A Brief Introduction toIn-text Citations MLA Style

English 12: Mrs. Dascomb

In-Text Citation

also known as parenthetical documentation.

used to cite borrowed words, facts, or ideas at the point they are used in the document.

used in conjunction with and not as a replacement for the Works Cited page.

Use an In-Text Citation When1. You use an idea from a source. The idea is

not originally yours. It belongs to the author(s) of the source and must be cited.

2. You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you change the word order and replace words with synonyms).

3. You directly quote a source.4. You use information that is not common

knowledge.

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one author:Helpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6).

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation:

Burkhart, Mary. Tips for Writing Consultants. Scranton: Scranton Books, 2008. Print.

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

Place the in-text citation where a pause occurs naturally, for example, before the punctuation that concludes the phrase, the clause, or the sentence containing the borrowed information.

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no author:Use the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italics/underline if it is a long work. (“Working with Student Writers” 6).

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with two/three authors:

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word “and.” (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with four/more authors:

Include all last names or include first last name followed by “et al.” (Burkhart et al. 6).

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase:

Include just the page number. Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6).

For a source without page numbers:

Include just the author’s name. (Burkhart).

Works Cited

Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. “MLA Papers.” A Writer’s

Reference. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2011. 371-428. Print.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York:

MLA, 2009. Print.

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New

York: MLA, 2008. Print.

Russell, Tony, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. "MLA

Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U

Writing Lab, 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.