The Modern Languages Association (MLA) formatting style is a standardized method for formatting research works and citing sources in the field of humanities. The style offers guidance on in-text citations, the structure of the research work, and creating a works cited page. This referencing and formatting style is widely used in literature, philosophy, history, and the arts.
The usefulness of the MLA style is that it can accommodate the unique needs of research in the humanities, where sources often include books, journal articles, plays, websites, and other diverse materials.
In this MLA reference list guide template by WordLayouts, you will find clear instructions and examples for citing a wide variety of sources, so you don’t have to worry about memorizing each formatting rule. By using this guide, you can correctly present the details of each source that you have consulted for work and maintain academic integrity. The guide template is developed using the latest guidelines as mentioned in the MLA Handbook and allows you to follow the latest rules about citations and avoid any mistakes.
Basic Rules of MLA Formatting
Before you start formatting your sources in MLA format, it is a good idea to learn about some basic rules of this style. This table highlights the key aspects of MLA citations, including how to handle author names, titles, publication details, and page numbers. By understanding these rules, you can create a Works Cited page that conforms to the MLA guidelines and makes your work more credible and professional.
How do you make a Works Cited page in MLA Style?
MLA formatting style is widely used in humanities disciplines like languages, history, art, etc. The detailed documentation of sources, which is crucial for analyzing and interpreting cultural, historical, and literary works, is the hallmark of MLA formatting and referencing style.
Moreover, in the humanities, sources range from books and journals to films, artworks, and online materials. MLA accommodates this diversity with adaptable formatting rules that make it suitable for the multifaceted nature of humanities research.
In the sections that follow, we will go over various sources and explain how to cite them in your Works Cited section.
📘 Books
1️⃣ Single Author
- Format: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
- Example: Smith, John. Understanding Literature. Penguin, 2020.
2️⃣ Two Authors
- Format: Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
- Example: Brown, Mary, and John Smith. The Modern Era. HarperCollins, 2019.
3️⃣ Edited Book
- Format: Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
- Example: Miller, Sarah, editor. Essays on Modern Art. Routledge, 2021.
🖋️ Articles
📄 Print Journal Article
- Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#.
- Example: Taylor, James. “The Effects of Globalization.” Journal of Modern Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, 2020, pp. 45-62.
🌐 Online Journal Article
- Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#, DOI or URL.
- Example: Nguyen, Clara. “Cultural Transformations.” Global Perspectives, vol. 22, no. 1, 2021, pp. 101-120, doi:10.1002/example.
🌍 Webpages
1️⃣ Entire Website
- Format: Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Website. Publisher (if different), Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
- Example: Johnson, Emily. Eco Living Today. Green Press, 2018, www.ecolivingtoday.com. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
2️⃣ Specific Webpage
- Format: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Title of Website, Publisher, Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
- Example: Parker, Sarah. “Sustainable Energy Practices.” Eco Living Today, Green Press, 10 Mar. 2023, www.ecolivingtoday.com/sustainable-energy. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
🎬 Media
🎥 Film
- Format: Title of Film. Directed by Director First Name Last Name, Production Company, Year.
- Example: The Great Adventure. Directed by Alice Johnson, Universal Pictures, 2020.
📹 YouTube Video
- Format: Last Name, First Name (if available). “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Username, Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
- Example: Doe, John. “History of the Internet.” YouTube, uploaded by History Channel, 5 May 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=example. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
📰 Other Sources
🗞️ Newspaper Article
- Print Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Date, p. #.
- Online Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Date, URL.
- Example: Carter, Lisa. “City Plans Revitalization.” The New York Times, 12 Dec. 2024, p. A2.
Carter, Lisa. “City Plans Revitalization.” The New York Times, 12 Dec. 2024, www.nytimes.com/city-plans.
Key Features of the MLA Works Cited Page Guide Template
- The template provides detailed instructions for citing a wide range of sources, including books, articles, websites, and videos, according to MLA style.
- You will find specific examples for citing various types of materials.
- This guide template is developed according to the latest MLA Handbook (9th edition) and offers current citation practices.
- The template guide features visual citation examples to illustrate proper formatting and help you see how each source should be referenced.
- The template is available in various formats, including MS Word and Google Docs.
- By using this guide, you can avoid common citation mistakes and ensure accuracy in your references.
- This template is useful for various projects. You can consult it for citing sources for different types of writing assignments across the humanities.
Tips for a Polished Works Cited Page
When you are writing your Works Cited page in MLA format, there are some important guidelines to follow:
Separate page
The Works Cited should be on a separate page. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
Format of heading
Do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks. The words Works Cited should be at the top of the page and centered.
Citation entry alignment
The citation entries should be aligned with the left margin. Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
Page numbers
If the article you want to cite appeared on pages 225 through 250 for example, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as pp. 225-50. According to the rules of MLA style, you should omit the first sets of repeated digits. For instance, the digit in the hundreds place is repeated between 225 and 250, so the 2 should be excluded from 250 in the citation (pp. 225-50).
When citing a range of pages, use “pp.” and use a hyphen to indicate a span of pages.
Ending the citation
In the MLA style formatting, all works cited entries end with a period.
Use real name
If the real name of the person is known, use it in the citation, followed by the stage name or pseudonym in square brackets. This is particularly important when citing works by actors, musicians, or authors who use a pseudonym for public or professional purposes.
Example:
Smith, Will [Willard Christopher Smith II].
Use the name the person is known by
If a person is more commonly known by a pseudonym (e.g., a stage name), use that name as the citation. It’s important to refer to the name that best identifies the person in their field of work. However, you can use their stage name or pseudonym if the real one is unknown.
The vast variety of sources in humanities research makes it difficult to remember the specific citation rules for each source. Whether you are writing your first paper using MLA formatting or looking to refresh your skills, this MLA guide template will help you create a properly formatted Works Cited page. With the detailed instructions and examples for each source type, you can be sure that your citations meet the standards of scholarly writing. No matter whether it is a media source, a journal article or artwork, you can always refer to this guide and find the exact format for MLA style citation.
Download this guide template today in your preferred format and create an organized citation page in MLA style.
