 If you've watched our previous videos on MLA style, you'll recall the two basic concepts that form the underlying structure of the citations, core elements, and information containers. In this video we'll discuss core elements. These are the bits of information given in a specific order which describe the work you are citing. When put together in order, these elements create a citation. In the containers video we compared the citation to a mailing address and we can continue the comparison here. The core elements are like the individual details needed for the post office to get the letter to the right person. Each of these details, the name, the house number and street name, bring an added piece of information to ensure the letter gets to the right place and the right person. Insiting a source, the core elements are bits of information like the author, the title and the date published. Depending on the type of source you have, it may also include locational information such as volume and issue numbers, page numbers, or website URL. Remember, you want each citation to lead your reader to the same source you used, so you need to provide enough detail to ensure you're both looking at the same source. So let's get on with this. I'm going to demonstrate the process of creating a citation through the use of a blank template. You may not always need to use a template, but it's very helpful to use it the first few times you create a citation until you become more comfortable with the process. Different types of blank templates are available on the library website and are linked in the video description. Instead of using a template, you can also simply write or type the core elements you need in the order given. As you create your citation, you will also want to have a guide handy, such as the library's MLA 9th edition guide found on our website. This guide explains in detail when to include each element and how to format it correctly. To demonstrate, I'm going to cite this online news article. The first two elements, author and title of source, are core elements you will have for almost any source you use. This information is usually easy to find in your source. Notice that with each element, I need to format it to match MLA style. For example, the author needs to be entered with the last name first, a comma, then the first name, then a period. Specific rules apply if there are multiple authors or if there is no author given. The library's MLA guide will tell me what to do in each of those cases. Now I continue to the next element, which is title of source. I'll look at my guide for directions on how to format it. For titles, the first, last, and principal words of the title are capitalized. Then I will either use quotation marks, or I will put the title in italics, depending on whether my source is a shorter or longer work. In this example, I put the title in quotation marks because I'm citing an article, a small part of the larger work, the New York Times newspaper. Also, notice the period goes before the ending quotation mark. I'm going to continue working my way through each element and either entering relevant information from the source or skipping elements that don't apply. In our example, the container element is the New York Times, the larger publication that published my source article. Because it's a larger work, I've formatted it in italics. I'm going to skip the next elements. There isn't an additional contributor to include, no version information, no number like a volume or issue. I'm also skipping the publisher in this case because the name of the publisher is the same as the name of the website. Publication date is an important element to include. Most articles will have the publication date either right at the top of the article or right at the end. Again, I look at my MLA guide and it tells me to format the date as day, month abbreviated, and year with a comma at the end. For online resources, the location element is used for the URL. I'm going to copy and paste it for accuracy. If this were a chapter from a book or an article in a journal, the location element would be used for the page numbers. Again, check your guide for details on what to include and how to format it. Now it's your turn to try. You can do this. With practice, MLA becomes easier and easier. And remember to go to your instructor, the writing center, or the library for help in creating your citations.