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No research paper is complete without a list of the materials from which you have borrowed ideas, facts, opinions, or quotations. You created a running list of sources when you filled out your source cards. Now you must formalize the list to accompany your paper so that a reader can see your sources.
MLA Style Sheet
Writing the Works Cited and Consulted Pages
Examples of Works Cited and Consulted Entries
Annotated Works Cited
- Go through your source cards, discarding any sources you did
not use.
- Divide your remaining source cards into two piles, one for
the "Works Cited" list and one for the "Works Consulted" list.
The "Works Cited" list should consist of all works that you
specifically quoted, paraphrased or referred to in your text.
The "Works Consulted" list should consist of all works that
you consulted but did not actually cite in your text.
- Arrange your source cards alphabetically according to the
author's last name. If no author is indicated, alphabetize by
the first prominent word in the title. If the work is published
by a society and no author is named, use the society as the
author in order to alphabetize.
- Generally the following publication information should be included and in this order (omit any category that is not applicable):
-
Books:
- Author's name (surname first)
- Complete title of book (italicized)
- Name of editor (if any)
- Name of translator, writer providing an introduction or preface, name of a series
- Edition if other than the first
- Place, publisher, and date of publication
- Number of volumes (if more than one)
- Page numbers when necessary
EX: Holtz, Theodore. Meeting Deadlines. Ed. and Preface by Sarah Smith. Trans. Albert Duffy. How-To Series. Revised ed. New York: Grant, 1989. 2.
If any of the publication information shown above is not provided, see the examples below for the format.
-
Magazines:
- Author's name (surname first)
- Full title of article (in quotation marks)
- Name of magazine (italicized)
- Date of publication
- Volume number
- Page numbers (without "p." abbreviation)
-
Web Pages: (Note: Frequently Web pages will not offer all
the information listed below. Include as much information as possible.)
- Author's name (surname first) if available
- Full title of the page or document
- Title of site or larger work (if applicable)
- Date of electronic publication, last update, or date of posting
- Name of associated institution (if any)
- Date of download
- URL < http://address/filename>
EX: "Case History: Anorexia Nervosa." AMA Health Insight. 30 Oct. 1998. American Medical Association. 10 Dec. 1999.
Writing the Works Cited and Works Consulted Pages:
- Head a new sheet of paper "Works Cited." (Do not use quotation
marks around your title.)
- Copy the alphabetized cards of all works cited in your paper.
- Place the "Works Cited" page(s) immediately after the last
page of the text.
- On a different page, entitle your second list Works Consulted.0
Copy those alphabetized cards and place this list after the
"Works Cited."
- Single-space all lines in a works cited entry and double-space
between entries. Indent the second and all subsequent lines
in each citation half an inch. This is called a hanging indentation.
- Truncate the names of publishers.
- If you have two or more works by the same author, give the
author's full name for the first citation and use - - -. for
each additional work by that author.
- Punctuate as shown in the examples that follow
See http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/mla.html
for a full list of citation
examples.
Annotated Works Cited
Annotated works cited sections require critical research and evaluation skills. Annotations frequently include brief, two-sentence summaries. The following guidelines apply to materials in all formats--books, magazine articles, Web sites, and reference materials, etc.
The most challenging task may be locating the credentials of more obscure authors. Consult Current Biography, Contemporary Authors or some of our periodical and reference databases for biographical information.
Check with your teacher to see which of the following elements you should include in your annotations:
- Author's credentials
- Scope and purpose of the work: Is it an overview, persuasive, editorial?
- Comparison of the work with others dealing with the same topic or others in your Works Cited list
- Intended audience
- Summary of contents
- Evaluation of research: Is the work logical, clear, well-researched?
- Evaluation of scope: Has the topic been adequately covered?
- Evaluation of author bias
- Relative value of the work to the thesis
Example of an evaluative annotation:
Katz, Jon. "The Rights of Kids in the Digital Age." Wired July 1996: 120+.
Katz, contributing editor of Wired and the author of Geeks, presents a compelling argument for safeguarding the rights of children online. The article is aimed at a general, but computer-savvy, audience. Katz offers a far more liberal perspective than recent pieces in such major news journals as Newsweek, which warned the public of the dangers children face in electronic environments. Katz advocates the idea of preparing the "responsible child" and outlines the rights of such a child. He claims that our new "digital nation" requires a social contract similar to the one proposed by philosopher John Locke and adopted by the founders of our own country to protect the rights of all citizens. This comprehensive, distinctive, liberal view added needed balance to my project.
Copyright 2003 School District of Springfield
Township - Updated 12/10/03--All Rights Reserved