In-Text Citations

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

When borrowing words, ideas or findings of another person to support or augment your paper, you

must give credit to that person by citing your sources. MLA documentation system calls for in-text

citations and/or parenthetical citations as well as a Works Cited. The samples in this guide will help

you cite some of the sources you use in your papers. The examples are based on the MLA Handbook ,

Lynn Troyka’s The Handbook for Writers and information from Purdue Owl.

If you need further help creating a citation or help finding information about your research topic, try

Noodle Tools (www.noodletools.com/tools.html), an interactive web cite that will help with research

and a Works Cited page. NoodleQuest will ask you a few questions about your research topic and

tell you some of the best search strategies you can use. NoodleLinks will help you find a good topic

for a research paper and useful resources (both NoodleQuest and NoodleLinks are free). NoodleBib

Express is an interactive bibliography composer that automates the process of creating a works cited

list.

MLA made a few changes in April of 2009. Here are some of the noteworthy changes:

• No More Underlining! MLA now recommends italicizing titles of books, magazines, journals,

films etc.

• No more URLs! MLA no longer requires URLs in in-text citation; however, it is

recommended that you provide this information if the citation information does not lead

readers to easily find the source.

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2009 updates included.

• Publication Medium. Every entry receives a medium of publication marker. Most entries

will be listed as Print or Web, but other possibilities include DVD or TV.

• New Abbreviations. Many web sources now require a publisher name, a date of publication,

and/or page numbers. When no publisher name appears on the website, write N.p. for no

publisher given. When sites omit a date of publication, write n.d. for no date. For online

journals etc, that appear only online or on databases that do not provide pagination, write n.p.

for no pagination.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format Information

Format

Typed, double-spaced with one- inch margins on all sides of the text.

Heading & Title

Unless required by your instructor, a research paper does not need a title page. Instead, beginning one

inch from the top of the first page and flush with the left margin, type your name, your instructors

name, the course number, and the date on separate lines.

Page Numbers

Number all pages consecutively throughout the research paper in the upper right-hand corner, one-

half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

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2009 updates included.

Sample Format

1/2 ″

1″

Laver 1

Lisa Laver

Professor Bennett

Humanistic 2ls

27 October 2002

The Power of Multiple Intelligence

1″ College student Claire Barbry takes two final exams on the same day. During her

exam for chemistry 101, she doodles tiny test tubes in her test booklet’s margins as he

thinks. During her exam for U.S. Civil War History, she jump-starts her thinking by

sketching tiny cannons and soldiers with rifles on the cover of the test booklet.

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

In-Text Citations

MLA in-text citations consist of source information placed in parentheses within the body of a paper,

signaling that material has been quoted, summarized or paraphrased from other sources. In-text

citations identify the source by using the author’s last name and page numbers either by introducing

the author and title of sources in your own sentence and putting page numbers in parentheses at the

end of the material or by placing both the author and page number at the end of a quotation, summary

or paraphrase. If no author is given, then use the title of the article in place of the author’s name.

Titles of Works

I. Italicized Titles

In general, italicize names of books, plays, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, journals, long poems

published as books and film, television and radio shows. You should also italicize names of ballets,

operas, compact discs, paintings, and sculptures.

II. “Titles in Quotation Marks”

Use quotation marks for the titles of works published within larger works. Such titles include the

names of essays, short stories, and articles in newspapers and magazines. Also use quotation marks

for unpublished works such as lectures and speeches.

III. Sacred Writings

Italicize tittles of Sacred writings laws, acts and similar political documents

Bible Gospels Koran Genesis Talmud

Laws, Acts, and Political Documents

Magna Carta Bill of Rights Declaration of Independence

Do not italicize musical compositions identified by number and key, societies, buildings and

monuments. However, underline titles of individual translations and interpretations.

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

MLA Guidelines For Common In-text Citations

1. Citing a Paraphrased or Summarized Source.

According to Brent Staples, IQ tests give scientists little insight into intelligence (293).

[Author’s name cited in text; page number in parentheses]

IQ tests give scientists little insight into intelligence (Staples 293).

[Author’s last name and page number cited in parentheses]

2.Citing the Source of a Short Quotation

It is easy to understand why “paper and pencil tests aren’t the tenth of it” (Staples 293).

[Author’s last name and page number in parentheses]

3. Citing the Source of a Long Quotation

When a quote is longer than four lines, do not put quotation marks around the quote. Instead, indent

10 spaces for each line of quotation and maintain the double-space format. Put one space after the

punctuation mark of the quote and then put in the parenthetical citation.

