What Is an In-Text Citation?

If you want to include information from a source you consulted in your paper, you need to create an in-text citation. As mentioned before, in-text citations use only a few details of the source, enough to locate its matching citation in the Works Cited list.

 

In MLA style you generally need to include the following elements for all in-text citations, whether you are citing a book, a journal or trade article, a website or any other item:

  • the author’s surname(s) or the group name
  • the page number or other fixed locator if available

 

Where do I place citations in my writing?

Because in-text citations tell your reader which ideas belong to you and which ideas belong to someone else, it is crucial that you place them correctly. There are two different ways that you can include in-text citations into your assignments:

  • as a parenthetical citation at the end of your sentence
  • as a citation in prose as part of the sentence

 

In-text citation examples for a SHORT quote

Click on the symbol to learn about how to add in-text citations for short quotes (not longer than 4 lines).

 

Citation in prose

 

Parenthetical citation

 

In-text citation examples for a LONG quote

Click on the symbol to learn about how to add in-text citations for long quotes (longer than 4 lines).

 



Parenthetical citation

 

In-text citation examples for paraphrases

Click on the symbol to learn about how to add in-text citations for paraphrases.

 

Citation in prose


Parenthetical citation

What if there aren’t any page numbers?

Some sources don’t have page numbers, in which case you normally simply omit this information. However, if there is a visible and fixed other locator (such as a chapter number or  paragraph number), then include this information in lieu of the page number. 

  • Section and sections are abbreviated to sec. and secs.
  • chapter and chapters to ch. and chs.
  • paragraph and paragraphs to par. and pars.

 

What if there is no author? What if there are multiple authors? 

Whatever the situation, you still need to cite your source. Check out the MLA Citation guide for answers to these and other questions, and if you need help, please your NOVA librarian.

 

Tip: It is easiest to create the Works Cited citation first and then its matching in-text citation(s).

 

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NOVA Online ENG 111 Handbook Copyright © 2023 by Various Authors; Cathy Gaiser, NOVA; Ulrike Kestler; Dr. Karen Palmer; and Dr. Sandi Van Lieu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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