Mla part ii
- 1. MLA STYLE—PART II In-Text Citations
- 2. IN-TEXT CITATIONS—THE BASICS Insert a parenthetical reference (a reference in a parenthesis) whenever you cite a fact or give a quotation or paraphrase. The parenthetical citation should refer clearly to a source on your Works Cited page. The basic form for internal citations is author and page number, such as (Smith 245). The period goes after the final parenthesis.
- 3. IN-TEXT CITATIONS—SPECIAL SITUATIONS Omit the author’s name if you give it in your text. Use the full title or a shortened form of the title if there is no author OR if you have multiple sources by the same author and there could be confusion. Omit the page number if there are no page numbers. Give only the author’s name or a shortened title. You may give the paragraph number if the source is organized by paragraphs.
- 4. GOOD PRACTICE Include identifying information such as the author and/or title in your text so that you don’t need to put this information in the parenthesis.
- 5. EXAMPLES In The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan claims that the public embraces pseudoscience “in exact proportion as real science is misunderstood” (15). While most people find it nearly impossible to tickle themselves, schizophrenics can because their condition makes it difficult to perceive timing accurately (Eagleman 50).
- 6. EXAMPLE—CITING BY TITLE The CCU first-year composition program incorporates a “digital badge initiative that stresses the student learning outcomes central to ENGL 101 and 102” (“Practices” 7). On the Works Cited page: “Practices Central to First-Year Composition.” Coastal Writers’ Reference. 2nd Ed. Fountainhead Press, 2019.
- 7. REMEMBER THIS… You are more likely to be penalized for a missing citation than for an unnecessary citation. You are more likely to be penalized for giving too little information than too much.
- 8. QUESTIONS? Coastal Writers’ Reference MLA Handbook Writing Center (843) 349-2937 Website CCU Library Citation Guides Purdue OWL Your Instructor