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MLA Documentation . In-text citations, citing sources appropriately, corresponding to the Works Cited. When to Cite Sources in the Paper. Whenever you quote from a source. When borrowing ideas from a source, even when you use your own words by paraphrasing or summarizing.
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MLA Documentation In-text citations, citing sources appropriately, corresponding to the Works Cited
When to Cite Sources in the Paper • Whenever you quote from a source. • When borrowing ideas from a source, even when you use your own words by paraphrasing or summarizing. • When you borrow factual information from a source that is not common knowledge.
The Common Knowledge Exception • Facts that are widely known and about which there is no controversy. • IE: Major dates in history, famous people and their accomplishments (Neil Armstrong/moon), the Superbowl occurs toward the end of January. • When in doubt, cite the source.
The Basics of In-text Citations • As close as possible to the borrowed material, indicate in parentheses the original source and the page number in the work that material came from. • Period comes after the parenthesis. • No comma between author and page. • Quotation marks (when directly quoting) are before the parenthetical citation.
Example • From the very beginning of Sesame Street in 1969, kindergarten teachers discovered that incoming students who had watched the program already knew their ABCs (Chira 13).
Example Explicated • The parenthetical tells readers two things: • The info about Sesame Street came from somewhere other than the writer…in this case Chira. • The ideas came from page 13 in Chira’s work • The full bibliographic information appears on the Works Cited page at the end of the essay • Chira, Susan. “Sesame Street At 20: Taking Stock.” New York Times 15 Nov. 1989: 13.
Example • “One thing is clear,” writes Thomas Mallon, “plagiarism didn’t become a truly sore point with writers until they thought of writing as their trade […] Suddenly his capital and identity were at stake” (3-4).
Notices • Author’s last name omitted in parenthesis because it appeared in the narrative. • Ellipsis […] used when parts of the original quotation are left out.
When there is No Author • Some sources are anonymous • Cite the first word/words that appear on the Works Cited…typically the article title • Truncate the title if it is long to the first few key words • Include page number
Example of No Author • Example: Simply put, public relations is “doing good and getting credit” for it (“Getting Yours” 3). • The Works Cited entry is as follows: • “Getting Yours: A Publicity and Funding Primer for Nonprofit Organizations.” People 32.1 (2002): 3-12.
When there are multiple works by the same author • Parenthetical citation that lists only author and page number is not enough to distinguish. • Include author’s name, abbreviated title, and page number.
Example of Multiple Works by Same Author • The thing that distinguishes the amateur from the experienced writer is focus; one “rides off in all directions at once,” and the other finds one meaning around which everything revolves (Murray, Write to Learn 92). • Notice: a comma between name and title, but no comma between title and page
General Guidelines for Documenting Sources • Lead-ins • Multiple Authors • No Page Numbers
Lead-ins (better known as author tags) • The first time a source is cited, use a narrative lead-in • Give the author’s full name and credentials • Current title/position, level of expertise, background • Boosts ethos • Once established, the last name only is sufficient • Lead-in can come at the beginning, the middle, or the end.
Multiple Authors • If source has more than one author, list them in the same order that appears on Works Cited • Ex: Herman, Brown, and Martel predict dramatic changes in the earth’s climate in the next 200 years.
No Page Numbers • Many internet cites don’t have page numbers; DO NOT NUMBER PAGES YOURSELF. • PDF files often have them, but HTML files don’t • Just list the author or title in the parenthetical. • Will need to take special care when framing sources that don’t have page #s.
Example without Page Numbers • It is now theoretically possible to recreate an identical creature from any animal or plant by using the DNA contained in the nucleus of any somatic cell (Thomas).
