Learn how to set up your MLA style paper below!
Alphabetize each entry in a works cited list by the first letter, ignoring the articles A, An, and The. Indent subsequent lines of entries one-half inch. Citations should be double-spaced.
The MLA 8th edition no longer uses publication type to format citations. Instead it provides a list of core elements that should be presented when available in the following order. Each element is followed by the punctuation mark shown unless it is the final element. All citations should end with a period.
When the work is part of a larger whole, the larger whole is a container. For example, if citing an article in a journal, the journal is a container. Works can have multiple containers. For example, an article in a journal may also be in a database, in this case both the journal and the database are containers for that article. All containers for a work should be included in the citation. Core elements 3 – 9 should be listed for each container followed by a period to mark the end of elements related to that container.
Before you hand in your works cited page, check yourself:
A works cited page allows your readers to verify the sources you have used to gather research. Most importantly, it gives credit to the authors and researcher whose work you've used. A detailed works cited helps to avoid plagiarism!