What is a References or Works Cited List?

According to most research formatting "styles", like MLA or APA, you must have a Works Cited page at the end of your research project.
All entries in the Works Cited page must correspond to the works cited in your main text. The References or Works Cited page is a trail of breadcrumbs that shows the reader precisely where (and sometimes how) you accessed the information you have used as support.

By reading your References or Works Cited page, your audience should be able to find the exact same information that you use in your paper.

Basic Rules

Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.

Label the page Works Cited (do not underline the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.

List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as 225-50.

If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved from an online database, you should provide enough information so that the reader can locate the article either in its original print form or retrieve it from the online database (if they have access).

Back to Citation Style Links