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Creating a Works Cited Page Using MLA Style

 

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed. Is the authoritative source for MLA documentation style.  Used by writers in the arts, humanities, business, and political science, it provides guidelines for documenting sources and the physical formatting of papers.  Ask for the current edition at the Reference Desk (LB 2369 G53 2009 Reference Desk).

Use an online citation builder to most easily cite any document or source.  Use the Create Citations link at the bottom of the library homepage or go directly to: http://www.noodletools.com/login.php

 

Formatting the Works Cited Page

  • Start the list on a new page with the page number in the upper right-hand corner, continuing the page numbers of the text.

  • Center the title (Works Cited) 1” from the top of the page

  • Double-space the entire list, including between the title and first entry.

  • Note that examples in this handout are not double spaced.

  • If your reference continues to a second line, double-space and use a hanging indent for the second and all subsequent lines.

  • Alphabetize list by the author’s last name.

  • If there is more than one work by the same author, list them alphabetically by title.

Parenthetical Citations within the Paper

In the text of your paper, acknowledge the sources used with a parenthetical citation that refers to the alphabetical Works Cited list at the end of the paper.  The citation refers the reader to the full citation in the list as well as to the page number.  For example, if you are citing a fact found on page 59 of Too fat or too Thin?  by Cynthia Kalodner, the citation would be:

(Kalodner 59). 

If your list contains two books by Kalodner the citation would be:

(Kalodner Too 59).

 

Referencing Books

Book – One Author          (MLA 5.5.2)

Kalodner, Cynthia. Too Fat or too Thin?:  A Reference Guide to Eating Disorders. 
                    Carmathen: Crown House, 2005. Print.
 
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Levine-Scholastic, 2004.  
                    Print.
 
Book – Two or Three Authors          (MLA 5.5.4)
Kirkpatrick, Jim, and Paul Caldwell. Eating Disorders: Everything You Need to Know. 
                    New York: Firefly Books, 2004. Print. 
 
Book – More than three Authors          (MLA 5.5.4)
Ellis, David B. et al. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 
                    NetLibrary. Web. 16 Mar. 2010. 
 
Book by a Corporate Author          (MLA 5.5.5)
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental 
    Disorders: DSM-IV-TR.  Arlington: American Psychiatric Association, 
    2000. Print. 
 
Anonymous Book or a Book with no Author or Editor          (MLA 5.5.9)
College Board Book of Majors. New York: College Board, 2009. Print.
 
An Article in a Reference Book          (MLA 5.5.7)
"Civil Disobedience." Encyclopedia Americana. International Edition. Danbury: 
                    Scholastic Library, 2004. Print.

Multivolume Works          (MLA 5.5.14)         

Frey, R. J. "Bulimia Nervosa." The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Ed. E. 
                    Thackeray and M. Harris. Vol. 1. Detroit.: Gale Group, 2003. 153-62.
                    Print. 
 

Referencing Print Periodical Articles

Magazine Article          (MLA 5.4.6)

Blum, Deborah. "Twin Fates." Science News 10 May 2008: 24-28. Print. 

Newspaper Article          (MLA 5.4.5)

Cohen, Noam. "After False Claim, Wikipedia to Check Degrees." New York Times 12 
                    Mar. 2007: C8. Print.

Journal Article          (MLA 5.4.2)

Horning, Susan T. "Katherine the Great." School Library Journal 56.2 (2010): 26-29.

                Print.

Referencing Electronic Sources

 

Online Book          (MLA 5.6.2c)

Twain, Mark.  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  New York: Oxford UP, 1999.
                NetLibrary.  Web. 2 Mar. 2010.

Magazine Article from a Subscription Service          (MLA 5.6.4)

Masci, David. "Future of Marriage." CQ Researcher  7 July 2004: 397-420. CQ
                Researcher Online. Web.  2 Mar. 2010.

"Global Warming." Time  Apr. 2006: 28-33. Academic Search Premier. Web.  2 Mar.
                2010.

James, John S.  “Combination Drug Treatment may end the AIDS Crisis.”  Opposing

                Viewpoints Resource Center.  Web.  2 Mar. 2010. 

Journal Article from a Subscription Service          (MLA 5.6.4)

Carney, Tara, and Johann Louw.  "Eating Disordered Behaviors and Media Exposure."
                Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology  41.12 (2006): 957-66.
                Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection.  Web.  2 Mar. 2010.

Newspaper Article from a Subscription Service          (MLA 5.6.4)

Zaslow, Jeffrey.  "Girls and Dieting, Then and Now."  Wall Street Journal [New York]  2

Sept. 2009, eastern ed: B7.  ProQuest National Newspapers.  Web. 2 Mar. 2010.

Encyclopedia Article from a Subscription Service          (MLA 5.6.2c)

Howard, Lillie.  “Zora Neale Hurston.”  Dictionary of Literary Biography: Afro-American

                Writers from the Harlem Renaissance to 1940.  Ed. Trudier Harris.  Detroit:

                Gale, 1987.  Literature Resource Center.  Web. 2 Mar. 2010.

Website          (MLA 5.6.2b)

Stolley, Karl, and Allen Brizee. "Avoiding Plagiarism." The OWL at Purdue.
                Purdue University Online Writing Lab, 2009. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

Referencing Non-Print Sources 

Interview          (MLA 5.7.7)

Prince, Linda.  Personal interview.  2 Mar. 2010.

Videotape or DVD          (MLA 5.7.3)

Bioterror.  Dir. Kirk Wolfinger. WGBH Boston Video, 2002.  Videocassette.

Lecture, Speech, Address, or Reading          (MLA 5.7.11)

Obama, Barack Hussein. "Obama Presidential Address."  Presidential

                Inauguration of the United States of America. Washington D.C. 24 Feb.

                2009. Speech.

Work of Visual Art          (MLA 5.7.6)

Moore, Henry. Reclining Figure. 1951. Sculpture. Orange County Performing Arts 
                    Center, Costa Mesa.

Performance          (MLA 5.7.4)

Don Quixote. Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa. 28 Feb.
                2010. Performance.           

 

 Copyright 2010, RSCCD.  REV 3/29 MEB Table of Contents

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