Bibliography MLA
What is a MLA Bibliography?
The MLA writing style requires a reference list, or bibliography, at the end of each paper. This features of the Modern Language Association style is a requirement because readers of the paper are provided with the information they need to further research the topic at hand. Often times this reference list is referred to as a bibliography. The proper term for the MLA reference list is Works Cited page. Similar to the Chicago style bibliography, the works cited page is essentially a collected list of all sources referenced within a research paper. Moreover, they serve the same purpose.
Create a MLA Bibliography for your Research Paper with MindView!
What is a Bibliography MLA?
Formal research papers often reference information from an outside source. In order to provide credit to the source and credibility to the paper, research papers often follow a particular writing style. One common writing style is MLA and it stands for the Modern Language Association. The MLA writing style requires writers to follow numerous rules and guidelines. One basic proponent of a MLA style paper is a bibliography.
The bibliography is essentially a list of all sources referenced within the work. Each piece of information within a paper that was collected from an outside source must be notated within the paper. This allows the reader to know that the information was not collected from the writer.
It also lets the reader know that he/she can obtain additional information about the particular piece of information by going to that source. Because the citations within the text do not provide detailed information, readers can refer to the bibliography that is located at the end of the document. The MLA bibliography is properly titled "Works Cited." However, many people refer to the works cited page as bibliography.
Bibliography MLA & Parenthetical Citations
The sources referenced in a work are notated with a parenthetical citation. The parenthetical citation is a way to refer to the work of an outside source within the text of a MLA style research paper. Each MLA citation contains the author's last name and the page number from which the piece of information was located.
Further details of a source can be found within the Works Cited page or bibliography located at the end of the document. There are many rules and guidelines that the MLA writing style requires. This is why the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition) is an essential tool for writers to refer to in order to meet the guidelines.
Creating The MLA Bibliography
When creating a MLA bibliography there are several guidelines that a writer must be aware of. Primarily, the correct term for the MLA reference list is works cited page. Additional guidelines that writers must be sure to follow include: listing the reference entries of the works cited page in alphabetical order. Also, all books, magazines, and film titles must be italicized.
In order to follow all guidelines, it is advised that writers refer to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). However, special software tools such as NoteControl assist writers in following the MLA style guidelines by preparing the bibliography automatically.
