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6 In-text Citations & Works Cited Pages ~ MLA Format
Knowledge Preview
Try this quiz before you watch the video:
What Is a Citation? Why Do We Need Citations?
We give credit to other scholars by using citations in two places: in-text citations, and Works Cited pages. Watch the short video for some background information.
Note: Since I did not create this video, I need to include a citation here. In textbooks, you may find the citation for imported material directly under the material, and/or at the end of the chapter or book. In this textbook, you can find examples of both. Here is the citation for this video (not in MLA format):
Any time we use another person’s ideas, spoken or written words, research, or other material, we must provide citations. This ensures that we maintain our academic honesty, and that we bring other scholars in to our written conversation by acknowledging their ideas.
We do not need to provide citations for common knowledge such as well-known scientific facts, historical events, or proverbs.
What Do We Need to Cite?
For all academic writing, we must be careful to give attribution for other people’s work, or for any information that is not common knowledge. This means two things:
including information about the source directly in the text we have written (in-text citations), and
including a list of materials used at the end of the essay (a Works Cited page)
Your in-text citations must always have a matching entry on your Works Cited page. That way, your readers can find more information about your source, so they can investigate more about your sources’ ideas on their own.
MLA (Modern Language Association) Format
At HCC, most ENGL 121 instructors require MLA format for students’ essays. As a result, we will focus on MLA format in ENGL 087 to practice arranging text on the page, in-text citations, and Works Cited pages. When you write papers for other courses, you will need to ask your instructors about their preferences. Here is a list of formats that most professors expect in other academic disciplines.
MLA In-Text Citations
In your paper, when you quote directly from a source in its words, or when you paraphrase someone else’s idea, you need to tell the reader what that source is so the author gets credit. When you do this in the text of your paper, this is called an in-text citation.
In-Text citations are placed in parentheses, and have two components
The first word found in the full citation on the Works Cited page (usually the last name of the author)
The location of the direct quote or paraphrase (usually a page number)
In-Text citations should be placed directly after the direct quote or paraphrase, or in a place that is a natural pause and does not cause the reader to become distracted while reading the body of your work.
Example:
Plastics and other polymers have many beneficial uses in medical treatments (North and Halden, 3), but there are several detrimental effects of these man-made materials as well.
When using the author’s name in the sentence, only include the page number in the parentheses.
Example:
As Carol Dweck asserts, “The fixed mindset makes you concerned with how you’ll be judged; the growth mindset makes you concerned with improving” (13).
Your in-text citations would then need to have corresponding entries in your Works Cited page (see below).
How can we be sure if we need a citation? Use this graphic to help you decide:
When and How to Create MLA Citations graphic. Authored by: Kim Louie for Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
Integrating Sources
A. Two-minute Activity – Reporting Verbs
Work in groups of three.
Partner A: leave the room for 30 seconds
Partner B: tell Partner C about your favorite vacation spot. Give details.
Partner C: listen to Partner B and take notes
Next, Partner A returns to the room
Partner A & Partner B: listen to Partner C
Partner C: tell Partner A what Partner B just said
How does Partner C start the conversation? What ‘reporting verbs’ can Partner C use here? Did they use a paraphrase or a direct quotation?
Finally, brainstorm a list together of possible reporting verbs to use.
If time allows, switch roles with your partners, and choose a new topic from this list:
your favorite restaurant
someone you admire
your favorite superhero
top three bucket list items
favorite movie
least favorite food you’ve eaten
your perfect day
person you’d swap lives with for a day
your spirit animal
To avoid ‘choppy’ writing, or writing that sounds like you just ‘dropped in’ a quote or paraphrase from another source, you will want to integrate other scholars’ ideas seamlessly into your own writing. Reporting verbs help to signal your reader that you are incorporating other scholars’ ideas. Notice that we use the present tense for these reporting verbs:
As Carol Dweck asserts, “The fixed mindset makes you concerned with how you’ll be judged; the growth mindset makes you concerned with improving” (13).
Check this list of MLA Signal Phrases from author Robin Jeffrey for more examples of reporting verbs. In your notebook, write some reporting verbs that are comfortable for you (ones you’ve used before) and some that are new for you (ones you’d like to try).
Works Cited Pages
A Works Cited page in MLA format is an alphabetical listing of all of the sources you have paraphrased, quoted, summarized, or reproduced (as in, for example, a photo or graph) in your essay; in other words, any source that you created an in-text citation for. Your Works Cited page will have an entry for each resource you used so that your readers can find the original source, in case they want to learn more from that expert. Each entry will include this information (if available): the author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, the version, number, publisher, date of publication, and location (page numbers, a DOI, or a URL, for instance). Check the links near the bottom of this page for more information and formatting guides.
As you conduct your research, it is helpful to keep a list of Works Consulted. As you write your essay, move the sources that have in-text citations to your Works Cited page. Then, when you are finished writing, attach your Works Cited page (the final, separate sheet of paper) to your essay.
Sample Works Cited entries:
North, Emily J, and Rolf U Halden. “Plastics and environmental health: the road ahead.” Reviews on environmental health vol. 28,1 (2013): 1-8. doi:10.1515/reveh-2012-0030
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: the New Psychology of Success. Ballantine, 2016.
There are specific guidelines to follow for every kind of source (websites, blogs, videos, books, scholarly journals, etc.). The “Works Cited: A Quick Guide” from the MLA Style Center has the most recent advice on formatting your Works Cited pages.
Also, there are several citation generators available on the internet. Check with your instructors to find out about their policies regarding the use of citation generators.
