/seawolfby00londrich.pdf.
If you’re attempting to reference an e-book from an e-reader, such as a Nook or Kindle, use the EasyBib MLA citation generator. We’ll help you structure your e-book references in no time!
| Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Web Page.” , Website publisher (if different from website name), date published, URL.
| |
| Sabat, Yaika. “Puerto Rican Writers, Poets, and Essayists.” , Riot New Media Group, 22 Nov. 2017, bookriot.com/puerto-rican-writers/.
| |
| Web Page Author’s Last Name…
| (Web Page Author’s Last Name)
|
| Sabat…
| (Sabat)
|
If you need more information on how to cite websites in MLA , check out the full-length EasyBib guide! Or, take the guesswork out of forming your references and try the EasyBib automatic MLA citation machine!
Need an APA citation website or help with another popular referencing style? EasyBib Plus may be exactly what you need.
| Article Author’s Last Name, First name. “Title of Article.” , vol. number, issue no., date published, page range. , DOI or URL.
| |
| Ioannidou, Elena. “Greek in Enclave Communities: Language Maintenance of the Varieties of Cypriot Romeika in Cyprus and Cretan Greek in Cunda, Turkey.” , vol. 26, 2019, pp. 157-186. , www.jstor.org/stable/10.13173/medilangrevi.26.2019.0157.
| |
| Online Journal Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Online Journal Article’s Last Name page number)
|
| Ioannidou…(164).
| (Ioannidou 164)
|
To see an online journal example in action, check out the EasyBib MLA sample paper, which is discussed at the bottom of this guide. Also, don’t forget about the easy-to-use, EasyBib automatic generator. Stop typing into Google “citation maker MLA” and go to EasyBib.com instead!
| Article Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” , vol. number, issue no., date published, page range.
| |
| Brundan, Katy. “What We Can Learn From the Philologist in Fiction.” , vol. 61, no. 3, summer 2019, pp. 285-310.
| |
| Print Journal Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Print Journal Article Author’s Last Name page number)
|
| Brundan…(303)
| (Brundan 303)
|
If it’s referencing an APA journal you’re after, click on the link for the informative EasyBib guide on the topic.
If you’re looking for an MLA citation maker to help you build your bibliography, try out the EasyBib MLA generator. Type in a few key pieces of information about your source and watch the magic happen!
| Article Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Magazine Article.” , vol. number, issue no., date published, page range. , website address.
| |
| Natarajan, Regan. “Preparing for Education 4.0.” , vol. 21, no. 1, Jan. 2020, p. 40. , www.ezinemart.com/educationworld/index.php?pagedate=01012020#.
| |
| Online Magazine Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Online Magazine Article Author’s Last Name page number)
|
| Natarajan…
| (Natarajan)*
|
*In the above example, Natarajan’s article only sits on one page, so it’s unnecessary to include the page number in the reference in the text.
| Article Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Print Magazine Article.” , vol. number, issue no., date published, page range.
| |
| Seymour, Gene. “Henry James and Pigs’ Feet: Ralph Ellison’s Letters Fulfill His Great First Novel’s Promise.” , vol. 26, no. 5, Feb/Mar. 2020, pp. 14-15.
| |
| Print Magazine Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Print Magazine Article’s Last Name page number)
|
| Seymour…(14)
| (Seymour 14)
|
Print magazines are always fun to read, but know what else is a party? Brushing up on your grammar skills! Check out the thorough EasyBib grammar guides on adverb , determiner , and preposition pages!
| Article Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Online Newspaper Article.” [City]*, date published, section name (if applicable), page range. , URL.
| |
| Berthiaume, Lee. “Backlog of Applications for Vets’ Benefits Grows By The Thousands.” , 11 Feb. 2020, A9. , www-pressreader-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/canada/toronto-star/20200211.
| |
| Online Newspaper Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Online Newspaper Article Author’s Last Name page number)
|
| Berthiaume…
| (Berthiaume)**
|
*You do not need to include the city name in your citation if the city name is in the name of the newspaper or if it is a national or international newspaper.
**Since the above article is only on one page, it’s not necessary to include the page number in the text reference of your MLA style citation.
