Citing Sources (APA, MLA, ...): MLA Works Cited List

1. Authors' names should be written exactly as they appear on the title page. Use or include initials only if the title page does.
2. For the first author, reverse the name in "last name, first name and middle name" format.
3. If there are two authors, present the name of the second author in normal order. Place the word "and" before the second author's name.
4. For three or more authors, reverse the name of the first author as described above and follow it with a comma and et al. ("and others").

See the section on Books below for examples of how to handle different numbers of authors.

The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source.

For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story is the Title of source, and the anthology is the Title of container.

The names of months that are longer than four letters should be abbreviated in the works cited list:

Selected academic abbreviations

Note that wherever confusion may result, words should be spelled out in full.

ch. - chapter

ed. - edition

et al. - and others (Latin. et alii, et aliae, et alia)​

no. - number

par. - paragraph

P - Press (used in documentation, e.g. UP)

p., pp. - page, pages

rev. - revised

U - University (used in documentation, "U of Toronto P")

UP - University Press (used in documentation, "Harvard UP")

An article in an E-journal

Final works-cited list entry:

Note 1: Project MUSE is the name of the database

Note 2: When possible, cite a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) instead of a URL.

Book by two authors 

Follow "last name, first name" format for the first author;

Copy the name of the second author from title page and use commas to separate them; 

Put "and" before the last author.

For example, the entry for this book written by Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich would be presented as follows:

Books by three or more authors

Follow "last name, first name" format for the first author;

Use "et al." for other authors. This is an abbreviation of et alia, a Latin phrase meaning "and others". 

For example:

For e-books, include a persistent link to the work. DOIs are preferred over URLs when available. 

E-Books

Final works-cited list entry:

When citing an anthology or compilation:

• Begin your entry with the name of the editor, compiler or translator, and include this description of their role in the production of the work.
• If the person performed more than one function (e.g. served as both editor and translator), give both roles in order in which they appear on the title page.

Final works-cited-list entry:

When citing a particular work that forms part of a collection of distinct essays, stories, poems, chapters, etc., the book is treated as the container for the work.

Include the inclusive page numbers for the work within the book.

Final works-cited list entry:

When citing a translation:

• Consider whose work - the author's or the translator's - you are primarily referring to.
• If your citations are mostly to the work itself, state the author's name first, then give the translator's name after the title.
• If you are primarily referring to the translator's comments or choice of wording, start your citation with the translator's name, and then give the author's name after the title.

Examples:

To emphasize the original author's work:

​

Films and TV Shows

Begin with the title and then the name of the director. You can include information about key participants in the position of other contributors:​

Song from an album

Final works-cited list entry:

A Government Publication

Final works-cited list entry:

A Newspaper Article

Final works-cited-list entry:

Notes:

1. If an article does not have continuous pagination (e.g. starts on page B1 and continues on page B3) write only the first page number, followed by a plus sign: e.g. B1+.

2. If no page number is given, skip the information.

MLA does not prescribe a standard format for dissertations. We suggest using the basic format for books.