The purpose of a bibliography (works cited page) is to give credit to the author/creator and to help the reader find the material referenced in a report. The following guidelines and examples have been taken from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition.
§ Center the title, Works Cited, one inch from the top.
§ Begin the Works Cited list on a new page at the end of the paper. Number the page as a continuation of the text. Double space each line of the Works Cited.
§ Alphabetize by author’s last name or by title if no author is given. Ignore "a," "an" or "the" as the first word.
§ Use a five-space indentation for all lines after the first line of an entry.
§ Use state abbreviations, i.e., OH instead of Ohio.
§ Month abbreviations: Jan., Feb., Mar., April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
§ Italicize both titles and names of online products.
§ Include the URL if the citation information does not easily lead to the source.
§ Include publication medium, i.e., print, Web, MP3, etc.
If a source has no publication information:
n.p. = no place of publication or publisher given
n.d. = no date of publication given
n. pag. = no pagination given
Examples:
1.No place.......... N.p.: Penguin, 2008.
2.No publisher..... New York: n.p. 2008.
3.No date............ New York: Penguin, n.d.
CITATION GUIDE
Print
No Author
Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with One Author
Author Last Name, First Name Middle Initial (if given). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with Two or Three Author
Author1 Last Name, First Name, Author2 First Name Last Name, and Author3 First Name Last Name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with More than Three Authors
à Give the first author’s name only followed by et al.
Author1 Last Name, First Name, et al. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
eBook (from research database or open web)
Author Last Name, First Name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Database or Webpage Title. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Book with One Editor
Editor Last Name, First Name, ed. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
(Note: “ed.” becomes “eds.” if there is more than one editor)
Book with Two or More Editors
Editor1 Last Name, First Name, and Editor1 First Name Last Name, eds. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Essay or Article in an Anthology
à An anthology is a book or collection of selected writings by various authors
à Ed. = edited by or Comp. = compiled by
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Title. Ed. First Name Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page-Page. Print.
Encyclopedia
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Encyclopedia Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Journals, Magazines & Newspapers
General Citation Publication Medium
Author (Last Name, First Name). “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year published: Page-Page. Print.
Author (Last Name, First Name). “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year published: Page-Page. Database Name. Subscription Service. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Example:
McNally, Joanna. “Teens Eating in Libraries.” Time 4 Sept 2007: 20-22. Student Resource Center Gold. Gale. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
Journals, Magazines & Newspapers
Academic Journal (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Journal Volume #. Issue #: (or date): Page-Page. Print.
Academic Journal (from a research database)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Journal Volume #. Issue # (or date): Page-Page. Name of Database. Subscription Service. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Magazine Article (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year: Page-Page. Print.
Magazine Article (from a research database)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year: Page-Page. Name of Database. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Newspaper Article (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Day Month Year: Section or Page #. Print.
Newspaper Article (from a research database)
“Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Day Month Year, Edition: Section Letter. Name of Database. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Non-Print
Blog
Author Last Name, First Name. “Blog Title.” Name of Weblog. Site Sponsor (i.e., Blogspot). Day Month Year posted. Publication Medium. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Image, Illustration or Photo
Artist Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Date. Collection or Institution. Name of Database or Web Page. Publication Medium (Web, Painting, Photo, etc.). Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Podcast
Author Last Name, First Name. “Podcast Title” Host Name. Publisher. Institution. Name of Podcast Service or Web Page. Day Month Year posted. Publication Medium (MP3, Web, etc.). Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Song or Sound Recording
Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Song Title.” Album/CD Title. Publisher, Year. Publication Medium. Day Month Year accessed (if online).
Video or Movie (DVD or VHS)
Title. Dir. First Name Last Name. Film's Year of Release. Distributor, Year. Publication Medium.
Video or Movie (Online)
Creator's Last Name, First Name. Title. Name of Web Site. Publisher or Sponsor, Film's Date of Creation. Name of Web Page. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Web Site
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Page.” Name of Web Site. Publisher or Sponsor, Date of Publication. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
§ Center the title, Works Cited, one inch from the top.
