How to Do a Works Cited | MLA Essentials

Creating a Works Cited page is a fundamental aspect of academic writing, serving as a cornerstone of scholarly integrity. It demonstrates your engagement with existing scholarship and provides a clear path for readers to locate the sources that shaped your work. This practice builds credibility for your arguments and contributes to the ongoing academic conversation.

Understanding the “Works Cited” Purpose

The Works Cited page primarily serves two essential functions: recognizing intellectual contributions and guiding readers. Proper citation acknowledges the original authors and researchers whose ideas, data, or words you have incorporated into your own writing. This practice upholds academic honesty and prevents plagiarism.

Beyond attribution, a well-constructed Works Cited page acts as a navigational tool. It allows your readers, whether they are instructors, peers, or future scholars, to easily find and review the sources you referenced. This transparency is vital for verifying your research and extending the discussion you initiated.

It is important to distinguish a Works Cited page from a bibliography. A Works Cited page includes only those sources directly referenced within your paper, whereas a bibliography might list all sources consulted during your research, regardless of whether they were cited.

Mastering the Core Citation Elements

MLA style, currently in its 9th edition, employs a “container” system for organizing citation information. This approach treats sources as nested within larger containers, such as an article appearing in a journal, or a song on an album. Each container has specific elements that need to be presented in a consistent order.

The nine core elements, when available, are:

1. Author: The person or group responsible for the work.
2. Title of Source: The title of the specific work you are citing (e.g., article, chapter, poem).
3. Title of Container: The title of the larger work that holds the source (e.g., book, journal, website).
4. Other Contributors: Editors, translators, or illustrators.
5. Version: Edition numbers (e.g., 2nd ed.), or specific versions (e.g., Director’s Cut).
6. Number: Volume and issue numbers for journals, or episode numbers for TV series.
7. Publisher: The organization responsible for making the source available.
8. Publication Date: The date the source was published or last updated.
9. Location: Page numbers, URLs, or other direct access information.

These elements are separated by specific punctuation marks, primarily commas and periods, to maintain clarity and structure. Understanding this order and punctuation is a key step in accurate citation.

Formatting Your Works Cited Page

The physical presentation of your Works Cited page adheres to specific MLA guidelines, ensuring uniformity and readability. This page always begins on a new page at the end of your document, maintaining the continuous page numbering from the main text.

• Page Title: Center the title “Works Cited” one inch from the top of the page. Do not bold, italicize, or underline it.
• Spacing: Double-space the entire page, both between entries and within individual entries.
• Alphabetical Order: Arrange all entries alphabetically by the first word of each entry, typically the author’s last name. If an entry begins with a title, alphabetize by the first significant word (ignoring “A,” “An,” or “The”).
• Hanging Indent: The first line of each entry should be flush with the left margin. Subsequent lines of the same entry are indented one-half inch from the left margin. This visual cue helps readers quickly identify individual entries.

Consistent application of these formatting rules makes your Works Cited page professional and easy to navigate.

MLA Core Elements and Their Role

Element	Description	Punctuation After
Author	Creator of the work	Period
Title of Source	Specific title of the piece	Period (if final element) or Comma
Title of Container	Larger work holding the source	Comma

Citing Common Source Types

While the core elements remain consistent, their application varies slightly depending on the type of source. Here are guidelines for frequently used sources.

Books

A book citation typically begins with the author, followed by the title of the book (italicized), the publisher, and the publication date.

• Single Author:
  
  Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
  
  Example: Smith, John. The Art of Writing. University Press, 2020.
• Two Authors:
  
  Lastname, Firstname, and Firstname Lastname. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
  
  Example: Johnson, Alice, and Ben Carter. Literary Forms. Academic Books, 2018.

Journal Articles

Journal articles are sources within a container (the journal itself). The article title is in quotation marks, and the journal title is italicized, followed by volume, issue, year, and page range.

• Print Article:
  
  Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pp. Page Range.
  
  Example: Davis, Sarah. “Rethinking Pedagogy.” Journal of Education, vol. 45, no. 2, 2019, pp. 120-35.
• Online Article: Include a URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the end.
  
  Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pp. Page Range. Website Name, URL.
  
  Example: Miller, Emily. “Digital Literacy Skills.” Tech Studies Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 1, 2021, pp. 5-18. JSTOR, JSTOR.

Websites

Website citations require the author (if available), title of the specific page, title of the website (italicized), publisher (if different from website title), date of publication/last update, and URL.

• Web Page:
  
  Lastname, Firstname (if available). “Title of Page.” Title of Website, Publisher (if applicable), Date of publication/last update, URL.
  
  Example: White, Laura. “Understanding MLA Style.” Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue U, 15 Aug. 2023, Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Videos/Online Media

For online videos, include the title of the video, the creator, the platform, the date of upload, and the URL.

• YouTube Video:
  
  “Title of Video.” By Creator, Date of upload, URL.
  
  Example: “MLA Works Cited Basics.” By EasyBib, 10 Sep. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=example.

Common Punctuation in MLA Works Cited

Punctuation Mark	Primary Usage	Example Context
Period (.)	Separates major blocks of information (Author. Title. Container.). Marks end of entry.	Smith, John. Book Title. Publisher, Year.
Comma (,)	Separates elements within a block (Title of Source, Title of Container, Version, Number).	“Article Title,” Journal Title, vol. 10, no. 2,
Quotation Marks (” “)	Enclose titles of shorter works (articles, chapters, poems, web pages).	“The Short Story.”
Italics	Indicate titles of longer works (books, journals, websites, films).	Book Title, Journal Name, Website Name

Navigating Advanced Citation Scenarios

Some sources present unique challenges that require specific MLA adaptations. Knowing how to handle these situations ensures comprehensive citation.

Multiple Authors

When a source has more than two authors, MLA style streamlines the entry to prevent overly long citations. For three or more authors, list the first author’s name followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”).

• Three or More Authors:
  
  Lastname, Firstname, et al. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
  
  Example: Brown, Robert, et al. Modern Literary Theory. Cambridge UP, 2021.

No Author/No Date

If a source lacks an identifiable author, begin the entry with the title of the source. For sources without a publication date, use “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year. Always prioritize finding an author or date if possible, as their absence can affect a source’s credibility.

• No Author:
  
  “Title of Article.” Title of Website, Publisher, Date, URL.
  
  Example: “Guide to Academic Writing.” The Writing Center, U of Chicago, 2023, www.writingcenter.uchicago.edu/guide.
• No Date:
  
  Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, n.d.
  
  Example: Green, Anna. Historical Perspectives. Archway Publishing, n.d.

Indirect Sources

An indirect source is when you cite a quotation or idea that an author found in another source. MLA prefers you find the original source whenever possible. If the original source is truly inaccessible, cite the source you did use and include “qtd. in” (quoted in) in your parenthetical citation.

• Works Cited Entry:
  
  Cite the source you actually read.
  
  Example: Johnson, Carol. Literary Criticism Today. Beacon Press, 2015.
• In-text Citation:
  
  (qtd. in Johnson 45)

Leveraging Digital Citation Tools

Digital tools and citation managers can assist in generating Works Cited entries, streamlining the process. These tools can save time and help organize research, particularly for extensive projects. Many academic databases and library catalogs offer options to generate citations in various styles.

While these tools are convenient, they are not infallible. Automated citation generators can sometimes make errors in formatting, punctuation, or capitalization. It is always necessary to review and manually correct any generated citations against the official MLA guidelines. Consider these tools as helpful assistants, not replacements for understanding the citation rules yourself.