Section 3. Citing Sources in MLA Style


What is a Works Cited Page?
The Works Cited page is located at the end of your paper and contains all the works that you have cited in your paper. The list simplifies documentation by permitting you to make only brief references to these works in the text.

Formatting a Works Cited Page
The sources in the Works Cited are listed alphabetically by the author's last name. Citations are double-spaced and a hanging indentation is used. Click here to view and print formatting directions (Microsoft Word) for Setting up the Works Cited Page.

Example of a Works Cited page

 Some general rules for citations:
  • Titles of books and journals appear in italics.
  • Article titles and titles of book chapters, essays, and short stories appear in "quotes."
  • If an author isn't given, begin with the corporate author (the sponsoring organization) or the title.
  • If more than one author is given, the first author is Last, First but second and third authors should be listed First Last.
    Example: Gillespie, Paula and John Smith.
  • When listing a web site, place the site's address inside angle brackets < >, for example <http://www.cnn.com>.
  • If an article is from a library's subscription database (i.e. EbscoHost), include the database title and the library's name.
  • For electronic resources, always cite the date you accessed it.
For more rules and examples of citations, visit USM Libraries' MLA Style Guide or view a copy of MLA Handbook, 6th ed. at the Information Services desk.

 


The element that is usually listed first in a Works Cited entry is:

Title of the book or article

Author's last name (if an author is given)