writing a works cited page assignment

Creating an MLA Works cited page

General formatting information for your works cited section.

Beginning on a new page at the end of your paper, list alphabetically by author every work you have cited, using the basic forms illustrated below. Title the page Works Cited (not Bibliography), and list only those sources you actually cited in your paper. Continue the page numbering from the body of your paper and make sure that you still have 1–inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides of your page. Double-space the entire list. Indent entries as shown in the models below with what’s called a “hanging indent”: that means the first line of an entry begins at the left margin, and the second and subsequent lines should be indented half an inch from the left margin. Most word-processing programs will format hanging indents easily (look under the paragraph formatting options).

Introduction to the 8th Edition

In 2016, MLA substantially changed the way it approaches works cited entries. Each media type used to have its own citation guidelines. Writers would follow the specific instructions for how to cite a book, a translated poem in an anthology, a newspaper article located through a database, a YouTube clip embedded in an online journal, etc. However, as media options and publication formats continued to expand, MLA saw the need to revise this approach. Since a book chapter can appear on a blog or a blog post can appear in a book, how can writers account for these different formats?

MLA’s solution to this problem has been to create a more universal approach to works cited entries. No matter the medium, citations include the specifically ordered and punctuated elements outlined in the following table.

Elements of a Works Cited Entry

• Last name, First name
• Italicized If Independent ; “Put in Quotations Marks if Not.”
• Often Italicized,
• Name preceded by role title (for example: edited by, translated by, etc),
• i.e. 2nd ed., revised ed., director’s cut, etc.,
• vol. #, no. #,
• Name of Entity Responsible for Producing Source,
• i.e. 14 Feb. 2014; May-June 2016; 2017,
• i.e. pp. 53-79; Chazen Museum of Art; https://www.wiscience.wisc.edu/ (If possible, use a DOI (digital object identifier) instead of a url.)
• Optionally included when citing a web source.

If the source doesn’t include one of these elements, just skip over that one and move to the next. Include a single space after a comma or period.

The third category—”container”—refers to the larger entity that contains the source. This might be a journal, a website, a television series, etc. Sometimes a source can also appear nested in more than one container. A poem, for example, might appear in an edited collection that has been uploaded to a database. A television episode fits in a larger series which may be contained by Netflix. When a source is in a larger container, provide information about the smaller one (i.e. the edited collection or the TV series), then provide information for elements 3–10 for the larger container. For example, the works cited entry detailed below is for a chapter from an economics textbook, entitled Econometrics, that is contained on UW–Madison’s Social Science Computing Cooperative website.

Example of a Works Cited Entry

Hansen, Bruce E. “The Algebra of Least Squares.” Econometrics, University of Wisconsin Department of Economics, 2017, pp. 59-87. Social Science Computing Cooperative, UW–Madison, http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~bhansen/econometrics/Econometrics.pdf.

Here is the breakdown of these elements:

• Hansen, Bruce E.
• “The Algebra of Least Squares.”
• Econometrics,
• Other Contributors,
• University of Wisconsin Department of Economics
• Title of source.
• Social Science Computing Cooperative,
• Other contributors,
• UW-Madison,
• Publication date,
• http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~bhansen/econometrics/Econometrics.pdf.
• (This could be included, but this site is fairly stable, so the access date wasn’t deemed to be important.)

One of the benefits of this system is that it can be applied to any source. Whether you’re citing a book, a journal article, a tweet, or an online comic, this system will guide you through how to construct your citation.

A Few Notes

• Books are considered to be self-contained, so if you’re citing an entire book, items 2 and 3 get joined. After the author’s name, italicize the title, then include a period and move on items 4–9.
• No matter what your last item of information is for a given citation, end the citation with a period.
• Also, if it is appropriate to include an access date for an online source, put a period after the full url in addition to one after the access date information.
• It is particularly important to include access dates for online sources when citing a source that is subject to change (like a homepage). If the source you are working with is more stable (like a database), it’s not as critical to let your readers know when you accessed that material.

For more information about any of this, be sure to consult the 2016 MLA Handbook itself.

Works Cited page entry: Article

Article from a scholarly journal, with page numbers, read online from the journal’s website.

Shih, Shu-Mei. “Comparative Racialization: An Introduction.” PMLA , vol. 123, no. 5, 2008, pp. 1347-62. Modern Language Association , doi:10.1632/pmla.2008.123.5.1347.

Author last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, pp. numbers. Publisher , doi

PMLA provides DOI numbers, so this is used in this citation preceded by “doi:” instead of the url address. Also, given the enduring stability of PMLA’s page, no access date has been included, but it could be if the writer preferred.

Article from a scholarly journal, with multiple authors, without page numbers, read online from the journal’s website

Bravo, Juan I., Gabriel L. Lozano, and Jo Handelsman. “Draft Genome Sequence of Flavobacterium johnsoniae CI04, an Isolate from the Soybean Rhizosphere.” Genome Announcements , vol. 5, no. 4, 2017, doi: 10.1128/genomeA.01535-16.

First author last name, First name, Middle initial., Second author first name Middle initial. Last name, and Third author First name Last name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, doi

Article from a scholarly journal, no page numbers, read through an online database

Mieszkowski, Jan. “Derrida, Hegel, and the Language of Finitude.” Postmodern Culture , vol. 15, no. 3, 2005. Project MUSE, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/186557.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication. Database , url. 

Article from a scholarly journal, with page numbers, read through an online database

Sherrard-Johnson, Cherene. “‘A Plea for Color’: Nella Larsen’s Iconography of the Mulatta.” American Literature , vol. 76, no. 4, 2004, pp. 833-69. Project MUSE , https://muse.jhu.edu/article/176820.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, pp. numbers. Database , url. 

Valenza, Robin. “How Literature Becomes Knowledge: A Case Study.” ELH , vol. 76, no. 1, 2009, pp. 215-45. Project MUSE . https://muse.jhu.edu/article/260309.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, pp. numbers. Database , url.

Article from a scholarly journal, by three or more authors, print version

Doggart, Julia, et al. “Minding the Gap: Realizing Our Ideal Community Writing Assistance Program.” The Community Literacy Journal , vol. 2, no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-80.

First author Last name, First name, et al. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, pp. numbers. 

Raval, Amish N., et al. “Cellular Therapies for Heart Disease: Unveiling the Ethical and Public Policy Challenges.” Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology , vol. 45, no. 4, 2008, pp. 593–601.

[The Latin abbreviation “et al.” stands for “and others,” and MLA says that you should use it when citing a source with three or more authors.]

Article from a webtext, published in a web-only scholarly journal

Butler, Janine. “Where Access Meets Multimodality: The Case of ASL Music Videos.” Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy , vol. 21, no. 1, 2016, http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/21.1/topoi/butler/index.html. Accessed 7 June 2017.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, url. Date of access.

Balthazor, Ron, and Elizabeth Davis. “Infrastructure and Pedagogy: An Ecological Portfolio.” Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy , vol. 20, no. 1, 2015, http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/20.1/coverweb/balthazor-davis/index.html. Accessed 7 June 2017.

First author Last name, First name and Second author First name Last name. “Article title.” Journal name , vol. number, issue number, date of publication, url. Date of access.

Article from a magazine, print version

Oaklander, Mandy. “Bounce Back.” Time , vol. 185, no. 20, 1 June 2015, pp. 36-42.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Magazine name , vol. number, issue number, month and year of publication, pp. numbers. 

Article from a magazine, read through an online database

Rowen, Ben. “A Resort for the Apocalypse.” The Atlantic , vol. 319, no. 2, Mar. 2017, pp. 30-31. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db =aph&AN=120967144&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Magazine name , vol. number, issue number, month and year of publication, pp. numbers. Database name , url. 

Article from a newspaper, read through an online database

Walsh, Nora. “For Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th, Tours, Exhibitions and Tattoos.” New York Times , 27 May 2017, international ed. ProQuest , https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/docview/1903523834/fulltext/71B144CD12054C76PQ/2?accountid=465.

Author Last name, First name. “Article title.” Newspaper name , day month and year of publication, edition. Database name , url. 

Works Cited page entry: Short Story

Short story in an edited anthology.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tales , edited by James McIntosh, Norton, 1987, pp. 97–107.

Author Last name, First name. “Short story title.” Anthology title , edited by Editor name, Publisher, year of publication, pp. numbers. 

Works Cited page entry: Book

Book, written by one author, print version.

Bordwell, David. Figures Traced in Light: On Cinematic Staging . U California P, 2005.

Britland, Karen. Drama at the Courts of Queen Maria Henrietta . Cambridge UP, 2006.

Card, Claudia. The Atrocity Paradigm : A Theory of Evil . Oxford UP, 2005.

Cronon, William. Nature’s Metropolis . Norton, 1991.

