The Works Cited page is a part of research papers written in the Modern Language Association (MLA) format where all sources used by the author are listed. While writing research papers, authors may consult several sources and use their data or paraphrase parts of the original text. It is essential to give due credit to the used sources and cite them appropriately to avoid plagiarism. This list of sources offers an easy reference for readers who may want to refer to the original source for their own research.
A well-formatted and accurate Works Cited page can provide readers with specific details to help them access that source. For example, for a journal article, in addition to basic details like author name, title, journal name, etc., the MLA Works Cited page also provides the volume and issue numbers, page numbers, publisher, etc. A Works Cited page gives credibility to the research paper, proving that the information published is accurate and backed by evidence.
This article describes the template of an MLA Works Cited page along with examples and suggests steps to ensure accurate formatting of all entries.
The MLA Works Cited page1 lists all the sources used while writing research papers. This page is always the last one after the main content. A Works Cited page uses the official MLA format and has similar content as reference lists used by other styles such as the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the American Medical Association (AMA). Each style uses a different format, emphasizing different elements.
The Works Cited page helps avoid plagiarism by crediting the sources and allows readers to quickly locate the sources. Papers in MLA format should always have a Works Cited page and each entry on this page should be cited in the text at the corresponding location.
Here are some basic rules for writing the MLA Works Cited page:2
A citation in an MLA Works Cited page requires the following core elements. These elements should be written in the order given below, followed by the punctuation mark shown unless the particular element is the final element of the entry, in which case, it should end with a period.4,5
A few optional elements can be included, if available:
All style guides have their own specific formats for writing different sources in a reference list—journal articles, printed and digital books, videos, websites, etc. The MLA-style format for different types of sources is listed below:4
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol., no. (issue), date of publication, pp. (if available). Database Name, DOI or URL.
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Publication Date, p. (if available), URL. Access date.
Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book. E-book, publisher, publication year, DOI or URL (if available).
Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book, editor or translator (if necessary), (Kindle/Nook) ed., publisher, year.
Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book. City*, Publisher, Publication Date.
*City is cited only if the book is published before 1900 or if the publisher has multiple offices worldwide.
Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book. Edited by FirstName LastName, publisher, year, page range of chapter.
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Title of Website, URL. Access date.
“Title of Article.” Title of Website, date of publication, URL. Access date.
“Title of Webpage.” Title of Website (if different), publication year, URL. Access date.
Author’s last name, First Name (or, in some cases, screen name, editor, etc.). “Title of Post.” Name of Website, version or date of post, name of organization (if different), URL. Access date.
Title of Motion Picture/Film. Directed by First Name Last Name, performances by First Name Last Name, Studio Name, Year. Access date, Media format.
Last Name, First Name, director/writer/producer. Title of Motion Picture/Film. Studio, Year. Access date, Media format.
If author is different from the uploader:
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by [Screen name], date, URL. Access date, Media format.
If author and uploader are the same OR if there is no clear author:
“Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by [Screen name], date, URL. Access date, Media format.
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Image, date of creation, institution, city. Name of web site, URL.
Title of Piece. Date of creation. Name of Website, URL.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Conference Paper Title.” Conference Title that Includes Date and Location, edited by Conference Editor(s). Publisher. Date of Publication.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Dissertation (Doctoral dissertation). Database name, date of publication, URL (if available).
Twitter Handle (First Name Last Name if Known). “The entire tweet word-for-word.” Twitter, Day Month Year of Tweet, Time of Tweet, URL.
Here’s a list of steps for formatting the MLA Works Cited page:
Example:
Benjamin, Chloe. The Immortalists. Penguin, 2018.
Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, performance by Chadwick Boseman, Marvel Studios, 2018.
Egan, Jennifer. Manhattan Beach. Scribner, 2017.
The following points outline the basic format for headings and titles used on a Works Cited page.1 The running head is at the top right corner of every page of the document. It displays the last name of the author and the page number (e.g., Letterman 6).
Consider the following rules while formatting source titles:1,5,7,8
Examples:
The Code of the Exiled, Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Cheyfitz, Eric. The Poetics of Imperialism: Translation and Colonization from The Tempest to Tarzan. Expanded ed., U of Pennsylvania P, 1997.