Need help? Use the EasyBib MLA citation machine, which guides you through the process of making newspaper references! Quit searching on Google for “how to MLA citation” and visit EasyBib.com today!
| Article Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Print Newspaper Article.” [City],* date published, section name (if applicable), page range.
| |
| Larry, Gordon. “Sending Mom and Dad Off to College for the Day.” , 11 Feb. 2020, pp. B1-B2.
| |
| Print Newspaper Article Author’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Print Newspaper Article Author’s Last Name page number)
|
| Gordon…(B1)
| (Gordon B1)
|
If your periodical article falls on nonconsecutive page numbers, add a plus sign after the first page number and omit the additional pages from any full references. Example: pp. B1+ (This information is located on page 193 in the official Handbook ). Don’t forget, the EasyBib citation machine MLA creator can help you structure all your citation information!
| Artist’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Artwork or Image.” , date published (if available), URL.
| |
| Chapman, Cyrus Tucker. “Miss Jeannette Rankin, of Montana, Speaking from the Balcony of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Monday, April 2, 1917.” , www.loc.gov/item/mnwp000156/.
| |
| Online Image Artist’s Last Name
| (Online Image Artist’s Last Name)
|
| Chapman…
| (Chapman)
|
If you’re still confused about referencing online images, give the EasyBib MLA format generator a whirl. In just a few clicks, you’ll have well-structured MLA citations!
If you’re looking to reference an image seen in a print book, use the structure below. Or, use the “Cartoon,” “Photo,” “Painting,” or “Map” forms found on the EasyBib MLA generator for citations.
| Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Year created. , additional contributors (if applicable), Publisher, date published, page(s).
| |
| Bentley, William Allen. . 1922. Courier Corporation, 2012, pp. 1-67.
| |
| Artist’s Last Name…(page number)
| (Artist’s Last Name page number)
|
| Bentley…(13)
| (Bentley 13)
|
In need of a citation machine MLA maker to help save some of your precious time? Try EasyBib’s generator. Head to the EasyBib homepage and start developing your references today!
If you viewed an image in real life, whether at a museum, on display in a building, or even on a billboard, this EasyBib MLA citation guide example includes the most common way to reference it.
| Artist’s Last Name, First Name. . Date created, Museum or Building, Location.
| |
| Turner, Joseph Mallord William. . 1833, The Frick Collection, New York.
| |
| Artist’s Last Name….
| (Artist’s Last Name)
|
| Turner….
| (Turner)
|
For the majority of online video references, the reference should start with the title of the video. The information about the account that uploaded the video should be included in the “Other Contributors” space.
| “Title of the Online Video.” , uploaded by Username, date uploaded, URL.
| |
| “Jimmy and Kevin Hart Ride a Roller Coaster.” , uploaded by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 18 June 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPdbdjctx2I.
| |
| “Title of Online Video”…(time stamp)
| (“Abbreviated Title of Online Video” time stamp)
|
| “Jimmy and Kevin Hart Ride a Roller Coaster”…(00.02.17)
After the first in-text reference, it’s acceptable to shorten the title when referencing again “Jimmy and Kevin Hart”…(00.03.11)
| (“Jimmy and Kevin Hart” 00.02.17)
The title should always be shortened to the first noun phrase in parenthetical citations when possible.
|
For more on learning how to cite MLA timestamps, turn to page 250 in the official Handbook .
It’s common to see online videos featured in an annotated bibliography . Have a look at the useful guide to learn how to create one from scratch!
Streamed shows (sometimes called online or streamed “television shows”) are watched using a service such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or another subscription streaming site.
| “Title of Episode.” , contributor names (if applicable), season number, episode number, Publisher/Network name, date aired or published. , URL.
| |
| “Chapter 2: The Child.” , season 1, episode 2, Disney Media Distribution, 15 Nov. 2019. , www.disneyplus.com/mandalorian/thechild.
| |
| “Title of Episode”…
| (“Shortened Title of Episode”)
|
| “Chapter 2: The Child”…(00.23.13)
| (“Chapter 2” 00.23.13)
|
If you accessed a streamed show through an app, the name of the app can be displayed at the end of the citation as “[ Name of Service ] app” instead of including the URL.
| “Title of Episode.” , contributor names (if applicable), season number, episode number, Publisher/Network name, date aired or published. app.
|
| “Chapter 2: The Child.” season 1, episode 2, Disney Media Distribution, 15 Nov. 2019. app.
|
After you’re through binging on your favorite shows, give yourself some brain fuel by taking a glance at the EasyBib grammar guides. Take your writing up a notch with the guides on interjection , conjunction , and verb pages!
| Singer’s Last Name, First Name OR Stage Name/Name of Musical Group. “Title of Song.” , edition if applicable, Publisher, year of publication. , web address.*
| |
| Post Malone. “Better Now.” , Republic Records, 2018. , open.spotify.com/track/7dt6x5M1jzdTEt8oCbisTK.
| |
| Singer’s Last Name or Group Name
| (Singer’s Last Name or Group)
|
| Post Malone….
| (Post Malone)
|
*If you accessed a streamed song through an app, the name of the app can be displayed at the end of the citation as “[ Name of Service ] app” instead of including the URL.
