Works-Cited Format

Home Policies Library Resources Internet Links MLA Guidelines Works-Cited Format Book Lists Copyright Web Evaluation Research Starters

The Pleasant Valley School District requires all students to document the sources they use for written reports and multimedia projects using the latest edition of the MLA Handbook.  A copy of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition, is available in the library's reference collection.  The PVHS Library Handbook and MLA Style Manual includes the MLA style for the list of works cited, the MLA format for the research paper, and samples of the first page, outline,  and works-cited page of a research paper.

You may view the works-cited format as a Word™ document here.

Guidelines for MLA parenthetical citation.

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

There are three ways of incorporating other writers’ work into your own writing.  You will want to carefully blend source material you find through your research with your own writing.  Make sure that your own voice is heard.

Quotations

Quotations must be identical to the original source.  Quote only words, phrases, lines, and passages that are particularly interesting or unusual and keep all quotations as brief as possible.  Changes must not be made in the spelling, capitalization, or punctuation of the quote.  You must attribute all quotes to the original author. Avoid over quoting. Weaving quotes into your own writing will ensure that your voice is heard.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage –phrase by phrase– from your source into your own words.  Your paraphrase should be of equal or shorter length than the original passage.  Remember: a paraphrase is a complete rewriting, not just a rearrangement of the words.  A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source.

Summarizing

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) of a passage into your own words.  Summaries are significantly shorter than the original because they are limited to only the main ideas.  You must be careful not to change or distort the meaning of the original work.  Again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.

Some Important Reminders:

§         Never leave a quote or paraphrase by itself – you must introduce it, explain it, and show how it relates to your thesis.

§         You need not always reproduce complete sentences.  Sometimes you may want to quote just a word or phrase as part of your sentence.

§         A colon usually precedes quoted material if it is formally introduced.  Otherwise, a comma precedes a quotation if it is integrated into your sentence.

§         If a quotation runs to more than four lines in your paper, set it off from your text by beginning a new line, indenting one inch from the left margin and typing it double-spaced, without adding quotation marks.

§         If you find the same information in three or more different sources you can conclude that this information is “common knowledge.”  Common knowledge information does not require documentation.  If you are not sure whether particular information is common knowledge, give credit to your source with a citation!

§         Direct quotations should be used selectively; the majority of your paper should be written in your own words.

  Parenthetical Citations

What are parenthetical citations?

Parenthetical citations are short references included in the text of your paper or project to show your reader where you found each piece of information that you have paraphrased, summarized, or quoted.

Why do I need to include parenthetical citations?

Parenthetical citations direct your reader to the source in your alphabetical list of works cited. This allows your reader to locate the exact source for further study. You need to give credit to the original source of information; otherwise, you will be plagiarizing or stealing another person’s work.

When do I need to use a parenthetical citation?

Whenever you paraphrase, summarize, or quote information from a source and include it in your work.

How do I create proper citations?

Usually the author’s last name and a page reference are enough to identify the source and the specific location from which you borrowed material. However, if your source has no author, generally you will use the first word in the title from your works cited list. See specific examples below.

Where do I place parenthetical citations?

Citations are placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence following the borrowed material.

Remember: 

For each entry in your list of Works Cited, you must have at least one corresponding parenthetical citation within the body of your paper. The purpose of a parenthetical citation is to point your reader to referenced work in the list of Works Cited. 

Parenthetical Predicament

Example

Author in Reference

When you do NOT mention the author’s name in your sentence, the author’s name and page number are placed in parentheses at the end of your sentence followed by a period.

 

The sinking of the Titanic has been called one of the greatest disasters of all time (Benton 28).

Author in Text

When you mention the author’s name in your sentence, the page number is placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence followed by a period.

 

Benton asserts that the Titanic has been called one of the greatest disasters of all time (28).

Two or More Works by the Same Author

When you cite more than one work by the same author you need to include a word from the title to distinguish between/among resources. Place a comma between the author’s name and the title.

 

Baseball players and wrestlers have traditionally been heavy users of chewing smokeless tobacco (Nardo, Drugs 68).

 

“Pro wrestling’s transformation from a sport into a form of entertainment caused major newspapers and serious sports journalists to lose interest” (Nardo, Wrestling 75).

Two or Three Authors

When the work has two or three authors give the last name of each person listed.

Others, like Lord and Padfield (310), stated that the Titanic really was not unsinkable as first believed.

 

Others stated that the Titanic really was not unsinkable as first believed to be true (Lord and Padfield 310).

 

More than Three Authors

When the work has more than three authors use the Latin term “et al.” which means “and others” after the first author’s last name.

 

(Smith et al. 23).

Work Listed by Title

When the work has NO AUTHOR begin with the word by which the resource is alphabetized in your works-cited list.

 

If the work is mentioned in your text, simply give the page reference.

 

International espionage was as prevalent as ever in the 1990s (“Decade” 26).

 

 

As discussed in “Decade of the Spy,” international espionage was as prevalent as ever in the 1990s (26).

 

Same Article Title with No Author

When you have two or more articles with no author and the same title, you need to include a publication fact that distinguishes the works in the works-cited list entries.

 

 

At one time, it was believed that the mind simply turned off during sleep, or that the soul left the body during sleep. (“Sleep,” Gale 3397).

 

Modern research suggests that sleep deprivation lasting up to 10 days shows no serious, prolonged consequences (“Sleep,” World 1085).

 

Anonymous Books whose Titles Begin with the Same Word

When you have two or more books or articles with no author and the same first word in the title, you need to include as many words as possible to distinguish between/among them.

 

The mid-1960s saw a great revival of interest in the folk blues, leading to the rediscovery of many very talent performers (History of Blues 53).

