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MLA Format Works Cited

The list of Works Cited is an alphabetical list of sources that you used to gather information for your research paper. You place this works cited list at the end of your research paper.

Your Works Cited Page:

Formatting Your MLA Format Works Cited:
Page Format:Use the heading “Works Cited” centered one inch below the top edge of a new page. Do not bold or underline this heading.
Page Number:Begin the list on a new page and number each page, continuing the page numbers of the research paper. For example, if the text of your research paper ends on page 10, the works-cited list begins on page 11. The page number appears in the upper right-hand corner, half an inch from the top and flush with the right margin.
Indentation:Do not indent the first line of each entry. If an entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line or lines 1/2 inch from the left margin.
Spacing:Double-space the entire list, both between and within entries. Continue the list on as many pages as necessary.
Alphabetizing:Alphabetize entries in your list of works cited by the author’s last name, using the letter-by-letter system. In this system, the order of names is determined by the letters before the commas that separate last names and first names. Spaces and other punctuation marks are ignored. The letters following the commas are considered only when two or more last names are identical. A, An and The are ignored.
Hints:
  1. List in your Works Cited only the entries which were actually cited within your text.
  2. Titles of books, periodicals, films, etc. are italicized (was underlined in the MLA 6th Edition.)
  3. All entries in the list of Works Cited, the Publication Medium (i.e. Print, Web, DVD, Television, etc.) must be included.
  4. Dates are written in MLA format, Day Month Year, with the longer months abbreviated. For example: 7 Feb. 1996.
  5. Indicate When Data is Missing: Many sources do not have a date, publisher or pagination. MLA advises, where applicable, to write n. pag. for those sources without page numbers, n.d. for no date, and n.p. if name of the publisher or place of publication is omitted.
  6. The URLs for web sources are now optional. MLA suggests not using them but recognizes that some educators might still require them. Therefore, ask your teacher if he/she requires URLs for your web sources.

MLA Works Cited Page Example:

MLA Works Cited Page Example

MLA Format Works Cited Templates/Formulas:

Here are the basic MLA format templates if you would like to create the Works Cited list yourself (instead of using the automatic generators).

Basic template in reference to Books
NOTE: Name of author inverted = author’s last name, author’s first name.Book with One Author:

Name of author inverted. Title of book. Place of publication: Name of publisher, Year of publication. Print.

Lipson, Charles. Reliable Partners: How Democracies Have Made a Separate Piece. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2003. Print.

Book with Multiple Authors:

Author’s first name, last name, Author’s first name Author’s last name. Title of book. Place of publication: Name of publisher, Year of publication. Print.

Binder, Guyora, and Robert Weisberg. Literary Criticisms of Law. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2000. Print.

Book with Editors:

Name of author inverted. Title. Ed. Editor’s first name Editor’s last name. Place: Pub, Year. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square-Pocket, 1992. Print.

Other Templates:
A Work in an Anthology:Name of author inverted. “Title of work.” Title of Anthology. Ed. Editor’s first and last name. Place: Pub, Year. Pages of work. Printed.

Peterson, Nancy J. “Toni Morrison: A Critical Look.” Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Ed. Nancy Peterson. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. 221-76. Printed.

Play in Textbook:

Name of author inverted. Title of Play. Title of Textbook. Ed. editor’s name. Place: Pub, Year. Pages. Printed.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Elements of Literature. Fifth Course. Ed. Kathleen Daniel, et al. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2000. 829-887. Printed.

Encyclopedia Article:

Name of author inverted. “Article title.” Title. Edition. Date. Printed.

Hernandez, Tomas. “Portugal.” The World Book. International ed. 1999. Printed.

Bible:

Title. Ed. Editor’s last name, first name. Place: Pub, Year. Printed.

The New Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Henry Wansbrough. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Printed.

In-text Citation example: (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10)

Periodicals:

Name of author inverted. “Title of article.” Name of periodical (omit any introductory a, an, or the) Volume number or issue number (Date of publication): Page numbers for the entire article. Printed.

Beets, Nicholas. “Historical Actuality and Bodily Experience.” Humanitas 2.1 (1966): 15-28. Printed.

Where 2.1 means: volume 2, issue 1.

Basic template in reference to Electronic Sources
Website:Name of author inverted. Full Title. Publisher, Publication date. Web. Access date.

Nguyen, Stephen. MLA Format Works Cited. 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

Newspaper Article (Print):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Year or date of publication: page numbers. Print.

Harris, Nicole. “Airports in the Throes of Change.” Wall Street Journal 27 Mar. 2002: B1+. Print.

Newspaper Article (Found on the Internet):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Year or date of publication: page numbers. Web. Access date.

Achen, Joel. “America’s River.” Washington Post 5 May 2002. Web. 27 Feb. 2012.

Magazine Article (Print):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Magazine Title. Date: Pages. Print.

Simpson, Rhonda P. “Exercising in the New Millennium: A Plan to Meet the Modern Woman’s Needs.” Health and Fitness 15 June 1995: 56-61. Print.

Magazine Article (Internet):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Magazine Title. Date: Pages. Web. Access date.

Brooks, David. “The Culture of Martyrdom.” Atlantic Online June 2007. Web. 22 Sept. 2005.

Scholarly Journal Article (Print):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Title of Journal Volume (Year): Pages. Print.

Melborne, Samuel. “Living in Iran.” Mosaic 19 (1986): 133-49. Print.

Scholarly Journal Article (Internet):

Name of author inverted. “Article Title.” Title of Journal Volume (Year): Pages. Web. Access date.

