In-text Citation (MLA)

ITC tells the reader EXACTLY where you found your information. ITC properly credits your use of another person’s ideas, words, etc.

ITC is required for:

• •  paraphrased (reworded) info

  • summarized info

  • quoted materials in your text (your written paper)

ITC:

• • Leads the reader to a corresponding “Works Cited” entry. They always come in a pair:

    • source used for paper = source listed in Works Cited

    • source listed in Works Cited = source used in paper

Format:

• • Includes the beginning "indicator word" of the WC citation (usually the author’s last name)

  • followed by the page number (if used in original source...books/eBooks need page numbers, Web site do NOT )

  • Use same formatting that you used in Works Cited

    • (Smith 21) or (“Poets” 15) or (World 1523)

Indicator word:

• • 1st word in citation (usually author's last name; can be article title, book title, etc.)

  • More than 1 author? Use all:

    • • (Smith and Jones 12); (Stern et al. 132) for 3+ authors

  • Same author for 2 sources? Use last name + beginning of article/book title; use enough of the title to differentiate.

    • • (Smith, "Emily" 216); (Smith, "Poets" 11)

      • (Jones, "European Authors" 217); (Jones, "European Women" 78)

  • NO author? Use 1st word of  title 

• • • ("English" 212 ); ("Great"); (British)

• • NO author/SAME article title for 2 sources? Use 1st word of article title + beginning of article/book title; use enough of the title to differentiate.

    • • ("Emily," Poets); ("Emily," English)

      • ("European," Gale 217); ("European," Encyclopedia 78)

Placement:

• • Written within parentheses, before the final punctuation mark

    • • Bill Jones was born on December 21, 1892 (Smith 21).

  • If the author is mentioned in the sentence, just include the page number:

    • • According to Smith, Bill Jones had a happy childhood (11).

  • If the source is used in consecutive sentences, it can be shortened:

    • • Bill Jones was born on December 21, 1892 (Smith 21). He grew up on his family farm in a poor household (25).

  • Restart when you switch sources or at the start of a new paragraph:

    • • Bill Jones was born on December 21, 1892 (Smith 21). He grew up on his family farm in a poor household (25). His father, Jim Smith, suffered from depression, which had a great impact on Bill ("Emily" 15). Depression was not a recognized disorder at that time (Poets 152). Bill had a close relationship with his father despite the challenges caused by his mental illness (Smith 26).

Quotations:

• • Remove the original period before quotation mark

    • • • "The term robot entered the English language in 1923" ("Intelligent" 5).

  • Leave the original question mark or exclamation mark

    • • • "The term robot is now overused for comical effect!" ("Intelligent" 5).

        • "When was the word robot first used?" ("Intelligent" 5).

  • For Long Quotations (more than 4 lines), indent 1/2 inch & include in-text citation at end of last sentence (see MLA Paper Format)