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MLA Works Cited | 2021 Guidelines & Free Template

Published on June 7, 2021 by Shona McCombes . Revised on March 5, 2024.

In MLA style , the list of Works Cited (also known as a reference list or bibliography) appears at the end of your paper. It gives full details of every source that you cited in an MLA in-text citation .

Like the rest of an MLA format paper, the Works Cited should be left-aligned and double-spaced with 1-inch margins.

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Table of contents

Formatting the works cited page, examples of works cited entries, authors and titles in the works cited list, ordering the list of works cited, frequently asked questions about the works cited.

The Works Cited appears at the end of your paper. The layout is similar to the rest of an MLA format paper :

• Title the page Works Cited, centered and in plain text (no italics, bold, or underline).
• Alphabetize the entries by the author’s last name.
• Use left alignment and double line spacing (no extra space between entries).
• Use a hanging indent on entries that run over onto additional lines.
• Include a header with your last name and the page number in the top right corner.

Creating a hanging indent

If an entry is more than one line long, each line after the first must be indented 0.5 inches. This is called a hanging indent, and it helps the reader see where one entry ends and the next begins.

In Microsoft Word, you can create a hanging indent on all entries at once.

• Highlight the whole list and right click to open the Paragraph options.
• Under Indentation  > Special , choose Hanging from the drop-down menu.
• Set the indent to 0.5 inches or 1.27cm.

If you’re using Google Docs, the steps are slightly different.

• Highlight the whole list and click on Format > Align and indent > Indentation options .
• Under Special indent , choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.

You can also use our free template to create your Works Cited page in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Download Word template Copy Google Docs template

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MLA provides nine core elements that you can use to build a reference for any source. Mouse over the example below to see how they work.

Author. “Title of the Source.” Title of the Container , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

You only include the elements that are relevant to the type of source you’re citing.

Use the interactive tool to see different versions of an MLA Works Cited entry.

Examples for common source types

The main elements of a book citation are the author, title (italicized), publisher, and year.

• Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye . Vintage International, 2007.

If there are other contributors (such as editors or translators), or if you consulted a particular volume or edition of a book, these elements should also be included in the citation.

Book chapter

If a book is a collection of chapters by different authors, you should cite the author and title of the specific work. The container gives details of the book, and the location is the page range on which the chapter appears.

• Andrews, Kehinde. “The Challenge for Black Studies in the Neoliberal University.”   Decolonising the University , edited by Gurminder K. Bhambra et al., Pluto Press, 2018, pp. 149–144.

This format also applies to works collected in anthologies (such as poems , plays , or stories ).

Journal article

Journals usually have volume and issue numbers, but no publisher is required. If you accessed the article through a database, this is included as a second container. The DOI provides a stable link to the article.

• Salenius, Sirpa. “Marginalized Identities and Spaces: James Baldwin’s Harlem, New York.” Journal of Black Studies , vol. 48, no. 8, Jul. 2016, pp. 883–902. Sage Journals , https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934716658862.

If there is no DOI, look for a stable URL or permalink instead. Omit the “https://” prefix if using a URL or permalink, but always include it with a DOI.

For websites (including online newspapers and magazines), you usually don’t have to include a publisher. The URL is included, with the “https://” prefix removed. If a web page has no publication date , add an access date instead.

• Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “The Case for Reparations.” The Atlantic , Jun. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/.

If a web page has no publication date, add an access date instead.

More MLA citation examples

We also have examples for a wide range of other source types.

Play | Poem | Short story |  Movie | YouTube video | Newspaper | Interview | Lecture | PowerPoint Image | Song | Podcast | TV show | PDF | TED Talk | Bible | Shakespeare | Constitution

There are a few important formatting rules when writing author names and titles in your Works Cited entries.

Author names

Author names are inverted in the Works Cited list. However, when a second author is listed, their name is not inverted. When a source has three or more authors, only the first author is listed, followed by “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”). A corporate author may sometimes be listed instead of an individual.

• Smith, John.
• Smith, John, and David Jones.
• Smith, John, et al.

When no author is listed for a source, the Works Cited entry instead begins with the source title. The in-text citation should always match the first element of the Works Cited entry, so in these cases, it begins with the title (shortened if necessary) instead of the author’s last name.

Oxford Classical Dictionary . 4th ed., Oxford UP, 2012.

( Oxford Classical Dictionary )

Source and container titles

The titles of sources and containers are always written in title case (all major words capitalized).

Sources that are part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter in a book, an article in a periodical, a page on a website) are enclosed in quotation marks. The titles of self-contained sources (e.g. a book, a movie, a periodical, a website) are instead italicized. A title in the container position is always italicized.

If a source has no title, provide a description of the source instead. Only the first word of this description is capitalized, and no italics or quotation marks are used.

• Kafka, Franz. “The Metamorphosis.”   The Metamorphosis and Other Stories , . . .
• Eliot, George.  Middlemarch . . . .
• Mackintosh, Charles Rennie. Chair of stained oak . . . .

Arrange the entries in your Works Cited list alphabetically by the author’s last name. See here for information on formatting annotations in an MLA annotated bibliography.

Multiple sources by the same author(s)

If your Works Cited list includes more than one work by a particular author, arrange these sources alphabetically by title. In place of the author element, write three em dashes for each source listed after the first.

The same applies to works by the same group of authors; replace the author element with three em dashes for subsequent sources.

Note, however, that two sources by “Smith, John, et al.” aren’t necessarily by the exact same authors; the authors represented by “et al.” could be different. Only use the three em dashes if the group of authors is exactly the same in each case; otherwise, repeat the author name and “et al.”

One author in combination with different coauthors

Sometimes, multiple entries will start with the same author, but in combination with different coauthors. Works by the author alone should come first, then works by two authors, and finally works by three or more authors (i.e., entries containing “et al.”).

Within this, sources with two authors are alphabetized by the second author’s last name , while sources using “et al.” are instead alphabetized by the title of the source.

Sources with no author

If there is no author, alphabetize the source based on the title of the work. Ignore articles ( the, a , and an ) for the purposes of alphabetization. If a title begins with a number, alphabetize it as you would if the number was spelled out.

The MLA Works Cited lists every source that you cited in your paper. Each entry contains the author , title , and publication details of the source.

According to MLA format guidelines, the Works Cited page(s) should look like this:

• Running head containing your surname and the page number.
• The title, Works Cited, centered and in plain text.
• List of sources alphabetized by the author’s surname.
• Left-aligned.
• Double-spaced.
• 1-inch margins.
• Hanging indent applied to all entries.

To apply a hanging indent to your reference list or Works Cited list in Word or Google Docs, follow the steps below.

Microsoft Word:

• Under Indentation > Special , choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.

Google Docs:

• Highlight the whole list and click on Format >  Align and indent >  Indentation options .
• Under  Special indent , choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.

When the hanging indent is applied, for each reference, every line except the first is indented. This helps the reader see where one entry ends and the next begins.

A standard MLA Works Cited entry  is structured as follows:

Only include information that is available for and relevant to your source.

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2024, March 05). MLA Works Cited | 2021 Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/works-cited/

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Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, mla works cited.

• © 2023 by Barbara McLain - The Out-of-Door Academy , Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida

MLA Works Cited refers to the rules for compiling a list of references at the end of a text that cites sources according to the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition. Learn how teachers and editors evaluate an MLA works cited page.

What is MLA Works Cited?

MLA Works Cited refers to t he MLA’s (Modern Language Association’s) guidelines for formatting a list of references at the end of a text that cites sources.

The MLA Handbook, 9th Edition requires authors to provide a list of references — aka a works cited page — at the end of their texts

• to acknowledge the people and ideas that have informed their thinking and writing
• to provide citations for summarized , quoted, and paraphrased sources.

MLA Works Cited vs. MLA In Text Citation

The bibliographical information (e.g., who is the author? publisher? and so on) that MLA requires for a Works Cited Page differs from the bibliographic information it requires for an MLA citation in the body of a text.

Works Cited Page See the article below to learn about MLA’s guidelines for formatting a works cited page

In Text Citation See MLA Citation to explore creative ways to introduce and vet sources inside the body of your paper

Scholars use a variety of terms to refer to a works cited page , including references, sources, endnotes, citations.

Related Concepts:  Annotated Bibliography ; Copyright & Writing ; Intellectual Property ;  Page Design ; Plagiarism ; Rhetorical Analysis ; Textual Research Methods

Writers provide a works cited page so that their readers can

• learn more about the topic
• evaluate the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose of sources they’ve used in a text
• distinguish the author’s ideas and language from the ideas of others
• better understand the flow of a scholarly conversation for a particular topic over time (aka historiography)

In academic writing , teachers are likely to scrutinize the works cited page to see

• whether students have cited all of the sources they referenced in the body of the text
• whether or not the sources reflect the best available information on the topic, including the gated web
• whether the sources you have selected are appropriate given the rhetorical situation
• whether or not students have introduced new information, new sources, in ways that help readers with flow

In both academic and workplace writing, people

• cite sources to acknowledge the author’s copyright, intellectual property, ideas
• cite sources to add additional evidence , backing or qualifications for claims .

MLA Works Cited Page

Required bibliographical information.

Entries on your works cited list will include the following elements.

• Please note that every element listed below won’t necessarily apply to your source. For example, some sources won’t have an author identified, and periodicals don’t require publisher information. If the element listed doesn’t apply to your source, skip it and move on to the next element.
• list author’s name, last name first, followed by a period.
• Capitalize the first word and any major words in the title; enclose titles of articles in quotation marks and titles of larger works such as books, journals, or newspapers in italics.
• If the source you are citing is contained or included in a larger work, such as a journal or edited collection, provide the name of the container here, followed by a comma.
• List the names of other contributors, such as translators or editors, if appropriate, followed by a comma.
• For example, the 9th edition of the  MLA Handbook  is the version we are following here. For journals or magazines, you may instead have a volume number. Follow this with a comma.
• Issue numbers are preceded by the abbreviation “no.” and followed by a comma.
• You can usually find the publisher of a book on the title or copyright page. You do not need to include a publisher’s name for periodicals. Follow the publisher’s name with a comma.
• Provide the year of publication for books; for periodical publications, give the month and year, or day-month-year, if applicable. Follow the publication date with a comma if you have location information.
• For most publications, the location indicates the page number or numbers of the article and is preceded by the abbreviation “p.” for a single page or “pp.” for two or more pages. For online publications, the location is commonly designated by the URL or Web address, or the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), if available. Conclude the entry with a period.
• For an article in a journal accessed through an online database, list the title of the database as the container and whatever other information is available

Skip any information that is not available or applicable. For example, a book in print will not have a container, and a journal will usually not require information about a publisher.

Do include other pertinent information, such as the name of a translator, for instance, if available, in the order in which it is listed above. 

MLA Format Citation

How to Cite Work in MLA Format

Below are the common templates for citing sources.

Works Cited Rubric

The criteria for evaluating a works cited page may vary across academic and professional disciplines.

The rubric below distinguishes failing works cited pages from passing works cited pages . In this framework, a professional works cited list shows a sensitivity to the ongoing scholarly conversations on a topic . The author’s use of quotations, paraphrases, and summaries suggests the author is aware of the thought leaders and scholarly conversations on particular topics .

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

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Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

• The Honor Code
• Works Cited Format

What is a Works Cited list?

MLA style requires you to include a list of all the works cited in your paper on a new page at the end of your paper.  The entries in the list should be in alphabetical order by the author's last name or by the element that comes first in the citation. (If there is no author's name listed, you would begin with the title.) The entire list should be double-spaced.

For each of the entries in the list, every line after the first line should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. "Works Cited" should be centered at the top of the page. If you are only citing one source, the page heading should be “Work Cited” instead of “Works Cited.” You can see a sample Works Cited here . 

Building your Works Cited list

MLA citations in the Works Cited list are based on what the Modern Language Association calls "core elements." The core elements appear in the order listed below, in a citation punctuated with the punctuation mark that follows the element. For some elements, the correct punctuation will be a period, and for other elements, the correct punctuation will be a comma. Since you can choose the core elements that are relevant to the source you are citing, this format should allow you to build your own citations when you are citing sources that are new or unusual.

The author you should list is the primary creator of the work—the writer, the artist, or organization that is credited with creating the source.  You should list the author in this format: last name, first name. If there are two authors, you should use this format: last name, first name, and first name last name. For three or more authors, you should list the first author followed by et al. That format looks like this: last name, first name, et al.

If a source was created by an organization and no individual author is listed, you should list that organization as the author.

Title of source .

This is the book, article, or website, podcast, work of art, or any other source you are citing. If the source does not have a title, you can describe it. For example, if you are citing an email you received, you would use this format in the place of a title:

Email to the author.

Title of container ,

A container is what MLA calls the place where you found the source. It could be a book that an article appears in, a website that an image appears on, a television series from which you are citing an episode, etc. If you are citing a source that is not “contained” in another source—like a book or a film—you do not need to list a container. Some sources will be in more than one container. For example, if you are citing a television episode that aired on a streaming service, the show would be the first container and the streaming service would be the second container.

Contributor ,

Contributors include editors, translators, directors, illustrators, or anyone else that you want to credit. You generally credit other contributors when their contributions are important to the way you are using the source. You should always credit editors of editions and anthologies of a single author’s work or of a collection of works by more than one author.  

If you are using a particular version of a source, such as an updated edition, you should indicate that in the citation.

If your source is one of several in a numbered series, you should indicate this. So, for example, you might be using “volume 2” of a source. You would indicate this by “vol. 2” in the citation.

Publisher ,

For books, you can identify the publisher on the title or copyright page. For web sites, you may find the publisher at the bottom of the home page or on an “About” page. You do not need to include the publisher if you are citing a periodical or a Web site with the same name as the publisher.

Publication date ,

Books and articles tend to have an easily identifiable publication date. But articles published on the web may have more than one date—one for the original publication and one for the date posted online. You should use the date that is most relevant to your work. If you consulted the online version, this is the relevant date for your Works Cited list. If you can’t find a publication date—some websites will not include this information, for example—then you should include a date of access. The date of access should appear at the end of your citation in the following format:

Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

The location in a print source will be the page number or range of pages you consulted. This is where the text you are citing is located in the larger container. For online sources, the location is generally a DOI, permalink, or URL. This is where your readers can locate the same online source that you consulted. MLA specifies that, if possible, you should include the DOI. Television episodes would be located at a URL. A work of art could be located in the museum where you saw it or online.

Your citations can also include certain optional elements. You should include optional elements if you think those elements would provide useful information to your readers. Optional elements follow the source title if they provide information that is not about the source as a whole. Put them at the end of the entry if they provide information about the source as a whole. These elements include the following:

Date of original publication .

If you think it would be useful to a reader to know that the text you are citing was originally published in a different era, you can put this information right after the title of the source. For example, if you are citing The Federalist Papers , you would provide the publication date of the edition you consulted, but you could also provide the original publication date:

Hamilton, Alexander, et al., editors. The Federalist Papers . October 1787-May 1788. Oxford University Press, 2008.

City of publication .

You should only use this information if you are citing a book published before 1900 (when books were associated with cities of publication rather than with publishers) or a book that has been published in a different version by the publisher in another city (a British version of a novel, for example). In the first case, you would put this information in place of the publisher's name. In the second case, the city would go before the publisher.

Descriptive terms .

If you are citing a version of a work when there are multiple versions available at the same location, you should explain this by adding a term that will describe your version. For example, if you watched a video of a presidential debate that was posted to YouTube along with a transcript, and you are quoting from the transcript, you should add the word “Transcript” at the end of your citation. 

Dissertations

• Citation Management Tools
• In-Text Citations
• In-Text Citation Examples
• Examples of Commonly Cited Sources
• Frequently Asked Questions about Citing Sources in MLA Format
• Sample Works Cited List

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• Citing Sources
• Online Library and Citation Tools

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MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th  ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

According to MLA style, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text.

