In-Text Parenthetical CITATIONS Guide Why we use parenthetical / in-text citations: Researchers place brief parenthetical descriptions to acknowledge which parts of their paper reference particular sources. Generally, you want to provide the last name of the author and the specific page numbers of the source if given. If you have already included this information in the body of the sentence, then exclude it from the parenthetical citation. Place the parenthetical citation at the end of a sentence before the punctuation. The in-text citation will differ depending on how much information you provide within the sentence. For example: Johnson argues this point (12-13). This point had already been argued (Johnson 12-13). Basic In-Text Citation Rules In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text (and avoiding plagiarism) is done by using what's known as parenthetical citation. Immediately following a quotation from a source or a paraphrase of a source's ideas, you place the authors name followed by a space and the relevant page number(s). Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3). When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work, or italicize or underline it if it's a longer work. Your in-text citation will correspond with an entry in your Works Cited page, which, for the Burke citation above, will look something like this: Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966. It's important to know that parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work. When a Citation is not Needed Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations or common knowledge. Remember, this is a rhetorical choice, based on audience. If you're writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, they'll have different expectations of what constitutes common knowledge.
What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is the failure to acknowledge your sources or the act of making it appear that someone else's work is your own. It often results from the failure to document sources accurately. All sources must be documented-not just print media, but interviews, broadcast media, and electronic sources as well. Internet or other electronic sources may need particular attention. Downloading information is so easy that it is equally easy for a writer to underestimate just how much he or she is relying on the electronic source. However, plagiarism is a crime within the academic community and can result in serious consequences for the student writer and researcher. Why should you care? Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty. The academic community relies upon the reciprocal exchange of ideas and information to further knowledge and research. Using information without acknowledging its source violates this process and cheats writers and researchers of the credit they deserve for their work and creativity. Plagiarism can have even more dire consequences for students. A plagiarized paper can result in a failing grade in a course and, at some schools, disciplinary action ranging from suspension to expulsion. A record of such action may adversely affect professional opportunities in the future as well as graduate school admission. Formatting Quotations Using Quotations in your paper: When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations differently depending on their length. Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. *** All quotations must be integrated***never drop a quotation into a sentence or paragraph without a proper lead-in. For example, do not write the following: There has been a de-emphasis in the importance of grammar instruction in the modern classroom. Many teachers seem to believe rules stifle spontaneity (D Angelo 54). Do the following instead: Because many teachers seem to believe rules stifle spontaneity, there has been a de-emphasis in the importance of grammar instruction in the modern classroom (D Angelo 54).
How to integrate quotations: 1) The somebody said lead-in is very common. For example: Jane M. Agee comments, Many students who would not have attempted college seven years ago are now coming into state university through junior colleges (10). 2) The blended lead-in provides more flexibility. In this kind of lead-in, some of the quoted material is left out and what is retained blends right in with the sentence. For example: Because Many teachers seem to believe rules stifle spontaneity, there has been a de-emphasis in the importance of grammar instruction in the modern classroom (D Angelo 54). 3) The sentence followed by a colon lead-in is another effective technique. For example: Agee insists that English instruction on the college level will not be improved until educators examine realistically the situation: Public school teachers, professors of English and English Education, students, and state leaders need to sit down together and evaluate the current realities before any real progress can be made (10). 4) Do not use the author s name as a possessive and then make reference with a personal pronoun. For example, do not write the following: In Steinbeck s novel, he says, There grew up governments in the worlds, with leaders, with elders (266). Instead, write the following: In The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck comments, There grew up governments in the worlds, with leaders, with elders (266). Use correct punctuation when quoting material. Quoted material is usually preceded by a colon [:] if the quotation is formally introduced and by a comma [,] or no punctuation if the quotation is an integral part of the sentence structure. For example: Shelley held a bold view: Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the World (794). Shelley thought poets the unacknowledged legislators of the World (794).
Poets, according to Shelley, are the unacknowledged legislators of the World (794). Short Quotations (fewer than four full lines) To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. For example: According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree. According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184). Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)? Mark breaks in short quotations of verse with a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse: Cullen concludes, "Of all the things that happened there/ That's all I remember" (11-12). Long (Block) Quotations Place quotations longer than four typed lines in a free-standing block of text, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)
For example: Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78) Adding or Omitting Words in Quotations If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text. Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: "some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale" (78). If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods (...) preceded and followed by a space. For example: In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale... and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).