Streamed music can be tricky to reference, especially with the wide variety of streaming services available on the web and through apps. Don’t worry, the EasyBib MLA citation maker can come in and save the day for you. Try it out now! To make it even easier, bookmark the EasyBib citation machine MLA maker for quick access!
| Composer’s Last Name, First Name. . Date of original composition.* Publisher, date published. , web address.
| |
| Gershwin, George. . 1924. The Library at www.piano.ru. , musopen.org/music/11222-rhapsody-in-blue/.
| |
| Composer’s Last Name…(measures x-x)
| (Composer’s Last Name measures x-x)
|
| Gershwin…(measures 3-4)
| (Gershwin measures 3-4)
|
*You can include the original composition date as supplemental information between the title and publisher. It may be helpful to include this information if the piece was composed much earlier than the sheet music you are citing or if the arrangement has significantly changed from the original.
Notable individuals consistently share pictures, videos, and ideas on social media, which is why social media is often referenced in today’s research papers . If you’re looking to add a reference for Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, or Instagram in your MLA paper, check out the structures and examples below.
| Last Name, First Name [Username]*. “Full text of tweet.” (If it’s longer than 140 characters, it’s acceptable to only include the first part with three ellipses at the end.) , date posted, URL.
| |
| Eilish, Billie. “Billie’s premiere performance of ‘No Time To Die’ will be at the 2020 #BRITS on 2/18. Billie will be accompanied by @FINNEAS, @HansZimmer, and @Johnny_Marr.” , 13 Feb. 2020, twitter.com/billieeilish/status/1228109605189742592.
| |
| Author Last Name….
| (Author Last Name)
|
| Eilish…
| (Eilish)
|
*When the account name and username are similar, the username can be excluded from the citation. For example, if the account’s username was @FirstNameLastName or @OrganizationName.
If the tweet is composed of just an image or video, create a description for it and do not place it in quotation marks. For example:
DJ Snake. Video of studio controls with music playing. Twitter , 11 Feb. 2020, twitter.com/djsnake/status/1227267455095123968.
Odds are, you could spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the latest news and gossip. Why not spend some time scrolling through the EasyBib grammar guides instead? Check out these informative noun and adjective guides to help keep your writing in check!
| First Name Last Name or Page Name. “Title of Facebook post” or Description of Facebook post if it lacks text or a title or consists entirely of a photo or video. , date posted, URL.
| |
| Cabello, Camila. Update to fans after social media break. , 4 Feb. 2020, www.facebook.com/camilacabello/posts/2939765322713592.
| |
| Facebook Poster’s Last Name…
| (Facebook Poster’s Last Name)
|
| Cabello…
| (Cabello)
|
Author’s Last Name, First Name [Reddit username if different than their name]. “Text of Reddit headline.” , date posted, URL. | ||
| [u/maupalo]. “How do you feel about professors taking attendance?” , 21 Feb. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/college/comments/f7ay40/ how_do_you_feel_about_professors_taking_attendance/.
| |
| Reddit Poster’s Last Name or Username
| (Reddit Poster’s Last Name or Username)
|
| Reddit user u/maupalo…
| (u/maupalo)
|
| Last Name, First Name [Username if different]. “Text of Instagram caption” or Description if it lacks text and consists of a photo or video without a caption. , other contributors (if applicable), date posted, URL.
| |
| Eilish, Billie. Profile photograph of Billie holding a white microphone with a black background. , 28 Jan. 2020, www.instagram.com/p/B72dN1gFe7k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.
| |
| Last name…
| (Last Name)
|
| Eilish…
| (Eilish)
|
Looking for other types of sources, such as government and archival documents? Here’s more info .
Now that you’ve figured out how to style your references, the next step is structuring your written work according to this style’s guidelines. The thorough EasyBib MLA format guide provides you with the information you need to structure the font, MLA title page (or MLA cover page), paper margins, spacing, plus more! There’s even a sample MLA paper, too!
MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.
Published April 9, 2020. Updated July 25, 2021.
Written by Michele Kirschenbaum. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and is the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com.
MLA Formatting
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It’s 100% free to create MLA citations. The EasyBib Citation Generator also supports 7,000+ other citation styles. These other styles—including APA, Chicago, and Harvard—are accessible for anyone with an EasyBib Plus subscription.
