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The Research Paper: MLA Style
Examples for the List of “Works Cited” and In-text Citation
The Works Cited is an alphabetical list of all sources you consulted to write your paper. Brief
Parenthetical Citations within your text, also called In-text citations, are usually preferred instead of
Footnotes or Endnotes. All references must be documented with citations to give credit when you quote
from any source. These citations are also required whenever you present ideas or facts from other sources
in your own words (paraphrasing).
The examples on this sheet follow the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
(Ref LB 2369 .G53 2009). Your instructor may ask you to use another style of documentation, for
example the A.P.A. or Chicago style.
The Works Cited list is alphabetized by authors’ last names, with anonymous works arranged
by the first significant word in their titles. Lines after the first line in each entry are indented
by ½”, and the entire list is double-spaced throughout. Also pay attention to punctuation.
Parenthetical Documentation in the text is the use of abbreviated citations (in parentheses within your
text) whenever you borrow (paraphrase or quote) material from another source. These parenthetic
citations are usually only authors’ last names and page references, which refer the reader to your
alphabetical “List of Works Cited.” This method of citing sources is generally preferred to using
endnotes or footnotes.
Indirect Sources are those quoted within other sources. Use of the original source is preferred, but it
may be unavailable. If what you quote or paraphrase is itself a quotation, cite the indirect source with the
abbreviation qtd. in (quoted in). Ex: (Miller qtd. in Boswell 450). The works cited list should include
the source you are actually using, Boswell in this case.
Elements Included in Resource Citations – General Format:
1. Author/Editor/Compiler’s last name, first name. Add Ed. or Comp., if applicable (Editor or
Compiler). Comma after last name, period after complete name.
2. Title and subtitle of short work (e.g. article or story) in quotation marks. Capitalize all significant
words. Unless other closing punctuation, include a period before the closing quotation marks.
3. Title and subtitle of complete work (e.g. book, journal or website) italicized. Capitalize significant
words.
4. Volume and Issue numbers of periodical, if applicable. A period should separate these numbers. (ex:
121.1)
5. Publication information for books. (Location and publisher if available; colon separating them.) Ex:
Cambridge: Harvard UP)
6. For Website, publisher or sponsor of the site, if available. (Ex: university, government agency)
7. Date of publication. (or n.d. for “no date”) For journal articles this should be year only and in
parentheses.
8. Pages or paragraphs of source, if numbered.
9. Name of article database, if applicable. Italicized.
10. For all resources, include the medium or format of the resource. (Ex: Web, Print)
11. For online resources, date of access in this order: day Month year. (Ex: 5 June 2008.)
12. Electronic address, in angle brackets < >, if your professor wants you to add the URL. If
the URL is very long, list just the basic part for the site’s home page.