 

“The last years of the Babylonian Empire witnessed far-reaching changes”(History of the Jewish 164).

Indirect Source

When you quote or paraphrase a quotation from a book or article that appeared somewhere else.

 

As Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said, “One word of truth outweighs the world” (qtd. in Roy 381).

Direct Quote

To indicate short quotations enclose the direct quote within double quotation marks, and provide the author and specific page citation.

 

If you incorporate the author’s name in your text, simply provide the page reference.

 

 

Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.

 

Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are part of your text.

 

It may be true that “Poe’s ghost stories are among the most famous in the world” (Sheldon 9).

 

 

It may be true, as Sheldon maintains, that “Poe’s ghost stories are among the most famous in the world” (9).

 

According to some, dreams express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.

 

Is it possible that dreams may express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes 184) ?

 

 

Long Quote

When you cite a long quotation (four lines or more) that is set off from the text, omit the quotation marks. Generally, a colon introduces a long quotation. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

 

      Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:

They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Brontë 78)

 

Shortened Quote

Whenever you omit a word, phrase, sentence or more from a passage, use ellipsis points to indicate the missing portion of the original quotation. Use three periods with a space before each and a space after the last.

 

The examples show a quotation with an ellipsis in the middle and a quotation with an ellipsis at the end.

In surveying various responses to plagues in the middle ages, Barbara W. Tuchman writes, “Medical thinking . . . stressed air as the communicator of disease, ignoring sanitation or visible carriers” (101-02).

 

In surveying various responses to plagues in the middle ages, Barbara W. Tuchman writes, “Medical thinking, trapped in the theory of astral influences, stressed air as the communicator of disease . . . ” (101-02).

 

Literary and Religious Works

When you cite a literary work: it is helpful to provide more information than just the page number so that the reader will be able to locate the passage in any edition.

 

When citing classic poems and plays, omit page numbers and cite by act; scene, book, or part; and line numbers separating the various numbers with periods.

 

When citing the Bible, make clear which Bible you're using in the first parenthetical citation, followed by, chapter and verse.

 

 Raskolnikov first appears in Crime and Punishment as a man contemplating a terrible act but frightened of meeting his talkative landlady on the stairs (Dostoevsky 1; pt. 1, ch.1).

Shakespeare’s Hamlet seems resolute when he declares, “The play’s the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King” (2.2.633-34).

Ezekiel saw “what seemed to be four living creatures,” each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).

Web Site

When you cite information from a web document, page numbers of a printout should not be cited.

 

 The history of roller coasters can be traced back to the times of Catherine the Great of Russia (“Century”).

“A Century of Screams: The History of the Roller Coaster.” The American Experience Coney Island Ed. David Lindsay. 2000. PBS. 27 Feb. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/sfeature/ history.html>.

Web Site with Counted Paragraphs/Screens

If an electronic source counts paragraphs or screens, put the author’s name plus the appropriate paragraph/screen.

 

Unearthing the mummies may take years (Phelps, par. 23).

 

Beethoven has been called the “first politically motivated composer,” for he was “caught up in the whole ferment of ideas that came out of the French Revolution” (Gardiner, screens 2-3).

 

Personal Interview

When you include information from a personal interview cite the last name of the person interviewed.

 

 “Private duty nursing affords me the opportunity to tailor my work schedule around my family’s needs” (Jones).

Works-Cited FAQ

Q.    What is Works Cited?

A.     The Pleasant Valley School District has adopted the Modern Language Association (MLA) style for completing a works-cited list. The works cited is an alphabetical list of materials placed at the end of your paper, project, or presentation. It includes only those works actually cited in the body of your paper, speech, presentation, etc. If your list includes works consulted but not actually cited, use the title “Bibliography” or “Works Consulted.”

Q.    How are the terms Works Cited, Works Consulted, and Bibliography used?

A.     All are lists of resources used in conducting research. The Works-Cited list may only include those materials you actually documented within the text of your paper. The title Works Consulted indicates that the list is not confined to works cited in the paper. A bibliography, on the other hand, is a selected list of resources on a given topic.

Q.    When do I need a Works Cited?

R.    A works-cited list should be included with each paper, project, or presentation.

Q.    Why do I need a Works Cited?

A.     You must document sources by indicating what information you have used--whether facts, opinions, or quotations--and where you found this information. Works Cited also provides the reader with a list of sources for further information.  To use another person's ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source is plagiarism.

Q.    Where do I place a Works Cited?

A.     The list of works cited is the last page of a paper.  It is attached to a project.  Multi-media presentations will include a Works Cited screen at the end of the presentation.

Q.    How do I make a Works Cited?

A.     Follow these guidelines for creating a works cited:

1.      Refer to the step-by-step instructions for creating an MLA style research paper using Microsoft Word™ contained in this handbook.

2.      Underline all titles of books, periodicals, and software. Titles of articles are placed in quotation marks.

3.      Note the punctuation in each example and follow it exactly.

4.      If required information is not available, simply ignore that part.

5.      Arrange all sources in alphabetical order by the first letter of the entry, ignoring a, an and the. The list of works cited is not numbered.

6.      For more specifics, consult your Library Handbook or the MLA Handbook, available in the library’s reference collection.

Q.    Are there other styles of documentation besides MLA?

A.     Yes, every scholarly field has its preferred style, or set of guidelines for writing. The MLA style is widely accepted in humanities disciplines. You will encounter other styles in college depending on your selected major and/or professors’ requirements. Selected copies of other style manuals are available in your school library’s reference collection.

 

Top of Page Home Policies Library Resources Internet Links
MLA Guidelines Book Lists Copyright Guidelines Web Evaluation Research Starters