Using Citations (a.k.a Parenthetical Citations ) within the text of your paper MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263). Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263). The citation, both (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tells readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. The Rules: 1.) If you mention the author in the sentence introducing the quotation, then only the page number is required in the parenthesis Single author named in a signal phrase example: Social historian Richard Sennett names the tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences a "purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off to preserve intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one s place in the world" (11). 2.) If you do not mention the author in the sentence introducing the quotation, then use of the author s last name and the page number is required in the parenthesis Single author named in parentheses example: The tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences is referred to as a "purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off
to preserve intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one s place in the world" (Sennett 11). Two or more authors example: Certain literacy theorists have gone so far as to declare that "the most significant elements of human culture are undoubtedly channeled through words, and reside in the particular range of meanings and attitudes which members of any society attach to their verbal symbols" (Goody and Watt 323). Corporate author (organization, association, etc.) example: The federal government has funded research concerning consumer protection and consumer transactions with online pharmacies (Food and Drug Administration 125). 3.) Without an author s name provided, use the title of the article/information Works with no author example: Several critics of the concept of the transparent society ask if a large society would be able to handle the complete loss of privacy ("Surveillance Society" 115). Citing Different Pages from the Same Source: If you write a sentence that quotes from several places in the same source and you wish to cite them in a single parenthesis, list the appropriate page numbers in the order they are quoted, separated by commas Acquiring a tattoo may be an act of identity formation, but as such it can be interpreted as a symptom of profound self-doubt (Friedman 27, 33). It may be clearer, however, to break these up when possible Friedman claims that acquiring a tattoo may be an act of identity formation (27), but as such it can be interpreted as a symptom of profound self-doubt (33). Anonymous Work/Author Unknown If the work you are citing has no author, use an abbreviated version of the work's title. (For nonprint sources, such as films, TV series, pictures, or other media, or electronic sources, include the name that begins the entry in the Works Cited page). For example: An anonymous Wordsworth critic once argued that his poems were too emotional ("Wordsworth Is a Loser" 100).
Citing Authors with Same Last Names Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full names if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example: Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46). Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. One scientist has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children (Lightenor, "Too Soon" 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year (Lightenor, "Hand-Eye Development" 17). Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, you would format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, followed, when appropriate, by page numbers: Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be "too easy" (Elkins,"Visual Studies" 63). Basic Citation Rules of Internet Sources: With more and more scholarly work being posted on the Internet, you may have to cite research you have completed in virtual environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work, some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source in your Works Cited. Because Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers, and Web sites in particular are often anonymous, people are often confused about how to refer to these sources within their papers. The answer is to cite the author's name whenever possible OR use the source's title otherwise (or a shortened version of the title). Since many web sources do not have page numbers, leave that portion of the citation blank. Do not use page numbers assigned by the printer. Sources that are PDF files have page numbers that are stable and should be included in the parenthetical reference.
Example of citing a website with an author Despite the many challenges she has faced on the Internet, the author still enjoys the "magic" of the MOO (Dibbell). Example of citing a website without an author *NOTE - Many websites are anonymous. Cite the author s name or sponsor if available. If the author is unknown, use the source s title (or a shortened version of the title). For example: Each of the teletubbies has his/her own language acquisition level, and, because of this, a child can identify and progress to the next language level when the child feels comfortable ("The Inside Story"). * NOTE use the title of the website/article you are using NOT the title of the website itself. For example, the NAACP website has an article on Brown v. Board of Education. You would cite the Brown v. Board of Education in your essay not NAACP. Citing Two Internet Sources Both with the Same Title: If you are referencing two different sources but they have the same title, then after the title, list a shortened name of the website. For example: One Jim Crow Law was that black men cannot offer to light a white woman s cigarette ( Jim Crow Laws vahistorical.org). Additionally, black men were not allowed to drink from a white person s water fountain ( Jim Crow Laws pbs.org). **Provide partial URL s, like MSNBC.com not http://www.msnbc.com. OR In your sentence before the citation, mention the website s name; in your citation use the title of the article. For example: According to the VA Historical Society, one Jim Crow Law was that black men cannot offer to light a white woman s cigarette ( Jim Crow Laws ). Additionally, the PBS organization found that black men were not allowed to drink from a white person s water fountain ( Jim Crow Laws ).
Citing online sources Follow the same principals of parenthetical citations to cite online sources. Refer to the author, and if possible, a permanent identifier that would be the same for any reader. The economy will rebound with the new monetary policies (Smith). Solar power will become the primary source of energy (Williams 2). Citing online sources with no author If there is no author, use the title that begins the citation. Articles are in quotes and website titles are italicized. Shorten / abbreviate the name of the source but ensure that your reader can easily identify it in your bibliography (abbreviate the title starting with the same word in which it is alphabetized). For example: Elephants are thought to be one of the smartest mammals ( Smart Elephants ). Nineteen men and women were convicted (Salem Witchcraft Trials). ***Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA MLA no longer requires the use of URLs in MLA citations. Because Web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the Web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA explains that most readers can find electronic sources via title or author searches in Internet Search Engines. Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources If publishing information is unavailable for entries that require publication information such as publisher (or sponsor) names and publishing dates, MLA requires the use of special abbreviations to indicate that this information is not available. Use n.p. to indicate that neither a publisher nor a sponsor name has been provided. Use n.d. when the Web page does not provide a publication date. When an entry requires that you provide a page but no pages are provided in the source (as in the case of an online-only scholarly journal or a work that appears in an online-only anthology), use the abbreviation n. pag.
An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph) Using an image does NOT require in-text parenthetical citations but does need to be present in the works cited. Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, the medium of publication, and the date of access. Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo National del Prado. Web. 22 May 2006. Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive. Web. 22 May 2006. If the work is cited on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, the medium of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author. brandychloe. "Great Horned Owl Family." Photograph. Webshots. American Greetings, 22 May 2006. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. An Online VIDEO Proper Citation Format for Works Cited: MLA citations are double-spaced and indented after the first line. 2009 Commencement. YouTube. YouTube, 27 May 2009. Web. 23 July 2009. In-Text Parenthetical Reference: Since there are no page numbers in a broadcast on the Web, then you don t have to include them. Lead with the title, or part of the title, using the beginning words. Put parenthetical references at the ends of your sentences: Video footage shows the President of Trinity College, smiling proudly at the school s new graduates ( 2009 Commencement )