Sohmer, Steve. “Opening Day at Shakespeare’s Globe.” Journal of Modern Literary Studies 3.1 (1997). Web. 27 May 2009.

ELibrary:

Palmer, Aaron. “Colors and Blood: Flag Passions of the Confederate South.” History. 2 Mar. 2005: 64-6. ELibrary. ProQuest. Trabuco Hills High School Library. Web. 3 Feb. 2004.

Dictionary Online:

“Word searched.” Website Title. Created or updated date if available. Sponsoring organization of applicable. Web. Date of access written in MLA style.

“Hysteria.” Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. 2000. Web. 25 Sept. 2006.

Government Publication (Print):

Author or Government Agency. Title of publication. Publication Information, date. Print.

United States Dept. of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health. Washington: GPO, 2000. Print.

Government Publication (Internet):

Author or Government Agency. Title of publication. Publication Information, date. Web.

United States Dept. of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health. Washington: GPO, 2000. Web.

Class Notes, Lecture, etc…
Class Notes:Name of lecturer inverted. Class Notes. Course. Location. Date of lecture. Lecture.

Stewart, Ms. Class Notes. English 3 Honors/IB. Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo. 26 Sept. 2003. Lecture.

Lecture or Speech:

Name of speaker inverted. “Title of Presentation.” Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date. Speech.

Harris, Muriel. “Writing Labs: A Short History.” 2003 Writing Center Conference. National Writing Centers Association. La Swank Hotel, Seattle. 28 Mar. 2003. Speech.

Interview:

Interviewee last name, first name. Personal Interview. Date of interview.

Purdue, Pete. Personal Interview. 1 Dec. 2000.

Film:

Title. Dir. Director’s name. Perf. Performer’s name(s). Distributor, year of release. Film.

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.

Basic template in reference to Other Items
Sources come in many forms. As a general rule, arrange the information in your Works Cited in the following order:Author. Title. Place of publication. Publisher. Date and any information that could help with retrieval. Medium.

References:

  • MLA Handbook, 8th Edition
  • Style Guide for Research Papers, p. 4-5
  • The Longman Writer’s Bible, p. 127
{ 24 comments… add one }
  • Chelsea November 20, 2020, 12:03 pm

    Can do it!

  • Chelsea November 20, 2020, 11:59 am

    Good!

  • Pat Prazer August 4, 2020, 2:24 pm

    Thank you now I can go back to school and claim my victory!

  • rather not say April 10, 2019, 1:40 pm

    i hate it, all it does is stress me out and keep me AWAY from my freinds rather than spending more time with them while only giving me better grades becuase thts all my teacher willl accept

  • Brenda Edwards December 15, 2018, 1:55 pm

    I need to site three books by the same author.

  • JS December 5, 2016, 9:13 am

    I finished MLA Works cited page on a website which my teacher gave me a 100 on.

  • Young November 15, 2016, 1:27 pm

    This was very helpful thank you so very much…

  • JACK FROST AND ELSA FOREVS May 27, 2016, 9:30 am

    This was super helpful!!

  • Joe October 29, 2014, 12:27 pm

    Hi Laquisha. Thanks for your input. I’m gonna have to agree to disagree.

  • Tommy November 17, 2013, 7:35 am

    How about the picture?

  • Linda Wells October 20, 2013, 6:42 am

    How Do I cite a photograph from an online magazine or publicity agency?
    What should the in-text citation look like?

  • Bob marley October 17, 2013, 8:19 am

    Very helpful

  • M February 10, 2013, 10:55 am

    How would one cite a video (on youtube) in MLA format? Would one just cite the website?

  • Anthony December 12, 2012, 2:34 pm

    Awesome

  • L November 13, 2012, 3:56 pm

    Does the Works Cited page take the place of the Bibliography, or in MLA are both needed?

    • Stephen November 13, 2012, 4:23 pm

      Q: Does the Works Cited page take the place of the Bibliography in MLA?

      A: Yes.

  • Aleshandra April 26, 2012, 7:03 pm

    Hello, is it considered plagiarism if i took excerpts from various pages and mix them together, so the work will be more complete, and put the sources in cited works? or do i have to put also my words into the sentences?

    • Stephen April 26, 2012, 7:22 pm

      Yes, that is considered plagiarism. See citation examples here.

  • Yourmom March 26, 2012, 6:50 pm

    This is good but it’s not really specific enough, like where it says name of author inverted it should be last name, first name. And it says location of publication when it should say city.

  • Ralphael March 21, 2012, 6:27 pm

    How exactly do I use MLA format for a philosophy paper, the source I am using is from Stanford’s online encyclopedia, in which it’s a paper written by an author, but I don’t know exactly how to format it. My teacher had told our class to just put the author’s last name at the end of the sentence.

    • Stephen March 21, 2012, 6:48 pm

      Hi Ralphael,

      “My teacher had told our class to just put the author’s last name at the end of the sentence.”

      That is called in-text citation, you can read some examples here. See under the section “Placement and Punctuation Rules”.

      Generally, you would put the last name and page number but since the source you use is online and has no page number, you just use the last name, as advised by your teacher.

  • Laquisha February 10, 2012, 10:21 am

    This article does not specify what goes first, second, third. e.g. author’s name, then title of source, then year, then page number, etc. So, if I direct a student here, he can get the correct format, but not the proper order of information.

    • Stephen February 10, 2012, 10:55 am

      Hi Laquisha,

      Thank you for your input.

    • Stephen February 11, 2012, 6:48 pm

      Hi Laquisha,

      I would like to let you know that I have updated this page to include the information you suggested. The new information can be located under subtitle: “MLA Format Works Cited Templates”. Take care!

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