According to the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook, three em dashes or three hyphens can take the place of identical names in consecutive works-cited-list entries (sec. 5.126), but using dashes and hyphens in that way can cause accessibility issues for users of screen readers and other assistive technologies. Even though our recommendation to use dashes or hyphens in that context does not go against any specific standards included in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, technical or legal compliance with accessibility guidelines like WCAG does not always mean that the needs or preferences of all users are being met in the best possible ways. With that in mind, future editions of the handbook will no longer recommend using dashes or hyphens. Instead, MLA style will advise repeating names in full in the Author element of consecutive works-cited-list entries, so the information is clear to everyone. You are welcome to use either style—using dashes or hyphens, or writing out all names in full—in advance of the next handbook edition, as long as your instructor doesn’t object to your deviating from the guidance published in the ninth edition.
Work Cited
MLA Handbook. 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021. MLA Handbook Plus, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1632/ORIW5168.