Rules for In-Text Citations
Rule 1: The in-text citation should always correspond to the first word(s) of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.
- Author’s last name or title of the entry if there is no author.
- (Smith).
- (“The Truth of MLA”).
- Two authors- both authors are listed.
- (Smith and Jones).
- Three or more authors “et al.” replaces the other authors’ names.
- (Smith et al.).
- Title format- longer titles in-text should only use the first three words.
- (“The Gender Wage”).
- The title format should match the Works Cited page format.
- If a title is in quotation marks on the Works Cited page, it should be in quotation marks in the in-text citation.
- A title in italics on the Works Cited page should be in italics in the in-text citation.
- For AI-generated text, include the prompt used to generate the text in quotation marks.
-
- (“Tell me about”)
- Shortened long prompts to the first three words of the prompt.
- Only capitalize the first word of the prompt and proper nouns.
- (“Tell me about”)
-
Rule 2: Print sources have page numbers.
- Print sources – are sources that have page numbers- i.e., journals, books, newspapers, or magazines.
- Print sources needed page numbers in the in-text citation
- (Smith 37).
- (Smith and Jones 37).
- (Smith et al. 37).
- (Sir Gawain and 37).
- Formatting – NO commas, “Pg” or number signs in the in-text citation.
- The period goes after the in-text citation.
- When a Works Cited page entry lists a page range, or you are pulling information from multiple pages, for example, pages 18-26, DO NOT include the whole page range in your in-text citation- include the single page number where one would find the start of that direct quote, paraphrase, or summary.
- Example (Smith 21).
- Ebooks follow the rules of print sources. E-books, although online, have page numbers too. If you cannot find the page number, cite the chapter. Ex: (Jones 24) or (Jones ch.2)
- Videos have time stamps.
- (Jacobs 3:15).
- (“The Worlds Water” 6:24).
Applying the Rules:
Rule 1: The in-text citation should always be cited using the corresponding first word(s) of the matching entry on the Works Cited page.
Rule 2: Print sources have page numbers.
Example of a book
Works Cited Entry (Book):
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Translated by Simon Armitage, W. W. Norton & Company, 2007.
Corresponding In-text Citation:
(Sir Gawain and 22).
Example of an article from a library database
Works Cited Entry (Article from a Database):
“Women’s History Month.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2024. Gale In Context: College, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CKMVSU430936418/CSIC?u=mcc_pv&sid=bookmark-CSIC&xid=fb7e7602. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Corresponding In-text Citation:
(“Women’s History Month”).
Example of a journal article
Works Cited Entry (Journal Article):
Smith, John. “The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems.” Journal of Environmental Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, 2020, pp. 45-67. http://doi.org/10.1234/jes.v15i3.5678.
Corresponding In-text Citation:
(Smith 45).
Example of an article from an online newspaper
Works Cited Entry (Article from online newspaper):
McCoy, Terrence. “How Wildfires are Affecting Global Air Quality.” The Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023, www.washingtonpost.com/environment/2023/08/25/wildfires-global-air-quality/.
Corresponding In-text Citation:
(McCoy).
Example of journal article with three or more authors
Works Cited Entry (Journal article with three or more authors):
Johnson, R., Johnson, et al. “Diagnosis, Prescription, Intervention, Evaluation, Advanced Academic Training, and College Student Success.” Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 22,(4), 2021,699-720. http://doi.org/10.1177/1521025118779803.
Corresponding In-Text Citation:
(Johnson et al. 700).
Example of AI-generated text
Works Cited Entry (AI-generated text)
“Tell me about the use of song in Shakespeare’s plays” prompt. ChatGPT 4.0, mini version, 25 Jan. 2025, OpenAI, chatgpt.com.
Corresponding In-text Citation:
(“Tell me about”).
Do
In-text citations can go at the start or end of a sentence, depending on the wording. Page numbers always belong at the end of the sentence.
- In-text citations at the start of a sentence should be woven into the writing. Include the author or title of the source without parentheses. Page numbers will always be in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
Examples with author introduced at the start of a sentence
According to Johnson et al., specific interventions can positively impact first-semester students’ non-advancement rate (700).
Terrence McCoy, author for The Washington Post, asserts that wildfire smoke contributes to record-breaking air quality issues.
- In-text citations can also go at the end of a sentence. Include the author or title of the source and page number, if needed, at the end of the sentence in parentheses.
Examples of in-text citations at the end of a sentence
Research on starting college freshmen indicates that specific interventions can positively impact first-semester students’ non-advancement rate (Johnson et al. 700).
Investigations by The Washington Post assert that wildfire smoke contributes to record-breaking air quality issues (McCoy).
Do Not’s
- Do NOT use years in MLA in-text citations.
- Do not include other information, such as publisher, city, year, or title.
- If the source’s author is given at the beginning of a sentence, do not put it in an in-text citation at the end. You only need to include it once.
For more examples of integrating source information into your writing using signal phrases, refer to the section on signal phrases.