Basic rules

• Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
• Only the title should be centered. The citation entries themselves should be aligned with the left margin.
• Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
• List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as pp. 225-50 (Note: MLA style dictates that you should omit the first sets of repeated digits. In our example, the digit in the hundreds place is repeated between 2 25 and 2 50, so you omit the 2 from 250 in the citation: pp. 225-50). If the excerpt spans multiple pages, use “pp.”   Note that MLA style uses a hyphen in a span of pages.
• If only one page of a print source is used, mark it with the abbreviation “p.” before the page number (e.g., p. 157). If a span of pages is used, mark it with the abbreviation “pp.” before the page number (e.g., pp. 157-68).
• If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved from an online database, you should type the online database name in italics. You do not need to provide subscription information in addition to the database name.
• For online sources, you should include a location to show readers where you found the source. Many scholarly databases use a DOI (digital object identifier). Use a DOI in your citation if you can; otherwise use a URL. Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation and should be followed by a period.
• All works cited entries end with a period.

Additional basic rules new to MLA 2021

New to MLA 2021:

• Apps and databases should be cited only when they are containers of the particular works you are citing, such as when they are the platforms of publication of the works in their entirety, and not an intermediary that redirects your access to a source published somewhere else, such as another platform. For example, the Philosophy Books app should be cited as a container when you use one of its many works, since the app contains them in their entirety. However, a PDF article saved to the Dropbox app is published somewhere else, and so the app should not be cited as a container.
• If it is important that your readers know an author’s/person’s pseudonym, stage-name, or various other names,  then you should generally cite the better-known form of author’s/person’s name. For example, since the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is better-known by his pseudonym, cite Lewis Carroll opposed to Charles Dodgson (real name).
• For annotated bibliographies , annotations should be appended at the end of a source/entry with one-inch indentations from where the entry begins. Annotations may be written as concise phrases or complete sentences, generally not exceeding one paragraph in length.

Capitalization and punctuation

• Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Gone with the Wind, The Art of War, There Is Nothing Left to Lose .
• Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) and quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)

Listing author names

Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written with the last name first, then the first name, and then the middle name or middle initial when needed:

Do not  list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A book listing an author named "John Bigbrain, PhD" appears simply as "Bigbrain, John." Do, however, include suffixes like "Jr." or "II." Putting it all together, a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be cited as "King, Martin Luther, Jr." Here the suffix following the first or middle name and a comma.

More than one work by an author

If you have cited more than one work by a particular author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author's name for every entry after the first:

Burke, Kenneth. A Grammar of Motives . [...]

---. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...]

When an author or collection editor appears both as the sole author of a text and as the first author of a group, list solo-author entries first:

Heller, Steven, ed. The Education of an E-Designer .

Heller, Steven, and Karen Pomeroy. Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design.

Work with no known author

Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. In this case, Boring Postcards USA has no known author:

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulations.  [...]

Boring Postcards USA  [...]

Burke, Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives . [...] 

Work by an author using a pseudonym or stage-name

New to MLA 9th edition, there are now steps to take for citing works by an author or authors using a pseudonym, stage-name, or different name. 

If the person you wish to cite is well-known, cite the better-known form of the name of the author. For example, since Lewis Carroll is  not only a pseudonym of Charles Dodgson , but also the better-known form of the author’s name, cite the former name opposed to the latter. 

If the real name of the author is less well-known than their pseudonym, cite the author’s pseudonym in square brackets following the citation of their real name: “Christie, Agatha [Mary Westmacott].”

Authors who published various works under many names may be cited under a single form of the author’s name. When the form of the name you wish to cite differs from that which appears on the author’s work, include the latter in square brackets following an italicized published as : “Irving, Washington [ published as Knickerbocker, Diedrich].”.

Another acceptable option, in cases where there are only two forms of the author’s name, is to cite both forms of the author’s names as separate entries along with cross-references in square brackets: “Eliot, George [ see also Evans, Mary Anne].”.

Works-Cited-List Entries

Works cited: a quick guide, core elements.

Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.

The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story is the source, and the anthology is the container.

Practice Template

Learn how to use the MLA practice template to create entries in the list of works cited.

MLA Citation Guide (9th edition) : Works Cited and Sample Papers

• Getting Started
• How do I Cite?
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited and Sample Papers
• Additional Resources

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Quick Rules for an MLA Works Cited List

Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in your paper. Here are some quick rules for this Works Cited list:

• Begin the works cited list on a new page after the text.
• Name it "Works Cited," and center the section label in bold at the top of the page.
• Order the reference list alphabetically by author's last name.
• Double-space the entire list (both within and between entries).
• Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to each entry. This means that the first line of the reference is flush left and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 in. from the left margin.

Sample Paper with Works Cited List

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has compiled  several sample papers  that include explanations of the elements and formatting in MLA 9th edition. 

MLA Title Pages

MLA Title Page: Format and Template   This resource discusses the correct format for title pages in MLA style and includes examples.

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MLA Works Cited List - By Type

• MLA Manual of Style
• More than one author
• Corporate Author
• Edited Works in Print
• Edition of a Book
• Translated Book
• Multivolume work
• Two or more books by same author
• Articles & Websites

For more detailed information and examples, refer to the following resources:

• Check out the Purdue OWL MLA Style Guide . 
• Check out a print copy of the full MLA Style Guide from Lemieux Library.

* Note:  the City of Publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country (which is most major publishers), or if the publisher is unknown in North America.

• Format: Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.
• Example: Bennett, Brit. The Vanishing Half . New York, River Head Books, 2020.

Two Authors

When a book has two authors, order the authors in the same way they are presented in the book. Start by listing the first name that appears on the book in last name, first name format; subsequent author names appear in normal order (first name last name format).

• Format: Last name, First name and First name Last name. Title of work . Publisher name, year.
• Example: Kuang, Cliff and Robert Fabricant. User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019.

Three or more Authors

If there are three or more authors, list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for "and others") in place of the subsequent authors' names. (Note that there is a period after “al” in “et al.” Also note that there is never a period after the “et” in “et al.”).

• Format: Last name, First name, et al. Title of work . Publisher name, year.
• Example: Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al.  Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition . Utah State UP, 2004.

A corporate author may include a commission, a committee, a government agency, or a group that does not identify individual members on the title page. List the names of corporate authors in the place where an author’s name typically appears at the beginning of the entry.

• Format: Corporation name. Title of work . Publisher, year.
• Example: American Allergy Association.  Allergies in Children . Random House, 1998.

When the author and publisher are the same, skip the author, and list the title first. Then, list the corporate author only as the publisher.

• Format: Title of work . Publisher, year.
• Example: Fair Housing—Fair Lending.  Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

List by title of the book. Incorporate these entries alphabetically just as you would with works that include an author name. For example, the following entry might appear between entries of works written by Dean, Shaun and Forsythe, Jonathan.

• Example: Encyclopedia of Indiana . Somerset, 1993.

To cite the entire edited anthology or collection, list by editor(s) followed by a comma and "editor" or, for multiple editors, "editors." This sort of entry is somewhat rare. If you are citing a particular piece within an anthology or collection (more common), see A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection below.

• Format: Editor last name, First name and editor Last name, First name, editors. Title of work . Publisher, year.
• Example: Goodyear-Ka'opua, Noelani, Howes, Craig, Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio, Jonathan Kay, and Aiko Yamashiro, editors. The Value of Hawai'i 3: Hulihia, the Turning . University of Hawai'i Press, 2020.
• Example: Perkins, Maureen, Ed. Locating Life Stories: Beyond East-West Binaries in (Auto) Biographical Studies . University of Hawai'i Press, 2012.

A Chapter from an Anthology, Reference, or Collection

Works may include an essay in an edited collection or anthology, or a chapter of a book. The basic form is for this sort of citation is as follows:

• Format: Last name, First name. "Title of Essay."  Title of Collection , edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.
• Example: Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers."  A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One , edited by Ben Rafoth, Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34.
• Example : Bishop, Elizabeth. "One Art". Norton Anthology of Poetry , 5th ed., edited by Margaret ferguson, Mary Jo Salter, and Jon Stallworthy. W.W. Norton and company, 2005, pp. 1527-1528.

There are two types of editions in book publishing: a book that has been published more than once in different editions and a book that is prepared by someone other than the author (typically an editor).

A Subsequent Edition

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the number of the edition after the title.

• Format: Last name of author, first name, and first name of author last name. Title of work . Edition., Publisher, year.
• Example: Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee.  Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students . 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.

A Work Prepared by an Editor

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the editor after the title with the label "edited by."

• Format: Last name of author, First name. Title of work , edited by editor First name Last name, publisher, year.
• Example: Bronte, Charlotte.  Jane Eyre,  edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.

Note that the format for citing sources with important contributors with editor-like roles follows the same basic template:

...adapted by John Doe...

If you want to emphasize the work rather than the translator, cite as you would any other book. Add “translated by” and follow with the name(s) of the translator(s).

• Format: Author last name, first name. Title of work . Translated by name (first name last name), publisher, year.
• Example: Delisle, Guy.  Factory Summers . Translated by Helge Dasher and Rob Aspinall, Drawn & Quarterly, 2021.

If you want to focus on the translation, list the translator as the author. In place of the author’s name, the translator’s name appears. Their name is followed by the label, “translator.” If the author of the book does not appear in the title of the book, include the name, with a “By” after the title of the book and before the publisher. Note that this type of citation is less common and should only be used for papers or writing in which translation plays a central role.

• Format: Translator last name, first name. Title of work . By Author name (first name last name), publisher, year.
• Example: Huie, Bonnie translator. Notes of a Crocodile. By Qiu Miaojin, New York Review of Books, 2017. 

When citing only one volume of a multivolume work, include the volume number after the work's title, or after the work's editor or translator. This example includes a historical work with a single name as author.

• Format: Last name, first name. Title of work . Translated by First name Last name, vol #., publisher, date.
• Example: Quintilian.  Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.

When citing more than one volume of a multivolume work, cite the total number of volumes in the work. Also, be sure in your in-text citation to provide both the volume number and page number(s)

• Format: Last name, First name. Title of work . Translated by First name Last name, Publisher, year. Number of vols.
• Example: Quintilian.  Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.

If the volume you are using has its own title , cite the book without referring to the other volumes as if it were an independent publication.

• Format: Author last name, first name. Title of work . Publisher, year.
• Example: Churchill, Winston S.  The Age of Revolution . Dodd, 1957.

List works alphabetically by title. (Remember to ignore articles like A, An, and The.) Provide the author’s name in last name, first name format for the first entry only. For each subsequent entry by the same author, use three hyphens and a period.

• Nguyen, Viet Thanh. The Refugees . Grove Press, 2018.
• ---. The Sympathizer . Grove Press, 2016.

Italicize “The Bible” and follow it with the version you are using. Remember that your in-text (parenthetical citation) should include the name of the specific edition of the Bible, followed by an abbreviation of the book, the chapter and verse(s). See the section on MLA in-text citations for more information.

• Example: The Bible.  Authorized King James Version ,  Oxford UP, 1998.
• Example: The Bible.  The New Oxford Annotated Version ,  3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.
• Example: The New Jerusalem Bible.  Edited by Susan Jones, Doubleday, 1985.

Article in an online scholarly journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information. If page numbers are included, add those in before the URL.

• Format: Last name, first name. "Title of article". Title of journal , vol #, no. #, URL. Accessed day month year.
• Example: Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.”  Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal,  vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article from an Online Database

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

• Format: Last name, first name. "Title of article." Title of journal , vol. #, no. #, date of publication, pp. page range. Title of online database , DOI or URL. Accessed date.
• Example: Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates.”  Environmental Toxicology,  vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94.  Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.
• Example: Chowkwanyun, Merlin and Adolph L Reed. "Racial health Disparities and Covid-19: Caution and Context."The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 383,  no.3, 2020.  p .201-203.  ProQuest , http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2012910. Accessed 25 May 2022.

Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

• Format: Last name, First name. "Title of Article". Title of Web Magazine , date of publication, URL, accessed day month year.
• Example: Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.”  A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

A Page on a Website

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Example: Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

Example: “Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview.”  WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

• Format: Author last name, first name. Title of work . E-book, publisher, year.
• Example: Aldama, Frederick Luis. Latinx Ciné in the Twenty-First Century . E-book, University of Arizona Press, 2019

MLA Reference List for Digital & Social Media

@Username. "Full text of tweet."  Twitter , Day month year posted, time posted, URL.

Example: @SketchesbyBoze. "“Why are you reading books when the world is burning?” Because you weren’t made to binge the world’s destruction and there’s good in pursuing joy where you can find it. Fiction arms us with precisely the tools we need to overcome the crisis into which our world has fallen."  Twitter , 19 March 2022, 12:54 PM, https://twitter.com/SketchesbyBoze/status/1505271621820596227

Username. "First several words of Tumblr post (if any, otherwise omit)..."  Title of Tumblr blog , Day month year posted, time posted (if available), URL.

Example: Cheshirelibrary. "I hang out at the library with all the other cool cats."  Cheshirelibrary , 19 March 2022, 1:28 PM, https://cheshirelibrary.tumblr.com/post/189230463800

Lastname, Firstname [or username or page name]. "first several words of a facebook post..."  Facebook , Day month year posted, time posted [if available], URL.

Example: Alfie Scholars. "ScholarWorks at Seattle University Features Alfie Scholars’ Conference Papers."  Facebook , 7 March 2022, https://www.facebook.com/alfiescholars/posts/4748284058554312.

Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. "Title of YouTube Video."  Publishing Website , Day month year posted, URL.

Example: Seattle University. "Seattle University - Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons Time-lapse."  YouTube , 13 Sep 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY2aemMVuJI.

Author [@Username]. “Caption of video.” TikTok, Date Posted, URL.

*Notes:  Include author’s real name if known then their username in brackets unless their username is very similar to their real name. If there is no caption for the video, create a description to use in place of a title. Write it in plain text (no quotes/no italics), and capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Example: Remillard, Lisa [@todaysnews]. “#tax #unemployment #stimulus I asked the IRS, YOUR most most popular questions.”  TikTok , 5 Feb. 2021, vm.tiktok.com/ZMedmreM3/.

Example 2 :   @cbsnews. “How NASA's Mars Perseverance rover will make the most difficult landing ever attempted on the red planet. #news #mars #nasa #edutok #stepbystep.”  TikTok , 5 Feb. 2021, vm.tiktok.com/ZMedm1xu8/.

Lastname, Firstname [or single username]. (handle). "First several words of Instagram post (if any)..."  Instagram , Day month year posted, URL.

Example: Cincylibrary. "Libraries (and coffee) rule the world."  Instagram , 5 Mar 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/CauitTKMLph/

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MLA Works Cited

Formatting sources at the end of your paper.

With the 2016 update (8 th edition), MLA changed and simplified the way your Works Cited entries should be formatted. Instead of offering a specific way to format each and every source, MLA offers a streamlined approach using something called “containers.” The ninth edition continues to use this system.

These containers, pictured here, provide you with the required elements, order, and punctuation for each of your Works Cited entries.

Two containers are required for sources that you access through places like library databases. An example of MLA’s “two container” structure is depicted at the left. Here, you will notice there is a place for the first container, with the original publication information. Below the first container, the second container provides publication information for where you retrieved that information. For example, a journal article you access through your library’s databases will have its original publication information (container 1) and access information from the online database (container 2).

On the following pages, you can access interpretations of MLA format for Works Cited entries for a wide variety of sources. These interpretations follow the MLA “container” system.

As you work to format your Works Cited entries, you will notice that some sources require only one container, depicted at the right. These are sources that you access directly from their original publication, such as books, an online magazine article, and general websites. You should follow the order of items listed in the container, following the simplified punctuation rules you see in the container as well. You will place a period after the author and the title of the source. Then, you should place commas after each item until the end of the entry.

On the following pages, you can access interpretations of MLA format for Works Cited entries for a wide variety of sources. These interpretations follow the MLA “container” system.

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Mla style 9th edition: works cited.

• General Format of Citations
• In Text Citations

Works Cited

Core elements of a citation.

Do your best to identify the following core elements of each of your sources. Not every source will have a listed author, a version, or other contributors. You can leave out any of the elements that are not relevant to your source. Be sure to list the elements in the correct order. Select an element to view more details. Jump to Examples .

The first author should be listed as Lastname, Firstname. Additional authors will be Firstname Lastname. If there are more than three listed authors, list the first three followed by a comma and et. al.

For an edited work, place a comma after the editor's name followed by the word editor.

