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MLA

A guide to using MLA 9th referencing style

Works cited checklist

Formatting

  • The list of works cited appears at the end of the paper, with the heading 'Works Cited' centred at the top of the page.
  • Use a hanging indent for all entries (where second and subsequent lines are indented).
  • A double space appears between the heading and the first entry. 
  • Double space the entire list (within and between entries).
  • Hyperlink all URLs included and check that they are functional. Remove the protocol (http or https) from the beginning of the URL, unless the link is to a DOI.

Entry organisation

  • All entries are arranged alphabetically by the first author's surname.
  • Works without an author are alphabetised by title (ignoring a, an, the).
  • If you cite more than one work by the same lead author and the same coauthors (in the same order), the author is only named in the first entry. Subsequent entries use three hyphens (---.) or three dashes (–––.) followed by a full stop in the author element, instead of the author's name.
  • Check that each citation in your Works Cited list has a matching in-text citation in your assignment.

Author name formatting

  • The first author's name is inverted (Surname, Given name(s)). (However, maintain the original order for authors whose cultural naming conventions place the family name first.)
  • For multi-authored works, additional authors are listed in normal order.

Sample Works Cited

Works Cited

 

Abrahamson, Mark. Urban Sociology: A Global Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2014.

Allen, Heath. Interpreting and Clarifying Quine's Indeterminacy Thesis. 2011. Oklahoma State U, Master of Arts. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, www.proquest.com/pq1academic/dissertations-theses/interpreting-clarifying-quine-s-indeterminacy/docview/1626750905/sem-2?accountid=8194.

Bee, Helen, and Denise Boyd. The Developing Child. 12th ed., Allyn and Bacon, 2014.

Bryant, Mark. "Renaissance Literature." ENGL359, 28 Mar. 2018, Australian Catholic U.

Dune: Part Two. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Legendary Pictures, 2024. Apple TV app.

Hindricks, Frank. "Language and Society." The Sage Handbook of the Philosophy of Social Sciences, edited by Ian C. Jarvie and Jesús Zamora-Bonilla, Sage, 2011, pp. 137-52. Sage Research Methods, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473913868.n6. 

Household and Family Projections, Australia, 2021-2046. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28 June 2024, www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/household-and-family-projections-australia/2021-2046.

Looking for Infinity: El Camino. Directed by Aaron Leaman, Umbrella Entertainment, 2017. Kanopy, www.kanopy.com/en/acu/video/963240.

Reilly, Alex. "Beyond the Pale: Rethinking the Fences Between Us." Griffith Review, no. 61, 2018, pp. 116-125. Informit, search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=761410495064886;res=IELAPA.

Report on Government Services 2024: Child Care, Education and Training (Part B). Australian Government Productivity Commission, 2024, www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2024/child-care-education-and-training.

Smith, Edward W.L. "Informed by the Ancients: Norse Mythology and Psychotherapy." Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, vol. 40, no. 3, 1999, pp. 217-220. Wiley Online, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9450.00119.

Semler, Liam E. "Should Taylor Swift be Taught Alongside Shakespeare? A Professor of Literature Says Yes." The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2024, theconversation.com/should-taylor-swift-be-taught-alongside-shakespeare-a-professor-of-literature-says-yes-223312.

Soler Gallert, Marta. Achieving Social Impact: Sociology in the Public Sphere. Springer, 2017. Springer Link, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60270-7.

Werner, Sarah, "Weaving a Feminist Book History." Wynken de Worde, Wordpress, 17 Mar. 2018, sarahwerner.net/blog/2018/03/weaving-a-feminist-book-history/.