Research Paper: Citing Your Sources
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The document provides guidelines for citing sources in an MLA format essay, including using both direct quotes and paraphrases with in-text citations, framing all quotes, and listing full citations for all sources on a Works Cited page following MLA formatting rules. Students are instructed to cite sources at least once in the essay using both in-text citations and a Works Cited page, and are given examples of proper formatting for different types of sources and quotes.
Research Paper: Citing Your Sources
- 1. • MUST cite (quote, word-for-word) from every source at least once in your essay • You MUST take the direct words from the source—if you paraphrase, do not use quotation marks. • frame every quote (introduce and explain each) • use author’s full name the first time, then his/her last name after that • if no author, use article title to introduce • make sure it’s clear what quote is from what author (since using multiple sources) • if you paraphrase, you should still include a parenthetical citation with a page or paragraph number • No citation should be without a page/paragraph number (except Film on Demand)
- 2. • Easiest way: introduce quote with the film title, then you don’t need a parenthetical at all: In Title of Film, we learn that “insert quote here.” • If working with different segments from the same film, include that as well: In “Title of Segment” from Title of Film, we learn that “insert quote here.” • No minutes or seconds are required in the parenthetical.
- 3. • If you don’t introduce the quote with the film title, it belongs in the parenthetical: It has been said that “insert quote here” (Title of Film). • If working with different segments from the same film, include that as well: It has been said that “insert quote here” (Title of Film, “Title of Segment”). • No minutes or seconds are required in the parenthetical.
- 4. • The title of the film must be included (and included FIRST) because it is how your Works Cited entry begins: Title of the film. "Title of the film segment." Producer, date. Films on Demand. Web. Date accessed. <URL>.
- 5. Within Your Essay (format): • Always use author’s last name and page number: Recently, it was discovered that “students prefer PowerPoints to typical lectures” (Jones 17). John Jones explains, “students prefer PowerPoints to typical lectures” (17). • If you have no author, use the title (full if introducing with it, first couple of words if in parenthetical): According to “The Effectiveness of Technology within Classrooms and Educational Settings,” “projectors in every classroom have improved student grades in recent years” (22). It has been noted that “projectors in every classroom have improved student grades” (“The Effectiveness” 22).
- 6. Within Your Essay (format): • If a quote goes across two pages, hyphenate the numbers: Recently, it was discovered that “students prefer PowerPoints to typical lectures” (Jones 17-18). • If citing in the middle of a sentence, you can include the parenthetical in the middle or at the end: It was recently noted that “students prefer PowerPoints” (Jones 17), which means it is worth the cost if it really enhances students’ education. It was recently noted that “students prefer PowerPoints,” which means it is worth the cost if it really enhances students’ education (Jones 17).
- 7. Within Your Essay (format): • If there is more than one author, just use the first one (make sure it matches your Works Cited entry) • If you are using a book that has multiple essays in it (by different authors), each essay is a source itself and should be cited that way (with a separate entry for each on your Works Cited page) • If you do not have page numbers, use the paragraph number, formatted like this: According to John Jones, “projectors in classrooms enhance students’ learning experience” (par. 2). It is also true that “projectors in classrooms enhance students’ learning experience” (Jones, par. 2) * If you don’t have page numbers, make sure your Works Cited entry for that source doesn’t say that you do have page numbers! *
- 8. Within Your Essay (format): • Don’t forget to use “qtd. in” if quoting someone else from within a work: John Davis says, “students prefer projectors” (qtd. in Jones 17). • Don’t forget the block quote format if a quote is four lines on the page or more—indent each line, remove quotation marks, put period before parentheses • Don’t forget to use single quotation marks within double quotation marks: “Students prefer projectors; they are ‘brilliant’ to use within a classroom” (Jones 17).
- 9. The Works Cited page • Your Norton Field Guide will help ensure you cite each one correctly: • For a book, see #1 on pg. 495 (and the next few examples on if your book has multiple authors and/or multiple essays) • For an article you got from a library database, see #36 on pg. 511 (and the full-page example on pg. 512) – be sure you include the name of the database!!! Note: if you do not have page numbers, you must put “n. pag.” where the page numbers typically go—see your textbook for examples • • alphabetize the entries on your Works Cited page • if there’s not an author, use the first letter/word of the title in alphabetizing (don’t put all sources without authors at end/beginning) * See the sample MLA research essay at the end of Chapter 50 for examples of citing within your essay as well as completing your Works Cited page. *
- 10. Resource: Don’t forget about Purdue’s OWL, at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ for additional help with format!