Students often cringe when they hear the phrase “parenthetical citations.” Perhaps it is because MLA style can be so confusing. In-text citations don’t have to be difficult. Simply remember that sources cited in the text need to match exactly with the Works Cited page at the end of the paper.
The purpose of an in-text citation is to direct the reader to the corresponding source information at the end of the paper. An in-text citation should tell the reader that the information he just read does not belong to the writer. The writer simply borrowed some valuable information and is now crediting her source.
The reader should be able to easily flip from an in-text parenthetical citation, which is an abbreviated version of a source, directly to the complete source on the Works Cited page.
When to Use an In-Text Citation
You need to use an in-text citation any time a piece of information appears in a paper that doesn’t belong to the writer. Whether it’s a paraphrase of another person’s ideas, a direct quote using someone else’s words, a statistic, a fact, or an opinion, if it didn’t come from the writer’s own mind it needs to be cited.
Place the citation at the end of the sourced information, even if it’s in the middle of a sentence. Most citations are placed at the end of a sentence. Always place any punctuation after the parentheses. Treat the citation as part of the sentence.
EXAMPLE: Most scientists agree with this fact (Smith 180).
How to Cite a Source with an Author
The most basic form of an in-text citation is the author’s last name followed by the page number where the information was found. There is no punctuation between the author’s name and the page number. Simply leave a space between them. This format is used for books, magazines, newspapers, and any other source with an author and page number. Readers should be able to find the author’s name alphabetically on the Works Cited page.
EXAMPLE: (Smith 180)
If the writer mentions the author in the text, only the page number is needed in parentheses.
EXAMPLE: According to Craig Smith, leading researcher on the team, most scientists agree with this fact (180).
How to Cite a Source With More Than One Author
If a work has two or three authors, list all the authors’ last names in the parentheses. If the work has four or more authors, use the first listed author’s name followed by “et al.,” which is Latin for “and others.”
EXAMPLES: (Smith and Jones 54), (Smith et al. 54)
How to Cite a Source With No Author
If a work has no author, the citation should include the title of the work and the page number. This applies to a book, which should be underlined, or an article, which should have quotation marks. If the title is long, it can be abbreviated as long as the reader is able to easily find the corresponding listing on the Works Cited page.
EXAMPLE: (“Swine Flu” 3)
How to Cite a Source With No Page Number
If a work has no page number, simply don’t include one. This applies to Web articles, which rarely have page numbers.
EXAMPLE: (Smith)
If the writer is already mentioned in the text and there is no page number, no parenthetical citation is needed.
EXAMPLE: According to Craig Smith, leading researcher on the team, most scientists agree with this fact.
How to Cite an Online Source
Online sources are treated the same as other sources. Include an author’s name if there is one and a page number if there is one. If not, include the title of the article or Web page.
In-text citations are not as confusing as they seem. As long as these citations correspond to the sources on the Works Cited page, the reader should have no trouble finding information about a writer’s sources. Writing proper in-text citations lends credibility to one’s writing and creates a stronger argument.
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