A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style

1. Writing 101 A Brief Introduction toIn-text Citations MLA Style

2. 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.

3. In-Text Citation vs. Foot/Endnotes • In-text citations lead readers to specific works listed on the Works Cited page. • Footnotes and endnotes provide readers with the explanatory information: • Content notes offer additional comments, information, insight, etc., not provided in the text • Bibliographic notes provide information on additional sources or comments on other sources.

4. Use an In-Text Citation When • 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. • You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you change the word order and replace words with synonyms). • You directly quote a source. • You use information that is not common knowledge.

5. 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.

6. 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. • The in-text citation used on the previous screen is referred to as author page style to reflect the order of the information within the citation: (Burkhart 6).

7. 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).

8. 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).

9. 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).

10. Need More Help For an excellent overview or review of the 2009 updates in MLA style and format, click on Purdue University’s MLA Power Point Presentation For one-on-one help using MLA, visit The Writing Center STT 588 D (570) 941-6147

11. Additional Resources 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.