MLA Works Cited — Format, Sources, and Examples
MLA works cited
An MLA works cited page provides a list of works (sources) used in a research-based humanities paper. Identifying the source material avoids plagiarism and provides readers with a list of resources should they want to study the topic further.
Here is an example of a properly formatted source for a MLA work cited page:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
Each source listed on a works cited page, or reference list, needs at least one in-text citation in the research paper, including paraphrases. If information from a source does not appear directly in the paper, then it does not need an entry on the works cited page.
A works consulted page or annotated bibliography contains all sources reviewed during the research process regardless of whether the information is included in the paper. Works consulted pages are structured and formatted the same as a works cited page.
The instructions below follow the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook.
Works cited MLA format
When constructing MLA citations on a works cited page, the following formatting rules applies:
The works cited page is a continuation of the paper. It is located on its own page at the end of the document.
Double space the text with no extra spaces between entries.
The page should have the same 1-inch margins as the body of the paper.
Use the same font as the body of the paper, typically 12-point Times New Roman.
The writer’s name and page number should continue in a running head from the body of the paper in the header aligned to the right side of the page.
Place the title, Works Cited, at the top of the page, centered, and in title case in the same font and font size as the rest of the paper. Do not bold, italicize, underline, or place the title in quotation marks.
Include all sources used in the body of the paper on the works cited page.
The first line of a source citation should be flush with the left margin. Indent the second and all subsequent lines using a hanging indent.
Alphabetize sources by the author’s last name. Works with no known author should be in alphabetical order by title. If a title begins with an article (a, an, the), use the first word that follows it to determine its placement.
If two or more works have the same author, organize them based on the title of the work. Provide the author’s name in the first entry only. Use three hyphens followed by a period in place of the name for the entries that follow.
MLA sources
When structuring a works cited entry, there are nine core elements to consider:
Identify the author, the person or group responsible for creating or producing the work. With two authors, only the first author is written with the last name first. When there are more than two authors, list the first followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”).
If there is an editor but no author, place the editor’s name in the author position followed by “ed.”. Do not repeat the editor’s name under “other contributors.”
Enter the title exactly as it appears in the source. Modify titles so they fit MLA’s capitalization rules.
Quotation Marks: If the source is part of a larger work, place it between quotations marks. Examples include articles, essays, poems, short stories, song titles, and episode titles.
Italics: The titles of larger works that are self-contained (books, newspapers, films, etc.) are italicized.
MLA sources container
A container is the larger work in which the source appears. Example containers: newspapers, magazines, websites, online databases, and books containing a collection of essays, poems, short stories, etc.
When an individual contributes to the work in some important way, add their name to the entry. Their role should precede their name (edited by, translated by, illustrated by, directed by, etc.).
Include the version if there is more than one form of the source, such as editions or revised editions.
If the source appears in a work that is part of a numbered sequence, include the volume number (encyclopedias, journals, etc.).
The publisher is the organization responsible for providing the source to the public.
Identify the publication date, when the publisher produced the work.
The location specifies where the information was found within the larger container.
Print: Includes page numbers
Online: Includes the URL of the web page followed by the date of access
MLA source core elements
Not every core element will apply to each source; if a source is missing one, proceed to the next element.
The following identifies the placement of each core element along with the necessary punctuation:
Author (last name, first name). Title of Book/Source. Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date (day month year), Location.
Following the core elements is the easiest way to construct a source entry on the works cited page.
The following citation examples highlight those elements in each main type of source:
Print Sources
Book
One Author: Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
Two Authors: Gibaldi, Joseph, and Walter S. Achtert. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
More than Two Authors: Gibaldi, Joseph, et al. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
Anthology or Collection
Boyd, Carrie C. “MLA and Research.” Collection, edited by Diane B. Lipsett, Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, pp. 103-114.
Article in a Reference Book
"Citing Sources.” The Writer’s Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., Dell, 1997, p. 369.
Newspaper Article
Schackner, Bill. “Students at Pennsylvania’s State-Owned Universities Will See a Tuition Freeze for the Fourth Straight Year.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 April 2022, A3.
Academic Journal Article
Author: Steffen, Will, et al. “How to Write a Research Paper.” Writing 101, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 81–98.
No Author: “How to Write a Research Paper.” Writing 101, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 81–98.
Government Reports
United States, Congress, House, Committee on the Education and Labor. Impact of Research in Education. Department of Education. Government Printing Office, 2015.
Legal Documents
Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education. 17 May 1954. Legal Information Institute, Cornell U Law School.
Digital and electronic sources
Online Book
Silva, Paul J. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007. Digital Library, www.digitallibrary.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
Online Article
Millard, Avery. “Research Dos and Don’ts.” Writer’s Digest. 10 Aug. 2013, www.writersdigestquarterly.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
Online Database
Trier, James. “‘Cool’ Engagements with YouTube: Part 2.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 50, no. 7, April 2007, pp. 598-603. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.50. Accessed 18 April 2022.
Websites
Modern Language Association. 1 Jan. 2022, https://www.mla.org/. Accessed 18 April 2022.
The following sample paper illustrates the structure of the page and the placement of the sources:
