A bibliography is a list of sources that have been used in researching a particular topic. It is an important part of any academic paper and should be included in all research papers. MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting is the standard for writing research papers and it requires that you include a bibliography of the sources used in the paper. This article will explain how to create a bibliography in MLA format.
Gather Information for Your Bibliography
The first step in creating a bibliography in MLA format is to gather all of the information on the sources you used. This includes the author’s name, title of the work, publisher, date of publication, and page numbers (if applicable). Once you’ve gathered all of the information, you can begin organizing it in the correct format.
Organize Your Information
MLA formatting requires that you organize the bibliography in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If the source does not have an author, then you should list it alphabetically by the title of the work. When you have organized the information, you can begin writing the bibliography.
Write the Bibliography
When you are writing the bibliography, you should follow the MLA format. This means that you should start each entry with the author’s last name followed by a comma and then the first name. The title of the work should be in italics and should be followed by a period. The publisher and date of publication should be listed followed by a period. For example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Penguin Books, 2020.
If the work is a book, you should also include the page numbers. For example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Penguin Books, 2020. pp.34-56.
If the source is an online article, you should include the URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier). For example:
Smith, John. “The Art of Writing.” Penguin Books, 2020. www.penguinbooks.com/articles/the-art-of-writing.
Citing Multiple Sources by the Same Author
When citing multiple sources by the same author, you should list them in order of publication date, with the earliest source listed first. If the sources were published in the same year, you should list them alphabetically by title. For example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Penguin Books, 2020.
Smith, John. Writing for the Web. Penguin Books, 2020.
Citing Multiple Authors
When citing multiple authors, you should list them in the order they appear on the source. If there are three or more authors, you should list the first author followed by “et al” (which means “and others” in Latin). For example:
Smith, John, et al. The Art of Writing. Penguin Books, 2020.
In-Text Citations
In addition to the bibliography, you must also include in-text citations in your paper. An in-text citation is a short reference in parentheses that includes the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number (if applicable). For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 34). This should be included whenever you use a quote or paraphrase from a source in your paper.
Including Additional Information
When creating a bibliography, you may want to include additional information such as the medium of publication or a description of the source. This is not required but can be useful if you are citing a source that is not commonly known. For example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing [ebook]. Penguin Books, 2020.
Conclusion
Creating a bibliography in MLA format can seem like a daunting task, but with a bit of practice it becomes easier. By gathering the information you need and organizing it in the correct format, you can quickly and easily create a bibliography for your research paper. Remember to also include in-text citations whenever you use a quote or paraphrase from a source.