This post is all about how to organize works cited MLA.
One of the most painful parts of writing an essay or research paper in college is making sure your works cited page is perfectly formatted. Some professors are SUPER picky about this, but if you’re stressed about it, don’t worry! In this post, I’m going to walk you through how to organize works cited MLA style.
I wrote so many essays in college and almost all of them were required to be formatted in MLA style! Needless to say, I got very good at creating a works-cited list without second guessing it.
HOW TO ORGANIZE WORKS CITED MLA:
First of all, let’s cover some basics.
MLA stands for Modern Language Association. It’s a style that’s typically required in the humanities subjects. So, if you’re studying literature (like I did), history, or something like that, your professor may require your papers to be written in MLA format.
If you’re unsure what your professor requires or if they didn’t specify, it’s always safest to double check! Just send them an email to ask and be sure, because some professors are super picky about formatting and if you don’t format the way they want, you might lose marks.
Where to put your works cited page in MLA format
Your works cited page should take up its own page at the end of your paper.
Remember that it’s always best practice to include page numbers and your last name in the top header of your paper, and your works cited page should maintain that same format.
How to format your works cited page
First, start by placing a simple “Works Cited” title at the top of the page. This title should be centered, and not bolded or italicized. The text should be 12 pt Times New Roman.
You’ll want to double space the page, but don’t add extra spaces under the title or in between citations.
The citations themselves should be aligned at the left margin. The page should have one inch margins, and the first line of each citation should start at that one inch margin. The second line, and each subsequent line, should have a 0.5 inch hanging indent.
If you don’t know how to create a hanging indent, here’s a great guide on creating a hanging indent in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
How to format your actual MLA citations
There are a few rules with MLA citations, so you need to make sure you’re following format guidelines.
First of all, make sure your citations are in alphabetical order, based on the first word of each entry. I usually just add citations to my works cited page as I go and then organize it alphabetically at the end once all my citations have been added.
Here’s the order of the core elements of an MLA citation:
- Author name (last name, first name). Do not include titles like “Dr.” or “PhD”
- Title of source (italicized if it’s a larger work, quotation marks if it’s a shorter piece)
- Title of publication (book, journal, or website)
- Other contributors (editors, translators, etc).
- Version, if applicable (edition or volume number, or issue number)
- Publisher
- Publication date (or the year of publication)
- Location (page range, DOI, or URL)
- The date of access goes at the very end. This would be used for an online database or webpage that may change over time. The date of access will indicate on what date your use of this site occurred.
It’s also important to note that you won’t always have all these elements. But gather whatever information you do have and place it in that order.
MLA citation examples
The following information includes examples of MLA citations. These are all totally made-up examples for the purpose of you understanding the format and normal order of an MLA citation!
Book
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Example:
Smith, John. The History of the Alphabet. Alphabet Press, 2020.
Book Chapter
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, pp. page range.
Example:
Doe, Jane. “Creative Writing Introduction.” Modern Creative Writing Tricks, edited by Bob Kim, Happy Publishers, 2018, pp. 112–134.
Journal Article (Print)
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. page range.
Example:
Brown, Kevin. “Shakespearean Poetry and Style Guide.” Journal of Historic Literature, vol. 12, no. 3, 1988, pp. 45–62.
Website
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Publisher (if different from site name), Date published, URL.
Example:
Lopez, Christian. “How to Search Online Databases.” College Student Helper, 15 May 2023, www.collegestudenthelperexamplesite.com/how-to-search-online-databases.
YouTube Video
“Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Username, Date, URL.
Example:
“How to Make Microwave Brownies.” YouTube, uploaded by Microwave Brownie Maker, 5 Apr. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234.
How to format in-text citations
There are some basic rules about how to format in text citations as well. All you need to do is list the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses, with no comma between the author’s last name and page number.
In this case, you don’t need to worry about listing first names of the author since you’re just giving a reference to the full citation which can be found at the end of your paper.
If there is no author name, use a shortened version of the title instead.
Examples:
- With an author name: (Jones 165)
- No author name: (“Infant CPR Guide” 42)
Still need help with your MLA citations?
There are great citation generators like EasyBib and BibMe that will help you put together a citation quickly! In my experience, it’s still best to know all the MLA citation rules to double check that the generator got it right based on the information you have. I have had to edit what the generator gave me several times.
And if you still need more help, you should be able to find an on-campus writing lab or tutoring hours that will give you assistance. Your professor might even be willing to help you out during office hours if you ask!
