Intext Citations in MLA Style

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In-text Citations inMLA Style

• University of Scranton
• CTLE Writing Center

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In-Text Citation

• In-text citation is also known as parenthetical
  documentation.
• It is a way to cite external sources at the point
  in the document at which they are used.
• In-text citation is used in conjunction with and
  not as a replacement for the Works Cited page.

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In-Text Citation

• In most cases, in-text citations are used in lieu
  of footnotes and endnotes. You should always
  check with your instructor to discuss their
  requirements.
• We will present several examples of parenthetical
  documentation. To learn more, consult the MLA
  Handbook or MLA Style Manual to become familiar
  with all types of in-text citation.

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In-Text Citation

• MLA requires a citation when
• You use an idea from a source. The idea is not
  originally yours. It belongs to the author(s) of
  the source and must be cited.
• You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you
  change the word order and replace words with
  synonyms).
• You directly quote a source.
• You use information that is not common knowledge.

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In-Text Citation Rules

• For a source with one author
• Helpfulness and listening skills are key
  components of tutoring success (Burkhart 6).
• There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page
  that corresponds to this in-text citation
• Burkhart, Mary. Tips for Tutors. Scranton
  Scranton Books, 2008.

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In-Text Citation

• Notice the location and format of MLA
  parenthetical documentation.
• The format of this type of in-text citation is
  referred to as author page style.
• Its name comes from the order of the information
  within the citation
• (Burkhart 6).

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In-Text Citation Rules

• For a source with no author
• Use the title or a shortened version of the title
  in quotation marks if it is a short work or in
  italics/underline if it is a long work.
• (Tips for Tutors 6).

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In-Text Citation Rules

• For a source with two/three authors
• Separate last names with any necessary commas and
  the word and.
• (Burkhart and Smith 6)
• For a source with four/more authors
• Include all last names or include first last name
  followed by et al.
• (Burkhart et al. 6).

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In-Text Citation Rules

• For a source with a named author
• Include just the page number.
• Mary Burkhart reports that effective listening
  and communication skills are imperative (6).
• For a source with an unknown page number
• Omit the page number.
• (Burkhart).

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In-Text Citation

• For more examples, please visit
• Purdue OWL. In-Text Citations The Basics
• Hacker, Diana. MLA In-text Citations
• University of Scranton Writing Center5th Floor,
  St. Thomas Hall, Harper-McGuiness Wing Room 588 D
• Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of
  Research Papers. 6th ed. New York MLA, 2003.
• Gibaldi, Joseph MLA Style Manual and Guide to
  Scholarly Publishing. 3rd ed. New York MLA,
  2008.