Creating a Works Cited List

What is a Works Cited List?

A Works Cited List is a structured list of the sources you cited or rather quoted from in your term paper. It has a specific format that is determined not by your teacher but by the MLA (Modern Language Association).

How do I properly structure a Works Cited List?

There are a few basic guiding principles to creating the WCL.
1. It should be titled Works Cited List
2. The list is organized by author's last names listed alphabetically.
3. Each citation is single-spaced.
4. Between the citations is double-spaced
4. If there are more than two citations with the same author,
alphabetized first the author's last name in the list and
then alphabetize by title.
6. If there is no author for the source, alphabetize in the list
by title only.
7. The first line of the citation begins at the 1" margin. The
subsequent (following) lines are indented 5 spaces from the
1" margin.
8. Include only sources that are actually quoted in your paper.

How do I write a citation?

Each source is of a different type. Click below on the type of source you are citing from.
  • Books with authors
  • Anthologies...collections of essays, short stories, etc. which usually has an editor
  • Articles...from a scholarly journal
  • Articles...from magazines
  • Articles...from newspapers
  • Articles...from online sources
  • Translations...of books, plays, essays, etc.

  • Check out a Sample Works Cited List
  • Check out Sample Quotations in a Term Paper

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