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Citation Style: MLA: Basic Rules

A LibGuide for the MLA Citation Style

Work Cited Lists: Basic Rules (From OWL Writing Lab)

  • All lines after the first line of each entry: Indent 1/2 inch from left margin
  • Author names: Inverted (Last name first, Initials)
  • All entries: Alphabetized by the last name of the first author
  • Multiple articles by the same author, or authors listed in the same order: List entries in chronological order (from earliest to most recent)
  • Journal title
    • Present in full
    • Maintain the punctuation and capitalization used by the journal in its title
    • Capitalize all major words
  • Books, chapters, articles, or web pages: 
    • Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title or subtitle the first word after a colon or a dash in a title, and proper nouns
    • Do not capitalize the first letter of the second word in a hyphenated compound word
  • Longer works such as books and Journal: Italicize the titles
  • Shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections: Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around 

For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychology Association, 6th edition, 2nd printing).

Source: OWL/Contributors: Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck.ll Keck.

Additional Resources

  • Sample Reference List (From OWL)