A research paper with works cited page is an essential part of any academic paper that includes external sources such as books, journals, documents and websites. The works cited page serves to give credit to the original authors of content that may have been paraphrased or directly quoted in the research paper. It also allows readers to locate and explore the referenced sources independently if they desire more information on the topics discussed in the paper.
The works cited page is placed at the end of the paper, on its own page, with the centered heading “Works Cited” (without quotation marks). All entries should be typed double-spaced just like the rest of the paper. Depending on the citation style used (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), entries may contain different elements such as author name, title, publication year, publisher, etc. Sources should be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name or by title if no author is given. Entries may include website URLs but they should not be hyperlinked.
Below is an example of an MLA (8th ed.) style works cited page with entries for common source types that a student may cite in a research paper. Let’s break down each entry:
Works Cited
“Albert Einstein.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 4 Apr. 2014, https://www.biography.com/scientist/albert-einstein. Accessed 20 Dec. 2019.
This entry cites an online biography of Albert Einstein from Biography.com. It contains the name of the website, publisher, publication date and accessed date. The URL is not hyperlinked.
Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press, 2006.
This book entry cites the author Viktor Frankl’s classic work “Man’s Search for Meaning.” It includes the author’s name, book title in italics, publisher and publication date.
Greene, Bob. “Stephen Hawking, Theoretical Physicist and Author, Dies at 76.” NPR, 14 Mar. 2018, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/14/593434811/stephen-hawking-theoretical-physicist-and-author-dies-at-76. Accessed 20 Dec. 2019.
This online news article entry from NPR contains the author’s name, article title in quotation marks, publishing organization/website, publication date and accessed date with URL.
Hutton, Jim. “NASA Finds Clear Skies and Water Vapor on Exoplanet.” National Geographic, 12 Dec. 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/12/nasa- Finds-clear-skies-water-vapor-exoplanet-TRAPPIST-1e/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2019.
Here the entry cites a National Geographic online article and follows a similar format to the NPR example above.
McClintock, Anne. Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Colonial Contest. Routledge, 1995.
This book entry includes the author Anne McClintock, title in italics, publisher and publication year. No publication location is included.
McCrone, Walter C. “The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Great Pyramid of Giza.” National Geographic, Sept. 2017, pp. 48-73.
This magazine article contains the author’s name, article title in quotation marks, publication title in italics, month, year and page range cited.
Nowak, Eric. “A Revolutionary Design: The Eames’s Iconic 20th Century Chair.” Smithsonian Magazine, Jan. 2017, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/eamess-iconic-20th-century-chair-180961740/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2019.
This online magazine article follows the standard format including author name, title in quotation marks, magazine title in italics, month and year of publication, URL and accessed date.
These examples demonstrate the general structure and elements of MLA style citations for different source formats that may be included in a student research paper. Formatting the entries consistently and alphabetically makes the works cited page easy for readers to navigate and locate the original sources. Having all citation information readily available allows others to efficiently evaluate and continue exploration of the topics discussed. A complete and properly formatted works cited page is an essential component for any academic research paper.