Mallon, Florencia E. Courage Tastes of Blood: The Mapuche Community of Nicholás Ailío and the Chilean State , 1906–2001. Duke UP, 2005.

Author Last name, First name. Book title . Publisher, year of publication. 

Book, written by more than one author, print version

Bartlett, Lesley, and Frances Vavrus. Rethinking Case Study Research: A Comparative Approach . Taylor & Francis, 2016.

First author Last name, First name, and Second author First name Last name. Book title . Publisher, year of publication. 

Flanigan, William H., et al. Political Behavior of the American Electorate . CQ Press, 2015.

First author last name, First name Middle initial., et al. Book title . Publisher, year of publication. 

Book, an edited anthology, print version

Olaniyan, Tejumola, and Ato Quayson, editors. African Literature: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory . Blackwell, 2007.

First editor Last name, First name, and Second editor first name Last name, editors. Anthology title . Publisher, year of publication. 

Book, edited, revised edition, print version

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself . Edited by William L. Andrews and William S. McFeely, revised ed., Norton, 1996.

Author Last name, First name. Book title . Edited by first editor First name Middle initial. Last name and Second editor First name Middle initial. Last name, edition., publisher, year of publication. 

A play in an edited collection, print version

Shakespeare, William. The Comedy of Errors: A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare . Edited by Standish Henning, The Modern Language Association of America, 2011, pp. 1–254.

Author Last name, First name. Play title . Edited by editor First name Last name, publisher, year of publication, pp. numbers. 

[Page numbers are included in this entry to draw attention to the play itself since this edition includes an additional 400 pages of scholarly essays and historical information.]

Bordwell, David. Foreword. Awake in the Dark: Forty Years of Reviews, Essays, and Interviews , by Roger Ebert, U of Chicago P, 2006, pp. xiii–xviii.

Foreward author Last name, First name. Title of work in which foreward appears , by author of work, publisher, year of publication, pp. numbers. 

Chapter in an edited anthology, print version

Amodia, David, and Patricia G. Devine. “Changing Prejudice: The Effects of Persuasion on Implicit and Explicit Forms of Race Bias.” Persuasion: Psychological Insights and Perspectives , edited by T.C. Brock and C. Greens, 2nd ed., SAGE Publications, 2005, pp. 249–80.

Chapter first author Last name, First name, and Second author First name Middle initial. Last name. “Chapter title.” Anthology title , edited by first editor First initial. Middle initial. Last name and Second editor first initial. Last name, edition number, publisher, year of publication, pp. numbers.

Hawhee, Debra, and Christa Olson. “Pan–Historiography: The Challenges of Writing History across Time and Space.” Theorizing Histories of Rhetoric , edited by Michelle Ballif, Southern Illinois University Press, 2013, pp. 90–105.

Chapter first author Last name, First name, and Second author First name Last name. “Chapter title.” Anthology title, edited by editor First name Last name, publisher, date of publication, page #s. 

Shimabukuro, Mira Chieko. “Relocating Authority: Coauthor(iz)ing a Japanese American Ethos of Resistance under Mass Incarceration.” Representations: Doing Asian American Rhetoric , edited by LuMing Mao and Morris Young, Utah State UP, 2008, pp. 127–52.

Author Last name, First name Middle name. “Chapter title.” Anthology title , edited by first editor First name Last name and second editor First name Last name, Publisher, year of publication, pp. numbers. 

Works Cited page entry: Electronic source

Since MLA’s 8th edition does not substantially differentiate between a source that is read in print as opposed to online, see our information about citing articles for examples about citing electronic sources from periodicals.

Non-periodical web publication, with no author and no date of publication

“New Media @ the Center.” The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison . U of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center, 2012, http://www.writing.wisc.edu/[email protected]. Accessed 8 March 2017.

“Title of publication.” Title of the containing website . Publisher of the site, year of publication. Url. Accessed date. 

The syntax for a non-periodical web publication is: author (if no author, start with the title); title of the section or page, in quotation marks; title of the containing Web site as a whole, italicized; version or edition used (if none is specified, omit); publisher or sponsor of the site (if none is mentioned, then just skip this); date of publication (if none is listed, just skip this); use a comma between the publisher or sponsor and the date; the source’s url address; date of access.

Non–periodical scholarly web publication, no date of publication

Stahmer, Carl, editor. “The Shelley Chronology.” Romantic Circles . University of Maryland, https://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologies/shelcron. Accessed 26 March 2017.

Editor Last name, First name, editor. “Title of publication.” Title of the containing website . Publisher, Url. Accessed date. 

Non–periodical web publication, web publication, corporate author

Rhetoric Society of America. “Welcome to the website of the Rhetoric Society of America and Greetings from Gregory Clark, President of RSA!” RSA , Rhetoric Society of America, 2017, http://www.rhetoricsociety.org/aws/RSA/pt/sp/home_page. Accessed 27 March 2017.

Name of Corporate Author. “Title of publication.” Title of the containing website , Publisher of the website, year of publication, url. Accessed date 

The syntax for this entry is: corporate author; title, in quotation marks; title of the overall Web site, in italics; publisher or sponsor of the site; date of publication; the source’s url address; date of access.

Since the material on homepages is subject to change, it is particularly important to include an access date for this source.

E-mail message

Blank, Rebecca. “Re: A request and an invitation for Department Chairs and Unit Leaders.” Received by Brad Hughes, 30 August 2016.

Sender Last name, First name. “Email subject line.” Received by recipient First name Last name, day month and year email was sent and received. 

@UW-Madison. “Scientists at @UWCIMSS used a supercomputer to recreate the EF-5 El Reno tornado that swept through Oklahoma 6 years ago today. #okwx.” Twitter, 24 May 2017, 2:23 p.m., https://twitter.com/UWMadison/status/867461007 362359296.

@Twitter Handle. “Entire tweet word-for-word.” Twitter, day month year of tweet, time of tweet, url. 

When including tweets in the works cited page, alphabetize them according to what comes after the “@” symbol.

Include the full tweet in quotation marks as the title.

Works Cited page entry: Government publication, encyclopedia entry

Government publication.

National Endowment for the Humanities. What We Do . NEH, March 2017, https://www.neh.gov/files/whatwedo.pdf.

Name of Government entity. Title of publication . Publisher, date of publication, url. 

This is treated as a source written by a corporate author.

Signed encyclopedia entry

Neander, Karen. “Teleological Theories of Mental Content.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , edited by Edward N. Zalta, spring ed., 2012, https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2012/entries/content-teleological/.

Author Last name, First name. “Entry title.” Title of encyclopedia , edited by editor First name Middle initial. Last name, ed., year of publication, url. 

Works Cited page entry: Personal interview, film, tv program, and others

An interview you conducted.

Brandt, Deborah. Personal Interview. 28 May 2008.

Interviewee Last name, First name. Personal Interview. Day month year of interview. 

A published interview, read through an online database

García, Cristina. Interview by Ylce Irizarry. Contemporary Literature , vol. 48, no. 2, 2007, pp. 174-94. EBSCOhost. http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer /pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=f95943f6-5364-49e7-8b83-7341edc4b434%40sessionmgr104. Accessed 26 March 2017.

Interviewee Last name, First name. Interview by interviewer First name Last name. Journal title , vol. number, issue number, year of publication, pp. numbers. Database name. Url. Accessed day month and year. 

Film or DVD

Sense and Sensibility . Directed by Ang Lee, performances by Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Kate Winslet, Sony, 1999.

Title of film . Directed by director First name Last name, performances by first actor First name Last name, second actor First name Last name, and third actor First name Last name, Production company, year of release. 

You only need to include performers’ names if that information is relevant to your work. If your paper focuses on the director, begin this entry with the director, i.e., Lee, Ang, director. Sense and Sensibility . . . . If your primary interest is an actor, begin the entry with the actor’s name, i.e., Thompson, Emma, perf. Sense and Sensibility . . . .

Television broadcast

“Arctic Ghost Ship.” NOVA . PBS, WPT, Madison, 10 May 2017.

“Title of episode.” Television series name . Broadcasting network, Broadcasting station, City, day month year of broadcast. 

PBS is the network that broadcast this show; WPT is the Wisconsin PBS affiliate in Madison on which you watched this show.

Media accessed through streaming network

“Self Help.” The Walking Dead , season 5, episode 5, AMC, 9 Nov. 2014. Netflix , https://www.netflix.com/watch/80010531?trackId=14170286&tctx=1%2C4%2C04bba31e-60a0-4889-b36e-b708006e5d05-911831.

“Title of episode.” Title of television series , season number, episode number, Broadcasting channel, date month year of release. Name of streaming service used to access episode , url. 

Gleizes, Albert. The Schoolboy . 1924, gouache or glue tempera on canvas. U of Wisconsin Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI.

