In-text Citations (When to use ‘em and how to do ‘em)

Definition: In-text citations are used (like they sound) within the text, or the writing, of a paper. They show which particular facts came from which source (Magliozzo).

Nope! Facts that are widely known, or information or judgments considered “common knowledge” Do NOT have to be documented. Hooray for common knowledge!

Examples of Common Knowledge Lung Cancer affects the lungs, which are part of the respiratory system. Diabetes affects a person’s ability to maintain their blood sugar levels. The RULE: If you see a fact in all of your sources, and you are fairly certain many of your readers already know this information, it is likely to be “common knowledge.” But when in doubt, cite!

What’s the big deal? If I change a few words, I’m okay, right? Wrong! Paraphrasing original ideas without documenting your source, is plagiarism too!

However, you can “borrow” from the works of others in your own work, just so long as you cite your source!

Use these three strategies. Quoting- copying word for word Use when the source says something especially profound. Surround with quotation marks. Paraphrasing- someone else’s ideas into your own words Use the majority of the time when you are relating important research. Summarizing- using your own words to shorten someone else’s ideas Use when you are trying to relate the most important details from a lot of research.

All of these examples require in-text citation.

Directions for Creating In-Text Citations. In parentheses include the author’s last name (if you know it). (Magliozzo) If you don’t know the author, cite the title in parentheses. (“Anemia.”) If you have sources with the same title, include the name of the database or website. (“Anemia” Health and Wellness Center) (“Anemia” WebMD) Italicize or put quotes around title so that it matches the same format as the Works Cited entry.

Where Does It Go? Place the citation at the end of a sentence but before the punctuation. …Americans every year (Smith). If you need quotation marks, end them before the parentheses. …will be discovered” (“Lung Cancer”).

Typical example: “Slightly more than 73% of Happy High School students reported plagiarizing papers sometime in their high school careers” (Smith). A direct quote from a source with an author