How To Manually Set Up A Works Cited Page
The MLA Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic paper in the humanities, where all cited sources are listed.
Here are the requirements:
- Page Break: Insert a page break before starting the Works Cited page to ensure the title stays at the top. In Microsoft Word, place your cursor at the end of the text and use Insert > Page Break. In Google Docs, go to Insert > Break > Page break.
- Title: Center “Works Cited” at the top of a new page, in the same format as the rest of the document.
- Font: Use Times New Roman, 12 pt. for the entire document.
- Hanging Indent: Apply a hanging indent of half an inch for each citation entry.
- Spacing and Margins: Maintain 1-inch margins on all sides and double-space all text.
- Order of Entries: Alphabetize entries by the author’s last name or the title for sources without an author.
- Entry Format: Follow MLA guidelines for the sequence and punctuation of information in each entry.
MLA Requirements for a Page on a Website
Each type of source—books, articles, websites, films, etc.—requires slightly different information in the citation.
The type of source determines which elements are relevant to include and in what order. This ensures that the reader can easily locate the original source, no matter its format or medium. When citing a page from a website in MLA format, include the following core elements:
- Author(s): Start with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the first name. If there is no author, begin with the title.
- “Title of the Page/Article”: Place the title of the web page in quotation marks. Capitalize each major word in the title.
- Website Name: Italicize the name of the overall website (if it’s different from the title of the page).
- Publication Date: Include the day, month, and year the page was published or last updated.
- URL: Provide the full URL without the “https://” at the beginning.
- Access Date: Optional, but include it if the publication date is not available or if the page is likely to change over time.
MLA Template for Citing a Web Page
Here is a template to use for your Big Mistake essay.
Note that the format will be different for other types of publications you may use in the future.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. (if there is no author, start with the title) “Title of Web Page.” (use quotes and include a period). Website Name (italicized), Day Month Year of publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year (optional).
Example:
Smith, John. “How to Write a Works Cited Page.” Writing Tips, 5 June 2023, writingtips.com/articles/how-to-write-a-works-cited-page.