Artist Last name, First name. Title of piece. Year of composition, medium. Name of institution housing art piece, City, State initials. 

Address, lecture, reading, or conference presentation

Desmond, Matthew. “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” 1 Nov. 2016, Memorial Union Theater, Madison, WI.

Lecturer Last name, First name. “Title of lecture.” Day month year lecture is given, Location of lecture, City, State initials. 

Modern Language Association Documentation

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MLA Table of Contents

Orientation to MLA

Creating an MLA works cited page

Using MLA in–text citations

Abbreviating references to your sources

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Reference Page

How to Format an APA Reference Page

In APA, the “Works Cited” page is referred to as a “Reference List” or “Reference Page.” “Bibliography” also may be used interchangeably, even though there are some differences between the two.

If you are at the point in your article or research paper where you are looking up APA bibliography format, then congratulations! That means you’re almost done.

In this guide, you will learn how to successfully finish a paper by creating a properly formatted APA bibliography. More specifically, you will learn how to create a reference page . The guidelines presented here come from the 7 th edition of the APA’s Publication Manual .

A note on APA reference page style: In this guide, “bibliography” and “references” may be used interchangeably, even though there are some differences between the two. The most important thing is to use the label “References” when writing your paper since APA style recommends including a reference page.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

Difference between an APA bibliography and a reference page

What about annotated bibliographies, understanding apa reference page format, apa reference page formatting: alphabetizing by surname, q: what should not be on an apa reference page.

The difference between a bibliography and a reference page is a matter of scope. A bibliography usually includes all materials and sources that were used to write the paper. A reference page, on the other hand, only includes entries for works that were specifically cited in the text of the paper.

There are some cases in which a professor or journal might request an annotated bibliography . An annotated bibliography is basically a reference page that includes your comments and insights on each source.

An annotated bibliography can be a document all on its own, or part of a bigger document. That means creating an annotated bibliography by itself could be an assignment, or you may have to include one as part of your research paper, journal submission, or other project.

If you do need to add an APA annotated bibliography , it goes after the reference page on its own page, inside the appendices.

A properly formatted APA reference page begins on a new page, after the end of the text. It comes before any figures, tables, maps, or appendices. It’s double-spaced and features what’s called a hanging indent , where the first line of each reference is not indented, and the second line of each reference is indented 0.5 inches. The reference page is also labeled with a bold, center-justified, and capitalized “References.”

To summarize, the reference page should be:

• Placed on its own page, after the text but before any tables, figures, or appendices.
• In the same font as the rest of the paper.
• Double-spaced the whole way through (including individual references).
• Formatted with hanging indents (each line after the first line of every entry indented 0.5 inches).
• Labeled with a bold, center-justified, and capitalized “References.”

Note: You can use the paragraph function of your word processing program to apply the hanging indent.

Q: What font am I supposed to use for the reference page or bibliography?

The APA reference page/bibliography should be in the same font as the rest of your paper. However, APA Style does not actually call for one specific font. According to Section 2.19 of the Publication Manual , the main requirement is to choose a font that is readable and accessible to all users. Some of the recommended font options for APA style include:

• Sans serif fonts: Calibri (11pt), Arial (11pt), or Lucida (10pt).
• Serif fonts: Times New Roman (12pt), Georgia (11pt), or Normal/Computer Modern (10pt).

Q: What are the margins supposed to be for the reference page or bibliography?

Aside from the 0.5 inch hanging indent on the second line of each reference entry, you do not need to modify the margins of the reference page or bibliography. These should be the same as the rest of your paper, which according to APA is 1-inch margins on all sides of the page. This is the default margin setting for most computer word processors, so you probably won’t have to change anything.

Q: What information goes into an APA style reference page or bibliography?

An APA style reference page should include full citations for all the sources that were cited in your paper. This includes sources that were summarized, paraphrased, and directly quoted. Essentially, if you included an in-text citation in your paper, that source should also appear in your reference list. The reference list is organized in alphabetical order by author.

The formatting for reference list citations varies depending on the kind of source and the available information. But for most sources, your reference list entry will include the following:

• The last name(s) and initials of the author(s).
• The date the source was published (shown in parentheses).
• The title of the source in sentence case. The title should be in italics if the source stands on its own (like a book, webpage, or movie).
• The name of the periodical, database, or website if the source is an article from a magazine, journal, newspaper, etc. Names of periodicals are usually italicized; names of databases and websites usually are not.
• The publisher of the source and/or the URL where the source can be found.

Here are a few templates and examples for how common sources should be formatted in an APA style reference list. If your source is not found here, there is also a guide highlighting different APA citation examples .

Citing a Book

Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year of publication). Title of work . Publisher.

James, Henry. (2009). The ambassadors . Serenity Publishers.

Citing a Journal

Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year, Month Date published). Article title. Journal Name , Volume(Issue), page number(s). https://doi.org/ or URL (if available)

Jacoby, W. G. (1994). Public attitudes toward government spending. American Journal of Political Science , 38(2), 336-361. https://doi.org/10.2307/2111407

Citing a Website

Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year, Month Date published). Article title or page title . Site Name. URL

Limer, E. (2013, October 1). Heck yes! The first free wireless plan is finally here . Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/heck-yes-the-first-free-wireless-plan-is-finally-here

Next, let’s take a look at a real example of a properly formatted APA reference page to see how these pieces come together.

APA reference page example

Creating an APA reference page is actually a lot easier than creating a bibliography with other style guides. In fact, as long as you are aware of the formatting rules, the reference page practically writes itself as you go.

Below is an example reference page that follows the guidelines detailed above. EasyBib also has a guide featuring a complete APA style sample paper , including the reference page.

All APA citations included in the reference page should be ordered alphabetically, using the first word of the reference entry. In most cases, this is the author’s surname (or the surname of the author listed first, when dealing with citations for sources with multiple authors ). However, there are times when a reference entry might begin with a different element.

Creating an alphabetized reference page or bibliography might seem like a simple task. But when you start dealing with multiple authors and similar last names, it can actually get a little tricky. Fortunately, there are a few basic rules that can keep you on track.

The “nothing precedes something” rule

When the surnames of two or more authors begin with the same letters, the “nothing precedes something” rule is how to figure it out. Here is an example of how it works.

Imagine your reference page includes the authors Berg, M.S. and Bergman, H.D. The first four letters of each author are the same. The fifth letters are M and H respectively. Since H comes before M in the alphabet, you might assume that Bergman, H.D. should be listed first.

APA Style requires that “nothing precede something,” which means that Berg will appear before Bergman. Similarly, a James would automatically appear before a Jameson, and a Michaels before a Michaelson.

Disregard spaces and punctuation marks

If a surname has a hyphen, apostrophe, or other punctuation mark, it can be ignored for alphabetization purposes. Similarly, anything that appears inside of parentheses or brackets should be disregarded.

Ordering multiple works by the same author

It is not uncommon for a research paper to reference multiple books by the same author. If you have more than one reference entry by the same person, then the entries should be listed chronologically by year of publication.

If a reference entry has no year of publication available, then it should precede any entries that do have a date. Here’s an example of a properly alphabetized order for multiple entries from the same author:

Guzman, M.B. (n.d.).

Guzman, M.B. (2016).

Guzman, M.B. (2017).

Guzman, M.B. (2019).

Guzman, M.B. (in press).

“In press” papers do not yet have a year of publication associated with them. All “in press” sources are listed last, like the one shown above.

Ordering works with the same author and same date

If the same author has multiple entries with the same year of publication, you need to differentiate them with lowercase letters. Otherwise, the in-text citations in your paper will correspond to more than one reference page entry.

Same author and same year of publication

Here’s a look at how to use lowercase letters to differentiate between entries with the same author and same year of publication:

Guzman, M.B. (2020a).

Guzman, M.B. (2020b).

Guzman, M.B. (2020c).

These lowercase letters are assigned to make the in-text citations more specific. However, it does not change the fact that their year of publication is the same. If no month or day is available for any of the sources, then they should be ordered alphabetically using the title of the work.

When alphabetizing by title, ignore the words “A,” “An,”,and “The” if they’re the first word of the title.

Same author and same year of publication, with more specific dates

If more specific dates are provided, such as a month or day, then it becomes possible to order these entries chronologically.

Guzman, M.B. (2020b, April 2).

Guzman, M.B. (2020c, October 15).

Ordering authors with the same surname but different initials

Authors who share the same surname but have different first or middle names can be alphabetized by their first initial or second initial.

Guzman, R.L. (2015).

Ordering works with no listed author, or an anonymous author

If you have reference entries with no listed author, the first thing to double-check is whether or not there was a group author instead. Group authors can be businesses, task forces, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, etc.