Sometimes the author of a work is not the main person whose contribution you are discussing, e.g., a performer, writer, creator, or director. In that case, list the contributor you are discussing as the author followed by a comma and their role in the creation of the work.

Do not list a corporate author if it is the same as the publisher.

Use a pseudonym, handle, username if that is what is listed on the source. When listing your sources in alphabetical order in your Works Cited, disregard any special characters like the "@" symbol that appear at the beginning of an author's name.

Standardize the capitalization of titles. Capitalize each word except for articles like the, an, or, of (unless they are the first word of the title or subtitle).

Put quotation marks around the title if they are part of a larger source like, e.g. a journal article, chapter title, or a short story in a collection.

Italicize titles of larger or self-contained works, e.g. book titles, movie titles.

Italicize the title of any work that would normally be self-contained but appears in a collection and follow it by the italicized title of a collection, e.g. a novel that appears in a collection of an author's complete works.

A container refers to anthologies, collected works, journals, tv series, websites, etc.

It is possible for a container to be nested inside another container. A journal article (source) appears in a journal (container) which is housed in a library database (container). List subsequent containers after providing the details for the previous containers.

This is where you list others who contributed to a work if they are important to your discussion, e.g. adapted by, edited by, illustrated, etc. followed by the contributor's name.

Not all contributors fit that format. You can also have the noun (description of contribution) followed by a comma and the contributor's name, e.g., General editor, Firstname Lastname.

It is important to list an editor or translator when available.

In the case where the contributor does not relate to the entire work (e.g.,  a translator of a single poem in an anthology) , list the contributor after the title of the part that relates in order to be clear where they contributed.

If there is a version listed, include it. Types of versions include revised edition, unabridged version, director's cut.

This can be a volume number, series, issue number, season, episode.

Use the appropriate term to identify the meaning of the number.

Publisher refers to whomever is responsible for producing the content.

When to exclude listing the publisher: periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals); self-published works; a website that has the same title as the publisher, work appears on a website that isn't responsible for publishing the content, e.g. YouTube, Wordpress, Twitter.

If there is more than one date listed, choose the one that is most relevant to your situation.

Can be a date range if applicable.

For books, be sure to check the book itself (title page or copyright page) instead of relying on a bibliography from another source or a commercial website like Amazon.

Location most commonly refers to page number(s) reflected as p. or pp.

It can be a URL, or web address - this is optional. Ask your instructor if they require it. Use a stable or permalink for the URL. If available, use the DOI (digital object identifier) instead of a URL.

It can also mean a physical location like a disc or track number or museum, location of event, institution, or venue and city (unless the city is part of the venue's name).

The 8th edition of MLA is based on the concept of containers. Each source has a container. For example, the container of a journal article is the journal. The container of the journal is a database. Another example is an article in an online encyclopedia that is also in a database. In this case, the containers are the encyclopedia and the database. See the example below for a breakdown of containers. 

• MLA 9th Edition Handout Created by the Macdonald DeWitt Library at SUNY Ulster.
• Interactive Practice Template from the MLA Style Center
• Works Cited Quick Guide The MLA Style Center provides overviews of each citation element.

The order of elements is as follows:

Author(s). Title. Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

Note: Not all elements are required and some repeat. For example, there can be more than one container listed (articles appearing in a journal housed in a library database have 2 containers: the journal and database). 

Some elements (usually titles and containers) should be in quotes or italicized depending on the source information. Generally, long titles (titles of books, databases) are italicized and short titles (article and chapter titles) are put in quotation marks.

• Example of Containers Using a template, a citation for an entry from a specialized encyclopedia is created.

Book Typical Format: Lastname, Firstname. Title . Publisher, Publication Date. Example: Smith, Elena, James M. Whitaker, and Jonathan I. Harper.  History of Crime and Justice in the United States . Texas UP, 2010. 

eBook Typical Format: Lastname, Firstname. Title . Publisher, Publication Date, Title of Container , URL or DOI. Example: Keith, Heather and Kenneth D. Keith. Intellectual Disability: Ethics, Dehumanization and a New Moral Community . Wiley-Blackwell, 2013, ProQuest Ebook Central , ezproxy.sunyulster.edu:2048/login?url=http://site.Ebook Central.com/lib/sunyulster/Doc?id=10674805.

Course Reading Provided by Instructor: Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Reading."  Name of Coursesite , uploaded by Instructor Firstname Lastname, upload date [if known], URL. Example: Carver, Raymond. "Cathedral."  Brightspace , uploaded by Jane Smith, 8 Oct. 2022, mylearning.suny.edu.

Chapter of a Book/Work in a Collection/Anthology/Specialized Reference Work: Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Chapter/Essay/Novel."  Title of Book/Collection/Anthology,  Edited by Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Publication date, Location. Examples: Dobak, William A. "Fort Riley's Black Soldiers and the Army's Changing Role in the West, 1967-85."  Buffalo Soldiers in the West: A Black Soldiers Anthology , edited by Bruce A. Glasrud and Michael N. Searles, Texas A&M UP, 2007, pp. 35-50.  ProQuest Ebook Central , ezproxy.sunyulster.edu:2048/login?url=http://site.Ebook Central.com/lib/sunyulster/reader.action?ppg=44&docID=10436033&tm=1466623284856.

Al-Fasi, Ahmad. "She and the Light." Translated by Bassam al-Hilu with Alan Brownjohn,  Beyond the Dunes : An Anthology of Modern Saudi Literature , edited by Ezzat Khattab and Salma Khadra Jayyusi, 2nd ed., vol. 2, I.B. Tauris, 2006, p. 58.  ProQuest ebook Central , ezproxy.sunyulster.edu:2048/login?url=http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sunyulster-ebooks/reader.action?docID=676407&ppg=63.

Literary Criticism in a Multi-Volume Reference Work (eg, Short Story Criticism): Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Chapter/Essay/Novel [usually listed at the end of the entry]." Title of Collection , edited by Firstname Lastname, vol. #, Publisher, date, pp. #-##. Originally published in Title of Original Publication, edited by/by Firstname Lastname, Publisher/Journal Name, vol. #, issue # [if a journal article], date, pp. #-##. Examples: Ginsberg, Lesley. "'I Am Your Slave for Love': Race Sentimentality, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Fiction for Children." Short Story Criticism , edited by Jelena Krstovic, vol. 159, Gale, 2012, pp.321-30. Originally published in Enterprising Youth: Social Values and Acculturation in Nineteenth-Century American Children's Literature , edited by Monika Elbert, Routledge, 2008, pp. 97-113.

Aizenber, Edna. "Mi Buenos Aires Herido: Borges and Landscapes of Fear." Short Story Criticism , edited by Jelena Krstovic, vol. 159, Gale, 2012, pp.157-61. Originally published in Variaciones Borges , vol. 25, 2008, pp. 69-78.

Journal Article Typical Format: Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Title of Container (Journal) , vol #, issue #, publication date, Location, Title of Container (Database) , URL or DOI. Example: Douglass, Sara, et al. “‘They Were Just Making Jokes’: Ethnic/Racial Teasing and Discrimination Among Adolescents.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Pscyhology , vol. 22, issue 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 69-82. PsycArticles , dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000041.

Website Typical Format: Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Webpage."  Title of Website . Publisher [Omit publisher if it is the same as the title], Publication date, URL. Date of access [optional but recommended when website does not provide a date]. Example: "Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products."  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 19 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.

The Works Cited list appears at the end of the research paper. Begin the list on a new page, continuing the pagination from the text of the paper.

Key Features:

Use the heading Works Cited, centered at the top of the page when listing more than one source. Use the heading Work Cited when listing only one source.

Alphabetize the entries by the first element of each citation

All citations in the text must appear in the Works Cited list

Flush left the first line of each entry with a half inch hanging indent (Use CTRL+T in Word).** If it is not possible to create a hanging indent, leave a space between each citation.

**Instructions for creating a hanging indent in Microsoft Word (applies to any word processor with a ruler) .

Abbreviations:

Omit business words, e.g., Company, Limited, Incorporated

University is U

Press is P 

Omit titles such as Dr, St, PhD, Sir, etc.

Omit The from corporate author names

When one element contains more than one piece of information, separate them with a /

• Works Cited Quick Guide from the MLA Style Center The Core Elements, Containers, and a Practice Template
• Sample Papers from MLA Style Center

Sample Works Cited

W orks Cited

Allen, Anita L. “Privacy in Health Care.”  Encyclopedia of Bioethics,  edited by Stephen G. Post, 3rd ed., vol. 4, Macmillan-Thomson, 2004. 

Capra, Frank, dir.  It's a Wonderful Life . James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell, performers, RKO, 1946. 

Dali, Salvador.  The Little Theater . Accession no. 57.1981, Museum of Modern Art, New York.  ARTstor .

Denby, David. "Ordinary People."  The New Yorker,  vol. 89, no. 47, 3 Feb. 2014.  Literature Resource Center.

Jameston, Andrew. "Fibonacci Numbers."  Mathematics Journal,  vol. 4, no. 2, 2003, pp. 8-10. 

Kolata, Gina. "Good or Useless, Medical Scans Cost the Same, and Are Booming."  New York Times,   late ed.,  2 Mar. 2009, p. A1+. 

Mallon, Thomas. "The Great War."  Modernism Reconsidered,  edited by Robert Kiely, Harvard UP, 1983, pp. 202-8. Rpt. in  Short Story Criticism , edited by Jeff Hunter, vol. 35, Gale, 2000, pp. 81-99. 

"Materials for Teachers."  Poets.org . Academy of American Poets. Accessed 23 May 2016. 

Nguyen, Viet Thanh. "Just Memory: War And The Ethics Of Remembrance."  American Literary History , vol. 25, no. 1, 2013, pp. 144-163.  Humanities Source , doi:10.1093/alh/ajs069. 

Smith, Elena, James M. Whitaker, and Jonathan I. Harper.  History of Crime and Justice in the United States . Texas UP, 2010. 

SUNYUlster_lib. "At the #ReferenceDesk this Spring semester, librarians spent over 163 hours answering YOUR questions! #LibAnalytics." 20 Jul. 2015, 2:05p.m.. Twitter . 

Taylor, Chris. "The History and the Hype."  Time,  18 Jan. 2004, pp. 72-73. 

Optional Elements

When listing an optional element, place it at the end of the citation or after the element to which it relates.

Examples of optional elements:

• Original publication date
• City of publication
• Number of volumes in a set
• Series name (no quotations or italics)
• Date of access 
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Research: MLA Documentation

Mla works cited, formatting the works cited section.

In MLA style, all the sources you cite throughout the text of your paper are listed together in full in the Works Cited section, which comes after the main text of your paper.

• Page numbers: Just as the rest of your paper, the top of the page should retain the right-justified header with your last name and the page number.
• Title: On the first line, the title of the page—“Works Cited”—should appear centered, and not italicized or bolded.
• Spacing: Like the rest of your paper, this page should be double-spaced and have 1-inch margins (don’t skip an extra line between citations).
• Alphabetical order: Starting on the next line after the page title, your references should be listed in alphabetical order by author. Multiple sources by the same author should be listed chronologically by year within the same group.
• Hanging indents: Each reference should be formatted with what is called a hanging indent. This means the first line of each reference should be flush with the left margin (i.e., not indented), but the rest of that reference should be indented 0.5 inches further. Any word-processing program will let you format this automatically so you don’t have to do it by hand. (In Microsoft Word, for example, you simply highlight your citations, click on the small arrow right next to the word “Paragraph” on the home tab, and in the popup box choose “hanging indent” under the “Special” section. Click OK, and you’re done.)

• MLA: The Works Cited Section. Authored by : Catherine McCarthy. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-writing/ . Project : Boundless Writing. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• MLA 8th Edition - What's New? sample of student works cited page. Provided by : College of DuPage Library. Located at : http://www.codlrc.org/IL/Future/MLA . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

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MLA Citations

• Why Do You Cite?
• When to Cite
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
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Modern Language Association

In the MLA style, your bibliography is called the "Works Cited" page. Each source you use in your writing must have a full bibliographic citation on your works cited page.

The works cited page is formatted as follows:

• begin the Works Cited page on a new page,
• Works Cited (the title of this page) is centered and not in bold,
• the sources are listed alphabetically by the last name of the first author of each source,
• double-space the whole page -  the title and references, and
• each source is formatted with a hanging indentation.

Works Cited Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Del Rey Books, 1996. Link, Eric Carl. "The Themes of Philip K. Dick." Short Story Criticism , edited by Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 219, Gale, 2016. Stableford, Brian. "Dick, Philip K. (1928-1982)." Science Fiction Writers : Critical Studies of the Major Authors from the Early Nineteenth Century to the Present Day , edited by Richard Bleiler, 2nd ed., Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999, pp. 251-260.

Number of Authors

The rules for listing authors in mla format on your works cited page are based on the number of authors. this is the same for all source types (books, articles, edited collections, etc.). .

One author :  Last Name, First Name

Two authors: Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name

Three or more authors: Last Name, First Name, et al.  

Creating Citations

• Components of MLA Citations
• Chapter in Collection or Anthology
• Edited Collection or Anthology
• Government Documents
• PowerPoint Presentation

Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

Berger, Jonah. Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior. Simon & Schuster, 2016.

Moore, Alan and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. New ed., Vertigo, 2008.

Troyan, Michael, et al. Twentieth Century Fox: A Century of Entertainment . Globe Pequot Press, 2017.

E-Book without URL

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing.  E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

Article in a Scholarly Journal

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Year, pages.

Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's  Bashai Tudu ."  Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature,  vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.

Article in an Online Database

Author(s). "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , Volume, Issue, Date of Publication, pages, database, DOI or URL. Date of access. 

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates.”  Environmental Toxicology,  vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94.  Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Dir, Allyson L., et al. “Impacts of COVID-19 at the Intersection of Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Criminal Justice Systems: Findings from Three States.”  Health & Justice , vol. 10, no. 1, Aug. 2022, pp. 1–10.  EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-022-00184-8. Accessed 28 September 2022. 

Article in a magazine or newspaper

Author(s). "Title of Article."  Title of Periodical , Day Month Year, pages.

Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call."  Time,  20 Nov. 2000, pp. 70-71.

Article found on an online magazine or newspaper

Name of Author (when available). "Name of page/article."  Name of Site , Date created (if available), URL. Date of access. 

When citing the entire website

Name of Author (when available).  Name of Site . Name of institution/organization, Date created (if available), URL. Date of access. 

United Nations . United Nations, www.un.org/en/index.html. Accessed 4 April 2018.

When citing just one page or article on a website

Name of Author (when available). "Name of page/article."  Name of Site . Name of institution/organization, Date created (if available), URL. Date of access. 

“Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld.” United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations, www.un.org/sg/en/content/formersg/dag-hjalmaragne-carl-hammarskj%C3%B6ld. Accessed 4 April 2018.

Last name, First name. "Title of Essay/Chapter."  Title of Collection , edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Pages.,

Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers."  A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One , edited by Ben Rafoth, Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34.

Name of Editor(s), editor(s).  Title of Book.  Publisher, Year.

Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, editors.  Defining Visual Rhetorics . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.

Last name, First name of creator. 'Title of Source."  Title of Container,   Uploader, Publication Date, Location. 

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.”  YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

Last Name, First Name of Creator.  Title of Image . Year Created, Location of Image.

Note: If image is viewed in person then location is the physical location of image. If viewed online then location is the website containing the image and the URL. If image was in another printed work (newspaper, magazine, etc.) then include the publication information of that printed work including a page number 

Example in person: 

Cameron, Julia Margaret.  Alfred, Lord Tennyson . 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Example viewed online:

Bearden, Romare.  The Train . 1975.  MOMA , www.moma.org/collection/works/65232?locale=en.

Example from a magazine:

Karasik, Paul. Cartoon.  The New Yorker , 14 Apr. 2008, p. 49.

• Documenting Legal Works in MLA Style Use this link to the official MLA style guide website to learn how to properly cite government documents in MLA format. This includes laws, statutes, treaties, court cases, and constitutions. Below are some common examples.

United States Supreme Court Decisions

Government entity. Name of Case.  Date of Decision. Title of Website, Publisher of Website, URL. 

United States, Supreme Court.  Brown v. Board of Education . 17 May 1954.  Legal Information Institute , Cornell Law School,   

                   www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483.