Grey and Vines explain how, by tapping into a student’s highly developed spatial-mechanical

intelligence, one teacher can bolster a student’s poor writing skills:

The teacher asked that during “journal time” Jacob create a tool dictionary to be used

as a resource in the mechanical learning center. After several entries in which he drew

described tools and other materials, Jacob confidently moved on to writing about other

things of import to him, such as his bothers and a recent

birthday party. (23-24)

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2009 updates included.

[Authors’ last names cited in text; page numbers in parentheses]

4. Citing More Than One Author

I. Two or Three Authors

As children get older, they begin to express several different kinds of intelligence (Todd and

Taylor 23).

Another measure of emotional intelligence is the success of inter- and interpersonal

relationships (Voight, Dees, and Prigroff 14).

II. More Than Three Authors

Emotional intelligence and social interaction are closely related (Strange et al. 158). [The

abbreviation et al. stands for “and others”]

5. Citing More Than One Source by an Author

When using more than one source by an author, in parentheses use a shortened version of the title.

Although it seems straightforward to think of multiple intelligences as multiple approaches to

learning (Gardner, Frames

60-61), intelligence is not a learning style (Gardner, “Reflections”

202-203). [Gardener’s works Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

and

“Reflections on Multiples Intelligences: Myths and Messages” have been shortened to Frames

and “Reflections.”]

6. Citing a Work Listed by Title

If no author is named, use the title of the citation. Again, in the parentheses, shorten the title as much

as possible.

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The “morning lark” and “night owl” connotations are typically used to categorize the human

extremes (“Are You” 11).

7. Citing a Work in an Anthology or Other Collection

Use the author’s name and title of his/her work in-text and page numbers in parentheses. The editors

and name of anthology or text will appear in the Works Cited page.

In “Several Things,” Martha Collins enumerates what could take place…(2-4).

In “Several Things” the poet enumerates what could take place poem…(Collins 2-4).

8. Citing an Indirect Source

When using a quote within someone else’s work, name the person you are quoting in the sentence.

The actual work you found the quote should be named in parentheses at the end of the sentence

beginning with qtd. in.

Martin Scorses acknowledges the link between himself and his films: “I realize that all my life, I’ve

been an outsider. I splatter bits of myself all over the screen” (qtd. in Giannetti and Eyman 397).

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

9. Citing Electronic Sources

When citing electronic resources in the body of your paper, use the same conventions that apply to

books and articles. When an electronic source identifies the author, use the author’s name for in-text

citations. If the author is not named, use the source’s title. Also, paragraph and page numbers often

cause confusion. Unless otherwise directed to do so by the instructor, paragraph and page numbers do

not require any sort of parenthetical citation (Purdue Owl). Finally, do not use the URLs in-text. If

the piece does not list an author, use the name of the site and domain name, for example, BBC.com.

I. Electronic Source Without Page or Paragraph Numbers

Meriwehter Lewis, the legendary explorer of the United States’ Northwest Territory, certainly

possessed the naturalist intelligence (Hoerr).

II. Electronic Source That Numbers Paragraphs

If a source numbers the paragraphs, use them for in-text references as you would page

numbers.

Some students may demonstrate a strong kinesthetic intelligence (Francis 6).

[Use par or pars if a source numbers paragraph.]

12. Tables And Illustrations

Place tables and illustrations as close as possible to the parts of the text to which they relate. A table

is usually labeled Table, given a number, and captioned. Unlike in-text citations, all publication

information is also given.

Table 1

Gardner’s Eight Intelligences.

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Type of Intelligence Definition Behavior

Musical Refers to musical ability perhaps

from a biological advantage…

Person enjoys listening to music;

expresses eagerness to learn from

music…

Person enjoys and responds to

the rhythm and variety of

language…

Linguistic Encompasses the ability to

master language by

comprehending words…

Source: Howard Gardner, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (New York: Basic,

1993) and Thomas Hoerr, “The Naturalist Intelligence,” Web, Jan 2012.

MLA Guidelines for The Work Cited List

The Works Cited list appears at the end of your paper on a new page and numbered,

continuing the page numbers of the text. Center the title, Works Cited. Double-space the entire

list. Begin each entry flush with the left margin; when an entry requires more than one line,

indent the subsequent line or lines five spaces (one tab) from the left margin. Alphabetize all

entries in the list by author’s last name, and then author’s first name. If the author’s name is

unknown, alphabetize by the title of the article, ignoring A, An, or The at the beginning of a

title. The basic components listed below are the most common sources used by students at Los

Medanos College. Please see following pages for examples of Works Cited conventions. For

more examples and detailed explanation, consult the MLA handbook and other resources.