Example:
Goldman, Anne. “Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante.” The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88.
Example: Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little Brown, 1991.
Auto-generate citations in the MLA format with Paperpal. Try it for FREE.
Few important rules to consider when formatting author names:1,2
Last name, first name, middle name or middle initial
Example:
Said, Edward W. Culture and Imperialism. Knopf, 1994.
Example:
Alcott, Louisa May. “Eight Cousins.” Project Gutenberg, 2018, www.gutenberg.org/files/2726/2726-h/2726-h.htm.
—. Little Women. Bantam Classics, 1983.
—. Rose in Bloom. CreateSpace, 2018.
The first listed author’s name on the source is the first author in the reference.
Last name, First name of author 1, and First name Last name of author 2
Example:
Pavear, Richard, and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. Crime and Punishment. By Feodor Dostoevsky, Vintage eBooks, 1993.
Include only the first listed author’s last name, followed by a comma and their first name, followed by another comma and then “et al.”
Example:
Baron, Sabrina Alcorn, et al., editors. Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein. U of Massachusetts P / Center for the Book, Library of Congress, 2007.
Example:
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Example:
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulations. […]
Boring Postcards USA […]
Example:
Van Dyne, Edith [L. Frank Baum]. Aunt Jane’s Nieces At Work. 1st World Library, 2006.
To summarize, an MLA Works Cited page should have the following format:
A1. The Works Cited page and references have a similar purpose; both include sources that have been specifically cited or paraphrased in the paper and whose data have been directly used. A bibliography includes a list of sources related to the content in a research paper, that is, sources that you may have consulted while writing your research paper, but may not have actually used, cited, or paraphrased from.1
A2. Yes, there are a few other styles for citing references, such as the Chicago Style, AMA Manual of Style, APA Manual of Style, and the IEEE style. All of these have different referencing formats. In addition, organizations may create their own referencing styles, commonly called a house style.
A3. No, the Works Cited page should include only those sources that you have cited or whose data you have used in your research paper. Sources that you have only consulted while conducting research should be included in a bibliography.
A4. Per MLA format, ignore symbols, such as hashtags when alphabetizing. Use the first letter in the entry to alphabetize.9
Example:
@AP. “It’s been four years since the #MeToo movement took over social media. . . .” X, 15 Oct. 2021, https://twitter.com/AP/status/1449019990741590025.
“#MeToo Poll: Many in US More Willing to Call Out Misconduct.” Associated Press, 15 Oct. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/sexual-misconduct-metoo-79688da3a0c3519d2a76b5b6e6b23ba7.
“#MeToo Protest in Amsterdam after Allegations at TV Show.” Associated Press, 29 Jan. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-entertainment-netherlands-amsterdam-4bb589aae061e534b1a47ac453e9d85f.
A5. Here is one way of adding a hanging indent in MS Word:10
1. Highlight the text that you want to format.
2. Click the Home tab at the top of the page; in the “Paragraph” section click the small arrow in the lower-right corner to open a window with different paragraph setting options.
3. In that settings window, look for a section, “Indentation,” which has an option, “Special.” Click the drop-down menu beneath Special and select Hanging.
4. MS Word will mostly have the default spacing of the hanging indent set to 0.5 inches. To adjust the spacing, change the number in the By section.
5. Click OK to save and apply the hanging indent to your highlighted text.
To summarize, an MLA Works Cited page is an essential part of a manuscript written using the MLA style and includes all sources used by the author to write the research paper. As described in the article, the Works Cited page and its entries have a specific format that should be strictly followed, and all the core elements included in the individual entries.
We hope this article has provided a deeper understanding of the MLA style and will help you apply this format to all your Works Cited pages.
References
Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.
Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.
Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!
Inadvertent plagiarism is a pressing issue in academia, often stemming from a lack of awareness…
Compare-and-contrast essays' primary goal is to enhance understanding through systematic comparisons, allowing scholars and researchers…
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the…
In academia, students and researchers often find themselves having to write process essays - a…
Literature search and research reading can be overwhelming. The research discovery process often needs you…
AI tools for academic writing are becoming valuable resources for students and researchers in producing…