One of the primary features of the Modern Language Association (MLA) style is the Works Cited page. Basically, this part of the paper is a crucial aspect that contains the complete bibliographical information. Also, the Works Cited page MLA format facilitates the location of sources mentioned in parenthetical in-text citations. In particular, an in-depth discussion of MLA guidelines concerned with the Works Cited page focuses on the layout rules and core elements of a citation entry.
MLA Format Rules for Works Cited Page
The Works Cited page MLA format has some readily observable formatting. For instance, titling, indentation, spacing, period, and alphabetization formatting rules are fundamental concepts that dictate the appearance of the Works Cited page.
Title
Firstly, people center the title “Works Cited” horizontally at the top of the reference list. In this case, the title has no additional formatting, such as bolding, italicization, or quotation mark placement. Also, people place the Works Cited on a separate page at the end of the essay.
Indentation
Secondly, writers align all the citation entries with the left margin styled with a hanging indentation. For instance, they align the first line of any citation entry to the left margin while they indent the subsequent lines by half of an inch from the left margin.
Spacing in the MLA Format
Thirdly, there are no additional spaces between successive citation entry, being typically double spaced. In some cases, people may use single spacing where the essay’s text is single-spaced to maintain uniformity.
Period
Fourthly, writers place a period after each citation entry. Also, they apply this rule for the Works Cited page MLA format in instances where the last element in a citation means a uniform resource locator (URL).
Alpabetization in the Works Cited
Finally, people alphabetize the citation entries based on the author’s last name, organization name, or shortened title. For instance, if writers use titles for alphabetization, they consider the most significant word. In turn, it implies that articles are ignored.
Main Elements of the Works Cited Page in the MLA Style
Citation entries in the Works Cited page MLA format contain certain core elements. For example, the elements of each citation entry appear in a specific order: names of the author, source’s title, names of other contributors, version, numbers, publisher’s name, date of publication, and locators. Basically, the general format for citation of any source is essential because it allows authors to correctly cite various types of sources whose illustrations are not provided in the MLA Works Cited. The unique citation entry formats of most sources are provided in the MLA Works Cited example with adequate illustrations. As a result, examples of the citation formats of familiar sources are:
MLA Format for a Book:
Surname, First Name. Book’s Title. Name of the Publisher, Date of Publication.
Journal Article on the Works Cited Page :
Surname, First Name, and First Name Surname. “Article’s Title.” Name of the Journal, Volume Number, Issue Number, Date of Publication, Page Numbers. Name of Online Database, Digital Object Identifier.
Webpage:
Surname, First Name. “Webpage’s Title.” Name of the Website. Publisher’s Name, Date of Electronic Publication, URL.
Conclusion on Works Cited Page MLA Format
In conclusion, the Works Cited page MLA format has a unique presentation style defined by MLA guidelines. Moreover, people can read the arrangement of the individual elements of citation entries in the MLA format Works Cited. In turn, researchers and authors should put much effort into learning the guidelines for styling the Works Cited page by following the rules of the MLA research paper format and MLA example.