Making a Works Cited Page

Why is it important to give credit to sources when

doing research?

6.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or

paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for

sources.

Objectives

• Using correct MLA format, write a correct citation as it should look in a works cited page.

• Be able to distinguish between citation formats of books, encyclopedias, magazines, and websites.

A works cited page is a list of sources used in a research paper. Another name for the works cited page is bibliography.

Bibliography

• In Greek, biblio means book.• Graph means something that is written.• Put the two together, and you have

bibliography – a list of books.• In modern times, we use online sources as

well as books, so a bibliography also includes those.

It is important to list the sources you have used in your research because:

• You are giving credit to the person who originally provided the information.

• Having reliable sources helps to prove that your work is based on solid research.

• Listing the sources helps other people know where to look for additional information on your topic.

Use the correct form:

• The title of the page is Works Cited. Don’t add quotation marks or italics here.• You should double-space the entire list.• The first word of each entry (usually the

author’s name) starts at the margin. All other lines of the entry are indented 5 spaces.

Sample page: Works Cited

"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental

Defense Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web, 24

May 2009.

Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate

Change.” New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25

May 2009.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-

evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of

Sustainable Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36.

Capitalization and Punctuation

Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles (a, the, an), prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle: Examples:

Gone with the Wind The Art of War There Is Nothing to Lose

There are several different ways to arrange the information on your works cited page. Two of these are:• MLA Style• APA Style

The thing to remember is that you must be sure to use the style your teacher gives you, and you must follow that style very carefully. Be consistent.

Each type of material has a certain form that should be used when citing it. The examples here are in MLA style.

For Example:

Citation for a Book:Roth, Veronica. Divergent. New York: HarperCollins, 2011.

Citation for an Encyclopedia:"Franklin Delano Roosevelt.“ Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013.

Citation for a Website:"New York." CultureGrams States Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 19 Sep 2013.

Citation for a Magazine Article:Ross, Brooke. "Supreme Court Watch." Junior Scholastic 7 Jan. 2013: 8 - 12.

Now You Try It.

Correct Form:

Citation for a Book:Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar. Book of Greek Myths.

New York: Doubleday, 1962.

Citation for an Encyclopedia:“Snow.” World Book Encyclopedia, 2014.

• Citation for a Magazine Article:James, Susannah. “Chasing Twisters." Science

World 23 Mar. 2014: 8 - 12. • Citation for a Website:“Demeter." Gods and Heroes. Mythweb, 2014. Web. 29 Dec 2014.

Exit TicketWrite down one fact you took away from this lesson.