Frequently Asked Questions

What is in the MLA International Bibliography?

The MLA International Bibliography is a library database comprised of more than 3 million indexed citations to scholarly publications (e.g., books, essays, journal articles, and websites) that relate to human communication in any form. Coverage includes literature from all over the world—Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Folklore is represented by folk literature, music, art, rituals, and belief systems. Linguistics and language materials range from semantics, stylistics, and syntax to translation, comparative linguistics, and history and theory of linguistics. Other topics include literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts (film, radio, television, video, theater), rhetoric and writing studies, teaching of language and literature, and the history of printing and publishing.

Most of the materials indexed date from the 1920s or later, but some materials date well back into the nineteenth century.

Subscriptions to the bibliography include the MLA Directory of Periodicals, which provides detailed information on more than 25,000 journals and book series indexed in the MLA International Bibliography. The directory is a valuable resource for scholars seeking outlets to publish their work as well as for librarians working to identify periodical publications that best meet their institutions’ needs.

How can I get online access to the bibliography?

Online access to the MLA Bibliography is available in libraries through institutional subscription through EBSCO. Two different versions of the bibliography are available to subscribers on EBSCOhost:

The MLA International Bibliography is a citation-only database. Although the subscription does not include full text of publications, full text materials available in other EBSCO databases to which your library subscribes display directly in the product. The bibliography enables additional access to full text through links to materials in JSTOR and MUSE, links to open-access publications, and DOIs. It also supports link resolvers and interlibrary loan requests.
The MLA International Bibliography with Full Text includes full text of more than 1,000 journals and series, in addition to the same links to full text available in the MLA International Bibliography.

If you have questions about whether or not your institution subscribes, ask your reference librarian for assistance.

MLA members can search the MLA Directory of Periodicals free of charge through the MLA website.

Who uses the MLA Bibliography?

Historically geared to university students and scholars, the bibliography can also benefit high school students and general users. The database offers easy searching by keyword, author, subject (characters, literary themes, etc.), details of publication, and other terms. Even people with relatively limited knowledge of its areas of coverage can quickly find the materials they need.

Librarians and teaching faculty members also use the bibliography as a teaching resource—not only to instruct students in the effective use of specialized databases but also to stimulate classroom discussion and to introduce students to scholarly concepts and analytical skills. The MLA has developed a suite of related free teaching tools and resources, including concise tutorial videos, a short online course, lesson plans, projects, and webinars in which faculty members demonstrate how they use the bibliography in their in-person and online teaching. Additional information and access to these materials can be found in the MLA Style Center.

How many citations are added yearly to the MLA Bibliography?

Each year more than 70,000 citations are added to the database, which contains over 3 million records.

Where do you get the terms you use in indexing?

Indexers use a thesaurus of over 77,000 topical terms and 588,000 names and works. Since the research covered is cutting-edge, it sometimes describes concepts not yet in the thesaurus, and so subjects, names, and cross-references are regularly added.

How does a new term or name get added to the MLA Bibliography?

The indexers suggest new terms and names, which the thesaurus staff researches before deciding which to add to the vocabulary. The terms chosen reflect the state of current scholarship in the bibliography's areas of coverage.

Who does the indexing?

The indexing and editing of the bibliography are done by multilingual specialists with advanced degrees in literature, language, folklore, and linguistics. Scholars in the field also contribute material in their areas of expertise. All work is then reviewed by in-house editors, who are responsible for the overall scope and consistency of each division within the bibliography. Find out more about becoming an MLA field bibliographer.

Do you index only English-language material?

No. More than seventy other languages are represented in the index, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. The material indexed comes from all over the globe; coverage is truly international.

How many journals are covered in the bibliography?

Over 6,000 journals are regularly reviewed for articles that fall within the bibliography’s scope, and more than 20,000 journals have been indexed since 1926. Scholars can also submit articles for inclusion.

Where can I find more information on journals listed in the bibliography?

Each journal citation contains an ISSN and a place of publication. The Directory of Periodicals provides more information, like title variants, editors, e-mail and subscription addresses, URL, scope, and submission details. It is available through all electronic vendors and for free to MLA members here.

Do you index electronic journals?

Yes. To be included, they must meet certain criteria, such as having an editor and editorial board, a stated editorial policy, an archive of past issues, and a regular publication schedule. Also indexed are online bibliographies, electronic monographs, and websites.

What is the relation of the MLA Bibliography to JSTOR?

The MLA worked with JSTOR to develop the list of titles in JSTOR’s language and literature collection. This entire collection is indexed in the bibliography, with direct links to each article on JSTOR included in each citation. New issues in the collection are indexed as they are published.

If I find an error in the online version of the MLA Bibliography, whom should I contact?

Although we work very hard to produce an error-free bibliography, occasionally mistakes are found. Please report them to the MLA staff at bibliography@mla.org.

Is the bibliography still available in print?

No. The last print edition of the MLA International Bibliography was published in September 2009.