Making a Works Cited List
Or giving credit where credit is due…
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What is a “works cited” list?
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A list of the sources that you used to get
information for your research, project, or
assignment. It is a specific way of giving credit
to the original source.
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Sources can include any number of things.
Some examples are: books, movies, songs,
encyclopedias, web sites, people, documents,
magazines, newspapers, and databases.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Why do you need a works cited
list?
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To demonstrate where you
found your information
To avoid plagiarism
To respect intellectual property
by giving credit to the original
creator.
To make it easy for the reader
of your paper to find information
on your topic
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What is Intellectual Property?
Creative works and ideas are considered to be
property that has value. This property is protected
from theft by federal laws.
The creator of that property owns it and must be
credited or compensated when someone else uses it.
Plagiarism is a type of theft. When you take someone
else’s work and fail to give credit to its owner you are
stealing.
Plagiarism can cost you grade points in middle and
high school, or even get you expelled once you reach
college.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Two familiar examples of
borrowed works
Name That Tune
Artists are often inspired by the work of others. Music
is one area where you will find many examples of
“sampling” or borrowing of other works.
Listen to the music clips at the right.
Do you recognize these songs?
Is that legal? Yes – only if you have the permission
of the original artist and credit that artist properly.
How do musicians give credit to other musicians?
Besides paying them a portion of their profits from
the song, you will see something like this…
1a
1b
a – Tainted
Love
by Soft Cell
b – S.O.S.
by Rihanna
a – Dream
2a On 2b
by Aerosmith
b – Sing for the Moment
by Eminem
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
A citation you might
recognize
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Music CD inserts often have their own
version of a works cited list, called
“Liner Notes”, that will give credit to
who wrote the song, who played
which instruments, and others who
helped the artist.
It will also give credit to the original
artist of any work they may have
borrowed, or “sampled”.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What is an MLA Style citation?
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MLA stands for Modern Language Association
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This group has standardized the format for citing
sources used in written work
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The MLA publishes and updates their standards
on a regular basis
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Each type of source has its own special way of
being cited
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What do most entries include?
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Author’s last name
and first name (if the
information is
available)
Title
Who published it,
where it was
published, and when
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What does a works cited page look like?
Works Cited
“Acetone.” Discovering Science. Discovering Collection. 2000.
Gale Group Databases. EHMS Library, East Hartford,
CT. 4 February 2004 <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.
com>.
Campbell, Gregory. How to Give a Detention. N.Y., N.Y.: Random
House, 2005.
“Kangaroo.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed.
“Key Figures – Abraham Lincoln.” The American Civil War. 2005. The
History Channel. 8 March 2006 <http://www.
historychannel.com/civilwar/?page=players>.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Whoa! That looks complicated!
It can be complicated, and it is
definitely a very detailed and
“picky” process.
But don’t Panic! You won’t be
expected to master this right away.
We will provide you with
worksheets and references to help
you.
Let’s start with reviewing some of the
more common sources you will be
using…
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Books
Book with one author
Campbell, Gregory. How to Give a Detention. N.Y., N.Y.:
Random House, 2005.
Book with two authors
Le, Barbara and Leslie Poulos. Behaving in the Library
Media Center. Minneapolis, MN: Holt Rinehart
Inc., 2005.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Encyclopedia Articles
Encyclopedia (no author/unsigned)
“Kangaroo.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed.
Encyclopedia (signed/author)
Smith, John. “Kangaroo.” New Britannica Encyclopedia.
2000 ed.
Encyclopedia (signed by editor/no author)
Jones, Jasper. “Kangaroo.” New Britannica Encyclopedia.
2000 ed.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Online Encyclopedias and
Internet Web Sites
Online Encyclopedia (not from a multi-source collection)
Jones, Maggie. “Tubman, Harriet.” World Book Encyclopedia.
2003. 4 February 2005 <http://www.worldbook.com>.
Internet/World Wide Web – Web Sites
“Key Figures – Abraham Lincoln.” The American Civil War.
2005. The History Channel. 8 March 2006 <http://www.
historychannel.com/civilwar/?page=players>.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Online Reference Collection or
Subscription Database, and eLibrary
Online Reference Collection or Subscription Database (ex: iConn)
“Acetone.” Discovering Science. Discovering Collection. 2000.
Gale Group Databases. EHMS Library, East Hartford,
CT. 4 February 2004 <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.
com>.
eLibrary Article
Nalk, Gautam. “Dolly’s Arthritis Fuels Concerns of Health Woes
Tied to Cloning.” Wall Street Journal 17 July 2002:A20.
EHMS Library, East Hartford, CT. 4 February 2004
<http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
Newspapers and Magazines
Magazine article
Auletta, Michelle. “Teaching Writing.” Writing Matters 12 January
2005: 12-13.
Newspaper article
McCann, Candice. “Computer Use in Middle Schools.” Journal
Enquirer 14 January 2003: C10.
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
How is a works cited page
organized?
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Just remember to R.A.P.!!
R everse-Indent – 1st line is NOT indented,
but 2nd and remaining lines ARE indented
A lphabetical order - by author’s last name
(if you have it) or by title if there is no author
P unctuation – Underlining, periods, quotes
– Triple check it, then have someone else
check it!
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann
What if I still need help?
See EHMS library media website:
http://www.easthartford.org/page.cfm?p=787
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See EHHS library media website:
http://www.easthartford.org/page.cfm?p=321
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See Ms. Poulos, Mrs. McCann, Mrs. Olsen, or
your teacher for additional help
Created by Leslie Poulos and
Candice McCann