No matter what citation style you’re using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) the EasyBib Citation Generator can help you create the right bibliography quickly.
Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.
Creating an account is not a requirement for generating MLA citations. However, registering for an EasyBib account is free and an account is how you can save all the citation you create. This can help make it easier to manage your citations and bibliographies.
Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.
If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.
It supports MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7,000 total citation styles.
An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.
Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry. An example of the first citation in prose for one author is given below:
Carol Fitzerald explains the picture of the area.
Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses. An example of a parenthetical citation is given below:
The picture of the area is explained (Fitzgerald).
When you quote a specific line from the source, you can include a page number or a line number in in-text citations. Examples of both a citation in prose and a parenthetical citation are given below. Do not add “p.” or “pp.” before the page number(s).
Swan says, “Postglacial viability and colonization in North America is to be studied” (47).
Though some researchers claim that “Postglacial viability and colonization in North America is to be studied” (Swan 47).
In-text citations should be concise. Do not repeat author names in parentheses if the name is mentioned in the text (the citation in prose).
To cite a periodical such as a journal, magazine, or newspaper, in the text, the basic element needed is the author’s name . The publication year is not required for in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation. The example below shows how to cite a periodical in the text.
Citations in prose use the author’s full name when citing for the first time. Thereafter, only use the surname. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry. An example of a citation in prose for a periodical with one author is below:
First time: Kathy Goldstein explains the picture of the area.
Subsequent occurrences: Goldstein explains the picture of the area.
Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses. An example of a parenthetical citation is below:
The picture of the area is explained (Goldstein).
An MLA citation generator is a tool that can help you easily create MLA formatted citations and works cited entries. You can try the EasyBib MLA citation generator at https://www.easybib.com/mla/source .
For some source types, only a single piece of information is needed in order to generate a citation. For example, the ISBN of a book, the DOI of a journal article, or the URL of a website. For other source types, a form will indicate what information is needed for the citation, and then automatically formats the citation.
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Need editing and proofreading services, how to cite a website in mla format | 9th edition rules.
Whether you’re writing a paper or crediting people on your blog, you should know how to write a website citation in MLA style. While there are several tools to create an MLA citation for a website, they’re not perfect. Even the best of tools make errors, and you should know the right format to be able to spot them.
As your resident academic experts, we’ll break down everything about citing a website in MLA format. We’ll take a look at the basic format and add corresponding MLA website citation examples. With this, we’ve included some quick tips, so you’ll never forget how to cite websites in MLA format!
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Web pages don’t always have a clearly defined author or other publishing details. Plus, writers and organizations frequently update web content to keep it fresh and relevant. So, your MLA format citation for a website may become outdated by the time it reaches the instructor’s desk!
The rules of academic writing present a solution: Just mention the date of accessing the source in your MLA website citations! Let’s take a closer look.
Here’s an MLA format citation for a website:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Website , Sponsor or Publisher, Date Month Year (of publication), URL. Accessed Date Month Year(optional).
Jones, Dave. “The Many ‘Nothings’ in King Lear .” Shakespeare Quarterly , Globe Theatre, 15 Mar. 2023, www.citationguide.com/article123. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Note that the sponsor or publisher is mentioned only if they’re a separate entity from the website.
Here are some quick tips to remember the format of an MLA citation for websites:
Let’s take a look at some variations of this format with relevant MLA website citation examples.
1. website article with an editor.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Website , edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date Month Year, URL. Accessed Date Month Year.
Roseth, Isabel. “‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’: A Series in Review.” The Justice , edited by Brynne Rao, 02 Apr. 2024, www.thejustice.org/article/2024/04/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians. Accessed 21 May 2024
“Title of the Article.” Title of the Website, Publisher, Date Month Year, URL.
“Exploring America in the Early Nineteenth Century.” History.org , The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2020, www.history.org/exploring-early-america .
In-text citation: (Exploring America)
The MLA in-text citation for a website with no author is a shortened version of the article title. This should correspond with the first few words of your entry in the MLA Works Cited list.
First Author’s Last Name, First Name, and Second Author’s First Name Last Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Website , Publisher, Date of publication, URL.
Zuckerman, Jocelyn C., and Siddharth Kara. “For Your Phone and EV, a Cobalt Supply Chain to a Hell on Earth.” Yale E360 , 30 Mar. 2023, e360.yale.edu/features/siddharth-kara-cobalt-mining-labor-congo.
