MLA Works Cited
Complete guide to creating a perfect MLA Works Cited page with proper formatting
MLA Works Cited Page Basics
The Works Cited page lists all sources referenced in your paper, providing complete publication information so readers can locate and verify your sources. It appears as the final page of your paper.
Works Cited Formatting ChecklistEssential
- • Title: "Works Cited" centered at top of page
- • Order: Alphabetical by author's last name
- • Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
- • Indentation: Hanging indent for each entry
- • Font: Same as paper (12-point Times New Roman)
- • Pagination: Continues from last page of paper
Page Setup and Formatting
Page Title
Center the words "Works Cited" at the top of the page, without quotation marks, bold, italics, or underlining. Use the same font and size as the rest of your paper.
Works Cited
Entry Formatting
Each citation entry should use a hanging indent: the first line starts at the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches.
Smith, John. The Complete Guide to Academic Writing. Academic Press, 2023.
Print.
MLA's Nine Core Elements
MLA 9th edition organizes citation information using nine core elements. Not every source will have all elements, but include those that are available and relevant.
The Nine Core Elements
- 1. Author - Person(s) responsible for the work
- 2. Title of Source - Complete title of the work
- 3. Title of Container - Larger work that contains your source
- 4. Other Contributors - Editors, translators, directors, etc.
- 5. Version - Edition, director's cut, expanded version
- 6. Number - Volume, issue, season, episode numbers
- 7. Publisher - Organization that produced the work
- 8. Publication Date - When the work was published
- 9. Location - Page numbers, URLs, DOIs, time stamps
Understanding Containers
A container holds your source. For example, if you're citing a journal article, the journal is the container. If you accessed it through a database, that database is a second container.
Example with Two Containers:
Johnson, Maria. "Digital Learning Strategies." Education Today, vol. 45, no. 3,
2023, pp. 12-25. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1234/example.
Container 1: Education Today (journal)
Container 2: Academic Search Complete (database)
Alphabetical Organization
Basic Alphabetization Rules
Arrange entries alphabetically by the first element in each citation, typically the author's last name.
Alphabetization Guidelines
- • Authors: Alphabetize by last name, first name
- • No author: Alphabetize by first significant word of title
- • Corporate authors: Alphabetize by organization name
- • Multiple works by same author: Alphabetize by title
- • Articles (a, an, the): Ignore when alphabetizing by title
Multiple Works by Same Author
When listing multiple works by the same author, use three hyphens (---) to replace the author's name in subsequent entries.
Smith, John. Advanced Writing Techniques. Academic Press, 2023.
---. "Digital Literacy in Higher Education." Teaching Today, vol. 12, 2024, pp. 45-60.
---. The Future of Academic Writing. University Press, 2024.
Author Name Formats
Single Author
For a single author, list last name first, followed by a comma and the first name.
Smith, John.
Two Authors
List the first author with last name first, then "and" followed by the second author in normal order (first name, last name).
Smith, John, and Mary Johnson.
Three or More Authors
List only the first author (last name first) followed by "et al."
Smith, John, et al.
Corporate/Organization Authors
Use the full organization name as listed on the source.
American Psychological Association.
United States Department of Education.
Title Formatting Rules
Capitalization
Use title case for all titles: capitalize the first word, last word, and all major words. Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), short prepositions, or coordinating conjunctions unless they begin or end the title.
The Art of Academic Writing in the Digital Age
Italics vs. Quotation Marks
Italicize titles of longer, independent works. Use quotation marks for shorter works or works that are part of a larger publication.
Italicize These Titles:
- • Books
- • Journals/Magazines
- • Newspapers
- • Films
- • TV Shows
- • Websites
- • Albums
Use Quotation Marks:
- • Journal articles
- • Magazine articles
- • Newspaper articles
- • Book chapters
- • TV episodes
- • Web pages
- • Songs
Sample Works Cited Page
Here's an example of a properly formatted Works Cited page:
Works Cited
Chen, Lisa. "Social Media's Impact on Student Learning." Digital Education,
vol. 34, no. 2, 2024, pp. 15-29.
Johnson, Mark, et al. Modern Teaching Methods. Academic Publishers, 2023.
Rodriguez, Ana. "Online Learning Effectiveness." The Chronicle of Higher
Education, 15 Mar. 2024, www.chronicle.com/article/online-learning.
Smith, John. The Future of Education. University Press, 2024.
United States Department of Education. "Student Achievement Report 2024."
ED.gov, 2024, www.ed.gov/reports/achievement-2024.
Common Works Cited Mistakes
Avoid These Errors
❌ Wrong:
No hanging indent for entries
✅ Correct:
First line at margin, subsequent lines indented 0.5"
❌ Wrong:
Smith, J. (using initials only)
✅ Correct:
Smith, John. (using full first name)
❌ Wrong:
Numbered or bulleted list format
✅ Correct:
Continuous text with hanging indents
❌ Wrong:
Inconsistent punctuation and formatting
✅ Correct:
Follow MLA punctuation rules consistently