2009 rules do not require writers to provide URLs for WEB entries. Most entries will be listed

as PRINT or WEB. However, if the instructor asks you to include these include them in angle

brackets <www….> and end with a period. When citing a publication that was originally issued

in print form but was retrieved from an online database, the online database should be

included in italics.

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

Basic Elements of Print Citations

(Based on A Guide to MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5

Edition

n and Purdue Owl).

Books

• Author. Last name, First name.

• Title.

• Place published:

• Publisher

• Date of Publication

¾ Medium of Publication

One Book by a Single Author

Gardner, Howard. The Disciplined Mind: What All Students Should Understand. New York:

Basic, 1993. Print.

Two books by the Same Author

After the first listing of the author's name, use three hyphens and a period for the author’s

name. List books alphabetically.

Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. Print.

---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1993. Print.

Book with more than one author

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston:

Allyn, 2000. Print.

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2009 updates included.

[If there are more than three authors, you may list only the first author followed by the

phrase et al

. (“and others") in place of the other authors’ names, or you may list all the

authors in the order in which their names appear on the title page.]

Book with a corporate author

American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children. New York: Random. Print

Anthology, Book Collection, Edited Book

• Author.

• “Title of Selection.”

• Title of Anthology.

• Editor (Ed. for “Edited by,” ed(s). for “editor(s)”)

• Place:

• Publisher,

• Date.

•Page (when citing an essay or work in collection).If citing whole book, do not include pages.

¾ Medium of Publication.

Galarza, Ernest. “The Roots of Migration.” Aztlan: An Anthology of Mexican American

Literature. Ed. Luis Valdez and Stan Steiner. New York: Knopf, 1972. 24-30. Print.

Peterson, Nancy J., ed. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approach Baltimore: Johns

Hopkins UP, 1997. 256-59. Print.

I. Cross-referencing:

If you cite more than one essay from the same edited collection, cross-reference within

the Works Cited list in order to avoid writing out the publishing information for each

separate essay. To do so, include a separate entry for the entire collection listed by the

editor's name. For individual essays from that collection, simply list the author's name,

the title of the essay, the editor's last name, and the page numbers.

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2012

2009 updates included.

L'Eplattenier, Barbara. “Finding Ourselves in the Past: An Argument for Historical Work

on WPAS." Rose and Weiser 131-40. Print.

Peeples, Tim. "'Seeing' the WPA With/Through Postmodern Mapping." Rose and Weiser

153-167. Print.

Magazines, Newspapers, Periodicals

A.) Magazines B.) Newspapers C.) Periodical/Journal

• Author. Include edition after the date. Include volume and issue number

• “Article Title.” [3Apr. 1998, late ed.] before the date. Put date in parentheses

•

Publication Title followed by page(s).

• Date: [ 42.2 (1992): 5-24.]

• Page(s).

¾ Medium of Publication

Magazines

Murphy, Cullen. “Women and the Bible.” Time Aug. 1993: 39-43. Print.

Newspapers

Peters, Lisa. “Intelligence.” Contra Costa Times 3 Apr. 1999, early ed. A1+. Print

Periodical/Journals

Wells, Fred. “Behavior and Intelligence.” Educational Leadership 4.5 (1999): 6-9. Print.

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

Reference Materials

Familiar Encyclopedias, DictionariesB.)

Treat an encyclopedia article or dictionary entry as you would a piece in a collection but do

not cite the editor. When citing a less familiar ref. book, give the editor and full publication

info. If the article is signed, give the author first; if it is unsigned, give the title first.

• Author. [If signed]

• “Article Title,”

•

Title.

• Edition (# followed by ed.)

•Date.

¾ Medium of Publication

Signed Article

Palmer, John. “Mandarin.” The Encyclopedia Britannica. 10

ed. 1993. Print.

Unsigned Article

“India.” The Encyclopedia Americana. 1994 ed. Print.

Less Familiar Reference Books

Allen, Anita L. “Privacy in Health Care.”

Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Warren T. Reich.

ed. 6 Vols New York: Macmillan-Simon, 1995. Print.

2. Basic Elements of Electronic Resources

Internet Basic components of Internet Citations form general Internet sources.

• Author/editor. (if available)

• “Title of Article.”

• Title of book, journal, or complete work, or Website

• Name of editor, translator or compiler if any. (Ed., Trans., Comp.)(if applicable)

• Publication Information.

• Version (Vers.)

• Place, publisher and date for books. Remember to use n.p. if no publisher and

n.d . if no publishing date is given.

• Date of work if available.

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2012

2009 updates included.

• Medium of publication

•Date of your access

•<URL (network address)> in angled bracket followed by a period. (If required.)

