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Cite Research

Creating MLA Works Cited Pages

When creating your Reference page in MLA, be aware that:
  • The Works Cited page should be a separate page attached to the end of your paper.
  • The title - Works Cited should be centered at the top of the page.
  • The margins should be set at 1 inch.
  • Paste your citations in alphabetical order on the page.
  • The citations should be aligned left and double-spaced.
  • All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
  • Apps and databases should be cited only when they are containers of the particular works you are citing, such as when they are the platforms of publication of the works in their entirety, and not an intermediary that redirects your access to a source published somewhere else, such as another platform.
  • For annotated bibliographies, annotations should be appended at the end of a source/entry with one-inch indentations from where the entry begins. Annotations may be written as concise phrases or complete sentences, generally not exceeding one paragraph in length.

For more information check out this MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format page from Purdue OWL.

Here's an example of an MLA formatted Works Cited page

example of a works cited page

Some Common Problems to Look For

Most databases do a great job with formatting citations, however, there may be times when you will have to clean up your Works Cited page. Here are a few things to look for.

Capitalization - Make sure names and titles are not in all-caps.

example of a citation with all caps

 

How do I create a hanging indent? Instructions for Google Docs - Instructions for Microsoft Word

picture of a hanging indent