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MLA 9th Edition

MLA Report Citation Generator

Generate MLA 9th edition Works Cited entries for reports, government documents, and white papers. Paste a URL, DOI, or search by title to get a complete citation. No signup required.

How to cite a report in MLA

1

Search for the report

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

2

Check the MLA formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

3

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete MLA citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

MLA Report Citation Format

Institutional Report:

Author Last, First. Report Title. Publisher/Institution, Year, URL or DOI.

Government Report:

Government Body. Report Title. Government Publisher, Year, URL.

MLA Report Citation Examples

Institutional / Research Report

Smith, John D. Annual Climate Assessment 2024. Environmental Research Institute, 2024.
In-text: (Smith 12)

Government Report (no individual author)

United States, Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health in America. Government Publishing Office, 2024.
In-text: (United States 5)

Online Report with DOI

Johnson, Mary, and Lee Chen. Digital Learning Outcomes 2024. Education Research Council, 2024, doi.org/10.1234/example.
In-text: (Johnson and Chen 23)

No Author

Global Energy Transition Report. International Energy Agency, 2024, www.iea.org/reports/global-energy.
In-text: (Global Energy 8)

MLA In-Text Citations for Reports

Individual Author

...as shown in the assessment (Smith 12).

Government Body

...according to federal guidelines (United States 5).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a report in MLA 9th edition?

Author Last, First. Report Title. Publisher/Institution, Year, URL or DOI. Example: Smith, John. Annual Climate Assessment. Environmental Research Institute, 2024, doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx. In-text: (Smith 12).

How do I cite a government report in MLA?

Use the government body as the author if no individual author is listed. Example: United States, Department of Health. Mental Health in America. Government Publishing Office, 2024. In-text: (United States 5).

How do I cite a PDF report with no author in MLA?

Start the Works Cited entry with the report title. For the in-text citation, use a shortened title in italics (since reports are typically standalone documents): (Annual Climate 12).

What is the difference between citing a report and a journal article in MLA?

Reports are standalone publications — treat them like books with the institution as publisher. Journal articles are contained in a journal (the container). Reports use italics for the title; article titles go in quotation marks.

How do I cite a technical report with a report number in MLA?

Include the report number as a descriptor after the title. Example: Smith, John. Climate Analysis. Technical Report 2024-07, National Science Foundation, 2024. Report numbers are not standard in MLA but can be added for clarity.

Do I need a DOI or URL for online reports in MLA?

MLA 9th edition recommends including a DOI when available (preferred over URL). For institutional reports without a DOI, include the URL. Omit "https://" but include the rest of the address.

Cite Other Source Types in MLA

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