What factor determines the formatting of a Works Cited page?

• A. The length of the paper.
• B. The chosen style guide.
• C. The number of sources only.
• D. The subject area only.

Answer: (B)

The way a Works Cited page looks is determined by the style guide you’re using. Each style guide (like MLA, APA, or Chicago) provides its own rules for how entries should be formatted, the order of information, punctuation, capitalization, indentation, and even what label to use (for example, Works Cited in MLA or References in APA). The content you include—author, title, container, date, URL or DOI—follows those rules, but the overall look and structure come from the chosen style guide.

The length of your paper, how many sources you have, or the subject area don’t set the formatting rules themselves; they affect content, not the formatting style you must follow.