Federal Statutes (United States Code)

United States, Congress, House. United States Code. Office of the Law Revision Counsel, 14 Jan. 2017, uscode.house.gov.

Constitutions

Format: If a constitution is published in a named edition, treat it like the title of a book

The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription .  National Archives , U.S. National Archives and Records Administration,

                 28 Feb. 2017, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript.

Owner of Patent. Title of Patent or Description.  Patent Number, Issuer of Patent,   Date issued. 

Neustel, Michael S. Patent analyzing system. US 20140200880 A1, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 17 July 2014.

If found online

Owner of Patent. Title of Patent or Description.  Patent Number, Issuer of Patent,   Date issued. Publisher of Website, URL. 

If a source does not have an author, simply omit the place of the author and begin with the title.  This can happen when the publisher - a website or organization - is the author.

Format 

"Title."  Title of Container.  Publication Date, location.

Example: 

"History of Gun Control."  ProCon.org.  21 Aug. 2021. https://gun-control.procon.org/history-of-gun-control/.

Format: 

Author Last Name, First Name.  Presentation Title .  Month Year, URL. PowerPoint Presentation. 

Bode, Leticia.  Correction of Health Misinformation on Social Media.  29 September 2020, https://nnlm.gov/misinfo. PowerPoint Presentation.  

Online Lecture or Speech 

Name of Presenter. "Title of Speech/Lecture." Name of Website,  Date posted, URL. 

Allende, Isabel. “Tales of Passion.”  TED: Ideas Worth Spreading , Jan. 2008, www.ted.com/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion/ transcript?language=en.

Speech Republished Online

Name of Speaker. "Title of Speech" Date of Speech. Name of Website . Publisher, URL.

Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Chance for Peace.” 16 Apr. 1953.  Docsteach , National Archives, www.docsteach.org/documents/document/chance-for-peace-speech.

Personal Interviews (you are the interviewer)

Name of interviewee. Personal Interview. Day Month Year. 

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.

Interviews Published in Print 

Name of Interviewee. "Title of Interview."  Title of Book , By Name of Author/Editor, Publisher, Date of Publication, Pages. 

Saro-Wiwa, Ken. “English Is the Hero.”  No Condition Is Permanent: Nigerian Writing and the Struggle for Democracy , edited by Holger Ehling and Claus-Peter Holste-von Mutius, Rodopi, 2001, pp. 13–19.

Online Published Interviews

Name of Interviewee. Title of Interview or Interviewed by Name of Interviewer.  Name of Website,  Date of Publication, URL. Date Accessed. 

Zinkievich, Craig. Interview by Gareth Von Kallenbach.  Skewed & Reviewed , 27 Apr. 2009, www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/1056940-skewed-%2526-reviewed-interviews-craig. Accessed 15 May 2009.

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Works Cited Examples and Formatting Tips

Your paper is perfect! All your in-text quotes have a citation, the formatting is top-notch, and you’re now breathing a sigh of relief. Until you realize you don’t have a works cited. Don’t lose your cool. You have the research and the paper. Now, just follow the MLA 8 works cited page example below as a guide to create your own.

Table of Contents

How to Do a Works Cited Page

Example of works cited page.

• Organizing and Formatting a Works Cited
• MLA Nine Core Elements
• How to Create Citations

Works Cited Citation Examples

A works cited page is the last page of your MLA style paper . It follows a specific format for citations set forth by the Modern Language Association using a unique nine core element system. The system used by the Modern Language Association is designed to make creating citations for websites and other commonly used humanities research sources simple.

It’ll include the references used to create the essay, dissertation, or thesis you’ve written. You’ll start your works cited on its own page. The last name and page number header will be at the top, along with the title: Works Cited . Unlike the rest of the page that will be aligned to the left, your title will be centered.

You know how to outline your paper; it is time to see them in action. Check out an example to get you rolling. The example is offered in a downloadable PDF format for your convenience.

Works Cited vs. Bibliography

Your works cited is your bibliography page , right? Nope. A works cited is different from a bibliography.

While both will be at the end of your paper and provide your resources to your audience, a works cited will only list the references used in the article. The bibliography covers everything. In a bibliography, you’ll list the works that sparked your ideas, even if you didn’t use them in the paper. Now, you know that a bibliography isn’t an umbrella term to cover all reference sheets. It’s a specific type of reference sheet. So, it’s time to look at how to create an MLA works cited page.

Works Cited Outline

When you create your works cited, there are specific rules that must be followed.

• All references will be double spaced.
• References that go onto a second or third line will have a hanging indent that is 0.5 inches from the left margin.
• All the references that you include in your works cited will end with a period, even if they are a website.
• The titles of books, articles, and similar sources will use header capitalization and be italicized (e.g., Pride and Prejudice ).
• Online sources need a URL, but no http://. Use a DOI if available.
• Author’s full names are listed, but they are inverted with last name first (e.g., Smith, Sam Kenny).
• No titles should be listed, like Dr. or Ph.D., but you should include suffixes like Jr.

Title and Heading Format

Your title and heading format come in two parts.

• Title – “Works Cited” centered on the top. It will not be larger, bold, or italicized.
• Header – last name and page number ½ inch down and right-aligned. Your running header includes consecutive page numbers throughout. Typically, your Works Cited is the last page.

Most of the time, your title page is labeled Works Cited. However, there are a few particular circumstances where the title you use will change.

• Work Cited – 1 source
• Works Cited – 2 or more sources
• Works Consulted – includes all sources cited and consulted to write the paper

Sometimes, instructors might ask you to create a bibliography rather than a reference list. This means you’ll include all the sources used in creating your paper instead of just the ones you cite in your in-text citations in the body of your essay. In this instance, your title becomes “Works Consulted.” Since you consulted all these works, it makes more sense.

Alphabetizing Your Works Cited

Alphabetizing your works cited is pretty easy; it’s merely alphabetical order. Therefore, whether you use an author’s last name, title, or corporation, everything goes alphabetically.

Simple Alphabetizing Example

Ewald, Lisa

Where things can get a little tricky or confusing is when you have multiple authors or numbers. MLA is nothing if not thorough and covers those situations as well.

• Same author, different titles – alphabetize by title.
• Same primary author, different co-authors – alphabetize by the co-author’s last name.
• Titles – ignore articles a, an, the, and alphabetize

Complex Alphabetizing Citation Example

Galvin, Sarah M., and Debbie Guba, editors. Imaginings of the Modernist . Dorn and Breach Publishers, 1999.

Galvin, Sarah M., and Andrea Larma.” Sexual Linguistics: Sexuality and Gender.” New Literary History, vol. 16, no. 3, Spring 1999, pp. 415-26.

Arranging Numbers

Arranging numbers in your works cited is another area that needs some special consideration. Why? Because numerals in MLA formatting are alphabetized as if they were spelled out. Therefore, if you were to cite the book 1984 , you would alphabetize it as if it said nineteen eighty-four.

Number Example Citation Entry

Orwell, George. Animal Farm . Wyatt North Publishing, LLC., 1996.

—. 1984 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1983.

—. The Road to Wigan Pier . Secker & Warburg, 1965.

Works Cited Punctuation

Punctuation in a works cited can quickly get confusing. Knowing whether you should add a comma or period can be enough to make your head spin. Thankfully, MLA is all about flexibility and simplicity. Therefore, you usually only have to worry about periods and commas. In addition to having a period at the end of a citation, MLA has a period after the author and title. Commas separate the other elements.

Works Cited Punctuation Example 

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird . Cornerstone, 1989.

Creating a Hanging Indent

When a citation goes into a second, third, fourth, etc. line, you need to create a hanging indent . The ½ inch indent works to inform the reader where one citation ends and the other begins.

Hanging Indent Example

Steel, Tomas J., D.B., and Ryan A. Daniels. Exploration of Hispanic Folklore, 1797 – 1947 . Santa Fe: Ancient City Press, 1999

Listing Authors in an MLA Works Cited

The last of the formatting rules for your MLA Works Cited page is how to deal with listing authors . When you are using scholarly books and journals, you find that some of them have dozens of authors. Thankfully, MLA does not expect you to write them all out. Instead, they lay out how to write out multiple authors easily. For works with two names, you list them out. However, for three or more authors, you list only the first author and et al.

MLA Author Citation Examples

Works Cited: How to Create Citations

With the formatting rules out of the way, it’s time to get into the works cited page’s real meat and potatoes, the creation of the citations. MLA formatting is pretty unique in that it simplified the way you create your works cited page in their 8th edition. How they did that was through the use of the core elements and container system.

MLA Nine Core Elements & Containers

The MLA nine core element system includes:

• Title of the sources.
• Title of the container,
• Other contributors,
• Publication date,

In the MLA citation system, elements three through nine make up the information of the container . The container is what shows you where to find the source. Now that you know about the elements and container system, check out MLA’s nine core elements in detail.

The author is listed last name, full first name, and middle initial. Remember to include commas and end with a period. If there are two authors, include them in the order they are presented in the work. The second author is listed by the first name, then the last name, not by last name, first name.

The author refers to whoever produced the work. If you have an editor rather than an author, use this format: Last Name, First Name, editor. Listing a corporate author works much the same way.

Bloomberg. Economics of France . Taylor and Francis, 2002.

Title of Source.

Type titles exactly as they are found in the source. Italicize both the title and subtitle.

Sloan, Anton. Graphic Design: How to Create Beauty. U of New Mexico P, 2010.

The title of an essay, story, or poem in a collection, as part of a larger whole, is placed in quotation marks.

Barzun, Jacques. “Behind the Blue Pencil: Censorship or Creeping Creativity?” On Writing, Editing, and Publishing . U of Chicago P, 1986, pp. 120-126.

The title of the periodical (journal, magazine, newspaper) is set in italics, and the title of an article in the periodical is set within quotation marks.

Xue, Shiqi. “Chinese Lexicography Past and Present.” Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America , vol. 4, 1982, pp. 151-169.

Title of Container

Bazin, Patrick. “Toward Metareading.” The Future of the Book , edited by Geoffrey Nunberg, U of California P, 1996, pp. 153-68.

In the example above, The Future of the Book is the container. The information that follows the container describes the container. The title of the container is italicized and followed by a comma.

Blake, Roger. “Seeing Red.” The New York Times Book Review, 9 Nov. 2017, p.23.

In this example, the container is The New York Times Book Review. Within that container is an article titled “Seeing Red.” The container is described by the date of publication and location (page number).

A television series is made up of episodes. Therefore, the title of the series is the container, and the name of the episode is part of that container. The container is described by relevant information about the episode (director, writer, etc.).

“The Talk.” Black-ish , directed by Rebecca Asher, written by Vijal Patel, season 1, episode 2. ABC, 2014.

Other Contributors,

If the work has been edited or translated, include those contributors in this element. Other roles may include:

• directed by
• illustrated by
• introduction by
• narrated by
• performance by

Include translators and editors of scholarly editions and collections. Works originally published in another language are usually recorded in documentation because they play key roles. If there are several contributors to a project, include the ones that are relevant to your project. If you’re writing about a television episode and focus on a key character, you can mention the series creator and actor who played that role.

Books may be revised, or there may be different versions of musical and film compositions, such as live versions, director’s cuts, and unabridged versions. Alert your reader to the correct version you are citing by including that information in the entry.

Burchfield, R.W. Fowler’s Modern English Usage.  3rd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004.

Jean-Jacques Beineix, director. Betty Blue , 1986. Performance by Beatrice Dalle, director’s cut, Cinema Libre Studio, 1993.

If the source is part of a numbered sequence, such as a volume of a book or journal issue, you’ll need to indicate that number in your entry.

Journals usually have both volume and issue numbers. Typically, a volume consists of one year’s issues and is numbered sequentially, starting with one. Issue numbers start at the beginning of each year and end at the end of the year.

• For example, a journal that’s entering its 12th year and publishes monthly issues will start a new volume in January – vol. 12 starting with a new issue number for January. For example: vol. 12, no. 1.

However, some journals do not use volume numbers and will simply number their issues sequentially from the beginning. In that case, just use the issue number (e.g., no. 18). Comic books are numbered like journals with issue numbers.

Who you list as the publisher depends on the format of the source.

You can find the publisher of a book on the title page or the copyright page .

Films and TV Series

Look for the entity that had the primary overall responsibility for producing the work, such as NBC or Warner Bros.

If the website is published by an organization, such as a library or university, you can find that information easily on the ABOUT or CONTACT page or on a copyright notice.

• Sites that host works are not publishers. For example, YouTube and Vimeo host videos, and databases such as ProQuest or DOAJ are also hosting services. Therefore, you don’t need to list them.
• For academic presses, remember to abbreviate the publisher’s name by replacing University Press with UP, such as Boston UP or U of New Mexico P.

Publication Date,

Sometimes you’ll see various publication dates listed as the original object was published in various formats throughout the years. How do you know which one to use in your MLA citation entry? Choose the one that best fits your experience in finding that source. If you use an online source that also appears in print, use the online source’s date as that’s the actual object you are citing.

• For print sources, there is only one date but be careful to find the actual date of publication of the revision you consulted. The date is either on the title page or copyright page. Always use the most recent date listed. Refer to the actual book to find the date, as online booksellers or bibliographies may be inaccurate.
• List the full date, if available, for web comments, web articles, and other online content. If available, include the date a video was uploaded, too.
• Use the date printed on journals, magazines, and newspapers. If the full date is available, use that.

Again, remember the key is to make sure your reader can find the exact source you cited. Your entry is creating a path to that source.

The final piece of your entry is the location; therefore, you’ll end it with a period.

• In print sources, the work’s location is the page (s) number. Use p. or pp.
• Use the URL or DOI to indicate the location of a web source. Follow your instructor’s guidance to determine whether to include links. If you do include a link, leave out the http/https section of the link.
• Indicate the name and city of physical objects such as a work of art – sculpture, painting, or artifact –listed in your entry. However, if the name indicates the city, don’t repeat the city’s name.

For example, if you’re citing a piece of art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the name alone is fine; however, to cite a piece of art at the Getty Museum, you will need to include the name of the city: Los Angeles.

Park, David. Two Women , 1957, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Walker, Kara . Christ’s Entry into Journalism, 2017, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

The container system makes things easier for you when it comes to all your citations, but it’s still helpful to see a few examples of tricky citations in action. This is especially true for citations like anthologies, religious texts, PowerPoint presentations, and images.

Website Citation Example

While journals and books make up a large portion of your research, website citations are becoming more and more common. A website citation example includes the author (if available), title, website, date, and URL.

Matheson, Andrienne, “MLA Website Citation Examples.” Bibliography, 10 Aug. 2020, www.bibliography.com/mla/mla-website-citation-examples/.

Anthology Citation Example

Rather than just one book, an anthology is a collection of works like poetry or stories; therefore, citing an anthology is unique. To create an anthology citation, you need the author, essay title, collection title, editor’s name, publisher, year, page entry.

Hughes, Langston. “Let America Be America Again.” The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes , edited by Arnold Rampersad, Knopf, 2004, p. 58.

Bible Citation Example

MLA is unique in that it is one of the only citation styles that requires you to cite the Bible and other religious texts. Since it is necessary, it’s essential to know how to do it through Bible citation examples. For a biblical entry, you need the title of the Bible, version, editor, publisher, and year.

The Bible . Authorized King James Version, Oxford University Press, 2010.

Media Citation Example

When it comes to citing media like movies and tv , you don’t have an author. But you do have a producer or director. Therefore, your citation includes the title, contributors, publisher, production company, and year of release.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . Directed by J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm, 2019.

Interview Citation Example

Personal accounts and interviews make excellent sources for your paper, but they can be tricky when it comes to your citation. To keep things simple, just follow the container system.

Email Interview Example

Denver, Rudolfo. “Re: Banning in Chicago.” Received by Lenard Dalli, 4 June 2020. Email Interview.

Image Citation Example

Citing images isn’t hard. There are just a lot of different types out there. Therefore, you have to rely on the container system to get you through when it comes to the artist name, title, date, publisher info, and URL.

Personally Taken Image Citation

Simpsons, John. Sunset on the Pacific . 2010, Chicago Museum of Art, Illinois.

