Research Help (Big 6)  » MLA Citation Format

Instructions Use this page for general directions about the MLA format. For specific examples of Works Cited entries, see the District 214 Citation Guide.

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Part 1: MLA Paper Format

Part 2: Works Cited

• Margins
  
  Top: 1 inch
  Bottom: 1 inch
  Sides: 1 inch
  
  Margin indent: 1/2 inch (5 spaces)
  Indented blocks of text: 1 inch in from left margin (10 spaces)
  
  Running head (your last name and page number) 1/2 down from top margin, flush with left margin

• Heading
  
  Begin at top left of paper.    [The entire heading is double spaced.]
  
  

  Directions: Line 1: Your name Line 2: Your teacher's name Line 3: The name and number of your class Line 4: The date

  Example: Susie Jones Mr. Smith American Lit 24 Oct. 2007

• Title
  
  Begins one line down from the heading
  Each important word is capitalized
  Entire title is centered
  Use the same font and text style as the body of the paper

• Font
  
  Use size 12 font

• Spacing
  
  Double space the entire paper
  Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs

• Page numbers
  
  Page numbers are added in the header
  The Works Cited is given the page number immediately following the body of the paper

• Include a citation for every in-text reference (parenthetical notation) used in the body of the project.

You will have entries in your working bibliography that you end up not referring to in your project, and they will be left out of the Works Cited.

• The Works Cited begins on a new page, with the title centered.
  

• The entire Works Cited is double spaced, with no additional spaces between entries.

• The entire Works Cited is alphabetized by the main entry.           
  

When no author is listed, the main entry (the first thing listed) is the title, ignoring 'A,' 'An,'
and 'The.'   Those entries are alphabetized in with those having the author as the main entry.

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Copyright 2006 Carolyn Jackson