Locate Three Online Sources

Choose three different types of reputable online sources:

A peer-reviewed journal article found in an academic database
A credible government or educational (.gov or .edu) webpage
A digital book chapter or a report from a reputable organization (.org)

All sources must be:

Scholarly or reputable
Accessible online
Appropriate for academic research

Step 2: Evaluate Each Source

Before citing, evaluate each source using either the CRAAP Test or the SIFT Method.

For each source, briefly answer:

Which method did you use (CRAAP or SIFT)?
What made this source credible (authority, accuracy, purpose, etc.)?

Your evaluation should be 2–3 sentences per source.

Step 3: Create MLA In-Text Citations

For each source, create one MLA in-text citation as if you were quoting or paraphrasing it in a paper.

Examples:

Parenthetical: (Smith 42)
Narrative: According to Smith…

Step 4: Create MLA Works Cited Entries

Write a full MLA Works Cited entry for each source based on MLA 9 guidelines.

Examples:
Journal Article (MLA):
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. Database Name, DOI, or URL.

Webpage (MLA):
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Web Page." Website Name, Publisher, Date Published, URL.