Researching

Finding information, using the ideas of others, citing sources.

MLA In-Text Citations

If you include a direct quote or idea from a source in your paper, you must cite it both in the body of the paper and on your Works Cited list. The in-text citation will usually immediately follow the quote or idea and is surrounded by parentheses. It is important to understand that the Works Cited list and in-text citation work together. The in-text citation lets readers know immediately that the quote or information included in the paper is the work of another writer. Readers can then reference the Works Cited list to see all of the publication information, so they can find your sources for themselves and so they can know that your research is credible.

Standard Citation (Author Page)

This form of citation includes the author’s last name and the page number the information was taken from in parentheses.

Example:

Technical communication is rhetorical because it is the art and craft of communication technical information (Burnett 6).

Citing When the Author’s Name is Previously Stated in the Sentence

If you introduce the author of the source before the quote, just include the page number the information is located on in the in-text citation.

Example:

In Chapter IV, Hemingway states, “the next April Daisy had her little girl and they went to France for a year” (82).

Citing Multiple Authors

If the source had more than one author, just write the authors' last names as you would for any other list in a series.

Example:

A salesforce survey forecast involved asking the firm’s salespeople to estimate sales during a coming period (Berkowitz and Hartley 253).

If there are four or more author’s listed, use the following format, just list the first author, followed by et al., which means "and others" in Latin.

Example:

A salesforce survey forecast involved asking the firm’s salespeople to estimate sales during a coming period (Berkowitz et al. 253).

Citing Multiple Sources from the Same Author

If you cite more than one work by the same author in your paper, the format changes a bit. Instead of using just the author’s name and page number, add a shortened version of the title of the book to the citation. This makes it easier to differentiate between sources.

Example:

…the life of the Prince is described as living, “among great lords and ladies in a blaze of light, breathing perfumes, drinking in delicious music” (Twain, “The Prince and the Pauper” 7), contrasted to the description of a day in the life Huck Finn, as “a kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, an no books nor study” (Twain, “Huckleberry Finn” 24).

Tip

If the author’s name is mentioned in your sentence, you don’t have to include it in the in-text citation. This is true for all in-text citations.

Citing Indirect Sources

An indirect source is one in which the quotation you are using is quoted in another source (a quote of a quote). When citing an indirect source, such as a quote within a text, use “qtd. in” to clarify.

Example:

Professor Johnson went on to reiterate the idea that jobs are created and useful products developed by corporations in pursuit of their self-interest (qtd. in Bakan 61).

Citing When There Is No Author

If the source does not list an author, use the title of the source--or a shortened form if it is a longer title--in place of the author’s last name. This happens most frequently with websites.

Example:

Henry's scholarly interests included writing both books and music, and he was a lavish patron of the arts (History of the Monarchy).

Citing Web Sites

Electronic sources are treated similarly to hard copy references. Because page numbers are rare in web sites, only include the author’s name and the title of the page or article.

Example:

On March 4th, 1629, the Massachusetts Bay Company was given its Charter by Charles I (Lovested, “A Tale of Two Bostons”).

If the web site has a page number, add it to the end of the citation, but don't make up page numbers based on how a site prints out.

Tip

If the author’s name is mentioned in your sentence and there are no page numbers, there will be nothing to put in the parentheses and so you don't need them.

Citing from the Sacred Texts

Because there are numerous versions of the same sacred text, it is important to be clear on which version you are citing. Include the title of the text and either underline or italicize the title, followed by the chapter, verse number, etc.

Example:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (The Bible, Ephesians 6:18).

Sources

Gibali, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: Modern Language Association, 2003

Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007..

Purdue University. “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” The OWL at Purdue. 4 Dec. 2007. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/.