Properly attributing a work originally published in a language other than the one used in a research paper involves specific elements to acknowledge both the author and the translator. This ensures academic integrity and allows readers to locate the specific edition consulted. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style provides guidelines for creating entries for translated books in a bibliography or works cited list. A typical entry includes the author’s name, the title of the book, the translator’s name, and publication information such as the publisher and year. For example: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Translated by Constance Garnett, Heinemann, 1914.
Adhering to MLA formatting guidelines when documenting sources demonstrates respect for intellectual property and strengthens the credibility of academic writing. Accurately identifying translated works acknowledges the contribution of the translator, whose efforts make the work accessible to a wider audience. Historically, consistent citation practices have been essential for tracking the evolution of ideas across languages and cultures, ensuring that scholarship builds upon a solid foundation of properly attributed sources. Failing to do so can be considered plagiarism.
