Writing a Bibliography in MLA Format

Acknowledging and crediting the sources you use in your paper are integral parts of the writing process. MLA style guides writers in citing sources in two places: in the text and in the bibliography at the end of a paper. Every author or work you cite in the body of your paper will need to be cited in the bibliography; additionally, add any sources to the bibliography you consulted or used for research. This allows interested readers to easily find your sources if they want further information.

Instructions

    • 1

      Begin a new page at the end of your essay or paper. This page should have the same margins as the rest of your paper.

    • 2

      Label your page "Bibliography," centering the title at the top. Double-space after this.

    • 3

      Set up a hanging indent for your list using your word processing software. The first line of each citation will be flushed left. Each subsequent line will need to be indented five spaces underneath the first line. Double-space between each citation.

    • 4

      Add the first citation at the left margin. The first citation should be the first in alphabetical order by the author's last name. For example, "Abbott" will come before "Berkley," even if you cited Berkley earlier in your paper than Abbott.

    • 5

      Add a comma after the last name, then add the author's first name, followed by the middle name or middle initial. Add a period after the name. If there is more than one author, add each additional author with the author's first name followed by last name. For example:

      Abbott, James and George Berkley.

    • 6

      Add the title of the work in quotation marks using title case.

    • 7

      Add the publisher and publication location, followed by a date.

    • 8

      Add the type of media. This is usually either "Print" or "Web." A complete citation might look like this:

      Abbott, James and George Berkley. "This is a Fictional Title." New York: Springer, 2009. Print.

      If your citation is two or more lines long, don't forget to use a hanging indent for every line after the first.

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