Works Cited Page Checklist
Hamden High School
Use the checklist below to make sure
your Works Cited page is correctly
formatted.


The Works Cited page appears on
a new page at the end of your
paper.
Each entry begins at the left margin. If the entry takes up more
than one line, the subsequent
lines are indented 5 spaces.

Author’s last name is before his/
her first name.

Each main word in the title is
capitalized.

Titles of books and periodicals
are underlined or italicized.

Titles of articles and chapters are
in quotation marks.

The entries are listed in alphabetical order.

The title of the page (Works
Cited) is centered at the top of
the page.

Hyperlinks are removed.

The entire page is double spaced.

Only those sources that are cited
within the paper are listed.

Each entry ends with a period.
For More Information:
Library
Media Center
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
This web site from Purdue University contains more information
about MLA formatting.
www.bibme.org
This site contains a citation maker.
You simply type the information
about your source and it constructs
the citation for you. (Just remember to double check the format of
these entries!)
Guide to MLA
Documentation
@ Your Library
The Library staff is available to help
you. Just ask!
Hamden High School
Library Media Center
2040 Dixwell Avenue
Hamden, CT 06514
(203) 407.2040 ext. 5555
Library Media Specialists:
Ms. Sara Whalen ([email protected])
Ms. Kathy Gentile ([email protected])
A resource for HHS
students and their teachers
Using MLA
Documentation
Modern Language Association
(MLA) style is commonly used to
write essays and cite sources. By
using MLA format, the writer is able
to increase the credibility of his/her
work.
Writers who correctly use MLA
are protecting themselves from
accusations of plagiarism; thus,
the proper use of the MLA format is an important part of
any research project.
Learning how to use MLA now
will be an asset to you since it is a
writing style that will follow you beyond the walls of Hamden High
School.
WHEN?
Cite Information When...
 You use someone else’s
words, ideas, or opinions.
 You make a claim that could
be challenged.
 You paraphrase information
from a source (give the meaning but change the wording).
Do Not to Cite When...
 You use common knowledge.
 You use your own opinion or
idea.
Parenthetical Citations
Works Cited Entries
In MLA style, in-text citations, called parenthetical
citations, are used to document information cited in
your paper. The parenthetical citations direct readers
to the complete entry on the Works Cited page, located at the end of your paper.
Use the following format to complete your
works cited entries.
A book
Format:
If the author's name is written in the text
If you introduce the author's name in your sentence,
then cite the page number in parentheses:
Ray Bradbury wrote, “There’s more than one way to
burn a book” (189).
Last name, First name of author. Title of Book.
Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright date.
Sample:
Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage:
Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the
Opening of the American West. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1996.
According to Julia Child, cooking is art (12).
If the author's name is not in the text
If the author's name is not used in your sentence,
then include the author's last name in the parenthetical citation before the page number. Note that
no comma appears between the author's name and
the page number.
Human beings have been described as "symbolusing animals" (Burke 3).
According to one study, young children should be
read to every night (Smith 173).
If no author is identified
If a source does not include an author's name, substitute for the author's name for the title (or an abbreviated title) in the text or parenthetical citation.
Underline the title if the source is a book; if the
source is an article, use quotation marks:
Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was designated as a
National Historical Site in 1959 (“National Parks” 1).
According to the article “National Parks,” Lincoln’s
birthplace was designated as a National Historical
Site in 1959 (1).
A Web Site
Format:
Last name, First name of author. “Title of
Page.” Title of Larger Site. Date of publi
cation. Name of Associated Institution
or sponsor. Date of Access. <http://
URL.com>.
Sample:
Smith, Jane. “How to Use MLA.” The Owl of
Purdue. 2005. Purdue University.Nov. 25,
2010. <http://owl.enlish.purdue.edu>.
Article from on Online Database
Format:
Last name, First name of author. “Title of Article.”
Periodical Title. Date of print publication:
pages. Database Name. Publisher. Name of
providing library. Date of access. <http://
URL.com>.
Sample:
Healey, Christina. “A Case for Censor ship.” Points
of View: Banning Books. February 2010: 3.
Points of View Reference Center. Ebsco.
Hamden High School Library. Nov. 25, 2010.
<http://ebscohost.com>.