If there is no individual author listed, then have another look at the source. If it is published on a government agency website, for instance, there is a good chance that the agency was the author of the work, and should be listed as such in the reference entry. You can read more about how to handle group authors in Section 9.11 of the Publication Manual .

What if the work is actually authored by “Anonymous”?

If the work you’re referencing actually has the word “Anonymous” listed as the author, then you can list it as the author and alphabetize it as if it were a real name. But this is only if the work is actually signed “Anonymous.”

What if there is no listed author and it’s definitely not a group author?

If you have confirmed that there is no individual or group author for the work, then you can use the work’s title as the author element in the reference entry. In any case where you’re using the work’s title to alphabetize, you should skip the words “A,” “An,” and “The.”

An APA reference page should not contain any of the following:

• The content of your paper (the reference page should start on its own page after the end of your paper).
• Entries for works for further reading or background information or entries for an epigraph from a famous person (the reference page should only include works that are referenced or quoted in your paper as part of your argument).
• Entries for personal communications such as emails, phone calls, text messages, etc. (since the reader would not be able to access them).
• Entries for whole websites, periodicals, etc. (If needed, the names of these can be mentioned within the body of your paper instead.)
• Entries for quotations from research participants (since they are part of your original research, they do not need to be included).

Published October 28, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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The following rules will help you identify when to use DOIs and when to use URLs in references:

• Use a DOI wherever available, be it a print version or online version.
• For a print publication that does not have a DOI, do not add a DOI or URL (even if a URL is available).
• For an online publication, if both a DOI and URL are given, include only the DOI.
• For online publications that only have a URL (and no DOI), follow the below recommendations:
• Add a URL in the reference list entry for publications from websites (other than databases). Double check that the URL will work for readers.
• For publications from most academic research databases, which are easily accessible, do not include a URL or database information in the reference. In this case, the reference will be the same as the print version.
• For publications from databases that publish limited/proprietary work that would only be available in that database, include the database name and the URL. If the URL would require a login, include the URL for the database home page or login page instead of the URL for the work.
• If a URL will not work for the reader or is no longer accessible, follow the guidance for citing works with no source.

To format your APA references list, follow these recommendations:

• Begin the references on a new page. This page should be placed at the end of the paper.
• All sides of the paper should have a 1-inch margin.
• Set the heading as “References” in bold text and center it.
• Arrange the reference entries alphabetically according to the first item within the entries (usually the author surname or title).
•  Add a hanging indent of 0.5 inches (i.e., indent any line after the first line of a reference list entry).

See above for a visual example of a reference page and additional examples.

Special Cases

Multiple entries with the same author(s) are arranged by publication year. Entries with no dates first, then in chronological order. If the year published is also the same, a letter is added to the year and the entries are arranged alphabetically (after arrangement by year).

• Robin, M. T. (n.d.)
• Robin, M. T. (1987)
• Robin, M. T. (1989a)
• Robin, M. T. (1989b)

Single-author source and multi-author source that share one author. One-author entries are listed first even if the multi-author entries were published earlier.

• Dave, S. P., Jr. (2006)
• Dave, S. P., Jr., & Glyn, T. L. (2005)

For references with multiple authors that have the same first author but different subsequent authors, alphabetize the entries by the last name of the second author (or third if the first two authors are the same).

APA Citation Examples

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A publication of the harvard college writing program.

Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

• The Honor Code
• Works Cited Format

What is a Works Cited list?

MLA style requires you to include a list of all the works cited in your paper on a new page at the end of your paper.  The entries in the list should be in alphabetical order by the author's last name or by the element that comes first in the citation. (If there is no author's name listed, you would begin with the title.) The entire list should be double-spaced.

For each of the entries in the list, every line after the first line should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. "Works Cited" should be centered at the top of the page. If you are only citing one source, the page heading should be “Work Cited” instead of “Works Cited.” You can see a sample Works Cited here . 

Building your Works Cited list

MLA citations in the Works Cited list are based on what the Modern Language Association calls "core elements." The core elements appear in the order listed below, in a citation punctuated with the punctuation mark that follows the element. For some elements, the correct punctuation will be a period, and for other elements, the correct punctuation will be a comma. Since you can choose the core elements that are relevant to the source you are citing, this format should allow you to build your own citations when you are citing sources that are new or unusual.

The author you should list is the primary creator of the work—the writer, the artist, or organization that is credited with creating the source.  You should list the author in this format: last name, first name. If there are two authors, you should use this format: last name, first name, and first name last name. For three or more authors, you should list the first author followed by et al. That format looks like this: last name, first name, et al.

If a source was created by an organization and no individual author is listed, you should list that organization as the author.

Title of source .

This is the book, article, or website, podcast, work of art, or any other source you are citing. If the source does not have a title, you can describe it. For example, if you are citing an email you received, you would use this format in the place of a title:

Email to the author.

Title of container ,

A container is what MLA calls the place where you found the source. It could be a book that an article appears in, a website that an image appears on, a television series from which you are citing an episode, etc. If you are citing a source that is not “contained” in another source—like a book or a film—you do not need to list a container. Some sources will be in more than one container. For example, if you are citing a television episode that aired on a streaming service, the show would be the first container and the streaming service would be the second container.

Contributor ,

Contributors include editors, translators, directors, illustrators, or anyone else that you want to credit. You generally credit other contributors when their contributions are important to the way you are using the source. You should always credit editors of editions and anthologies of a single author’s work or of a collection of works by more than one author.  

If you are using a particular version of a source, such as an updated edition, you should indicate that in the citation.

If your source is one of several in a numbered series, you should indicate this. So, for example, you might be using “volume 2” of a source. You would indicate this by “vol. 2” in the citation.

Publisher ,

For books, you can identify the publisher on the title or copyright page. For web sites, you may find the publisher at the bottom of the home page or on an “About” page. You do not need to include the publisher if you are citing a periodical or a Web site with the same name as the publisher.

Publication date ,

Books and articles tend to have an easily identifiable publication date. But articles published on the web may have more than one date—one for the original publication and one for the date posted online. You should use the date that is most relevant to your work. If you consulted the online version, this is the relevant date for your Works Cited list. If you can’t find a publication date—some websites will not include this information, for example—then you should include a date of access. The date of access should appear at the end of your citation in the following format:

Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

The location in a print source will be the page number or range of pages you consulted. This is where the text you are citing is located in the larger container. For online sources, the location is generally a DOI, permalink, or URL. This is where your readers can locate the same online source that you consulted. MLA specifies that, if possible, you should include the DOI. Television episodes would be located at a URL. A work of art could be located in the museum where you saw it or online.

Your citations can also include certain optional elements. You should include optional elements if you think those elements would provide useful information to your readers. Optional elements follow the source title if they provide information that is not about the source as a whole. Put them at the end of the entry if they provide information about the source as a whole. These elements include the following:

Date of original publication .

If you think it would be useful to a reader to know that the text you are citing was originally published in a different era, you can put this information right after the title of the source. For example, if you are citing The Federalist Papers , you would provide the publication date of the edition you consulted, but you could also provide the original publication date:

Hamilton, Alexander, et al., editors. The Federalist Papers . October 1787-May 1788. Oxford University Press, 2008.

City of publication .

You should only use this information if you are citing a book published before 1900 (when books were associated with cities of publication rather than with publishers) or a book that has been published in a different version by the publisher in another city (a British version of a novel, for example). In the first case, you would put this information in place of the publisher's name. In the second case, the city would go before the publisher.

Descriptive terms .

If you are citing a version of a work when there are multiple versions available at the same location, you should explain this by adding a term that will describe your version. For example, if you watched a video of a presidential debate that was posted to YouTube along with a transcript, and you are quoting from the transcript, you should add the word “Transcript” at the end of your citation. 

Dissertations

• Citation Management Tools
• In-Text Citations
• In-Text Citation Examples
• Examples of Commonly Cited Sources
• Frequently Asked Questions about Citing Sources in MLA Format
• Sample Works Cited List

PDFs for This Section

• Citing Sources
• Online Library and Citation Tools

• Apply to UVU

MLA Citations

Download PDF

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a style guide typically used in the humanities. MLA citations give credit to the original content and help authors avoid plagiarism. In-text citations indicate where source material begins and ends. A works cited page offers a full citation of the source for readers to reference. This handout uses the MLA handbook (9th edition) to explain these concepts. However, writers should customize their own work according to their audience and assignment guidelines.

In-text Citations (6.1–6.30)

In-text citations refer readers to sources and must be used for direct quotes, summaries, and paraphrases. There are two kinds of In-text citation: parenthetical and in prose. Parenthetical puts the author’s last name and the page number at the end of the sentence (e.g., (Jones 23)). A citation in prose names the author in the sentence itself (e.g., According to Jones,). When available, include the page number(s) for both styles.

Example : “. . .” (Tolkien 81). 

Example: According to Tolkien, “. . .” (81).