(Zuckerman and Kara)
In case there are three or more authors, simply add “et. al.” after the first author’s name. Here’s an MLA citation example for a website:
Lee, Shanta, et al. “Metamorphoses: ‘Erysichthon’ by Ovid And…” Poetry Foundation , 23 November 2021, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/161670/poem-guide-erysichthon-by-ovid-and-shanta-lee. Accessed 17 May 2024.
(Lee et al.)
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Website , Publisher, n.d., URL.
Lee, Harper. “To Kill a Mockingbird: A Reflection on the Novel.” Classic Literature Insights , n.d., www.classicliteratureinsights.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird-reflection .
Note: Add “n.d.” to indicate that the date of publication is not available.
Corporate Author. “Title of the Web Page.” Title of the Website , Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
American Heart Association. “Understanding Heart Health.” Heart.org , 03 Mar. 2022, www.heart.org/understanding-heart-health .
(American Heart Association)
Remember, an MLA citation for a website mentions a publisher only if they’re a separate entity from the group author and website!
Title of the Website . Publisher or Sponsor of the Site (if separate from website), Date Month Year. URL. Accessed Date Month Year.
Poetry Foundation , www.poetryfoundation.org/. Accessed 21 May 2024.
(Poetry Foundation)
Note: The date of publication may not be available while citing an entire website in MLA style.
If you refer to a website directly in your narrative, you don’t have to write a separate MLA in-text citation for the website:
According to the NASA website, space exploration continues to…
When citing multiple pages from the same website, use shortened titles in your in-text citations to differentiate them:
(Author’s Last Name, “Title of the Web Page”)
Page 1: (Payne and Rowland, “War in Sudan”)
Page 2: (Payne and Rowland, “Plight of Dafur”)
Always remember to double-check all your website citations in MLA style and their corresponding in-text citations. That way, you’ll be able to spot any missing entries and add them promptly. This concludes our guide on how to cite a website in MLA format. We hope you found it useful!
The key to accurate MLA citation for websites is attention to detail. Just remember the sequence and put the punctuation marks where they’re supposed to go. If you’d still like an academic expert to review your citations, PaperTrue’s paper editing services have your back.
Want to keep reading about citations and formatting? Here are some resources that could help:
How to do an mla in-text citation for a website with no author, is a website italicized in mla, when citing a website, what should not be included in mla format, how do you cite an organization's website in mla, how do you cite a government website in mla with no author or date.
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Generate accurate citations in MLA format automatically, with MyBib!
An MLA citation generator is a software tool designed to automatically create academic citations in the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation format. The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper.
The citations on a Works Cited page show the external sources that were used to write the main body of the academic paper, either directly as references and quotes, or indirectly as ideas.
MLA style is most often used by middle school and high school students in preparation for transition to college and further education. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA (American Psychological Association) style being the favored style at colleges across the country.
It is also important at this level to learn why it's critical to cite sources, not just how to cite them.
Writing citations manually is time consuming and error prone. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. It's also easier to keep citations organized and in the correct order.
The Works Cited page contributes to the overall grade of a paper, so it is important to produce accurately formatted citations that follow the guidelines in the official MLA Handbook .
It's super easy to create MLA style citations with our MLA Citation Generator. Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form.
The generator will produce a formatted MLA citation that can be copied and pasted directly into your document, or saved to MyBib as part of your overall Works Cited page (which can be downloaded fully later!).
MyBib supports the following for MLA style:
⚙️ Styles | MLA 8 & MLA 9 |
---|---|
📚 Sources | Websites, books, journals, newspapers |
🔎 Autocite | Yes |
📥 Download to | Microsoft Word, Google Docs |
Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
Published on March 14, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 28, 2024.
An in-text citation is a short acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take information from a source in academic writing. It points the reader to the source so they can see where you got your information.
In-text citations most commonly take the form of short parenthetical statements indicating the author and publication year of the source, as well as the page number if relevant.
We also offer a free citation generator and in-depth guides to the main citation styles.
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What are in-text citations for, when do you need an in-text citation, types of in-text citation, frequently asked questions about in-text citations.
The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations:
Academic writing is seen as an ongoing conversation among scholars, both within and between fields of study. Showing exactly how your own research draws on and interacts with existing sources is essential to keeping this conversation going.
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An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.
Quoting means including the original author’s words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase . Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found.
Paraphrasing means putting information from a source into your own words. In-text citations are just as important here as with quotes, to avoid the impression you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas. Include page numbers where possible, to show where the information can be found.
