At this point in the research paper assignment, it is important to prepare a Works Cited page.
Our reference for the Works Cited page format (and for in-text citations) is the Purdue On-Line Writing Lab. Please click HERE to go to the MLA page--open this in a separate tab.
As you work on your Works Cited page, use the links on the left margin of the Purdue Owl page to navigate to the various formatting instructions.
Here are the main links you will use:
Works Cited Page Basic Format.
Sample Works Cited Page.
Format for Books.
Format for Periodicals.
Format for Electronic Sources (websites, databases, YouTube, etc).
There are other links for other kinds of sources, but these are the main formatting models that students will use.
How to proceed: Have a look at the sample Works Cited Page. Look carefully at the formatting. To set your Works Cited page to this format, go to the tabs across the top of the Word program, and select "View" and then select "Ruler." Look at the little square and the little triangles on the left edge (this will match the left margin) of the ruler. With a little experimentation, students will quickly learn how they can adjust the formatting of their citations so they follow the proper format. The first line of each entry goes all the way to the margin, and then subsequent lines in each entry are indented four or five spaces. The formatting is, to to speak, the "opposite" of a paragraph, where the first line is indented four or five spaces, and the subsequent lines go to the margin.
When formatting your page, remember to:
1) Double space with no extra lines between entries (or "paragraphs").
2) Set for Times New Roman size 12.
3) Arrange your entries in alphabetical order based on the first word in each entry.
The first word in each entry (usually the last name of an author) is called the "Signal Phrase." These signal phrases are the words you will use in the body of your paper in your in-text citations.
In-Text Citations will be the next subject appearing in this Composition website. Look for this early next week.
What else? Please click HERE to view a sample paper.
It will take a few minutes, but students will find that putting together a Works Cited page is easy. It's just a matter of looking up the format for each kind of entry (book, periodical article, web site, etc.) and carefully arranging the entry so it matches the proper format.
Make no mistake, the Works Cited page takes some concentration. However, once the Works Cited page is out of the way, students can relax and focus on the fun part: writing about their subjects.
