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MLA-Works Cited Format

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Your Works Cited List

This list, alphabetized by the first word in each entry (usually the author’s name), should appear at the end of your essay. It provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and be able to read any sources you cite in the essay. Each source you cite in the essay must appear in your works-cited list.

Basic Rules

Authors’ names are inverted (last name first): if a work has more than one author, invert only the first author’s name, follow it with a comma, then continue listing the rest of the authors, first name before the last.
If no author is given, alphabetize by the title of the piece.
The first line of each entry in your list should be flush left. The next lines in the same citation should be indented one-half inch.
All references should be double-spaced within and between sources.
Single space after each period.
Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc. Don’t capitalize short parts of speech such as articles, prepositions, or conjunctions (unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle).
Underline or italicize titles of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and films.
Use quotation marks around the titles of articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers. Also use quotation marks for the titles of short stories, book chapters, poems, and songs.
Abbreviate names of all months except May, June & July.

Print Media Book Author. Title. City of publication: Publisher, copyright year.

1. With Author

Wheeler, Keith. The Fall of Japan. Alexandria: Time-Life Books, 1983.

2. Without Author

The Fall of Japan. Alexandria: Time-Life Books, 1983.

EncyclopediaAuthor. “Title of Article.” Encyclopedia Title. Edition. Copyright year.

1. With Author

Morton, Robert. “Color.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1994 ed.

2. Without Author

“Color.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1994 ed.

Magazine Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Day Mo. Year: pages

1. With Author

Compton, Karl T. “If the Atomic Bomb Had Not Been.” Atlantic Monthly 28 Dec. 1946: 56.

2. Without Author

At Home: America Toasts the Victory.” Newsweek 27 Aug. 1945: 30-31.

NewspaperAuthor. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper Day Mo. Year: Section:pages.

1. With Author

Duke, Lynne. “An African Icon, Mandela’s Other is Significant in Her Own Right.” Washington Post 1 Mar. 1997: A10.

2. Without Author

“Gore Meets with Tutu, Mandela.” The Herald. 17 Feb.1997: Sec A:8.

Personal Interview Name of person(s) interviewed. Personal/Telephone Interview. Day Mo. Year of Interview.

Dyson, Amy. Personal Interview. 10 Oct. 2000.

Government PublicationName of Government. Name of agency. Title of Publication. City of Publication:Publisher, Year.

United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Healthy People

Understanding and Improving Health. Washington: GPO, 2000.Pamphlet

Author. Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year.

Office of the Dean of Students. Resources for Success: Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders.
West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University, 2000.

Advertisement Name of Product or Company. Advertisement. Publication. Date of Issue: Page. (Follow pattern for type of publication)

Lufthansa. Advertisement. Time 20 Nov. 2000: 151.

Electronic Media Television or Radio Broadcast “Frederick Douglass.” Civil War Journal. Arts and Entertainment Network.
6 Apr. 1993. Film Title. Director. (Insert key info., e.g. Performers, Producer or Writer, here). Distributor, Year of Release

Telling the Weather. Dir. Sidney Platt. NGT Inc., 1996.

DVD or Videocassette Title. Director. (Insert key info., e.g. Performer, Producer or Writer, here). Original Release Year. Medium (Video cassette or DVD). Distributor, Year of Release.

Saving Private Ryan. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore. 1998. DVD. Dream Works Home Entertainment, 1999.

CD-ROM Josephson, Derek. “The Chemistry of Air Pollution.” Magill’s Survey of Science. CD ROM 1998 ed. Pasadena: Salem 1998.

Sound Recording U2. All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Interscope, 2000.E-Mail Author. “Title of Message (if any).” E-mail to author. Day Mo. Year.

Jones, Tom. “RE:Opinion Regarding Nuclear Fission.” E-mail to Bob Smith. 25 Sept. 2001.

Electronic Database Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Encyclopedia, Book, Magazine or Newspaper.
Day Mo. Year of publication. Section or Pages in print version. Name of Database. Day Mo. Year of access <electronic address>.

1. Online Encyclopedia

Petrakis, Peter. “Zygotes.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2001. Grolier Online. 2 Jan. 2001 <http://www.gogrolier.com/>.

2. Online Databases, ex: Ebsco, Electric Library

Wooten, Bill. “Investigations of the Waco Incident.” Dallas Morning News. 8 May 1995: C, 12-14. Electric Library. 15 Jan. 1999 <http://www.elibrary.com/educator>.

World Wide Web 1. Web Site

Author. Name of Page. Date of posting/revision. Name of institution/organization affiliated with site. Day Mo. Year of access <electronic address>.

Felluga, Dino. Undergraduate Guide to Literary Theory. 17 Dec. 1999. Purdue University. 15 Nov. 2000 <http://omni.cc.purdue.edu%7Efelluga/theory2.html>.

2. Online Magazine

Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume. Issue (Year): Pages/Paragraphs. Day Mo. Year of access <electronic address>.

Carroll, Robert Todd. “Witches and Sorcerers.” The Skeptic’s Magazine (2000): 2 pp. 7 Dec. 2000 <http://dcn.davis.ca.us/~btcarrol/skeptic >.

3. Article on a Web Site

Author. “Article Title.” Name of web site. Day Mo. Year of posting/revision. Name of institution/organization affiliated with site. Day Mo. Year of access <electronic address>.

Poland, Dave. “The Hot button.” Roughcut. 25 Oct. 1998. Turner Network Television. 28 Oct. 1998 <http://www.roughcut.com >.

4.Online Encyclopedia

“China.” Britannica Online. 14 Mar. 2000. <http://www.eb.com:180>.

5. Personal Web Page

Lancashire, Ian. Ian’s Home page.1 Mar.2000
<http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~ian/index.html>.

Intext Quotations MLA format follows the author-page method of citation. This means that the author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear in your works-cited list. The author’s name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence.

1. Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).

2. Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).

Created by Rita Nannini and Kim Zito.

Last Modified: May 13, 2008