Directory to Works-Cited-List Models

Author Listings

Books (Print, Electronic, Database)

Articles (Print, Online, Database)

Multimedia Sources (Live, Print, Electronic, Database)

Other Electronic Sources

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Format your list of works cited.

In your MLA-style research paper, every source you cite must have a corresponding entry in the list of works cited, and every entry in your list of works cited must correspond to at least one citation in your research project.

Follow these rules when formatting your list of works cited in MLA style:

Cite all sources, regardless of medium.

Nowadays, many print sources are also available in an electronic format, either online or through a database your school’s library subscribes to. For most online versions of a source, follow the form of the corresponding print version. For example, if you are citing an article from an online periodical, put the article title in quotation marks and italicize the name of the periodical.

For sources accessed through a database, include the following:

  • Title of the database (in italics)

  • Location where you accessed the source. Ideally this is a DOI, or digital object identifier, but when one is not available, provide a URL (if available, use a permalink).

For other online sources, include the following:

  • Title of the Web site (in italics)

  • Version or edition used (if any)

  • Publisher of the site, but only if distinct from its title

  • Date of publication or last update; if not available, provide the date you last accessed the source at the end of the entry.

  • DOI if one is available. If not, a URL (ideally a permalink).

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Some content on the Web frequently changes or disappears, and because the same information that traditionally published books and periodicals provide is not always included for Web sources, giving your reader a complete citation is not always possible. Always keep your goal in mind: to provide enough information so that your reader can track down the source. If you cannot find all of the information listed here, include what you can.