Citing Sources English 104 – 42 Spring 2011

Citing Sources using MLA 3 components go into citing a source: MLA discourse styles (Quotations, Paraphrases, Summaries) In-Text Citations, after the Q, P, or S. Attributive Tags, prior to Q, P, or S.

Discourse Styles: What is… Summary? Brief description of main idea Much shorter than original text Your own words & writing style Paraphrase? Restatement of exact ideas and information in new words. About the same length as the original, or longer, than original text. In your own words and writing style. Quotation? Direct representation of the words w/ quotation marks Exact words even w/spelling or grammatical errors Same length as original unless you use an ellipses (…) or brackets [ ]

In-Text Citations Parenthetical notes, imbedded in a paper, that tell readers that particular information in the paper was borrowed from a specific source. Used after any quotation (Q), paraphrase (P), or summary (S) from another source Usually includes, in parentheses, the last name of the author and page number, with exceptions Refers readers to the Works Cited

Example

In-Text Citations: General Rules Usually, provide only last name of author(s) and page number(s) on which the information was found. E.g. (Miller-Cochran and Rodridgo 255). In-text citations should come after quotation marks and before end punctuation of sentences. All Q, P, or S used in a paper (in fact, all information borrowed from another source) must include an in-text citation at the end. For more information, see The Ball Point Chapter 5, sections 2-3; or the Purdue Online Writing Lab (“MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics” link); or Wadsworth 252-254.

Attributive Tags Brief statements prior to a Q, P, or S that identifies the source of that information Makes clear where secondary source information begins (The in-text citation shows where it ends) E.G. “According to researchers…”, “Smith writes that…”, “CNN reports that…”

Citation & Quotation For a Quotation… Thus, in his typical blunt eloquence, Peter Ramus responds to Quintilian by writing, “I assert indeed that such a definition of an orator seems to me to be useless and stupid” (683).

Citation & Paraphrase For a Paraphrase… One book, called Teaching to Transgress, describes the boundlessness of language—how we can’t fully control what we communicate and how we inevitably reveal things about ourselves we never intended (hooks 222).

Citation & Summary For a Summary… Our communication takes three general shapes, called, “modes of communication”: written, spoken, or visual. Each mode calls on different human senses, involve our audiences in different ways, and are good for different kinds of purposes and sending different kinds of information (Wysocki and Lynch 178-79).