Encyclopedia or dictionary entry

Works cited entries (well-known reference works)

Posner, Rebecca. “Romance Languages.” The Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1987. Print.

Show me

“Sonata.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th ed. 2000. Print.

Show me

Explain

  • When an encyclopedia or a dictionary is well known, simply list the author of the entry (if there is one), the title of the entry, the title of the reference work, the edition number (if any), the date of the edition, and the medium.

  • Volume and page numbers are not necessary because the entries in the source are arranged alphabetically and therefore are easy to locate.

Works cited entry (less-known reference work)

Garner, Bryan A. “Brideprice.” Garner’s Modern American Usage. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.

Show me

Explain

If a reference work is not well known, provide full publication information as well.

Directory to MLA works cited models

Exercise: MLA documentation: identifying elements of sources

Exercise: MLA documentation: Works cited 1

Exercise: MLA documentation: Works cited 2

Exercise: MLA documentation: Works cited 3

Exercise: MLA documentation