Play Citation Example

Last, but certainly not least, is the play citation . MLA works excellent for analysis of Shakespeare or any other great playwright, so knowing how to cite a play is essential. Again, it comes down to knowing your containers, but typically, a play includes the playwright, play title, publisher, and year for published plays.

Published Play Example

Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire.  Faber, 2019.

Crafting Your Works Cited

MLA works cited pages can seem overwhelming. But, if you follow the MLA format guidelines, making your works cited page can be a breeze. Now get citing so your paper will be the epitome of perfection.

How do you do a MLA works cited page?

To create an MLA works cited page, you need to create citations using the MLA core elements system and place all your citations in alphabetical order with a hanging indent. Additionally, you will title your works cited page "Works Cite".

Do you include URL in MLA works cited?

Yes, in your MLA works cited entry, you will include a URL for the website where the source is found for websites, media, and other online sources.

What is MLA format example?

MLA format is the writing style created by the Modern Language Association; therefore, an example of MLA format follows the guidelines set forth by MLA including 1-inch margins, running page number, indented paragraphs, and a works cited. There are also specific rules for the set up of the works cited page.

What does MLA works cited look like?

An MLA works cited looks like a list of citations for all the references used in the body of the paper. Each different in-text citation corresponds with a citation in the reference list. The MLA format citations use the core elements system so each different citation type is unique.

How do you cite Macbeth MLA works cited?

To cite Macbeth in your MLA works cited, you need the playwright, play title, publisher, and year. A Macbeth works cited example looks like: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Floating Press, 2009.

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MLA Abbreviations and Acronyms Including Months

Mla paper format: simple guidelines to follow, arranging numbers in works cited list, how to cite a play in mla.

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Works Cited Page Examples

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MLA Style -  Works Cited Quick Guide

The Works Cited list provides all bibliographic information on all sources cited in your work.

• Works Cited lists are located at the end of the paper
• Works Cited lists are double-spaced with no space between entries
• Use hanging indent to indent the second and subsequent entry lines .5 inches from the left margin
• Arrange entries in alphabetical order by the first element, usually the author. If there is no author, use the title
• Alphabetize letter by letter of the author's name before the comma. Letters after the comma are used only when authors have the same last name
• For multiple works by the same author, alphabetize by title. Also, replace the author's name with three hyphens on the second and subsequent entries
• Alphabetize titles letter by letter, ignoring initial articles (A, An, The, and foreign equivalents)
• The location of an online work should include a URL or DOI
• End all citations with a period

​​​​​​ Title

• " Article Title "  is in quotation marks
• Journal Title  is in italics
• If there is no author, begin with the "Article Title."

Multiple Authors

• Rettberg, Jill, and Radhika Gajjala
• Wright, Chrysalis, et. al.

Page Numbers: 

• For single pages, use 'p.' followed by the number
• For multiple pages, use 'pp.' followed by the numbers
• If an article is not printed on consecutive pages, cite only the first-page number in the range, followed by a plus sign:  pp. A1+

Publication Date:  

• When available, it is written as Day Month Year

Two authors  

• Only the first author's name is inverted.

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name.

Rettberg, Jill, and Radhika Gajjala.

Three or more authors  

• Use "et. Al." 
• Only the first author is listed

Last Name, First Name, et al. 

Wright, Chrysalis, et al.

Journal Article in a Database

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume number, issue number, date, page number.  Name of the database,  doi.

Lee, Derek. "Dark Romantic: F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Specters of Gothic Modernism."  Journal of Modern Literature , vol. 41, no. 4, 2018, pp. 125-42.  Ebsco,  https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113572. 

Journal Article in a Database with a Season

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume number, issue number, season date, page number.

Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante." The Georgia Review , vol. 64, no. 1, spring 2010, pp. 69-88. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41403188 .

Journal Article in Print

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume number, issue number, date, page number.

Meisenhelder, Susan. "Conflict and Resistance in Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men."  Journal of American Folklore , vol. 109, no.433, 1996, pp. 267.

Newspaper Article from a Database

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Newspaper,  Day Month Year of publication,   URL.

Davis, Anna, and Sophia Sleigh. "London Teens in Record A-Level Surge."  Evening Standard , 10 Aug. 2021, www.proquest.com/newspapers/london-teens-record-level-surge/docview/2559699413/se-2?accountid=35757 . 

Newspaper Article by a Group (Opinion or Editorial Board) from a Database

Name of Group. "Title of Article."  Title of Newspaper,  Day Month Year of publication, URL.

Editorial Board. "The Plight of 'Boarder Babies'."  The Christian Science Monitor , 06 Jul. 1992,  http://rocky.iona.edu:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/plight-boarder-babies/docview/291210942/se-2?accountid=35757.

Newspaper Article in Print

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Newspaper, D ay, Month, Year of publication, p. page#.

Mueller, Benjamin. "Despite Another Covid Surge, Deaths Stay Near Lows."  The  New York Times , 21 June 2022, p.A1.

Magazine Article without an Author from a Database

"Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , volume number, issue number, day, month and year of publication, page number.  Name of the  database,  DOI, or permalink. 

"Gustav Mahler."  Billboard , vol. 128, no. 31, 10 Dec. 2016, p. 32.  Gale General OneFile,  https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A481243580/ITOF?u=nysl_me_iona&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=89fd9eaa .

Magazine Article in Print

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , volume number, issue number, day, month and year of publication, page number.

Coppins, McCay. "The Men Who Are Killing America's Newspapers."  The Atlantic , Nov. 2021, pp. 32-40.

E-book from a Database

​Last name, First name.  Title of the Book.  Publisher, Year of Publication.  Name of E Provider,  URL.

Milne, A A.  Winnie-the-Pooh . Illustrated by Ernest H Shepard, McClelland & Stewart, Ltd, 1926,  Project Guttenberg ,  www.gutenberg.org/files/67098/67098-h/67098-h.htm .

E-book from an App

Last Name, First Name.  Title of the Book . App Source ed., Publisher, Date.

Swartz, Omar.  The View from on the Road: The Rhetorical Vision of Jack Kerouac . Kindle ed., Southern Illinois University Press, 1999.

Print Book with a Single Author

Last Name, First Name.  Title of the Book . Publisher, Date.

Mantel, Hilary.  Wolf Hall: A Novel . 2nd ed., Henry Holt, 2009.

Print Book with Two Authors

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name.  Title of the Book . Publisher, Date.

King, Steven, and Peter Straub.  The Talisman . Viking, 1984.

Print Book with Three or more Authors

*Note only the first author is listed, and then all names are combined into et al.,

Last Name, First Name, et al.  Title of the Book . Publisher, Date.

Griliches, Zvi, et al.,  Handbook of Econometrics . North-Holland Pub. Co, 1983.

Print Book with an  Author and an Editor/Translator/Illustrator

Last Name, First Name.  Title of the Book . Edited/Translated/Illustrated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date.

Shakespeare, William.  A Midsummers Night's Dream . Edited by Linda Buckle, Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Flaubert, Gustave.  Madame Bovary . Translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling, Independently Published, 2021.

Baum, Frank L.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . Illustrated by W.W. Denslow, SeaWolf Press, 2019.

Book with an  Unknown Author and an Editor/Translator/Illustrator

Title of the Book . Translated by First Name Last Name, Edited/Translated/Illustrated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date.

The Arabian Nights : Tales of 1,001 Nights. Translated by Malcolm C. Lyons, Edited by Robert Irwin, Penguin Classics. 2010.

Chapter in a Print Book

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter."  Title of the Book . Publisher, Date.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Monk's Tale."  The Canterbury Tales.  Penguin Books, 2007.

Chapter in an Print Anthology

Last name, First name. "Title of Chapter."  Title of the Book: Plus a Subtitle,  Edited by First name Last name, Publisher, Year of Publication. Inclusive Page Numbers.

Shikibu, Murasaki. "The Tale of Genji."  The Norton Anthology of World Literature , Edited by Martin Puchner et al., W.W. Norton & Company, 2019, pp. 1237-1418.

General Information on Citing Shakespeare

Italicize the titles of the plays – Macbeth  (for the play)

Use standard font for the name of a character Macbeth  –  (for the character)

You may abbreviate the title of the play in the parenthetical citation ( check with your instructor first )

• Macbeth –  Mac.
• Hamlet –  Ham.
• Usually use Arabic numbers (1.5.4-5) or (2.1.110-13)
• Some instructors prefer Roman numerals (II.iv.4-6)
• If the author’s name is mentioned in the text, only put the page number in parentheses; otherwise (author’s last name #).
• If there are no different sources between quotes – can use  (#) 

In-Text Citations

Short Quotes 

( Name of Play,  Act. Scene, Line) or (Author, Act, Scene, Line)

• "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift" ( Hamlet  1.5.35).
•   "This is a sorry sight" (Shakespeare 2.2.26).

If the quote is more than one line, use the forward-slash between each line/verse.

 "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation … / May sweep to my revenge" ( Hamlet  1.5.35-37).  

The forward-slash is separated from the text by spaces and indicates a new verse.

 The ellipsis ... indicates that part of the text was excluded.

Play in a Database

Shakespeare, William.  Macbeth . Yale University Press, 2005.  JSTOR ,  www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq91p .

Play from a Website

Shakespeare, William.  As You Like It ,  The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.  shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/index.html .

Play in an E-book

Shakespeare, William.  The Winter's Tale.  Kindle ed., Simon & Schuster, 2016.

Play in a Print Book

Shakespeare, William.  Macbeth.  Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.

Play in a Print Anthology

Shakespeare, William.  The Tragedy of Macbeth. T he Complete Works , edited by Stanley Well, Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 2501-2565.

Citing a song is dependent on how you access the song.

Artist or Band name. "Title of Song."  Album Name,  Label Producer, Date. Format.

Chapin, Harry. "Cat's in the Cradle." Verities & Balderdash,  Electra, 1973. Vinyl EP.

Chapin, Harry. "Cat's in the Cradle." Verities & Balderdash,  Electra, 1973. Spotify,  open.spotify.com/track/2obblQ6tcePeOEVJV6nEGD .

Online Dictionary

"Word, Part of Speech. (Number of the definition used)."  Title of Book . Date, URL.

"Victorious, Adj. (2)."  Merriam-Webster , 2021,  www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victorious . 

Print Dictionary

"Word, Part of Speech. (Number of the definition used)."  Title of Book . Edition, Publisher, Date, page number.

 Example:

"Amity, N. (1)."  Shorter Oxford English, 2020 , 5th ed., Shorter Oxford, 2002, p. 69.

Page on a Website

Last Name, First Name. "Page Title."  Name of Website,  day month year, URL/ DOI.

Carillo, Ellen, et al. "MLA Style Center, the Only Authorized Web Site on MLA Style, Provides Free Resources on Research, Writing, and Documentation."  MLA Style Center , 2021,  style.mla.org/?_ga=2.84140569.1427309408.1637273253153117140.1635779276 .

Page on a Website without an author

Format: 

“Title of Publication.”  Title of the Website . Publisher of the site, year of publication. URL. 

"It's Time to End Solitary Confinement: Ian Manuel Story."   ACLU,  American Civil Liberties Union ,  4 January 2024,  https://www.aclu.org/podcast/its-time-to-end-solitary-confinement-ian-manuels-story .

Page of a Government Website

Name of Government Organization. "Page Name."  Title of Source , Date of Source. URL

The United States Department of Justice. "Readout of Meeting between U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and United Kingdom Home Secretary Priti Patel."  The United States Department of Justice , 19 Nov. 2021,  www.justice.gov/opa/pr/readoutmeeting-between-us-deputy-attorney-general-lisa-o-monaco-and-united-kingdom-home .

Government Source in Print

Name of Government Organization.  Title of Source.  Date of Source. Publisher, Date of Publication.

United States, Congress, Committee on the Judiciary.  Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.  2010. Government Printing Office, 2020.

Report Published Online

Name of Author or Agency.  Title of Source.  Date of Source. URL.

D&B Hoovers.  Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. Profile.  June 2023,  w w w.proquest.com/reports/live-nation-entertainment- inc/docview/1860786790/se-2?accountid=35757.

Rules for citing the Bible

Books of the Bible are abbreviated; see the MLA Handbook for standard abbreviations.

Example: (Phil. 3.8)

A period, not a colon, separates chapter and verse.

When you first refer to a particular version, include the name, a comma, and the passage.

Examples: ( New Revised Standard Version , Phil. 3.8) 

After this, only include the scripture reference unless you switch versions.

Online version of the Bible 

Title.  Version, date. URL.

The Bible.  King James Bible Online, 2022.  www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ .

Print Religious Texts

Title.  Version, Editor, Publisher, year.

The Bible . Authorized King James Version, Oxford University Press, 2010.

The Qu'ran.  Translated by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, Oxford UP, 2015.

The New Jerusalem Bible.  Edited by Henry Wansbrough, Doubleday, 1985.

Author Name. "Title of post." Social Media Forum,  Day Month year, URL

Example of Post:

Modern Language Association. "If you're just beginning your PhD journey or are still in the early years of your program, these five tips can help you make the most of your experience."  LinkedIn , 2021, www.linkedin.com/posts/modern-language-association_lessons-on-how-to-make-the-most-of-ones-activity-6808411708323901440-Xl8Z/.

Author Name. Comment on "Title of post," by Author of Post First Name Last Name.  Social Media Forum,  Day Month year, URL

Example of Comment:

Varro-reatinus. Comment on U/reggiew07's review of  King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa  by Adam Hochschild.  Reddit , 31 Oct. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/jlbrs4/king_leopolds_ghost_a_story_of_greed_terror_and/ .

The description of the image can vary (Photo of or Cover of) and is only italicized if the name of a book,

Author Name. Description.  Social Media Forum,  Day Month year, URL

Thomas, Angie. Photo of  The Hate U Give  cover.  Instagram , 4 Dec. 2018,  www.instagram.com/p/Bq_PaXKgqPw /.

Profile 

Name [@name]. "Description of Post."  Social Media Platform,  URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Meg [@literaturewithmeg]. "Finish a book with me."  TikTok , www.tiktok.com/@literaturewithmeg/video/ . Accessed 22 April 2020.

Thread 

@name. "Description of Post."  Social Media Platform,  Day Month Year of Post, URL.

@roopikarisam (Roopika Risam). "Thank you, @annetiquate & @caitduffy49 for the opportunity to speak today and to all of you who are participating. . . . " Twitter , 18 July 2019,  twitter.com/roopikarisam/status/1151919685149036545 .

Author Last Name, First Name, or Account Name. "Description of Post."  Title of Blog ,  Day Month Year of Post, URL.

Liddon, Angela. "Perfect Little Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Buttercream."  Oh She Glows, An Elite Cafemedia a Food Publisher , 23 Feb. 2021,  ohsheglows.com/2020/09/20/perfect-little-pumpkin-cookies-with-spiced-buttercream/.

Sender Last Name, Sender First Name. Email to. day month year.

Kane, Doris. Email to Standards Committee. 21 June 2020.

X (Formally Twitter)

Use X now that Twitter no longer exists as older posts are now hosted on X. Also refer to "posts" rather than "tweets."

Author of the post or the account name "Title of the material or a description." Title of the social media site, Day Month Year of post, URL.

O’Connor, Kim. “Kelly Link on ‘nighttime logic.’”  X , 13 Feb. 2024, twitter.com/shallowbrigade/status/1757476492647219227.

Keys, Alicia. “Videos.”  TikTok , 2020, www.tiktok.com/@aliciakeys?lang=en.

Creator. "Title."  Name of Series,   hosted by First name Last name. episode #,   day Month Year, URL.

Turow, Scott. "How Scott Turow Writes."  How Writers Write , hosted by Brian Murphy, episode 90, 23 Sept. 2021,  podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-writers-write-by-happywriter/id1484859401 .

Creator. "Title (Video)."  YouTube,  uploaded by First name Last name,   day Month Year of upload, URL.

Frost, Robert. "The Road not Taken (Video)."  YouTube,  uploaded by QuestioVerum2010, 8 Nov. 2012,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaQgRiJukA .

Generating citations is a quick and easy way to begin the citation process. Be careful, though, as the generators are not 100% accurate. They will get you part of the way there, and then you will need to tailor each citation.

