How to cite a foreword in MLA

MLA foreword citation

To cite a foreword in a reference entry in MLA style 9th edition include the following elements:

  1. Author(s) name: Give the last name and name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two authors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For three or more authors, list the first name followed by et al. (e. g. Watson, John, et al.)
  2. Title of the book: Container titles are italicized and followed by a comma.
  3. Editor(s) or Author of the book: Give the name of the author or editor of the book. Start with 'edited by' if it is an editor. If not available, omit this part.
  4. Publisher: If the name of an academic press contains the words University and Press, use UP e.g. Oxford UP instead of Oxford University Press. If the word "University" doesn't appear, spell out the Press e.g. MIT Press.
  5. Year of publication: Give the year of publication as presented in the source.
  6. Page numbers: Give the full page range preceded by pp. If only one page, precede with one p.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a foreword in MLA style 9th edition:

Author(s) name. Foreword. Title of the book, by Editor(s) or Author of the book, Publisher, Year of publication, pp. Page numbers.

Take a look at our works cited examples that demonstrate the MLA style guidelines in action:

Examples

A foreword by one author from a book by a different author

Zimmer, Kyle. Foreword. Who wrote that? Stephen King, by Michael G. Baughan, Chelsea House, 2009, pp. 6-10.

A foreword by one author from a handbook by a different author

Amis, Kingsley. Foreword. A Handbook of Jazz, by Barry Ulanov, Hutschinson, 1958, pp. i-iv.

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