Works cited entries are created by consulting MLA's list of nine core components. Theses components are combined in a specific order with specific punctuation, detailed in the table below.
Core Citation Component |
Component Explanation |
| Author. | Begin with the author's last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name. End this entry with a period. |
| Title of Source. | Titles of books and websites should be italicized, while journal articles, newspaper articles, and magazine articles should be in quotation marks. End this entry with a period. |
| Title of Container, | Title of journal if using an article, title of book if using a book chapter. End this entry with a comma. |
| Other contributors, | These could include translators, annotation, foreward or introduction authors, and people other than the author(s). End this entry with a comma. |
| Version, | If the source is an edition or version of a work, include it in the citation. End this entry with a comma. |
| Number, | If the source is part of a numbered sequence (multi-volume book or journal with both volume and issue numbers), list those numbers. End this entry with a comma. |
| Publisher, | The publisher produces or distributes the source to the public. End this entry with a comma. |
| Publication Date, | List the date when the source was published. End this entry with a comma. |
| Location. | Be specific when identifying a source's location. End this entry with a period. |
MLA also lists optional components that should be part of a citation only if they help the reader to more easily locate the source.
Optional Citation Component |
Component Explanation |
| Date of original publication. | If a source has been published on more than one date, include both dates if it is helpful information for the reader. End this entry with a period. |
| City of publication, | Only necessary in works published before 1900, as these works are typically associated with the city in which they were published. End this entry with a comma. |
| Date of access. | Include for online resources, as these resources could change at any time. End this entry with a period. |
| DOI or URL. | Include the DOI or URL of online journal articles and websites. End this entry with a period. |
Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Learner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
McGonigal, Jane. "Gaming and Productivity." YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2018, http://www.youtube.com/0000.
Alvaro, Alanzo, and Julio A. Canmargo. "Toxicity of Nitrate to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates." Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2016, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library, doi: 10.0012/tox.00000.
Stein, Bob. "Reading, Writing, and the Digital Era." Discovering Digital Dimensions, Computers and Writing Conference, 23 May 2003, Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette, IN. Keynote Address.
