- A list of works cited provides an alphabetical list of sources used in a paper, article, or book. It is found 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.
- If you wish to list sources that you consulted but did not cite, title the list "Works Cited and Consulted."
- If your list includes only one source, title the list "Work Cited."
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. This is called a hanging indent.
- Title the first page of your list of works cited "Works Cited" and centre the title. 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. U of Chicago P, 1990.
---. More than Nature Needs: Language, Mind, and Evolution. Harvard UP, 2014.
- Entries do not have to include the publication medium unless needed for clarity (e.g., print, web, DVD, radio).
- The MLA Handbook now requires the use of a URL for a Web source (without http:// or https://).
- Provision of DOIs (digital object identifiers) is encouraged (but be sure to format them as hyperlinks, including http:// or https://).
For an example of a paper with a list of works cited, see Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) website.