Documenting in the MLA style

Works Cited is an alphabetized list of resources that a writer has used in the research process: books, magazines, articles, etc.  There is a standard form for preparing such a list.  When listing resources, put them in alphabetical order by the first word in each entry.  Do not separate resources by type (book, magazine, etc).  This page is to be titled Works Cited - do not underline or quote title.

Book

Author's last name, first name.  Title.  Place of publication:  Publisher, latest copyright date.  (If listing is longer, indent the second line.)

Littell, Mary Ann.  LSD.  New York:  Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1996.

Entry in a Reference Book 

"Title of article."  Title of reference book.  Latest copyright date followed by ed.  (If listing is longer, indent the second line.)

"Journalism."  World Book Encyclopedia.  1999 ed.

CD-ROM

Author's last name, first name.  "Title of  the CD-ROM."  CD-ROM.  City and state where CD-ROM was published : Software Company, latest copyright date.     

Honig, Joel.  "Seattle World's Fair."  Scribner's American History and Culture.  CD-ROM.  New York, NY:  Scribner's Sons, 1998.

Magazine or Newspaper Article from the Electric Library

Author's last name, first name (if given).  "Title of Article."  Title of the Magazine.  Day abbreviated month and year of magazine or section of newspaper.  Page number (magazine only).  Title of Electric Library Service<web address>  (date you accessed the site).

Bly, Laura.  "10 Great Places to Discover a Whale of a Tale."  USA Today.  4 Jan. 2002, D. Electric Library http://www.elibrary.com. (8 Feb. 2002).

A Map (found online)

"Title of Map."  Map.  Title of publication in which you found the map.  Publisher of the map. Day abbreviated month and year of publication. <web address>.

"Washington."  Map.  U.S. Gazetteer.  US Census Bureau.  30 June 1998.   http://www.census.gov.

A Picture (found online):  

Artist's or photographer's last name, first name.  Title of picture.  Date of picture.  Name of museum and city where picture is stored.  Day abbreviated month and year of publication.  <web address>.

Delacroix, Eugene.  Death of Ophelia.  1853.  Louvre, Paris.  7 Apr. 1997. http://www.cc.emory.edu/ENGLISH/classes/Delacroix.Ophelia.html.

MLA Parenthetical References

Parenthetical References are used to direct the reader of your research paper to the exact page, volume or chapter of the information you quote or paraphrase.  These references are to be used with a complete "Works Cited" list at the end of your paper.  Do not use endnotes or footnotes.

Books:  Use page number in parenthesis if quoting part of a book.  If quoting whole book, no page number is needed.

McRae's The Literature of Science includes many examples of this trend.  

OR

Another engaging passage is the opening of Isabel Allende's story, "Toad's Mouth" (83).

Reference Book:  Use the title of the book in the sentence and page number.

The World Book Encyclopedia states that 513,000 refugees from Ethiopia, Uganda, Chad and Zaire are living in Sudan (608).

CD-ROM:  Use the author of the CD ROM's name and the title of the CD ROM in the sentence or use in parenthesis.

"Seattle World's Fair" states that Elvis' six shows were completely sold out (Honig).

Material from a Personal or Professional Website:  Use the website in the sentence.

According to www.dictionary.com, the term denier is a unit of weight used to express the fineness of silk.

A Map or Picture:  Label Fig. 1 (2,3 and so on) and give it a title or caption directly below the picture.

Fig. 1.  Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child.

OR

Fig. 2.  Washington.