§ Begin the Works Cited list on a new page at the end of the paper. Number the page as a continuation of the text. Double space each line of the Works Cited.
§ Alphabetize by author’s last name or by title if no author is given. Ignore "a," "an" or "the" as the first word.
§ Use a five-space indentation for all lines after the first line of an entry.
§ Use state abbreviations, i.e., OH instead of Ohio.
§ Month abbreviations: Jan., Feb., Mar., April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
§ Italicize both titles and names of online products.
§ Include the URL if the citation information does not easily lead to the source.
§ Include publication medium, i.e., print, Web, MP3, etc.
If a source has no publication information:
n.p. = no place of publication or publisher given
n.d. = no date of publication given
n. pag. = no pagination given
Examples:
1.No place.......... N.p.: Penguin, 2008.
2.No publisher..... New York: n.p. 2008.
3.No date............ New York: Penguin, n.d.
CITATION GUIDE
No Author
Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with One Author
Author Last Name, First Name Middle Initial (if given). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with Two or Three Author
Author1 Last Name, First Name, Author2 First Name Last Name, and Author3 First Name Last Name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Book with More than Three Authors
à Give the first author’s name only followed by et al.
Author1 Last Name, First Name, et al. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
eBook (from research database or open web)
Author Last Name, First Name. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Database or Webpage Title. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Book with One Editor
Editor Last Name, First Name, ed. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
(Note: “ed.” becomes “eds.” if there is more than one editor)
Book with Two or More Editors
Editor1 Last Name, First Name, and Editor1 First Name Last Name, eds. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Essay or Article in an Anthology
à An anthology is a book or collection of selected writings by various authors
à Ed. = edited by or Comp. = compiled by
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Title. Ed. First Name Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page-Page. Print.
Encyclopedia
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Encyclopedia Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Print.
Journals, Magazines & Newspapers
General Citation Publication Medium
Author (Last Name, First Name). “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year published: Page-Page. Print.
Author (Last Name, First Name). “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year published: Page-Page. Database Name. Subscription Service. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Example:
McNally, Joanna. “Teens Eating in Libraries.” Time 4 Sept 2007: 20-22. Student Resource Center Gold. Gale. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
Journals, Magazines & Newspapers
Academic Journal (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Journal Volume #. Issue #: (or date): Page-Page. Print.
Academic Journal (from a research database)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Journal Volume #. Issue # (or date): Page-Page. Name of Database. Subscription Service. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Magazine Article (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year: Page-Page. Print.
Magazine Article (from a research database)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Magazine Day Month Year: Page-Page. Name of Database. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Newspaper Article (from a print source)
Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Day Month Year: Section or Page #. Print.
Newspaper Article (from a research database)
“Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Day Month Year, Edition: Section Letter. Name of Database. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Non-Print
Blog
Author Last Name, First Name. “Blog Title.” Name of Weblog. Site Sponsor (i.e., Blogspot). Day Month Year posted. Publication Medium. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Image, Illustration or Photo
Artist Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Date. Collection or Institution. Name of Database or Web Page. Publication Medium (Web, Painting, Photo, etc.). Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Podcast
Author Last Name, First Name. “Podcast Title” Host Name. Publisher. Institution. Name of Podcast Service or Web Page. Day Month Year posted. Publication Medium (MP3, Web, etc.). Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Song or Sound Recording
Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Song Title.” Album/CD Title. Publisher, Year. Publication Medium. Day Month Year accessed (if online).
Video or Movie (DVD or VHS)
Title. Dir. First Name Last Name. Film's Year of Release. Distributor, Year. Publication Medium.
Video or Movie (Online)
Creator's Last Name, First Name. Title. Name of Web Site. Publisher or Sponsor, Film's Date of Creation. Name of Web Page. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.
Web Site
Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Page.” Name of Web Site. Publisher or Sponsor, Date of Publication. Web. Day Month Year accessed. <URL optional>.