Since the eighth edition focuses on the principles of documenting sources, rather than on strict adherence to a particular format for each source, citations in this new edition vary only slightly from the old ways. When comparing works cited entries in the new eighth edition with the former seventh edition, see that differences in citation style are minimal; punctuation is streamlined, volume and issue numbers are identified as such, and there is no excess information such as city of publication or media type.
Eighth edition (the new way):
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction. Oxford UP, 2011.
In this version, only the most essential information is included (author’s name, book title, publisher, and date). Note that the city of publication is not needed, and the medium of publication is eliminated.
Seventh edition (the old way):
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
This version includes the city of publication (Oxford) and the medium (print), which the new eighth edition does not require.
Eighth edition:
Kincaid, Jamaica. “In History.” Callaloo, vol. 24, no. 2, Spring 2001, pp. 620-26.
This version identifies the volume (24), the number (2), and the page numbers (620-26) of the scholarly journal, rather than leaving those numbers without clear explanation. This helps readers best make sense of your citation and allows them to locate your source without getting bogged down with extra information or references that can be difficult to decipher. Also note that punctuation is simple; only commas separate the journal title, volume, number, date, and page numbers.
Seventh edition:
Kinkaid, Jamaica. “In History.” Callaloo 24.2 (Spring 2001): 620-26. Web.
This version includes the volume and number (24.2), and page numbers (620-26) of the journal, but does not explain those references. The seventh edition emphasized following a strict punctuation formula, such as parentheses around the date and the colon, while the new eighth edition focuses on providing this information in a more streamlined manner by using only commas to separate each component.
In MLA style your bibliography should be called Works Cited.
A hanging indent should be used for each citation.
Within your Works Cited list, your references should be in alphabetical order based on the author's last name. If there is no author listed, use the title of the source.