Using In-Text Citation (MLA) by C. Carroll and G. Lejeune 2015

To cite = to identify and give credit to the source of your information. site CITE IS sight RIGHT!

Why do we need to cite sources? To bolster your argument with scholarly support To avoid plagiarism and academic censure To recognize intellectual property To be honest and ethical 

What needs to be cited? Quotation = exact copy of author’s words with same capitalization, punctuation, etc. Paraphrase / borrowed idea = Author’s original idea put in your own words or summarized.

What needs to be cited? You should acknowledge any original or debatable idea you read in an outside source Examples: Causes / effects of an historical event Interpretation of a literary work Debatable authorship or activities (ex. King Arthur or Robin Hood)

What does NOT need to be cited? FACTS that can be verified in 3 sources Examples of facts: Birth & death dates & places Locations of landmarks Plant and animal kingdoms Widely accepted ideas If in doubt, cite it!

Example for Crusades Topic Facts that do NOT need a citation: When each Crusade occurred Where crusaders went Who were specific Crusade leaders Borrowed ideas that SHOULD be cited: Why the Crusades were fought Which decisions were good or bad Whether Crusades failed or were successful

Where does the citation go? Citation is located in the text of your paper (rather than as a footnote), right after the quote or idea is presented Citation goes at the end of the sentence, group of sentences, or paragraph where ideas are used Appropriate sentence punctuation follows the parentheses so the citation becomes part of the sentence.

What does the citation look like? Author’s last name in parentheses EX: (Russell) If no or unknown author, use title of work EX: (The Middle Ages) Followed by page number, if any (with no punctuation between them) EX: (Taylor 25) Just enough info to guide your reader to the complete, alphabetized bibliography entry

Example of In-Text Citation: Direct quotation “It was generally believed that participation in the conquest of the earthly Jerusalem was one way…to qualify for the heavenly one” (Packard 64). Note: period to end sentence goes AFTER the close parenthesis

Example of In-Text Citation: Paraphrase According to Packard, crusaders joined the fight to secure themselves a place in heaven (64). Note: even though this idea has been summarized in your own words, it still needs to be cited. Since the author’s name is mentioned in the text, it is not needed in the parentheses.

Example of In-Text Citation: Article / Web Page with no Author “The Crusades should have ended with the capture of Antioch, but a kind of unreason had taken hold of the remaining Crusaders. They had lived with their dream for so long that they could not give it up. They were driven by a passion for what they believed was a holy cause; a need to fulfill their Crusader vows; and a lust for … blood, the spoils of war, and territory” (“History”). Note: This quote came from the article “History of the Crusades” in World History in Context. The title has been shortened for economy.

Example of In-Text Citation: Summary/Borrowed Idea Although the Crusades should have ended after Antioch, the remaining Crusaders could not give up their dream of winning spoils and territory (“History”).

Key Idea: In-text Citation Leads to Works Cited Entry Word in parentheses of in-text citation = same word as the beginning of the Works Cited (bibliography) entry. This word serves as a signpost to the reader to quickly and easily find the full source in the Works Cited list. May be author’s last name, title of article, title of book, or title of webpage.

Review: Quiz Time! (form only) Which of these citations is RIGHT & which WRONG? 1. “Ice cream rocks.” (Carroll, 12) 2. The moon is made of green cheese (“Moon”). 3. Smith argues that Teddy Bear Day should be a national holiday (Britannica). 4. “The color green suggests new life” (Russell). 5. The aluminum foil deflector beanie is must-have protection against mind control. (

Works Cited Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5 th ed. New York: the Modern Language Association of American, Print. “History of the Crusades.” The Crusades Reference Library. Ed. Neil Schlager, et al. vol. 1: Almanac. Detroit: UXL, World History in Context. Web. 14 April (“History”). Packard, Sidney. “The Holy Crusades.” The 1100s: Headlines in History, ed. Helen Kothran. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Print.