- A list of works cited provides an alphabetical list of sources used in a paper, article, or book. It is located on a new page at the end of the text.
- Each entry in a list of works cited must cite a source that was directly referenced in the text.
Works cited entries are listed in one alphabetical sequence arranged by the surname of the first author or by title if there is no author.- Begin the first line of each works cited entry at the left margin. Indent all subsequent lines, if there are any, one-half inch from the left margin.
- Title the first page of your list of works cited "Work Cited." Leave one blank line between the title and the first entry.
- Double-space each entry, and leave one blank line between entries.
- If the bibliography includes two or more entries by the same author(s), list them alphabetically by title. Three hyphens (---) replace the author's name after the first entry. See the example below:
Bickerton, Derek. Language & Species. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1990. Print.
---. More than Nature Needs: Language, Mind, and Evolution. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2014. Print.
- Entries must include the publication medium (e.g. print, web, DVD, radio).
- The MLA Handbook does not require the inclusion of URLs in entries for online sources; however, some instructors may prefer that students do include them for ease of reference.
For an example of a paper with a list of works cited, see Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) website.