Problems with Citation of same author with different works

papagolf · September 13, 2015

I am using MLA 7th (with URL) and when I cite additional works by the same author I cannot suppress the Title in the Text. In the Bibliography it also sorts the Titles by the same author alphabetically and I need them in date published order. Can you advise if I need to amend my settings?
Thanks.

adamsmith · September 13, 2015

Works by the same author should sort by title (cf.MLA 7th ed. p. 133).
When talking about suppressing the short title in the citation, you mean when you're citing it in the text? That's not possible. Best I can advise is to just add the page numbers in parentheses manually for those cases.

papagolf · September 14, 2015

Thanks for this. Happy to advise my Tutor that they should be sorted alphabetically.
The Citations in the text should normally only show (Author), when there are two works by the same author the citation shows (Author, Title of the Work). As you say I have to go into each citation and edit it.
Thanks for your quick and helpful response.

adamsmith · September 14, 2015

sorry, I don't understand this:

The Citations in the text should normally only show (Author), when there are two works by the same author the citation shows (Author, Title of the Work).

are you saying you're getting the title for every cited item? Or that it shouldn't be included in some cases even when you have multiple works by a single author--in which case, when? Specific examples would help.

edit: or in case this isn't clear--MLA does require that the short title is added to citations when you are citing multiple items by the same author(s). Don't have the manual here, but it's covered in depth in the chapter (7?) about in text citations.