From the video home screen (the page after selecting a video before playing the video):

• Click the more tab
• Click the citation tool
• Choose between: MLA, APA & Chicago citation styles

TV Series Watched on an App

"Title of Episode."   Directed by First Name Last Name.  Name of Series,  season #, episode #, Film Studio, Date.  Name of app  app.

"A Seat at the Table." Directed by Mimi Leder.  The Morning Show , season 1, episode 2, Amazon Prime, 1 Nov. 2019.  Amazon Prime Video  app.

Film Watched on an App

Title.  Film Studio, Date.  Name of app  app.

Freedom Writer s. Paramount Pictures, 2007.  Netflix  app.

TV Series Watched on a Website

"Title of Episode."  Name of Series,  season #, episode #, Film Studio, Date.  Name of Website, URL.

"The One Where the Monkey Gets Away."  Friends , season 1, episode 20, Warner Bros., 9 Mar. 1995.  Netflix ,  www.netflix.com .

Film watched on TV or in a Theater

Title.  Directed by First Name Last Name, Film Studio, Date.

The Godfather . Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount Pictures, 1972.

Images Viewed Online

Artist Last Name, First Name.  Title of Piece . Date.  Name of Institute , URL.

Kandinsky, Wassily.  Composition VII . 1913.  The State Tretyakov Gallery ,  artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/vasily-kandinsky-counterpointcomposition-vi-composition-vii/UgKCjKX9MXThIw . 

Images Viewed in Person

Artist Last Name, First Name.  Title of Piece . Date, Name of Institute, Place.

Matisse, Henri.  Dance . 1910, Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Image Viewed in a Print Book 

Artist Last Name, First Name.  Title of Piece . Date of Piece, Name of Institute.  Title of Book,  by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date, Page.

Hirkoshige, Andō . Yamabushi Valley in Mimasaka Provinces . Circa 1853-56, Österreichische Museum für Angewandte Kunst.  Japonisme: The Japanese Influence on Western Art in the 19th and 20th Centuries , by Siegfried Wichmann, Park Lane, 1980, p. 277.

On a learning management system - Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas...

"Slides Name or Number." Title of Course, taught by First Name Last Lame.   Learning Management System,  University, Day Month Year, URL.

"Slides on Fitzpatrick." English 102, taught by Sally Smith.  Moodle,  Iona University, 9 Oct. 2019,  URL.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Instructor's last name, Slide #)

If your professor permits the use of AI, you need to create a reference and use in-text citations when quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated information.

"Title of posed request" prompt.  Name of AI tool,  version of AI tool, Name of company, Date prompt was generated, URL.

"Describe how Animal Farm is an allegory" prompt.  ChatGPT,  5 May version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

MLA Style guidance:

• Cite all quotes and paraphrased information generated by AI that you include in your writing
• Add an acknowledgment if you use AI to edit your writing
• Evaluate all sources suggested by AI

Author : do not use AI as an author

Title of Source : use the prompt you entered in the AI tool

Title of Container : name of AI tool

Version : version of AI

Publisher: company or creator of the AI tool

Date: date the content was generated

Location : If your generated response is retrievable, use that URL; otherwise, use the general URL of the tool

Additional examples are available on the MLA Style - Ask The MLA - How do I cite generative AI in MLA style page found at  style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/?utm_campaign=sourcemar23&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mlaoutreach

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format

MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

Welcome to an overview of “What is MLA Format?” in relation to paper formatting. You’ll find in-depth guidelines, examples, and visual samples to help you easily format your paper. This guide does not serve as a reference for MLA citation format.

For help determining the proper structure for citing, refer to the other guides on EasyBib.com. Here is another informative site which may help with further understanding of MLA citation format.

Guidelines for Formatting a Paper in MLA

• Use white 8 ½  x 11” paper.
• Make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides.
• The first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch.
• Indent set-off or block quotations one half inch from the left margin.
• Use any type of font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman. Make sure that italics look different from the regular typeface.
• Use 12-point size.
• Double space the entire research paper, even the Works Cited page.
• Leave one space after periods and other punctuation marks, unless your instructor tells you to leave two spaces.

These guidelines come from the MLA Style Center’s web page “Formatting a Research Paper.”

MLA Guide Overview

There are various sections in this guide. Each section provides an in-depth overview of the different components to keep in mind when developing an MLA paper.

This guide includes the following sections:

• Format background
• General paper formatting
• MLA heading format & title page instructions
• Running head & page numbers
• Paraphrases
• Abbreviations
• Numbers (includes the use of numbers in MLA outline format)
• Images, tables, and musical scores
• MLA works cited format
• MLA citation format (for in-depth citation rules visit this MLA citation guide or MLA in-text citation guide)
• Edits & proofreading

If you need more guidance, a website like EasyBib.com usually has guides and tools to help you out. There’s also resources on other styles, like our guide on “ APA reference page ”, otherwise known as a “References” page.

MLA Format Background

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is an organization responsible for developing MLA format. It was developed as a means for researchers, students, and scholars in the literature and language fields to uniformly format their papers and assignments. This uniform, or consistent, method to developing a paper or assignment allows for easy reading. Today, MLA is not only used in literature and language subject areas; many others have adopted it as well.

The Modern Language Association released the 9th and most current edition of their MLA Handbook in April 2021. The Handbook provides thorough instructions on citing, as well as guidelines for submitting work that adheres to the Modern Language Association’s rules and standards. Although we’re not affiliated with the MLA, our citation specialists bring you this thoughtful and informative guide on the format.

Looking for information about previous editions to the Handbook ? Want to learn more about the origin of “What is MLA format?” Click here to learn about the previous editions to the Handbook .

Actually, are you looking for help on using another style? See how to cite an APA journal , learn to create an APA book citation , and more!

Formatting the Header in MLA

To create a header for your first page, follow these steps:

• Begin one inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin.
• Type your name, your instructor’s name, the course name and number, and the date on separate lines, using double spaces between each.
• Double space once more and center the title. Do NOT underline, bold, or type the title in all capital letters. Only italicize words that would normally be italicized in the text. Example: Character Development in The Great Gatsby
• Do not place a period after the title or after any headings
• Double space between the title and first lines of the text

General Paper Formatting

Paper choice.

While many professors, instructors, and publications allow electronic submission, some prefer printed, hard copies of papers. This section focuses on the type of paper to use for printed submission.

If you choose to print your paper, use white paper only. Do not use ivory, off-white, or any other shades or colors.

Choose a standard, high quality paper to print your project on. Do not use cardstock. It is not necessary to use resum é paper. Use typical, high quality printer or copy paper.

When it comes to size, 8 ½-by-11-inch paper is the recommended size. If you’d like to use a different size, ask your teacher prior to submission.

Use One-Inch Margins in MLA

Use one-inch margins around the entire page. The running head should be the only item seen in the one inch margin (see below for more on running heads).

Most word processing programs automatically default to using one inch margins. Check the page settings section of the program to locate the margin size.

Indenting Paragraphs in MLA

Indent the first word in every paragraph. Sentences should begin one half inch from the left margin.

It is not necessary to manually measure half an inch. Use the “tab” button on the keyboard to create a half inch space.

Double Space Paragraphs in MLA

MLA research paper format requires that the entire research paper or MLA format essay includes double-spaced lines. Double-spaced lines should be found in between the written body of the work, in the heading, and also on the MLA reference page.

While it may seem tempting to place a few extra lines between the heading, title, and beginning of the paper, lines should all be double spaced.

Font and Font Size in MLA

In an MLA paper, it is acceptable to use any font type that is easy to read. Many source types, such as books and articles, use fonts that are easy to read, so if you’re seeking an appropriate font style, look at other sources for guidance. Two of the most commonly used fonts are Arial and Times New Roman.

It is important for the reader to be able to distinguish the difference between italicized and regular font, so if you choose a font style different than Arial or Times New Roman, make sure the difference between the two type styles is evident.

The use of a 12-point font size is recommended as this is the default size for many word processing programs. It is acceptable to use another standard size, such as 11-point or 11.5-point.

Some professors or instructors will provide guidance on how to secure hard copies of projects. If your instructor does not provide you with any expectations or guidance, a simple staple in the top left corner should suffice. If a stapler is not available, some instructors allow paper or binder clips.

Do not fold the top left corner down to secure the pages together. The page could easily unfold, causing a mess of papers. While binders and plastic holders are cute, in reality, they add bulk to a professor or instructor who may like to take the papers home for grading purposes. Keep the binding simple and clean. Staples work best, and binder and paper clips are the next best option.

As always, follow any instructions your professor or teacher may provide. The guidelines found here are simply recommendations.

MLA Heading & Title Page Instructions

The web page “Formatting a Research Paper” gives two options when it comes to creating the header for your project:

• An MLA format heading can be placed at the top of the first page
• A title page can grace the front of the assignment. If you choose to create a title page, keep in mind that there aren’t any official title page or cover page guidelines in MLA format. See more information below.

If choosing option one, creating an MLA heading, you’ll need to include four main components:

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s name
• The name and number of the course or class
• The assignment’s due date

The first item typed on the paper should be your full name.

• Position your name one inch from the top and left margins of the page.
• Add a double space beneath your name, and type the name of your instructor.
• Below the professor or instructor’s name should be a double space, followed by the name of the course, class, or section number (if available).
• Below it, include another double space and add the assignment’s due date (Day Month Year).

Here’s an example:

The assignment’s title should be placed below the due date, after a double space. Align the title so it sits in the center of the MLA format paper. The title should be written in standard lettering, without underlines, bold font, italicized font, or any quotation marks. Only include italics or quotation marks if your title includes the title of another source.

Here is an example of an MLA header for an MLA format essay, paper, or assignment:

Neal E. Bibdarsh

Professor Haujeemoto

English 201

The Trials and Tribulations of Lincoln’s Reciting of “The Gettysburg Address”

*Note: The quotation marks here are around the title of a speech included in the paper’s title.

Most research papers use a standard MLA format heading, like the one seen above. If your instructor requires you to create a standalone title page, ask him or her for specifications. MLA does not have specific instructions for developing an MLA title page. We recommend you use an MLA header for your project.

If your teacher or professor requires a standalone title page, but has not provided any guidance or specifications, here are a few suggestions from EasyBib.com and this MLA guide :

• Center and double space all of the text on your page.
• Place the name of your school at the top of the page.
• Skip down to about the center of the page and type the title of your paper. Do not bold the title, italicize the entire title, place quotation marks around it, or type the title out in capital letters.
• Use italics for the titles of any sources in the title of your paper. Example: An Analysis of Mythical Creatures in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• first letter of the title
• first letter of the last word
• first letter of any adjectives, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, and verbs
• If your paper has a subtitle, include on the next line below your title.
• Skip down to the bottom third of the page and add your name, the the name of your instructor, the name/number of the course or class, and the assignment’s due date on four separate lines.
• Keep the font size at 12 pt., or a size close to it, to make it look professional.
• Use the same font as the text of the paper. The Modern Language Association recommends any font that is easy to read and has a clear distinction between italics and standard font. Times New Roman and Arial are recommended, but many other fonts work as well.
• Include a page number in the top right corner of the paper. For more information on how to style page numbers, check out the next section, “Running Head and Page Numbers.”
• We do not recommend adding any images or cover art to the title page. 

Click  additional information about essays to see an example of a formatted header.

You can either create a title page using the EasyBib Title Page creator or omit the title page completely and use a header.

Running Head & Page Numbers in MLA

A running head is a brief heading that is placed in the top right corner of every page in a project. The Modern Language Association Style Center (online) states that the running head consists of:

• Last name of the paper’s author
• Page number

General tips to keep in mind:

• The running head is placed in the upper right-hand corner, half an inch from the top margin and one inch from the right margin of the page.
• Type your last name before the page number.
• The last name and page number should be separated by a single space.
• Do not place the word “page” or use an abbreviation, such as p. or pg., before the page number.
• Quite often, the running head begins on the second page, but your instructor may ask you to include the running head on the first page of the assignment. As always, if your instructor provides you with specific directions, follow his or her guidelines.

Before adding this information manually onto every single page, check to see if the word processor you’re using has the capability to automatically add this information for you. Try looking in the settings area where page numbers or headers can be added or modified.

Google Docs: Adding a header

• Go to the menu section “Insert.”
• Select “Page numbers” and select the option that places the page number in the upper-right corner.
• A page number will appear; your cursor will blink next to it.
• Move your cursor to the left of the page number.
• Type your last name. Add a space between your name and the page number.
• You should now have a properly formatted header on every page!

Microsoft Word Document: Adding a header

• Double-click in the space at the top of the page (where the page number is).
• OR Go to the “Insert” menu, select “Header,” and select “Edit Header.”
• Type your last name next to page number. If it isn’t already right-aligned, go to the “Home” menu and right-align your name.

Quotations in MLA

Quotes are added into assignments to help defend an argument, prove a point, add emphasis, or simply liven up a project.

Quotes should not take up the majority of your paper or assignment. Quotes should be sprinkled sparingly throughout, and quotes longer than 4 lines should be formatted as MLA block quotes . Use direct quotes from outside sources to enhance and expand on your own writing and ideas.

Words from quotes belong to the individual who spoke or wrote them, so it is essential to credit that individual’s work. Credit him or her by adding what is called an “in-text citation” into the body of the project.

There are three ways to add quotes: 1. With the author’s name in the sentence (a citation in prose).

Dan Gutman shares a glimpse into the overall plot by stating, “I didn’t know it at the time, but a baseball card—for me—could function like a time machine” (5).

In the above example, Dan Gutman is the author of the book that this quote is pulled from.

2. Without the author’s name in the sentence (a parenthetical citation).

The main character’s confusing experience is realized and explained when he states “I didn’t know it at the time, but a baseball card—for me—could function like a time machine” (Gutman 5).

In the above example, Dan Gutman’s name isn’t included in the sentence. It’s included in the parentheses at the end of the sentence. This is an example of a proper MLA style citation in the body of a project.

3. In a block quote, which is used when a large quote, of 4 lines or more, is added into a project.

Using footnotes and endnotes

The Modern Language Association generally promotes the use of references as described in the sections above, but footnotes and endnotes are also acceptable forms of references to use in your paper.

Footnotes and endnotes are helpful to use in a variety of circumstances. Here are a few scenarios when it may seem appropriate to use this type of referencing:

• When you are referring to a number of various sources, by various authors, in a section of your paper. In this situation, it is a good idea to use a footnote or endnote to share information for parenthetical references. This will encourage the reader to stay focused on the text of the research paper, instead of having to read through all of the reference information.
• When you are sharing additional information that doesn’t quite fit into the scope of the paper, but is beneficial for the reader. These types of footnotes and endnotes are helpful when explaining translations, adding background information, or sharing counterexamples to research.

To include a footnote or endnote, add a superscript number at the end of the sentence the footnote or endnote refers to. They can be included mid-sentence if necessary, but be sure to add it after any punctuation, such as commas or periods. Find a location that doesn’t distract the reader from the content and flow of the paper.

Within the text example:

Numerous well-known children’s books include characters from a wide range of races and ethnicities, thus promoting diversity and multiculturalism.¹

At the bottom of the page (footnote) or at the end of the section (endnote):

¹See Isadora, Parr, and Velazquez. While Parr’s work features characters of various colors, such as pink or blue, children easily correlate it with individuals of different races and ethnicities.

On the last page of the assignment, the writer includes the full references for the books by Isadora, Parr, and Velazquez.

For more on block quotes and a further, detailed explanation on the use of quotes, including MLA footnotes, refer to our MLA In-Text Citation and Parenthetical Citations Guide. In this guide you’ll find further information including directions for the use of quotes without an author, page numbers, and how to properly credit work from electronic sources.

For guides on citations in another style, check out APA parenthetical citation and APA in-text citation .

Paraphrases in MLA

Paraphrases are created when text or speech from another source are added into a project, but the writer chooses to summarize them and weave in his or her own writing and writing style.

Even though the writer modifies the information from another source, it is still necessary to credit the source using proper format ( Handbook 98). Paraphrased information uses the same MLA reference format as stated in the section directly above this one.

Here is an acceptable paraphrase:

Original text:

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” Steve Jobs

Paraphrase:

Steve Jobs encouraged students at Stanford to continue with their determination, drive, and ambitious behavior. They should never be simply satisfied with the status quo. They should continue to push themselves despite possible obstacles and failures.

