Definition · Plain-language
Works Cited
A Works Cited list is the alphabetised list of sources actually cited in a paper, placed at the end and formatted to MLA style.
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What goes on a Works Cited list
A Works Cited list contains an entry for every source quoted, paraphrased or otherwise referred to in the body of an MLA-style paper — and only those sources. If you read something but never cited it, it does not belong here. Each entry is built from the MLA "core elements" in a set order: author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date and location. The list lets a reader trace every in-text citation back to its full source, which is the whole point of referencing.
Works Cited vs References vs Bibliography
The three terms are close but not interchangeable. "Works Cited" is MLA’s term for a cited-only list. "References" is the equivalent in APA (and several other styles) — also cited-only, but formatted to APA rules. A "Bibliography" is broader: in Chicago and general usage it can include background reading and works consulted but not actually cited, though Chicago’s notes–bibliography bibliography in practice usually lists the cited sources too. The safe rule: Works Cited and References are cited-only; a Bibliography may go wider.
Ordering and the hanging indent
Entries are alphabetised letter by letter by the first element, normally the author’s surname; works with no author are alphabetised by title, ignoring an initial "A", "An" or "The". Each entry uses a hanging indent: the first line is flush left and every subsequent line is indented (0.5 inch in MLA), which makes the alphabetised surnames easy to scan. The list is double-spaced throughout with no extra blank lines between entries, and the heading "Works Cited" is centred at the top of a new page.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: MLA list of the sources actually cited in a paper
- Contains: cited sources only — not background reading
- Order: alphabetical by author surname (or title if no author)
- Format: double-spaced with a 0.5-inch hanging indent
- APA term: "References" is the APA equivalent (cited-only)
- Bibliography: a broader list that may include works consulted, not just cited
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: A Works Cited list and a Bibliography are the same thing.
Actually: A Works Cited list (MLA) includes only sources you actually cited. A bibliography can be broader, listing works you consulted or read for background even if you did not cite them.
Often heard: You should list every source you read while researching.
Actually: A Works Cited list is cited-only. Include an entry solely for sources you quoted, paraphrased or referred to in the text; uncited background reading is left off.
Often heard: Entries are numbered in the order they appear in the text.
Actually: MLA Works Cited entries are alphabetised by author surname (or by title when there is no author), not numbered or ordered by appearance. Numbered, appearance-ordered lists belong to styles such as Vancouver or IEEE.
Going deeper