In-Text Citation Examples

Works Cited Page

The works cited page is a separate page included at the end of the paper. It lists a full citation for every source used, so readers may investigate them for further reading. Each citation is made up of core elements.

Core Elements

Core elements are used to create each citation. If a core element does not apply to the source being cited, omit it—unless it is the title, in which case you will provide a brief description of the source.

Author (or Creator) (5.4–5.22)

List multiple authors in the same order they are published in. If they are a different type of creator (editor, director, actor, etc.), specify after a comma. Sometimes, a work is authored by an organization.

• One Author : Tolkien, J. R. R.
• Two Authors : Green, John, and David Levithan.
• Three or more : Burdick, Anne, et al.

To cite the same author for different works in a works cited page, substitute three hyphens or an em dash.

• Example : Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . ---. The Prince and the Pauper .

Title of Source (5.23–5.30)

The title of the source should be formatted in italics for independent works and “quotation marks” for smaller works inside larger works. Capitalize every word except for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.

• Examples : Book Title ; “Article Title”, Journal Title ; “Webpage”, Website

Title of Container (5.31–5.37)

A container holds a smaller work. This could include a periodical, anthology, website, etc. Citations can include more than one container , such as a journal that contains an article and the database that contains the journal. The second container may include additional core element information. Some sources, like novels, are self-contained. Container titles are usually italicized .

• Self-contained : a book in print (source), a movie watched in a theater (source)
• One container : a poem (source), in an anthology (container)
• Carey-Webb, Allen. “Racism and ‘Huckleberry Finn’: Censorship, Dialogue, and Change.” The English Journal , vol. 82, no. 7, Nov. 1993, pp. 22–34. EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.2307/819788.

Contributors (5.38–5.47)

Always list translators, editors of collected works, film directors, music conductors, and performing groups. Put this element after the title of source if it applies to just the source and not the entire container.

• Examples : translated by, adapted by, directed by, edited by, illustrated by, performed by, etc.

Version (5.48–5.50)

If a work is released in more than one form, then it can be identified using the version. Versions could include book editions, unabridged versions, director’s cuts, etc.

• Examples : King James Version, expanded ed., 7th ed., director’s cut, version 1.3.1

Number (5.51–5.53)

Number elements include volume, issue, episode, or seasons. Include the common abbreviation of the division type before the number.

• Examples : vol. 2, no. 1 ( no . is the abbreviation for issue number ); season 4, episode 12

Publisher (5.54–5.67)

Publishers are often companies or organizations. Publishers include book publishers, film studios/companies/distributors/networks, theater companies, and government agencies.

• Examples : Oxford UP, Bloomsbury, Twentieth Century Fox, U.S. Dept. of Justice, etc.

Publication Date (5.68–5.83)

Publication dates include release, composition, revision, forthcoming, or access dates. For sources with multiple dates, cite the most recent. Use all information available: day, month, year, time stamp, and date range.

• Examples : 15 Jan. 2023, June 2022, 2 July 2016 5:47 p.m., 2022–24

Location (5.84–5.99)

Locations include page number(s), DOIs, permalinks, URLs, or physical location (for artwork or performance). A DOI (digital object identifier) is a permanent link provided by the publisher.

• Examples : p. 7, pp. 21-26, www.uvu.edu/writingcenter, https://doi.org/10.1632/ka.2013.128.1.193.

Supplemental Elements (5.105–5.119)

Contributors, original publication dates, and generic sections of a source should be placed after the title of source. Other supplemental elements go at the end of the entry such as access date, medium of publication, medium of access, dissertations and theses, publication history, etc.

• Examples : Accessed 25 Oct. 2015, PDF download, Lecture

Tip: Punctuation in citations

Use a period after author, title of source, supplemental elements, and the last element of a citation. List everything else with a comma.

Missing Citation Elements

Where possible, avoid using citations that are missing several citation elements. Besides the examples below, in the case that the source is missing information because of the source type, simply omit those elements.

No Author (5.3)

If the source has no author, start the entry with the title. Use a shortened version of the title for in-text citations. If the source is from a group or organization, use their name in place of a first and last name in standard font.

• In-text Example : “. . .” ( The Green Knight 12).
• Works Cited Example : Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . Translated by Simon Armitage ; Illustrations by Diana Sudyka, The Folio Society, 2008.

No Title (5.23)

For untitled works provide a brief description of the source instead (without using quotation marks or italics).

No Page Numbers (6.26)

If the page numbers are not given, leave that information out. Do not count unnumbered pages.

Works Cited Examples 

Article from a journal in an online database.

• Author Last Name, First Name, and Author First Name Last Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal , vol. #, no. #, Month Year, pp. #–#. Name of Database , DOI (preferred), URL (omit https://) or Permalink.
• Eve, Martin Paul, and Joe Street. “The Silicon Valley Novel.” Literature and History , vol. 27, no. 1, May 2018, pp. 81–97. EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1177/0306197318755680.

Artwork Viewed Online

• Last Name, First Name. Title of  Work . Date, Location.
• Van Gogh, Vincent. Sunflowers . 1888, National Gallery, www.nationalgallery.org/van-gogh-sunflowers
• Last Name, First Name. Title of Book . Publisher, Year Published.
• Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women . Little, Brown and Company, 2018.

Book (Translated)

• Last name, First name. Title of Book . Translated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year Published.
• Homer. The Odyssey . Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Classics, 2006.

Chapter or Article in an Anthology

• Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.” Title of Anthology , edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. #–# Page(s) of Entry.
• Gibson, Stephen. “What She Asks of Me.” Tumbled Tales: An Anthology of Unconventional Stories , edited by Hannah Terao and Brandy Hussa, A Wandering Wave Press, 2023, pp. 135–145.
• Movie Title . Director’s Name and Other Relevant Contributors. Producer or Distributor, Year Released.
• Babe . Directed by Chris Noonan. Kennedy Miller Mitchell, 1995.

Lecture Notes

• Lecturer’s Last name, First name. “Title of Lecture.” (Lecture if Untitled) Course Name, Date, Location.
• Saavedra, Thomas. Lecture. Humanities Through the Arts, 19 July 2023, Utah Valley University.

Online Newspaper Article

• Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Name of Publication , Publication Date, URL.
• Long, Wes. “Curtain Call.” Salt Lake City Weekly , 2 Nov. 2022, cityweekly.net/utah/curtain-call/Content?oid=19120328

Personal Communication

• Interviewee Last Name, First Name. Type of Interview. Date Interviewed.
• Tan, Amy. Personal communication with author. 11 July 2023.
• “Title of Episode.” Title of Podcast , Date, URL.
• “How Social Media Affects the Types of Friends We Make.” Teenager Therapy . 16 June 2023, open.spotify.com/episode/6VHYSvG0p0gwBsGVB3x5QA?si=f293154fcab14ab0

Video Uploaded to a Sharing Site

• Creator’s Last Name, First Name. "Title of Video." Sharing Site , uploaded by Screen Name, Release Date, URL.
• Nishimura, Mariko. "What Is Graphic Design?" YouTube , uploaded by Kinetic Typography 101, 11 Aug. 2011, youtube.com/watch?v=rUeiZ6c6EBw.
• Website Name . Organization, Date (or date last edited), URL.
• Folgerpedia . Folger Shakespeare Library, 17 July 2018, folgerpedia.folger.edu/MainPage.

Utah Valley University

Citation: MLA Style 9th ed.

• Formatting an MLA Style Paper
• In-Text Citations

Formatting Rules for the Works Cited Page

Core Elements of MLA 9 : Citation Building Basics

Print source citation examples in mla 9, examples of electronic source citations, electronic source citation tips, personal interview citation in mla 9, mla handout.

• MLA Handout This handout has examples of in-text and Works cited entries. Also contains formatting quick tips.

Abbreviated Months

On your Works Cited list, abbreviate months as follows:

January= Jan.

February= Feb.

March= Mar.

April= Apr.

August= Aug.

September= Sept.

October= Oct.

November= Nov.

December= Dec.

• The words Works Cited should be centered at the top of the page
• Double space all citations
• 12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri are the preferred fonts
• this means that each line after the first line of your citation should be indented by .5 inches. (see a sample at the link below)
• List citations in alphabetical order by the first word of each citation
• Sample Works Cited Page This is a link to a sample Works Cited page from the OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University. The Works Cited page, found at the end of a paper, is where you provide citations for the sources for information you used in your paper.

Citation Core Elements

(1) Identify elements in your source

(2) Build a citation in the order below.

     U se the punctuation mark listed for each element. If it is the final element, it should end with a period.

(3) Leave out any elements that are not relevant to the work being cited.

*A DOI  is a digital object identifier. Online journal articles are often given a DOI, consisting of a series of digits and

letters. The DOI should always be used if there is one, instead of the URL-see the example in the location core element.