To develop a well-written paraphrase, follow these simple, step-by-step instructions.

• Find a phrase, sentence, paragraph, or section of original text you’d like to turn into a paraphrase.
• Read the text carefully and make sure you fully comprehend its meaning. A writer can only develop a well-written paraphrase if the information has been fully grasped and understood. If you’re having difficulty understanding the information, take a few minutes to read up on tricky words and background information. If all else fails, ask a friend to see if they’re able to make sense of the concepts.
• After analyzing and completely understanding the original text, put it to the side. Take a moment to think about what you’ve read and connect the idea to your own assignment.
• Now that the information is completely understood, take a moment to rewrite what you’ve read, in your own words and writing style. Do not simply substitute words in the original text with synonyms. That’s plagiarism! Show off and demonstrate your ability to process the original information, connect it to the content in your paper, and write it in your own individual and unique writing style.
• Include an in-text reference next to the paraphrase. All paraphrases include references, similar to direct quotes. See the “Quotations” section of this guide to learn how to properly attribute your paraphrased information.
• Give yourself a pat on the back! Paraphrasing is an important part of the research and writing process.

Wondering if it’s better to quote or paraphrase?

An essential part of the research process involves adding direct quotes and paraphrases into projects. Direct quotes provide word-for-word evidence and allow writers to use another author’s eloquent words and language in their own projects. When it comes to paraphrases, writers are able to take a block of text and shrink the scope of it into the their papers. Paper writers can also use paraphrases to demonstrate their ability to analyze and reiterate information in a meaningful and relevant way.

If you’re wondering which one is better to consistently use, quotes or paraphrases, there’s a clear winner. Paraphrases come out on top. Sure, direct quotes are incredibly beneficial, but copying and pasting too many of these into a project can cause a reader to lose sight of the writer’s own voice. Mixing your own voice with another author’s too much can make for choppy and disjointed reading.

The ultimate goal of a research project is to have your voice and research merged together as one. Paraphrases allow just that. When you combine information from outside sources with your own writing style, it demonstrates your ability as a researcher to showcase your understanding and analyzation of a topic.

Remember, whether you’re adding direct quotes or paraphrases into a project, both types of additions need references. References are placed after the quotes and paraphrases, and also at the end of an assignment.

If you’re looking for additional help with your punctuation or grammar, check out the EasyBib plagiarism checker !

Using Abbreviations in MLA

Abbreviations are commonly used in many source types including websites, blog posts, books, and journal articles. It is acceptable to use abbreviations in all of these sources.

When it comes to school and research assignments, however, the MLA   Handbook states that abbreviations should be used rarely in the prose of your paper (293). Spelling out abbreviations into their full words and meanings is recommended. This ensures understanding and avoids any confusion from your reader.

There are times when you may feel it is perfectly acceptable to use an abbreviation rather than its typed out counterpart in a paper. If you do abbreviate, be sure you are using commonly accepted abbreviations, which you can find in the dictionary. You can also review Appendix 1 in the  MLA Handbook .

General Abbreviation Tips

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus can be abbreviated to HIV, not H.I.V.
• United States should be US, not U.S.
• Digital video disc should be DVD, not D.V.D.
• For lower case abbreviations, it is acceptable to include periods between the letters.
• The abbreviation, “For example” = e.g.
• If there is a mix of lower case and upper case letters, do not use periods if the majority of the letters are upper case. Examples include PhD and EdD

Abbreviating Months

Type out entire month names when being used in the body of a research paper or assignment.

She rented out the beach house from May through September

When it comes to references, MLA bibliography format requires months longer than four letters to be abbreviated.

• July = July
• November = Nov.

Other abbreviations that are perfectly acceptable to use in a bibliography (not the body of a project) include:

• p. or pp. for page and page numbers
• ch. for chapter
• ed. for edition
• trans. for translation or translated
• vol. for volume
• no. for number
• rev. for revised

Again, these abbreviations should only be used in the final page(s) of a project, the MLA Works Cited list. They should not be used in the body of a project.

For more information on bibliographies, see our MLA format Works Cited List page.

Abbreviating Publishers

One of the quirkiest things about this particular style is how publisher names are structured on the final page of references. Certain words are abbreviated, some words are omitted, and other words are written in full.

Words describing what type of business the publisher is are omitted from the works cited. Here’s a breakdown of the words that should be excluded:

• Co. (Company)
• Corp. (Corporation)
• Inc. (Incorporated)
• Ltd. (Limited)
• The (when at the beginning of the name)

If a publisher’s name contains the words “University” and “Press” (or the equivalent in another language), the words should be abbreviated to the letters “U” and “P” in your citation. But if only one of the words appears, it should be written out normally.

Here are a few examples:

• University of Delaware
• U College of London P

All other words related to the names of publishers should be written out in full.

Abbreviating Titles

Certain classical and biblical works are abbreviated in a bibliography, but also in any parenthetical references in the text.

The official handbook provides a lengthy list, spanning over multiple pages, of the preferred abbreviations to use for classical and biblical works ( Handbook 295-301), but here’s a quick snapshot of some of the commonly used ones:

Hebrew Bible or Old Testament = OT

• Deut. = Deuteronomy
• Gen. = Genesis
• Lev. = Leviticus
• Num. = Numbers
• Ps. = Psalms

New Testament = NT

• 1 Cor. = 1 Corinthians
• Jas. = James
• Matt. = Matthew

Shakespeare:

• Ado = Much Ado about Nothing
• 3H6 = Henry VI, Part 3
• JC = Julius Caesar
• Mac. = Macbeth
• MND = A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Oth. = Othello
• Rom. = Romeo and Juliet

Again, the titles above are allowed to be abbreviated both in references in parentheses in the body of a project and also on the final page of references. If you’re wondering why, it’s because they’re cited often and it’s unnecessary to type out the entire title names.

Formatting Numbers in MLA

Use of numerals.

If the project calls for frequent use of numbers (such as a scientific study or statistics), use numerals that precede measurements.

• 247 milligrams

Other items to keep in mind:

In divisions, use numbers, ex: In page 5 of the study

Arabic Numbers

When including a number in a paper, spell out the number if it can be written as one word (such as six ) or two words (such as sixty-two ). For fractions, decimals, or longer numbers, type them out using digits. For larger numbers, write the number itself ( Handbook 82-84).

• twenty-seven
• one hundred

If the number comes before a unit of measurement or label, type the number using digits.

• 8 tablespoons
• 3 July 2018
• 25 King Street

More on Numbers

Starting a sentence with a number is generally frowned upon. Try modifying the sentence so that the number, or number word, is found elsewhere.

Instead of:

225 children were found in the warehouse, some malnourished and diseased.

Use this sentence:

A total of 225 children were found in the warehouse, some malnourished and diseased.

If modifying the sentence is not possible or does not work well with the flow of the assignment or paper, type out the written number:

Two hundred twenty five children were found in the warehouse, some malnourished and diseased.

Do not include any ISBN numbers in your paper.

Outline Format

The Modern Language Association does not have any requirements regarding the structure of an outline. If your teacher asks you to create an MLA outline, we recommend using roman numerals, capital and lowercase letters, and numbers.

Here is an example of a recommended outline structure:

In addition to outlines, use roman numerals for suffixes.

• King George IV

Using Images, Tables, & Musical Scores in MLA

Photographs, data sets, tables, graphs, and other images are often added into projects or papers to promote or aid understanding. They provide meaningful visuals for the reader. If the illustration or visual image does not enhance the quality of the paper, do not include it in the project.

Tables and illustrations should be placed as close as possible to the text that they most closely refer to.

For an image to be significant and easily identifiable, place it as close as possible to the text in the project where it is discussed.

It is not acceptable to simply place an image in a project without including identifiable information. All images must include information about its origin.

Here are the directions to properly attribute an image:

• Assign an Arabic number. The image closest to the beginning of the project should be labeled as Fig. 1. The next image in the project should be Fig. 2. and so on.
• Provide a caption. The caption should be a brief explanation or the title of the contents of the image. Place the caption directly next to the label.
• Immediately following the caption, it is acceptable to include attribution information. If the image is not discussed further in the rest of the paper or project, it is acceptable to include the MLA bibliography format citation below the image and omit it from the bibliography or MLA format works cited page.

In the text of the project or paper where the figure is discussed, include the label in parentheses to ensure the reader knows where to find the figure in your paper.

In the text:

Sarah’s tattoo design was filled with two of her favorite flowers: lilies and daffodils along a thinly curved vine (fig. 1).

Image formatting:

(Image Would Be Here) Fig. 1. Sarah’s Tattoo. barneyWILLIAMSable, Deviant Art , 2011, barneywilliamsable.deviantart.com/art/Sarah-s-Tattoo-design-193048938.

Fig. 1. White Studio. “Houdini and Jennie, the Elephant, Performing at the Hippodrome, New York.” Library of Congress , www.loc.gov/item/96518833/.

When adding a table or data set into a project, it is formatted a little differently. Above the data set, include the label “Table” with an Arabic numeral, and title it. The table number and title should be located flush left and on separate lines. The first table seen in the project is labeled as Table 1. The second table in the project is Table 2, and so on. The table’s title should be written in title case form (the first letter of each word is capitalized, except for small, insignificant words).

Underneath the table, provide the source and any notes. Notes should be labeled with a letter, rather than a numeral, so the reader is able to differentiate between the notes of the text and the notes of the table.

International Scholars from India Enrolled at Yale University a

Source: “International Scholars Academic Year 2015-2016.” Yale University , Office of International Students and Scholars, yale.app.box.com/v/scholar-2015-2016. a. The numbers reflect students who are enrolled full-time.

The information included above and below any images or table should be double spaced, similar to the rest of the project or paper.

Musical Scores

Musical scores need to be labeled as well. When including a musical score in a project, label musical scores with “Ex.” which is short for example. This label should be placed below the musical score. Next to the abbreviation “Ex.”, assign the score an Arabic numeral. The first musical score in the project should be labeled as Ex. 1. The second musical score found in an assignment should be labeled as Ex. 2., and so on.

If possible, provide a caption after to the label. If the caption below the sheet music includes enough information about the source, it is not necessary to include the full reference at the end of the assignment.

Here is an example of a possible label and caption:

Ex. 4. Scott Joplin, The Entertainer, piano, C major.

Another example:

Here’s more on tables and illustrations.

Using Lists in MLA

It’s appropriate to add lists into an MLA format essay as long as the proper rules are followed.

Lists created using MLA essay format look different than a grocery list or any other type of vertical listing of items. Items in a list are included in your prose, rather than the traditional vertical style.

Often, you will use a colon between the introductory sentence and the list. But you should not include a colon if the first item in the list is part of the sentence.

List Example #1

Here is an example of how a list may look incorporated into the prose of a research project or assignment:

William Shakespeare wrote numerous plays, many of which were considered tragedies: Romeo and Juliet , Hamlet , Macbeth , Othello , Julius Caesar , and King Lear .

List Example #2 Here is an example of how a list may look in a research project or assignment when the list is part of the introductory sentence:

Many of William Shakespeare’s were tragedies. Some of his most popular tragedies include Romeo and Juliet , Hamlet , Macbeth , Othello , Julius Caesar , and King Lear.

MLA Works Cited Format

EasyBib.com has a full, comprehensive guide to creating a proper works cited MLA format , but here are a few items to keep in mind when developing this portion of a project:

• The list of citations should be the very last page of a research project or essay.
• The top of the page should include the running head and the page number.
• All entries should be placed in alphabetical order by the first item in the MLA format citation.
• The entire page should be double spaced.

For more detailed information, make sure to check out the EasyBib guide to MLA format Works Cited pages.

MLA Citation Format

The majority of this guide focuses on MLA formatting in regards to MLA paper format rules and guidelines. If you’re seeking information related to the proper formatting of an MLA citation, refer to our individual pages and posts on various types of citations.

If you’re simply looking for the general structure for full references, which are found on the final pages of projects, here’s the proper order:

Author’s Last name, Author’s First name. “Title of Source.”* Title of Container , Names of other contributors along with their specific roles, version of the source (if it differs from the original or is unique), any key numbers associated with the source that aren’t dates (such as journal issue numbers or volume numbers), Name of the Publisher, publication date, location (such as the URL or page numbers).

*Note: A title may be in italics instead of quotation marks, depending of the type of source. The general rule is that works that are self-contained (like books, journals, or television shows) are formatted in italics. Works that are part of a larger work (like articles, chapters, or specific episodes) are formatting in quotation marks. 

MLA Format Citing FAQs:

“What in the world are containers?”

Containers are what hold the source. If you’re creating a reference for a chapter in a book, the title of the chapter is the title of the source , and the container is the title of the book . The book holds the chapter, so it’s the container. If you’re searching for how to cite a website, here’s a tip: the title of the source is the name of the individual page and the title of the container is the name of the full website.

“This seems like a lot of information for a reference. Is it all necessary?”

The short answer is “No!” When citing, only include the components that help the reader locate the exact same source themselves.

It isn’t necessary to go digging for items such as numbers, version types, or names of other individuals or contributors associated with the source if they aren’t applicable. If you think it’s beneficial for the reader, then include it.

Related to citations, here are helpful pages on:

• MLA citation website format
• Citing a book
• Citing a journal
• What is a DOI ?
• More on PDFs

If you’re looking for an MLA citation generator, head to the EasyBib homepage. Our formatter will help you create citations quickly and easily!

Need APA, too? There are also EasyBib tools and an APA citation website reference guide to help you learn the basics.

Edits and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading your assignment prior to submission is an incredibly important step in the research process. Editing involves checking the paper for the following items:

• Spelling : Are all words spelled correctly? Review all proper names, places, and other unique words to ensure correct spelling. When finished, run the project through a spell checker. Many word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word and Google Drive, provide a free spell checking feature. While spell checks are beneficial, they do not always spot every mistake, so make sure you take the time to read through the assignment carefully. If you’re still not sure if your project contains proper spelling, ask a friend to read through it. They may find a mistake you missed!
• Grammar : Check your assignment to make sure you’ve included proper word usage. There are numerous grammar checkers available to review your project prior to submission. Again, take the time to review any recommendations from these programs prior to accepting the suggestions and revisions.
• Punctuation : Check to make sure the end of every sentence has an ending punctuation mark. Also make sure commas, hyphens, colons, and other punctuation marks are placed in the appropriate places.
• Attribution : Do all quotes and paraphrases include a citation? Did you create an in-text citation for each individual piece of information?

Smart idea: running your paper through a paper checker before you turn it in. EasyBib Plus offers a checker that scans for grammar errors and unintentional plagiarism. 

Check out our MLA sample papers . Also, check out the EasyBib MLA Annotated Bibliography Guide.

Don’t forget to use the EasyBib citation generator to develop your Modern Language Association style references.EasyBib.com also has helpful guides on APA format and more styles . Lastly, stay up-to-date on what’s coming by following our EasyBib Twitter account.

Works Cited

“Formatting a Research Paper.” The MLA Style Center , Modern Language Association of America, style.mla.org/formatting-papers/.

MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated July 25, 2021.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau . Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. You can find her here on Twitter. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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The works-cited list provides the reader full information so that a reader can locate the source for further use.

Basic formatting

The works-cited list appears at the end of the paper, after any endnotes if they are present.

Page margins

All margins (top, bottom, left, and right) should be set at 1 inch.

Running head

Write the running head in the top right of the page at 0.5 inch from the top. Use the running head “Surname Page #.”

The font should be clear enough to read. For example, Times New Roman font set to 12 points.

Formatting entries

Entries should be double-spaced, including a double-space between the heading and the first entry. If any entry runs over more than a line, indent the subsequent line(s) 0.5 inch from the left margin.

Formatting the title

The title should be “Works Cited.” Center the title. Do not bold, italicize, or underline the title. If you cite only one source in the list, the title should be “Work Cited.” If you include sources that you only consulted and didn’t cite directly, the title should be changed accordingly to “Works Cited and Consulted.”

Arranging works cited

Works-cited-list entries are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name (or the editor’s last name for entire edited collections). Double-space all entries. Begin each entry flush with the left margin. If any entry runs over more than one line, indent the subsequent line(s) 0.5 inch from the left margin (sometimes called a hanging indent).

