How to Alphabetize MLA Citations in Google Docs

Alphabetizing your MLA citations correctly is crucial for presenting a professional and polished works cited page. Google Docs offers a simple way to organize your citations, but if you're not sure where to start, this guide will walk you through the process step by step. Plus, we'll introduce you to Docswrite.com, an online tool that can help streamline your writing and citation process.

Step 1: Gather Your MLA Citations

Before you start alphabetizing, make sure you have all your citations ready. MLA format typically includes details such as the author's name, the title of the source, the publisher, and the date of publication. Ensure that each citation is correctly formatted according to MLA guidelines.

Step 2: Open Google Docs and Prepare Your Works Cited Page

Once you’re ready, open a new or existing Google Docs document. If you’re working on a research paper or project, scroll to the end of your document where your works cited page will go. Set the page in MLA format by ensuring that your document has the correct margins (1 inch on all sides) and that you’ve used a legible font like Times New Roman at 12-point size.

Step 3: Organize Your Citations Alphabetically by Author’s Last Name

The MLA format requires you to alphabetize your citations by the last name of the author. If a source has no author, alphabetize by the first significant word in the title (ignore articles like "The" or "A"). Follow these steps:

1. Highlight all your citations.
   
2. Go to the "Tools" menu in Google Docs.
   
3. Select "Preferences" and choose "Automatically detect lists" for formatting purposes.
   
4. Click "Format" in the top menu, then select "Align & Indent" and click "Indentation options."
   
5. In the dialog box that appears, set the "Special Indentation" to "Hanging." This ensures that all lines after the first one of each citation are indented, as per MLA style.
   

Step 4: Sort Citations Alphabetically

After preparing your citations, it’s time to sort them. Here's how to do it manually:

1. Click the “Table” option in the top menu, and insert a 1x1 table.
   
2. Copy each citation into the table's cell.
   
3. Highlight all the cells and right-click to select “Sort.”
   
4. Choose "Sort A-Z" to alphabetize them by author name.
   

Step 5: Double-Check Your Formatting

Once your citations are alphabetized, make sure everything follows the MLA format. Your citations should be double-spaced with a hanging indent for the second and subsequent lines. Verify that there are no extra spaces between entries.

FAQ Section

1. What if a citation doesn't have an author? If a citation doesn’t have an author, alphabetize by the title of the source. Ignore initial articles like “The” or “A” when alphabetizing. For example, "The Art of Writing" would be alphabetized under "A."

2. Can I use Google Docs’ built-in tools to help format my citations? Yes! Google Docs has built-in tools that can help with basic citation formatting. However, if you want to streamline the process, Docswrite.com is a great tool to assist you in generating and organizing your citations quickly.

3. How do I alphabetize citations if I have multiple authors? For citations with multiple authors, you should alphabetize based on the first author listed. If there are multiple works by the same author, sort them by title.

4. Can Docswrite help me create an MLA-style citation? Yes, Docswrite provides easy-to-use citation tools that help you generate accurate MLA citations, which you can then use in your Google Docs works cited page.

5. What if my citations are still not in the correct order after sorting? Double-check for any errors in punctuation or spacing in the original citations. Small mistakes in formatting can sometimes affect the sorting order, especially with titles or author names.