LPC Library - Format & Information, Parenthetical Documentation, Sample Works Cited List

MLA Format

Papers should be typed, double spaced, including the works cited list; with 1 inch margins all around; student's last name and page numbers at the top right margin, ½-inch from the top (see sample).

Title Page: Center the title of the paper in capital letters and either underlined, bolded or italicized; about 3 inches from the top of the page. Center your name, about 3 inches below that; then about 1 inch lower, center the date and put the instructor's name is directly below the date; next the class for which the paper is written is directly below that.

First Page of Text: Begin about 1-1/2 inches from the top; the rest of the pages should return to the 1 inch margin.

Cite Sources: All direct quotes must be cited; all ideas or facts taken from some other writer, even though in your own words, must be cited. It is PLAGIARISM if you copy another's words without quoting! If you paraphrase another's ideas or words without giving credit to the author, it is also PLAGIARISM! A good student guide from Indiana University's Writing Tutorial Services can be found at Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It and an LPC guide can be found in Las Positas College Academic Honesty Statement.

Works Cited: Start the list of works cited (or bibliography) on a new page, following the body of the paper. Double space between the title and the first entry. Double space the entire list, between entries as well as within entries. Begin the entry flush with the left margin. If an entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent lines five spaces from the left margin. Alphabetize the citations by the first word of each entry, ignoring A, AN and THE. See below for sample "Works Cited List."

Parenthetical Documentation

MLA recommends parenthetical documentation instead of footnoting. Parenthetical documentation is a brief reference in the paper directly after the sentence or paragraph in which you quote from the book or use its ideas. (Author 27) referring to page 27 of a book listed in the Works Cited takes the place of a footnote. (Author 27) guides the reader of the paper to the full entry for that author in the Works Cited. If the Works Cited lists a work by title, use a shortened form of the title and page number. Examples follow.
When the author is mentioned in the sentence only put the page number in the parentheses. Place the period after the parentheses, not within the quotation marks. For example: Carter Hardy believes that the "increased intake of sugar cereals among teachers has significantly raised classroom narcolepsy" (106).
When the author is not mentioned by name, put both the author's last name and the page number in the parentheses. Do not put a comma in between them. For example: "Increased intake of sugar cereals among teachers has significantly raised classroom narcolepsy" (Hardy 106).
When there is no author, use the first word (or first few words) of the title of the book or article (article title words in quotations). Many people lament the loss of quality television time to the imposition of family interaction ("America" 33).
When there are multiple authors: Two authors: "If you think about it, the human species produces more tin foil than plastic wrap" (Clinton and Bush 90). Three authors: (Clinton, Bush, and Reagan 99). More than three authors: (Clinton et al. 104.)
When using a quote that was already a quote in your sources: Lou Reed told us to "Take a walk on the wild side" (qtd. In Roller). In this situation, the quote by Lou Reed was found by the student as a quote in a book by Roller.
If your information is from a full-text article from a database or the Internet, there may be no page number. If so, use (Author n.pag.) to show that no pagination was available.

Important Information

Remember that Works Cited lists are alphabetized by the first word of each citation.

Ignore A, AN, or THE when alphabetizing.

Double space your Works Cited List within and between entries.

Indent 5 spaces after first line in the citation.

Title your works cited list "Works Cited".

Common Abbreviations Used in Works Cited Lists

comp. - compiler, compiled by
ed. - editor, edition, edited by
eds. - editors
n.d. - no date of publication
n.p. - no publisher given
n.p. - no place of publication
n.pag. - page numbering not available
prod. - producer, produced by
pt. - part
qtd. - quoted
rept. - report, reported by
rev. - review, reviewed by, revision, revised, revised by
rpt. - reprint, reprinted by
trans. - translator, translation, translated by
U - University
UP - University Press
vol. - volume
writ. - writer, written by
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.

Works Cited Sample Page

The following shows a complete works cited page for a paper on aids. Includes appropriate citations for print and online encyclopedia articles, books, magazine, newspaper, and journal articles from the actual periodicals or full-text databases, videotapes, and a web site.

Student Last Name 15

Works Cited

ADHD: Symptoms & Treatments. 2006. Aquarius Health Care Media. DVD.

Blackman, James A, and Van D Westervelt. “Management of Preschool Children with Attention Deficit-hyperactivity Disorder.” Topics in

Early Childhood Special Education 11.2 (1991): 91+. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.

Ford-Martin, Paula, and Teresa G Odle. “Attention-deficit /‌ Hyperactivity Disorder.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jaqueline

Long. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 456-9. Print.

Rafalovich, Adam. “Responding to ADHD: School Curricula, Simplified Assignments and Gender.” Framing ADHD Children. Boulder:

Lexington, 2004. 109-129. Print.

Salend, Spencer. “Students With Attention Deficit Disorders.” Intervention in School 38.5 (2003): 259-66. Academic Search Premier.

Web. 4 Oct. 2007.

Stevenson, Ralph. Personal interview. 4 Feb. 2010.

“Suggested Classroom Interventions For Children With ADD & Learning Disabilities.” Child Development Institute. Child Development

Institute, 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. <http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/‌learning/‌teacher.shtml>.

Szegedy-Maszak, Marianne. “Driven to Distraction.” U. S. News & World Report 26 Apr. 2004: 52-55. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3

Oct. 2007.

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