WWW Sites (World Wide Web)

To cite files available on the WWW, give the author's name, last name first (if known); the full title

of the work, in quotation marks; the title of the complete work (if applicable) in italics; any version or

file numbers; and the date of the document or last revision (if available), and the medium.

Burka, Lauren P. "A Hypertext History of Multi-User

Dimensions." MUD History. 1993. Web. 2 Aug 1996.

Electronic Publications and Online Databases

List the author's name, last name first (if known); the title of the article, in quotation marks; and the

title of the software publication, in italics. Next, list any version or edition numbers or other

identifying information, the series name (if applicable), and the date of publication. Finally, cite the

name of the database (if applicable) and the name of the online service--both in italics--or the Internet

protocol and address, any other publication information, the directory path followed (if applicable),

and, in parentheses, the date accessed.

Christopher, Warren. "Working to Ensure a Secure and Comprehensive Peace in the Middle

East." U.S. Dept. of State Dispatch 7:14, 1 Apr. 1996.. 1996 FastDoc. OCLC.

File #9606273898. Web Aug 12, 2009.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Online Journal

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2009 updates included.

Banning, E. B. "Herders or Homesteaders? A Neolithic Farm in Wadi Ziqlab,

Jordan." Biblical Archaeologist 58.1 (March 1995). Web. 9 Apr. 1997

Abstract of a Journal Article

Hassim, Saul M. "The Psychology of Confession Evidence." American Psychologist 52

1997). Abstract. Web 10 April 1997.

Online Magazine, Author Listed

Cohoon, Sharon, Jim McCausland, and Lauren Bonar Swezey. "Secrets of the Garden

Masters: Heims' Secrets." Sunset Sept. 1996. Web 4 Mar. 1997

Online Magazine, No Author listed (Example includes URL address if required)

"Health-Care Inflation: It's Baaack" Business Week 7 Mar. 1997. Web.18 Mar. 1997

<http://www.businessweek.b351852.htm>.

Government Document

United States. Cong. Senate. Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act of 1997. 2"

Jan. 1997. 105th Cong. Senate Bill 4 Mar. 1997 . Web. April 20, 1999

Los Medanos College

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2012

2009 updates included.

Listserv (Email Discussion Group) (site address included for clarification)

Camilleri, Rosemary. "Narrative Bibliography." Online posting 10 Mar. 1997. 11 Mar. 1997

<H-RHETORIC @msu.edu>.

Selber, Stuart A. "CFP:CPTSCII [Call for Position papers: Council for Programs in Technical

and Scientific research. Online posting. 7 Mar. 1997. 11 Mar. 1998

<H-RHET0RIC,@msu.edu>.

Newsgroups

Anders, Jelmert. "Global Warming/Climate Change: A New Approach." Newsgroup

posting.11 21. Feb.1997. 11 Mar. <sci.environment>.

Article in a Reference Database

"Florida." Vers. 97.1.1. Mar.1997. Encyclopedia Britannica Web. 29 Mar. 1997

Scholarly Projects and Professional Sites

Victorian Women Writers Project. Ed. Perry Willett. 11 Apr 1994. Web. 21

May, 2009.

Portuguese Language Page. U of Chicago. 4 Jan. 1998 . Web. 22 June, 2009.

Los Medanos College

Center for Academic Support

2012

2009 updates included.

CD-ROM

Material cited from a CD-ROM requires different form than an abstract on CD-ROM

(InfoTrac, Silverplatter). For this material use this form:

Figueredo, Aurelio J., and Laura Ann McCloskey. “The Evolutionary and Psychological

aspects of Paternity.” Ethnology and Sociobiology 14(1993):353-371.PsychLTT. CD-

ROM. SilverPlatter. 1993. Web. 5 Mar, 2009

[For a full-text article found on CD-ROM, use the following:]

Wessel, David. "Fed Lifts Rates Half Point, Set a New Four-Year High." Wall Street Journal.

2 February 1998. A2+. Wall Street Journal on disc. CD-ROM.1:6. Web. 5 Mar, 2009

[For an encyclopedia article on CD-ROM, use the following:]

"Abolitionist Movement." Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. CD-ROM.

Softkey Multimedia. Web. 5 Mar 2009

Articles in Subscription Database (SIRS, PROQUEST, CQ RESEARCHER)

• Author

• “Article Title.”

• Publication Titles

• Date of publication.

• Page(s)

•

Database Name Italcized.

• Medium of publication

• Date of access not followed by a period

Danzey, Leigh Ann. “The Price of Success: An Analysis of Funding Men’s and

Women’s Programs in Competitive Sports.” 28 Oct. 1996. 23-45. Proquest. Web.

May 21, 2009.