Prepare a bibliography note card for each source of information you use. Whether you summarize information you read or quote the information directly, you will need to have the following information about your source: author's first and last name (in some cases, it may be an editor's first and last name); the full title of the publication (this includes books, magazines, newspaper articles, encyclopedias, and web content); and the publication information (which includes the city of publication, the publisher's name, and the date of publication).
Understand that the wealth of information available does not always fit neatly into a general formula. Refer to a writer's handbook like Write for College (available from thewritesource.com) or online sites like easybib.com to be sure that you have collected all the information you need for your specific source.
Arrange your cards alphabetically by the authors' last names. If there is not an author's name available, or if the author is anonymous, arrange the card alphabetically by the first important word in the title of your source. For example, an author named Bates would precede an article entitled The Briny Waters of Atlantic Estuaries.
Follow the online format at a reliable web source such as www.liu.edu/CWIS/CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htm for typing and preparing your works cited page. If you use the easybib.com website, you can prepare your bibliography with very little effort by following their interactive directions.
Finish your research paper according to your instructor's directions. The bibliography, or works cited page, is usually the last thing you will do. The page will be typed, and all of your bibliography entries will be double-spaced. Remember that the first line of the entry will be flush with the left margin, and each additional line within an entry will be indented. Type carefully and be careful of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.