However, to avoid over-citation, bear in mind that some information is considered common knowledge and doesn’t need to be cited. For example, you don’t need a citation to prove that Paris is the capital city of France, and including one would be distracting.
Different types of in-text citation are used in different citation styles . They always direct the reader to a reference list giving more complete information on each source.
Author-date citations (used in APA , Harvard , and Chicago author-date ) include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number when available. Author-page citations (used in MLA ) are the same except that the year is not included.
Both types are divided into parenthetical and narrative citations. In a parenthetical citation , the author’s name appears in parentheses along with the rest of the information. In a narrative citation , the author’s name appears as part of your sentence, not in parentheses.
Parenthetical citation | Narrative citation | |
---|---|---|
Author-date (APA) | The treatment proved highly effective (Smith, 2018, p. 11). | Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (2018, p. 11). |
Author-page (MLA) | The treatment proved highly effective (Smith 11). | Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (11). |
Note: Footnote citations like those used in Chicago notes and bibliography are sometimes also referred to as in-text citations, but the citation itself appears in a note separate from the text.
An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.
Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.
The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2024, February 28). The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/in-text-citation-styles/
Other students also liked, how to quote | citing quotes in apa, mla & chicago, how to paraphrase | step-by-step guide & examples, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources, what is your plagiarism score.
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If a source has no author, start the MLA Works Cited entry with the source title.Use a shortened version of the title in your MLA in-text citation.. If a source has no page numbers, you can use an alternative locator (e.g. a chapter number, or a timestamp for a video or audio source) to identify the relevant passage in your in-text citation. If the source has no numbered divisions, cite only ...
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Revised on March 5, 2024. An MLA in-text citation provides the author's last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by " et al. ". If the part you're citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.
Write the author's name in last name, first name format with a period following. Next, write the name of the website in italics. Write the contributing organization's name with a comma following. List the date in day, month, year format with a comma following. Lastly, write the URL with a period following.
In-Text Citations: An Overview. In-text citations are brief, unobtrusive references that direct readers to the works-cited-list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the source being cited. An in-text citation begins with the shortest piece of information that directs your reader to the entry in the ...
Works Cited List Example: Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2011, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016. In-Text Citation Example: (Author's Last Name) (Mabillard) Note: In this example, the name of the organization affiliated with the website is omitted since it is the same as the website title.
Citing a website in MLA Style. An MLA Works Cited entry for a webpage lists the author's name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the site (in italics), the date of publication, and the URL. The in-text citation usually just lists the author's name. For a long page, you may specify a (shortened) section heading to ...
Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).
3.4. ( 145) An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information. This guide focuses on how to create MLA in ...
MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith). For more information on in-text citation, see the MLA Style Center.
In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper. Number of Authors/Editors. Format of In-Text Citation. One.
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Follow the formatting of the title. For example, if the title in the works-cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation, and if the title in the works-cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation. Format: (Title Page Number) Examples:
author's given name, preceded by a comma. For a page with two or more authors, list them in the order they appear on the website. Only the first author's name should be reversed, while the others are written in normal order. Separate author names by a comma, and place the word "and" before the last author's name.
Both direct quotes and paraphrases require an in-text or parenthetical citation to follow it. Format your parenthetical or in-text citation in MLA as follows: "Direct quote" or paraphrase (Author's last name and page number). OR. Author's last name said that "Direct Quote" or paraphrase (page number).
An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author's name. The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited.
The nine core elements of MLA citations. 1. Author. Begin each source entry with the name of the author (s) or creator (s). The name of the first author is always inverted (Last name, First name). When a source has two authors, the second author's name is shown in the normal order (First name Last name).
In-text citation: (Exploring America) The MLA in-text citation for a website with no author is a shortened version of the article title. This should correspond with the first few words of your entry in the MLA Works Cited list. 3. Website article with multiple authors. First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name ...
Scroll back up to the generator at the top of the page and select the type of source you're citing. Books, journal articles, and webpages are all examples of the types of sources our generator can cite automatically. Then either search for the source, or enter the details manually in the citation form. The generator will produce a formatted MLA ...
The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations: Avoids plagiarism by acknowledging the original author's contribution. Allows readers to verify your claims and do follow-up research. Shows you are engaging with the literature of your field.
An in-text citation appears in a written text and gives credit to a source's original author. They usually include information within a set of parentheses, like the author's name, the publication date of the source, and the page number the quote is from. Example: APA Style in-text citation (Brown, 1997, p. 188)