To create a Works Cited page in MLA format, follow these key steps:
Formatting the Works Cited Page
- Start the Works Cited on a new page at the end of your paper.
- Center the title Works Cited at the top of the page (do not italicize, bold, or underline it).
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides and double-space the entire page.
- Align the entries to the left.
- Include a header with your last name and page number in the top right corner.
- Alphabetize all entries by the author's last name.
- Use a hanging indent for each entry: the first line is flush left, and all subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
How to Create a Hanging Indent
- In Microsoft Word: Highlight the list, right-click, select Paragraph , then under Indentation > Special, choose Hanging and set it to 0.5 inches.
- In Google Docs: Highlight the list, go to Format > Align and indent > Indentation options, then under Special indent , choose Hanging and set to 0.5 inches
What to Include in Each Entry
MLA uses nine core elements to build citations, but only include those relevant to your source:
- Author (last name, first name; for multiple authors, format accordingly)
- Title of source (italicized if self-contained like a book; in quotation marks if part of a larger work like an article or chapter)
- Title of container (if applicable, like the book or journal title)
- Other contributors (editors, translators)
- Version (edition)
- Number (volume and issue numbers)
- Publisher
- Publication date
- Location (page numbers, URL, DOI)
Example for a Book
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 2007.
Example for a Book Chapter
Andrews, Kehinde. “The Challenge for Black Studies in the Neoliberal University.” Decolonising the University , edited by Gurminder K. Bhambra et al., Pluto Press, 2018, pp. 149–164.
Additional Tips
- Only include sources you cited in your paper.
- Entries should be double-spaced with no extra space between them.
- If a source has no author, start with the title.
- Use the author’s last name and page number for in-text citations to correspond with the Works Cited list
This structure ensures clarity and consistency for readers to locate your sources easily and gives proper credit to original authors.