Order of Core Elements:

• Book-Dictionary
• Articles in Print Publications

Printed Book Format:

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title (in italics). Publisher, Publication Year.

For books with three or more authors cite the first author’s last name, then first name and follow it with a comma and et al.

Book by One Author

Heos, Bridget. Vampires in Literature . The Rosen Publishing Group, 2012.

Book by Two Authors

Lyons, Tony, and Kim Stagliano. 101 Tips for the Parents of Girls with Autism . Skyhorse Publishing, 2015.

Book by Three or More Authors

Ginsberg, Benjamin, et al. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics . 9th Georgia Essentials Ed., W.W. Norton, 2013.

Literature in a Collection e.g. Short Story, Poem, etc. with Authors of Each Section/Chapter of the Book plus an Editor (include page numbers of the work or chapter) 

O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”  The Norton Introduction to Literature , edited by   Kelly J. Mays,  Portable 11 th  ed.,

W. W. Norton, 2014, pp. 404-418.

Dictionary Entry-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary in Italics, edited by Editor's First Name, Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, Publisher Name, Year of

             Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page.

"Diversity." Concise Oxford American Dictionary , Oxford University Press, 2014, p.262.

Academic (Peer-Reviewed) Journal Article Citation Format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Journal Title (in italics), vol.#, no. #, Day Month Year, pp.xx-xx.

• If the journal issue is numbered, insert the abbreviated labels for volume: vol. and number: no. with the numbers listed.

Caponi, Vincenzo,  and Miana Plesca.  "Empirical Characteristics of Legal And Illegal Immigrants in the USA."  Journal of Population

 Economics,   Oct. 2014, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 923-960.

Three or More Authors :

Karwowksi, Mateusz P., et al. "Zika Virus Disease: A CDC Update for Pediatric Health Care Providers." Pediatrics , vol. 137, no.5,

May 2016, pp.1-13.

• Article from GALILEO
• Webpage from a Website
• Article from a Library Online Database
• Online Videos (YouTube)
• Generative AI
• Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia Article
• Electronic Book
• Film or Movie
• Television Show

Article Citation in an Academic (Peer-Reviewed) Journal, Periodical, or Newspaper in Galileo:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of Journal or Periodical or Newspaper in italics , vol.#, no. x, Day Month Year,

 pp.xx-xx. Name of Database in italics , DOI* or URL (Permalink*, if available).

• The location of an online work is typically indicated by a URL or DOI. You should always use the DOI* if it is included with the article.
• If there is no DOI for a journal article, include the permalink*.
• If there is no permalink given use whatever URL is present .
• If the publication date includes a season, do not capitalize it. Example: fall 2021
• When you use the URL, copy it in full but omit http:// or https:// . Do include www if that is part of the URL.
• When an article has 3 or more authors, reverse the first of the names, last name, first name, and follow it with a comma and et al.     e.g.  Brown, Charles, et al.   See the example below for a full citation.

* What's a DOI ?   A DOI is a digital object identifier. Online academic journal articles are often give a DOI, consisting of a series of digits and  numbers. 

* What's a permalink ?  *Permalinks (permanent URLs) are often found for articles in databases. The permalink is a shortened, stable version of a URL and can usually be found in the list of tools to the right of an article when it is pulled up.

Article with No DOI:

Flora, Joseph M.  "Desire, Faith, and Flannery O'Connor." Mississippi Quarterly ,  vol. 67, no.2, spring 2014, pp. 327-333. 

            Academic Search Complete , eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=d139efe4-90b5-413a-862c-a20e46538cf8% -.

           40sessionmgr4010&vid=21&hid=4108&bdata=#AN=114322313&db=a9h .

Article with a DOI and 3 or More Authors :

Becker, Nir, et al. "Consumers’ Preferences Toward Organic Tomatoes: A Combined Two-Phase Revealed-Stated Approach."

         Journal Of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing ,  vol. 28, no.1 , Jan. 2016, pp. 1-17. Academic Search Complete ,

         doi:10.1080/08974438.2014.940.

Newspaper Article in a Daily Newspaper with no Page Numbers or DOI, but Permalink is included :

Laufer, Peter. "Five Myths about Organic Food." The Washington Post ,  20 Jun. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

       proxygsu-cht2.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

       direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.372137072&site=eds-live&scope=site

Tips for citing a Webpage :

• Include an author, if available.
• Include the article name, often the website page, in quotation marks.
•  A website or another work may be "created by a corporate author-an institution, an association, a government agency, or another kind or organization.
• When an entry starts with the government agency as the author, begin the entry with the name of the government, followed by a comma and the name of the agency." (MLA Handbook 104)
• The publisher's name..and publishing date... can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site." (MLA Handbook 41)
• If the publisher's name is the same as the website name, only list it once.
• Remember to omit the http:// when listing the website.
• Including the date of access is now Optional: Since online works at websites do change, the date of access may be important to include. "The date of access is especially crucial if the source provides no date of publication."(MLA Handbook 53) Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access .

Webpage Citation Format :

Author Last Name, First Name (if different from organization/company responsible for the site). "Title of the Article/Web Page."

Website Name in Italics , Publisher (Name of Organization or Company Responsible for Website), Day Month Year of

Publication or Last Update, URL.

With date website was accessed:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Web Page." Website Name in Italics, Publisher, Day Month Year of Pubication or Last Update, URL.

       Accessed Day Month Year.

Website with a Publisher

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Zika Virus Disease." Mayo Clinic ,  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Aug. 2016,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/zika-virus/home/ovc-20189269.  

Online Government Website with Different Author and Website Name  Example: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers." Occupational Outlook Handbook , 

30 Jan. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm. Accessed 19 March 2018.

Government Agency Website with the Same Publisher, Author, and Website Name

"Safe and Drug-Free Schools." Georgia Department of Education ,  2015,   www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-    

         Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Safe-and-Drug-Free-Schools.aspx.

Government Agency with Different Website and Publisher

"Total Water Use." U.S. Geological Survey , U.S. Department of the Interior, 2 May 2016, water.usgs.gov/watuse/wuto.html.

Tips for citing an Article in a Library Database:

• Include the article name in quotation marks.
• Next comes the title of the database in italics.
• Then the publisher's name..and publishing date... can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the page.
• The URL. Remember to omit the http://
• Including the date of access is now optional:  If the online information in the database gets updated and will cahnge over time , th e date of access may be important to include.  Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access .

Database Article Citation Format :

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of the Database in Italics , Publisher's Name, Publication Date, URL, Date of Access.

Colgan, Alex. ""Austria: Country Snapshot." Global Road Warrior , World Trade Press, 2017,

www.globalroadwarrior.com/#mode=country&regionId=8&uri=country-content&nid=65&key=snapshot-overview, 13 July 2017.

The general format for citing online videos:

"Title of video."  YouTube,  uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

If the author of the video is not the same as the person who uploaded the video:

Author last name, First Name. "Title of video."  YouTube,  uploaded by Screen Name, day month year, www.youtube.com/xxxxx.

Example of citation with different author and uploader:

Beyoncé. "Sorry."  YouTube , uploaded by BeyFan123, 17 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Example of citation with no known author or same author and uploader:

"Day in the Life."  YouTube , uploaded by janedoe, 19 December 2016, www.youtube.com/xxxx.

Your in-text citation will depend on whether you have the author's last name. Basically, you will want to cite in-text whatever appears first in the citation on your Works Cited page. If you are referencing a specific part of the video, MLA format also requires that you specify the time in the video when that part begins.

In-text citation with author:

(Last name, 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

In-text citation with no author or same author and uploader:

("Title of video," 00:01:15 - 00:02:00). 

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt . ChatGPT , 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

Note that the title of the entry is the prompt used for the AI search.

The in-text citation would be ("Describe the symbolism").

For more information, visit " How do I cite generative AI in MLA style ?" found on the MLA Style Center website.

Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia Article from a Library Database-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Italics,  Publication or Update Date,   Database Name in Italics,  URL.

"Charles Dickens." Encyclopedia Britannica , 12 Jan. 2018, Britannica Academic ,  academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Charles-

             Dickens/1083 .

Dictionary Entry or Encyclopedia Article from a Website-Unknown Author:

"Title of Entry." Title of Dictionary or Encyclopedia in Italics , Publication or Update Date, Website Name in Italics,  URL. Accessed Day Month Year (access date is optional).

"Diversity." Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 10 July 2018, Merriam Webster , www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity.  

EBook from a Database Citation Format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book in Italics . Publisher, Year. Name of Database in Italics ,  URL-Permalink.

Remember that when you include a URL you do not include the http://

One author :

Figone, Albert J. Cheating the Spread : Gamblers, Point Shavers, and Game Fixers in College Football and Basketball . University of

Illinois Press, 2012. ProQuest ebrary ,   site.ebrary.com/lib/chattcollege/detail.action?docID=10634379 .

