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Barrington High School Online Library: Citation & More

MLA Style Guides

In-Text Citations

ALWAYS DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCE WITH IN-TEXT CITATIONS WHEN YOU:

  • use information from one of your sources, whether you quote or paraphrase it
  • summarize information from one of your sources
  • use factual information that is not common knowledge*
  • quote directly from a source
  • use a date, fact or statistic that might be disputed

Usually only the author's last name (OR, if no author, the title) and page number are given. Do not use the word "page" or any abbreviations. Page numbers may be omitted if the source is a one-page article or an internet source which does not include paging.

* Common knowledge is information that recurs in multiple sources. If you are not certain it is common knowledge, cite it to be on the safe side!

RULES FOR USING IN-TEXT CITATIONS (MLA style)

1. Cite the author's last name and page number in parentheses.

2. If there are multiple titles by the same author, cite the author's last name, title and page.

3. If the author and title are identified in the text, cite only the page number.

4. If there is no author, cite title and page number.

5. If there is no numbering (common with internet sources), cite only the author - or title, if there is no author - in parenthesis. If the title is very lengthy, you may use only a few keywords from the title. Do not use the URL in in-text citations.

6. If you are citing an indirect source (a quote within a source), you must identify it with "qtd. in"