Example works cited

Damasio, Antonio. The Feeling of What Happens: Body, Emotion and the Making of Consciousness . Vintage, 2000.

Hill, R. T. “Legitimizing Colonial Privilege: Native Americans at a Quincentenary of Discourse.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 16, no. 1, 1996, pp. 92–100.

MacDonald, Shauna M. “Performance as Critical Posthuman Pedagogy.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 34, no. 2, 2014, pp. 164–81.

Zilio, M. “Canada Will Not Move Embassy to Jerusalem, Federal Government Says.” The Globe and Mail . 7 Sept. 2017, www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-will-not-move-embassy-to-jerusalem-federal-government-says/article37219576/ .

An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed in the text. It is styled in two ways: a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when directly quoting text from the source being cited. When including a page number, do not include a comma or any other punctuation mark between the author’s surname and the page number.

Parenthetical citations usually add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses. Sometimes they include a page number or other locator. An example of a parenthetical citation is given below:

The spiritual geography of the landscape is explained (Cooper).

If you want to cite a chapter number, a scene, or a line number, follow the abbreviation guidelines below:

When including a more specific locator number rather than a page number, place a comma between the author’s surname and the label.

(Cooper, ch. 2).

Here are a few examples of in-text citations for sources with different numbers or types of authors:

Use only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations. If you want to add a page number (or another indicator of the place in a work), add it after the author’s surname without any punctuation between the surname and the page number.

(Abraham 7).

Two authors

Add only the surnames of the authors. Use “and” to separate the two authors.

(Langmuir and Einstein).

Three or more authors

Add only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

(Low et al.).

Corporate author

Shorten the organization name wherever possible, excluding any initial articles and using the shortest noun phrase (e.g., shorten Literary Society of Tamil Culture to Literary Society).

(Literary Society).

If there is no author for the source, use the source title in place of the author’s surname.

When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is shortened to Fantastic Beasts .

( Fantastic Beasts 160).

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Works Cited | Examples for your Works Cited Page

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Works Cited: Definition
• 3 Example in MS Word
• 4 APA format
• 5 Works Cited in MLA Style
• 6 Primary and Secondary Sources
• 7 In a Nutshell

Works Cited: Definition

The works cited page shows the sources you have used in your research. This page is included at the end of your study, and it includes the sources used for the following types of data:

• Facts and data that is not common knowledge
• Words and theories that someone else came up with
• Direct quotes from other authors

Why is a works cited section important?

The works cited section of your research paper should clearly indicate the sources you used to get ideas and content for your research paper, thesis or dissertation . It also allows you to acknowledge and appreciate the works of other researchers and avoid plagiarism. However, the works cited and bibliography are not to be confused with one another.

Do all references have to be cited in the text?

You should include an in-text citation when you’re referring to, summarising or quoting another author. It’s important that the in-text reference also appears in the bibliography at the end of the paper. This helps you avoid accidentally plagiarizing other people’s work. Plus, the references also serve as a guide for readers of your thesis or research paper.

Does citing sources allow you to quote authors directly?

Yes, you can quote words from authors as long as you show the source in the works cited page. This allows you to adequately convey thoughts or ideas about the subject area you are discussing in your paper. This can also be done in the format of any of the numerous referencing and citation styles .

What information should be cited?

The works cited page should show unique findings, data, statistics, ideas, theories, and quotes which have been picked from a primary or secondary source. This especially includes the sources from extra reading that you may have done on your research topic . If you are unsure as to whether you should cite a source for certain information, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. That source would have a place either on a works cited page, or a bibliography.

What happens when you fail to show the works cited?

There are various consequences for failing to include a source in the works cited section, or even in a bibliography. You risk being accused of plagiarism . Some professors will penalize you for the mistake if it’s minor, but in some severe cases, you may be forced to leave your institution if there’s substantial evidence that you have plagiarised your thesis.

Is there a difference between a bibliography and the works cited page?

Yes, there is a difference between these two sections. In a bibliography , every single source that has been used by the author, whether it was cited directly in the text or not needs to be concluded. Even if it was used for some extra reading, it needs to be included. However, the works cited page simply shows the sources the author used directly in the creation of the academic paper.

Can you add a subtitle to the reference?

Yes, you can add a subtitle to make a reference in your term paper or essay. You will simply have to place a colon between the title and subtitle. However, if the subtitle is intended to standalone, it should be written in italics.

Example in MS Word

Here is a works cited page example that used internet sources and print sources:

There are different formats of the works cited page. One of these formats is referred to as APA or America Psychology Association. Works cited in APA citation style should show the names of the author, the title of the source, and the town or city. The works cited section should also indicate the type of source that was used to get the information. This could be the internet, a print source, or even a database. Here are some examples of works cited in APA format:

Wynne, T. (2015). The art of building an empire. Sommerville: MA, Candlewick Press. Micheal, J.W. (2014). 101 Tips Success. https://michaelljohnson.com. Mary, Beth, (2002). Effect of Financial Technology on the Economy. London University Press, Volume 3 (Issue 10), pp. 10. Leonard W. R. & Crawford M. H. (Eds.). (2002). Human biology of pastoral populations. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press. Editor Surname, A. (Ed.). (YEAR). Book title: Subtitle (# ed.). Retrieved from http://url_of_ebook_database.

Works Cited in MLA Style

In MLA format, the works cited section should show the author of the work, the titles of the works cited, and the publication information. The structure of the works cited will vary based on the type of source of the works cited. For example, print works cited are shown differently from online works cited.

In MLA format, the works cited page will include the following information in this order: Last name, first name. “Title of the Source.” Title of the container, other contributors, the version, numbers, publisher, date of publication, location.

Here are two examples of works cited in MLA format:

Johnson, Mike. “Fruit Flies.” SIU Press, vol 12, no. 3, 2011, pp. 13 to 67. Davies, Larisa Maclean, et al. “Teaching Australian Literature.” English in Australia , vol 12, no. 3, 2010, pp. 21. ERIC, https://gov.au.literature.

You should note that the names of the author are followed by a period. If the source has two authors, place them in the order listed in the source. The first author is listed with the last name then the first name, and the second one is listed in standard form. For the second author, there is no comma between the names.

If the source has more than two authors, you will only list the first author who appears on the source. The name should be in reverse order, and it should be followed by the phrase ‘et al.’ It is also possible to include someone other than the author of the works cited, but you have to indicate the reason why you are including them in the paper.

Primary and Secondary Sources

In research, you can get your data from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are those which contain an author’s original thoughts and ideas while secondary ones are those which use data from another source. Secondary sources interpret primary sources and are usually in the form of articles, television documentaries, biographies, essays, and critiques.

Primary works cited are typically written by professionals in specific fields, and they can be in the form of diaries, artwork, and speeches. Primary sources of data are cited just like secondary sources. You will include the author or authors, the title of the works cited, the year of publication, and the city of publication. The references can be shown separately or altogether.

In a Nutshell

Here are some key points you should remember about the works cited page:

• It is added at the end of the research paper
• There are different formats used for the citation page. These include APA and MLA
• You should refer to the latest guidelines of the various formats to understand the current acceptable standards
• If you fail to cite a source you used for your research, you can be penalized for plagiarism
• If you are in doubt on whether a particular source should be cited or not, you should go ahead and include it in the list of references
• Titles and subtitles that are shown in their entirety in the works cited section should be written in italics

YourDictonary . “Examples of Works Cited Pages”: https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-works-cited-pages.html. Last accessed  9 th  Oct 2019

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12 What Is a Works Cited List?

A Works Cited list is an alphabetized list located on a separate page at the end of your paper that lists all the citations for the sources used in your paper to support your research.

Each citation is based on core elements specific to the source you are using. There are up to nine core elements , and they are arranged in a certain order and with the punctuation as shown below. Note that you will not need all elements for most of your citations.

The Core elements

1. Author. 2. Title of Source. 3. Title of Container, 4. Contributor, 5. Version, 6. Number, 7. Publisher, 8. Publication Date, 9. Location.

Core elements 1 and 2 :

1. Author. 2. Title of Source.

• are individual units
• each is followed by a period
• are only used once in a citation

Core elements 3-9:

3. Title of Container, 4. Contributor, 5. Version, 6. Number, 7. Publisher, 8. Publication Date, 9. Location.

• together form a unit, or container
• each element is followed by a comma except the last element used, which is followed by a period
• may need to be repeated

More about containers

A container may be located within another container. For example, an article is contained in a journal, and that journal may be contained in a database. In a case like that, you would need to add a second container to your citation, i.e. repeat elements 3-9. It is unlikely that you will ever need more than 2 containers to cite a source.

The sequence would then be:

Author . Title of Source .  Container One. Container Two.

For more explanation about core elements and containers, check out the MLA Online Guide .

What about information that doesn’t fit neatly into one of the core elements?

MLA allows for supplemental information to be added to a source if it helps for clarification. Depending on what this additional information is about, it may be added after the title or at the end of the citation.

Author . Title of Source . Supplemental Information. Container One. Container Two. Supplemental Information.

Using this template and the MLA Online Guide to help create a reference citation is like using a recipe. The ingredients are the key pieces of information about a source. If you’re missing an ingredient, leave it out or substitute it.

Following a recipe’s directions is like following a citation example. If you follow the directions and add the ingredients at the right point, then your recipe (i.e. your citation) will turn out!

You are not expected to memorize MLA guidelines. Instead, use available resources ( MLA Online Guide and this tutorial) to help guide you. Over time you will become more comfortable with creating citations yourself.

Image Attributions:

“ Pancake recipe with ingredients Free Vector ” by pikisuperstar is licensed under CC BY 4.0 International .

MLA Style Citations Copyright © 2021 by Ulrike Kestler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Free Works Cited Generator

Generate a Works Cited page in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

😕 What is a Works Cited Generator?

A works cited generator is a tool that automatically creates a works cited page in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take in information about the sources you have cited in your paper, such as document titles, authors, and URLs, and will output a fully formatted works cited page that can be added to the end of your paper (just as your teacher asked!).

The citations included in a Works Cited page show the sources that you used to construct your argument in the body of your school paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses a Works Cited Generator?

Students in middle school and high school will usually be expected to produce a works cited page to accompany their academic papers. Therefore, they will generally be the users of a works cited generator.

Alongside generating a works cited page, at middle school and high school level it is also important to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Works Cited Generator?

Formatting works cited pages manually is time consuming, and ensuring accuracy is mind-numbing.

Automating this process with a works cited generator is a quick and easy way to be sure you are doing it correctly (and according to the MLA format!). Our generator also provides a backed-up location to save your citations to as you write each part of your paper -- just keep the MyBib website open in a browser tab while you work and add to your works cited page as you go along!

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Works Cited Generator?

Using our Works Cited Generator is so easy. Every time you cite a source in your paper, just come back to the generator at the top of this page and enter the source you are citing. Our generator can cite books, journal articles, and webpages automatically, and can cite over 30 other sources if you enter the source details manually.

Save each source to your bibliography, then when you have finished writing your paper just click the 'download' button and the generator will produce a formatted Works Cited page that can be copied and pasted directly to the end of your document.

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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Guest Essay

I’m an Economist. Don’t Worry. Be Happy.

By Justin Wolfers

Mr. Wolfers is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan and a host of the “Think Like an Economist” podcast.

I, too, know that flash of resentment when grocery store prices feel like they don’t make sense. I hate the fact that a small treat now feels less like an earned indulgence and more like financial folly. And I’m concerned about my kids now that house prices look like telephone numbers.

But I breathe through it. And I remind myself of the useful perspective that my training as an economist should bring. Sometimes it helps, so I want to share it with you.

Simple economic logic suggests that neither your well-being nor mine depends on the absolute magnitude of the numbers on a price sticker.

To see this, imagine falling asleep and waking up years later to discover that every price tag has an extra zero on it. A gumball costs $2.50 instead of a quarter; the dollar store is the $10 store; and a coffee is $50. The 10-dollar bill in your wallet is now $100; and your bank statement has transformed $800 of savings into $8,000.

Importantly, the price that matters most to you — your hourly pay rate — is also 10 times as high.

What has actually changed in this new world of inflated price tags? The world has a lot more zeros in it, but nothing has really changed.

That’s because the currency that really matters is how many hours you have to work to afford your groceries, a small treat, or a home, and none of these real trade-offs have changed.

This fairy tale — with some poetic license — is roughly the story of our recent inflation. The pandemic-fueled inflationary impulse didn’t add an extra zero to every price tag, but it did something similar.

The same inflationary forces that pushed these prices higher have also pushed wages to be 22 percent higher than on the eve of the pandemic. Official statistics show that the stuff that a typical American buys now costs 20 percent more over the same period. Some prices rose a little more, some a little less, but they all roughly rose in parallel.

It follows that the typical worker can now afford two percent more stuff. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a faster rate of improvement than the average rate of real wage growth over the past few decades .

Of course, these are population averages, and they may not reflect your reality. Some folks really are struggling. But in my experience, many folks feel that they’re falling behind, even when a careful analysis of the numbers suggests they’re not.

That’s because real people — and yes, even professional economists — tend to process the parallel rise of prices and wages in quite different ways. In brief, researchers have found that we tend to internalize the gains due to inflation and externalize the losses. These different processes yield different emotional responses.

Let’s start with higher prices. Sticker shock hurts. Even as someone who closely studies the inflation statistics, I’m still often surprised by higher prices. They feel unfair. They undermine my spending power, and my sense of control and order.

But in reality, higher prices are only the first act of the inflationary play. It’s a play that economists have seen before. In episode after episode, surges in prices have led to — or been preceded by — a proportional surge in wages.

Even though wages tend to rise hand-in-hand with prices, we tell ourselves a different story, in which the wage rises we get have nothing to do with price rises that cause them.

I know that when I ripped open my annual review letter and learned that I had gotten a larger raise than normal, it felt good. For a moment, I believed that my boss had really seen me and finally valued my contribution.

But then my economist brain took over, and slowly it sunk in that my raise wasn’t a reward for hard work, but rather a cost-of-living adjustment.

Internalizing the gain and externalizing the cost of inflation protects you from this deflating realization. But it also distorts your sense of reality.

The reason so many Americans feel that inflation is stealing their purchasing power is that they give themselves unearned credit for the offsetting wage rises that actually restore it.

Those who remember the Great Inflation of the ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s have lived through many cycles of prices rising and wages following. They understand the deal: Inflation makes life more difficult for a bit, but you’re only ever one cost-of-living adjustment away from catching up.

But younger folks — anyone under 60 — had never experienced sustained inflation rates greater than 5 percent in their adult lives. And I think this explains why they’re so angry about today’s inflation.

They haven’t seen this play before, and so they don’t know that when Act I involves higher prices, Act II usually sees wages rising to catch up. If you didn’t know there was an Act II coming, you might leave the theater at intermission, thinking you just saw a show about big corporations exploiting a pandemic to take your slice of the economic pie.

By this telling, decades of low inflation have left several generations ill equipped to deal with its return.

While older Americans understood that the pain of inflation is transitory, younger folks aren’t so sure. Inflation is a lot scarier when you fear that today’s price rises will permanently undermine your ability to make ends meet.

Perhaps this explains why the recent moderate burst of inflation has created seemingly more anxiety than previous inflationary episodes.

More generally, being an economist makes me an optimist. Social media is awash with (false) claims that we’re in a “ silent depression ,” and those who want to make American great again are certain it was once so much better.

But in reality, our economy this year is larger, more productive and will yield higher average incomes than in any prior year on record in American history. And because the United States is the world’s richest major economy, we can now say that we are almost certainly part of the richest large society in its richest year in the history of humanity.

The income of the average American will double approximately every 39 years. And so when my kids are my age, average income will be roughly double what it is today. Far from being fearful for my kids, I’m envious of the extraordinary riches their generation will enjoy.

Psychologists describe anxiety disorders as occurring when the panic you feel is out of proportion to the danger you face. By this definition, we’re in the midst of a macroeconomic anxiety attack.

And so the advice I give as an economist mirrors that I would give were I your therapist: Breathe through that anxiety, and remember that this, too, shall pass.

Justin Wolfers is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan and a host of the “Think Like an Economist” podcast.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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