Two authors :

Novik, Eric, and Timothy J. Maguire. Methods In Bioengineering : Alternatives To Animal Testing . Artech House, Inc, 2010. eBook

Collection (EBSCOhost), proxygsu-cht2.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

 direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=339510.

Chapter in an EBook:

Phillips, Morrigan. “The Long Memory.”   Octavia's Brood : Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements , edited

by Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown, AK Press, 2015, pp.  46-61. ProQuest ebrary ,

site.ebrary.com/lib/chattcollege/reader.action?docID=11199626&ppg=12.

One Page in an EBook that is not the First Edition :

Kawasaki, Guy. The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything . 2nd ed., Penguin, 2015, p.16.

EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip, shib&db=nlebk&AN=400668&custid=cht2.

For a Film or Movie that you are Dealing with as a Whole:

Film Title . Directed by [First Name Last Name], performances by [name featured actors], Film Studio,  release year.

     Example :

Pride & Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, performances by Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen, Focus Features, 2005.

When you Watch/Use a Movie from any Streaming Service, including Netflix, Google Play, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.: 

Film Title . Directed by [First name Last name], performances by [name featured actors], Film Studio,  release year. Streaming Service Name,  URL.

     Example:

Beauty and the Beast . Directed by Bill Condon, performances by Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, and Josh Gad, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2017. Netflix , www.netflix.com/watch/798356483?

To feature a particular performance of an actor or direction by a director, begin the citation with their name, followed by the appropriate title for that person.

     Examples:

Kurosawa, Akira, director. Seven Samurai . Performances by Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Keiko Tsushima, Toho Company, 1956.

Craig, Daniel, actor. Knives Out . Directed by Rian Johnson, Lionsgate, 2019.

Online Image Citation (For a Photograph, Painting, or Sculpture) :

Creator's Name. Work of Art in Italics . Date of Creation. The Institution, City where the work is housed. Website or Database in Italics ,

       URL.  Date of Access.

*Remember: do not include the http:// with the URL

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive ,

www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed 7 Sept. 2016.

If a work is found only on the web, then provide the name of the artist if available, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website or database.

Photograph found in a Database with no Author

"Honeysuckle Flowers Open." Britannica ImageQuest , Encyclopedia Britannica,  25 May 2016, 

 quest.eb.com/search/132_1333315/1/132_1333315/cite .

Photograph found on a Website with no Author

"Jamaican National Bird-The Doctor Bird." Jamaica Foundation of Houston ,  www.jamaicafoundationofhouston.org/national-bird/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

Recorded Television Episode:

“Episode Name.” Series N ame , written by [First Name Last Name], directed by [First Name Last Name], Distributor Name, year.

"Encounter at Farpoint."  Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season , written by D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry, directed by                     Corey Allen, Paramount, 2016.

Broadcast TV or Radio Program

Begin with the title of the episode in quotation marks. Provide the name of the series or program in italics. Also include the network name, call letters of the station, followed by the city and date of broadcast:

“Episode.” Series/Program Name. Network, Station Call Letters, City, broadcast date.

        Examples:

“The Rising Sea.” Georgia Outdoors . PBS, GPB, Atlanta, 26 June 2019.

“Succession.” The Windsors . CNN, Atlanta, 9 Jan. 2020.

Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, Amazon Prime, etc. (Video streaming Services)

Generally, when citing a specific episode use the Broadcast TV template and add the Streaming Service Name (italicized), URL:

“Top Banana.”  Arrested Development,  season 1, episode 2, Fox, 6 June 2004.  Netflix,  www.netflix.com/watch/70152031.

An Entire TV Series or Season of a TV Series

When citing the entire series of a TV show or a season of a TV show, use the following format:

[Creator’s Last name, First], creator. Title. Production Company, year.

       Example:

Roddenberry, Gene, creator . Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season . Paramount, 2016.

A Specific Performance or Aspect of a TV Show

To emphasize a performance by a specific character in a particular episode:

"Encounter at Farpoint."  Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Sixth Season , written by D.C. Fontana and Gene Roddenberry,

             performance by Patrick Stewart, directed by Corey Allen, Paramount, 2016.

Performance of a particular character through an entire series:

Stewart, Patrick, performer.  Star Trek: The Next Generation. Paramount, 1987-1994.

From the OWL at Purdue:

• "Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources.
• Since web addresses change often MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as YouTube, a GALILEO database, etc. in order to easily access and verify sources.
• MLA only requires the www. address so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs ."
• Including the date of access is now Optional: Since online works at websites do change, the date of access may be important to include for websites. "The date of access is especially crucial if the source provides no date of publication."(MLA Handbook 53) Check with your instructor to see if they want you to include the date of access.
• A date of access is usually not needed for a journal article, or online article from a database, unless the information from a particular source is likely to change over time.

Personal interviews refer to those interviews that you conduct yourself. List the interview by the name of the interviewee (the person you have interviewed). Include the descriptor Personal interview and the date of the interview.

Last name, First Name of Person Interviewed. Personal interview. Day Month Year.

McDuff, James. Personal interview. 19 March 2017.

• << Previous: In-Text Citations
• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 3:54 PM
• URL: https://reinhardt.libguides.com/MLA

Encyclopedia

Writing with artificial intelligence, formatting the works cited page (mla).

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Jennifer Janechek - IBM Quantum

Whenever you incorporate outside sources into your own writing, you must provide both in-text citations (within the body of the paper) and full citations (in the Works Cited page). The in-text citations point your reader toward the full citations in the Works Cited page.

That’s why the first bit of information in your in-text citation (generally, the author’s name; if no name is provided, the title of the article/book/webpage) should directly match up with the beginning of your Works Cited entry for that source. For further information about in-text citations, please read “ Formatting In-Text Citations .”

For example, let’s say I have a quote from Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities in my research paper. Within the body of the paper, following the quote, I include the following in-text citation: (Anderson 56). This information points to the book’s entry in my Works Cited page:

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism . London: Verso, 2006. Print.

When your reader sees the in-text citation in your essay, they may decide that the source might be valuable for their own research. When they look at the Works Cited page, they can easily locate the source (because the Works Cited page is alphabetized and because they have the in-text citation as their referent) and then can use the full citation to retrieve a copy of the source for their own research. But aside from providing the reader with resources for their own research, the Works Cited page serves another function: it establishes the writer’s credibility. If a writer fails to include in-text citations and/or a Works Cited page, that writer has plagiarized because he or she has neglected to provide the publication information of the source. In addition, when a reader locates undocumented information in an essay, they will likely think that the information was made up by the writer or that the information was stolen from a source, or plagiarized. And when a reader peruses a writer’s Works Cited page, they can see the types of sources used by the writer, assessing those sources in terms of their credibility. For instance, if a reader reads my Works Cited page and sees I cite sources from university presses such as Oxford UP and Cambridge UP, they will know that I’ve incorporated credible sources into my research paper. Thus, including both in-text citations and a Works Cited page in a research paper provides the writer with ethos, or credibility.

Now let’s take a look at how to properly format a Works Cited page according to MLA guidelines:

According to MLA style guidelines, the Works Cited page should appear after the body of your paper and any accompanying endnotes. It should begin on a new page, and the pagination should continue from the body of the paper. In the above example, the Works Cited page begins on page 38, which means that the essay concluded on page 37.

General format

The Works Cited page should be double-spaced throughout. The first line of each entry should be flush with the left margin; if the entry extends more than one line, ensuing lines should be indented 1/2 inch from the left margin. The first page of the Works Cited list should have the title “Works Cited,” not “Bibliography.” The Works Cited title should appear in the same manner as the paper’s title: capitalized and centered—not bolded, within quotation marks, italicized, underlined, or in a larger font.

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In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in APA style

Reference List

Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats

Other APA Resources

Please see this Guide to Modified Services for Summer 2021

• University of Northwestern - St. Paul
• Berntsen Library
• Information Guides

MLA Style Guide, 8th Edition

• Works Cited Practice
• Works Cited Entries: What to Include
• Title of Source
• Title of Container
• Other Contributors
• Publication Date
• Optional Elements
• Book with Personal Author(s)
• Book with Editor(s)
• Book with Organization as Author
• Parts of Books
• Government Publication
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Multivolume Works
• Newspaper Article
• Other Formats
• Websites, Social Media, and Email

Creating a Citation for a Journal Article

1) gather core elements information, 2) make decisions, 3) create your citation, 4) practice with an example, mla style center works cited quick guide.

• About In-Text Citations
• In-Text Examples
• How to Paraphrase and Quote
• Formatting Your MLA Paper
• Formatting Your Works Cited List
• MLA Annotated Bibliography
• MLA 8th Edition Quick Guide
• How to Paraphrase
• Components of an MLA Citation PDF

You can find the core element information you need for most types of sources in the source's "front matter".

What is your use of this source?

• Are you citing a portion of a work, like a chapter or preface?
• Are you citing a film because of a discussion within the text of your paper of the film's director, writer, or actor?

Are optional elements needed?

• Is the original publication date relevant?
• Is the publishing location important to your use of the source?
• Is your source a unique kind of source like a transcript or speech?

Are there containers?

• A source can have one or two containers.
• Some sources are complete in themselves. They are not part of a larger container. A print novel is an example of a source that stands alone and is not part of any container. It is its own container so the title of the novel is placed in Core Element 3: Title of source, is italicized, and followed by a period.
• If the work you are citing is part of a larger whole, like a chapter in a book, then the book containing the chapter is a container. The chapter title is Core Element 2: Title of source and the book is Core Element 3: Title of container. The book chapter title is in quotation marks and followed by a period. The book title is italicized and followed by a comma.
• Some sources are part of two containers. If you are citing a journal article you obtained through a database, for example, you will need to use two containers in your citation. The article is contained in the journal, making the journal the first container. The journal is contained in a database, making the database the second container. List the pertinent core elements for the first container (e.g. journal) followed by the pertinent core elements from title of container through to location again for the second container (e.g. database). 

Now create your citation with the order of the core elements and correct punctuation and italics in mind.

• "Title of source."

[First Container]

• Title of container,  [if there is no Title of Source, use a period after the Title of container]
• Other contributors,
• Publication date,

[Second Container, if applicable]

• Title of Container,

Capitalize the first word in the citation and any words directly after periods. End the Works Cited entry with a period, regardless of which Core Element comes last in your individual citation.

Journal article from a Database

The MLA Style Center walks writers through the creation of Works Cited entries. View their quick guide  and download their practice template .

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• Next: In-Text Citations >>
• Last Updated: Jul 25, 2024 9:14 AM
• URL: https://guide.unwsp.edu/MLAstyle

• Free Tools for Students
• Works Cited Generator

Free Works Cited Generator

Generate a Works Cited page in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!

😕 What is a Works Cited Generator?

A works cited generator is a tool that automatically creates a works cited page in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take in information about the sources you have cited in your paper, such as document titles, authors, and URLs, and will output a fully formatted works cited page that can be added to the end of your paper (just as your teacher asked!).

The citations included in a Works Cited page show the sources that you used to construct your argument in the body of your school paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.

👩‍🎓 Who uses a Works Cited Generator?

Students in middle school and high school will usually be expected to produce a works cited page to accompany their academic papers. Therefore, they will generally be the users of a works cited generator.

Alongside generating a works cited page, at middle school and high school level it is also important to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.

🙌 Why should I use a Works Cited Generator?

Formatting works cited pages manually is time consuming, and ensuring accuracy is mind-numbing.

Automating this process with a works cited generator is a quick and easy way to be sure you are doing it correctly (and according to the MLA format!). Our generator also provides a backed-up location to save your citations to as you write each part of your paper -- just keep the MyBib website open in a browser tab while you work and add to your works cited page as you go along!

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Works Cited Generator?

Using our Works Cited Generator is so easy. Every time you cite a source in your paper, just come back to the generator at the top of this page and enter the source you are citing. Our generator can cite books, journal articles, and webpages automatically, and can cite over 30 other sources if you enter the source details manually.

Save each source to your bibliography, then when you have finished writing your paper just click the 'download' button and the generator will produce a formatted Works Cited page that can be copied and pasted directly to the end of your document.

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Accurate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions

Scribbr for Chrome: Your shortcut to citations

Cite any page or article with a single click right from your browser. The extension does the hard work for you by automatically grabbing the title, author(s), publication date, and everything else needed to whip up the perfect citation.

Perfectly formatted references every time

Inaccurate citations can cost you points on your assignments, so our seasoned citation experts have invested countless hours in perfecting Scribbr’s citation generator algorithms. We’re proud to be recommended by teachers and universities worldwide.

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Staying focused is already difficult enough, so unlike other citation generators, Scribbr won’t slow you down with flashing banner ads and video pop-ups. That’s a promise!

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Look up your source by its title, URL, ISBN, or DOI, and let Scribbr find and fill in all the relevant information automatically.

APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard

Generate flawless citations according to the official APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard style, or many other rules.

Export to Word

When your reference list is complete, export it to Word. We’ll apply the official formatting guidelines automatically.

Lists and folders

Create separate reference lists for each of your assignments to stay organized. You can also group related lists into folders.

Export to Bib(La)TeX

Are you using a LaTex editor like Overleaf? If so, you can easily export your references in Bib(La)TeX format with a single click.

Custom fonts

Change the typeface used for your reference list to match the rest of your document. Options include Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri.

Industry-standard technology

Scribbr’s Citation Generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.

Annotations

Describe or evaluate your sources in annotations, and Scribbr will generate a perfectly formatted annotated bibliography .

Citation guides

Scribbr’s popular guides and videos will help you understand everything related to finding, evaluating, and citing sources.

Secure backup

Your work is saved automatically after every change and stored securely in your Scribbr account.

• Introduction
• Finding sources

Evaluating sources

• Integrating sources

Citing sources

Tools and resources, a quick guide to working with sources.

Working with sources is an important skill that you’ll need throughout your academic career.

It includes knowing how to find relevant sources, assessing their authority and credibility, and understanding how to integrate sources into your work with proper referencing.

This quick guide will help you get started!

Finding relevant sources

Sources commonly used in academic writing include academic journals, scholarly books, websites, newspapers, and encyclopedias. There are three main places to look for such sources:

• Research databases: Databases can be general or subject-specific. To get started, check out this list of databases by academic discipline . Another good starting point is Google Scholar .
• Your institution’s library: Use your library’s database to narrow down your search using keywords to find relevant articles, books, and newspapers matching your topic.
• Other online resources: Consult popular online sources like websites, blogs, or Wikipedia to find background information. Be sure to carefully evaluate the credibility of those online sources.

When using academic databases or search engines, you can use Boolean operators to refine your results.

Generate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations in seconds

Get started

In academic writing, your sources should be credible, up to date, and relevant to your research topic. Useful approaches to evaluating sources include the CRAAP test and lateral reading.

CRAAP is an abbreviation that reminds you of a set of questions to ask yourself when evaluating information.

• Currency: Does the source reflect recent research?
• Relevance: Is the source related to your research topic?
• Authority: Is it a respected publication? Is the author an expert in their field?
• Accuracy: Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence?
• Purpose: What is the author’s intention?

Lateral reading

Lateral reading means comparing your source to other sources. This allows you to:

• Verify evidence
• Contextualize information
• Find potential weaknesses

If a source is using methods or drawing conclusions that are incompatible with other research in its field, it may not be reliable.

Integrating sources into your work

Once you have found information that you want to include in your paper, signal phrases can help you to introduce it. Here are a few examples:

Following the signal phrase, you can choose to quote, paraphrase or summarize the source.

• Quoting : This means including the exact words of another source in your paper. The quoted text must be enclosed in quotation marks or (for longer quotes) presented as a block quote . Quote a source when the meaning is difficult to convey in different words or when you want to analyze the language itself.
• Paraphrasing : This means putting another person’s ideas into your own words. It allows you to integrate sources more smoothly into your text, maintaining a consistent voice. It also shows that you have understood the meaning of the source.
• Summarizing : This means giving an overview of the essential points of a source. Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. You should describe the key points in your own words and not quote from the original text.

Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, you must include a citation crediting the original author.

Citing your sources is important because it:

• Allows you to avoid plagiarism
• Establishes the credentials of your sources
• Backs up your arguments with evidence
• Allows your reader to verify the legitimacy of your conclusions

The most common citation styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Each citation style has specific rules for formatting citations.

Generate APA, MLA, Chicago,  and Harvard citations in seconds

Scribbr offers tons of tools and resources to make working with sources easier and faster. Take a look at our top picks:

• Citation Generator: Automatically generate accurate references and in-text citations using Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator, MLA Citation Generator , Harvard Referencing Generator , and Chicago Citation Generator .
• Plagiarism Checker : Detect plagiarism in your paper using the most accurate Turnitin-powered plagiarism software available to students.
• AI Proofreader: Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
• Paraphrasing tool: Avoid accidental plagiarism and make your text sound better.
• Grammar checker : Eliminate pesky spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Summarizer: Read more in less time. Distill lengthy and complex texts down to their key points.
• AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
• Proofreading services : Have a human editor improve your writing.
• Citation checker: Check your work for citation errors and missing citations.
• Knowledge Base : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.

How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications ?

On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below. We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions, with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.

For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.

Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials .

We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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