Before we talk about what is an MLA citation, let’s discuss what an in-text citation is.
When writing any academic article, copying entire phrases from another work is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. This is plagiarism and can get you in so much trouble. But this other article supports your conclusion, how can you say it in your article without copying it?
That’s what citation is for. In this case, we’re talking about in-text citation, when referring, paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting another source, like an article, book, magazine, journal, studies, websites, etc. Keep in mind that for every in-text citation in your paper, there should be a matching entry on the references page.
Trustworthy authors use in-text citations so their readers can confirm that your information is accurate and reliable. It’s also important so they know where to go when they need the information you’ve written in your paper further explored.
There are many ways to add citations in your paper and MLA is one of them. It stands for the Modern Language Association, which manages its style standards used to credit information in scholarly writing including proper citation format and general formatting.
MLA citation style – before and now
The MLA citation style is a widely used system for crediting sources that has been around since 1931. It used to be only a three-page style sheet that became a standard writing style utilized not just by academics but even editorial media.
In the beginning, MLA format combined in-text citations and footnotes. In the 1951 style, it said to insert the reference in the text itself, within parentheses, if it is brief. On the other hand, the guide indicates to put a lengthy reference into a footnote.
Over time, the MLA style changed and in 1995, they added recommendations on how to cite online databases and CD-ROMS. The MLA published one of its newest versions, titled the MLA Handbook, in 2016, detailing how to do MLA format citation the modern way.
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How to write MLA citation?
Now that you know how important a citation is and have an idea what an MLA citation is, how to do in-text citation MLA-style. When citing information from both print and electronic sources, the instructions are basically the same.
MLA in-text citation format
Whether you are paraphrasing or quoting a part of a text, make sure to give enough information and then identify where you obtained it by adding the last name of the author and the page number. Let’s elaborate more on that while we discuss in-prose and parenthetical citations.
In-prose vs. parenthetical MLA citations
The two ways MLA in-text citation can be displayed: (1) in the prose and (2) in parentheses.These two are similar in various ways but have slight differences. In an in-prose MLA citation, you use the author’s name in the text. At the end of the sentence, you put the page number where you found the information inside parentheses.
Here’s how it should look:
- According to Nolan, cultural traditions play a crucial role in shaping individual identity (65).
- You see here that Nolan’s name is included in the sentence itself. The sentence paraphrases a text found in the article from page 65.
What does MLA citation look like using parentheses? Well, first, know that you use MLA parenthetical citations when the author’s name is not included in the text. In that case, you add the author’s name in the parentheses after the sentence together with the page number, like so:
- The theory highlights the importance of cultural context (Smith 45).
- As you can see here, the author’s name Smith is within the parentheses since it was not mentioned in the sentence. It also includes the page number from which the text paraphrased came, in this case, it is page 45.
Take note:
- Adding the page number in parentheses applies only if this is not already mentioned in the prose. If there is no page number (for instance, the source is a website), then there is no need for parenthetical citations.
- These two are the simplest ways of how to make a citation in MLA format. However, know that there are certain situations where it is reasonable to put the parenthetical citation somewhere else or maybe even leave it out.
Two sources from the same author
What if you are using two sources from the same author? In that case, you will need to add both the title of the source along the author's name. You can mention it in the sentence itself or add it in the parenthetical citation.
Make sure to add a comma between the author’s last name and the title if they’re both included in the parenthesis. Also ensure that you are not repeating information already in the text in the parenthetical citation, like adding the author's name when it’s been mentioned before.
It should look like this:History reflects human culture (Smith, The Art of History 78). On the other hand, language adapts to societal needs faster than cultural traditions (Smith, The Language of Society 65).
Note:
In MLA style, the source title must appear either in quotation marks or italics. Use italics if it’s the title of a self-contained whole like a book, journal, website, or film. If it is a part of a whole work, e.g. a chapter of a book or a page on a website, use quotation marks.
Formatting citation information and quotations
If you are quoting, directly referencing, or paraphrasing a text shorter than four lines, add the parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. It should follow the quotation marks directly and be right before the period or any ending punctuation.On the other hand, the block quotation format is used if your quotations are more than four lines. In this case, you write it by introducing the quote followed by a colon, adding a one-half-inch indent from the left margin with the quotation in double space and without quotation marks.The parenthetical citation is then placed after the period or other closing punctuation mark. Here’s how it should look:Smith explores how language and culture relate to each other, stating:Language reflects the shared experiences and values of a community. It evolves side by side with societal changes, reflecting cultural shifts and allowing us a glimpse into the collective consciousness. Therefore, understanding language is crucial to understanding society. (Smith 75)
Full reference citation
There is another type of reference to remember in MLA citation. This one is not an in-text citation – it’s called full reference and is found in the Works Cited at the end of the paper. This page includes enough information about the sources so your readers can find them themselves.
Here’s an example of how a full reference citation looks like:
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1992.
This should correspond to the in-text citation, which could either be an in-prose one or a parenthetical citation like this: (Strickland, 56). The full reference begins with the same word used in the in-text citation, which makes it easier for the reader it in the Works Cited page.
Works Cited page formatting
This is how to list your references on the Works Cited page according to MLA style:
- Citing a book
Last name of author, first name. Title. Publisher name, year.
- Citing an article
Last name of author, first name. “Title of the article.” Publication name, volume/issue, then month it was published. Year, page numbers. Database, URL of the reference.
- Citing a website
Last name of author, first name. “Title of the web page.” Publication, the month it was published. Year, then the URL of the web page.
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Examples of MLA citation
Which in-text citation is formatted correctly in MLA style?
Odysseus and his men “slept again above the wash of ripples.(Homer 68).
”Odysseus and his men, “slept again above the wash of ripples.(Homer 68)”
Odysseus and his men, “slept again above the wash of ripples.” Homer (68)
Odysseus and his men “slept again above the wash of ripples” (Homer 68).
Answer: As we’ve mentioned before, the parenthetical citation is inserted before the punctuation mark if the quote is less than four lines. The fourth sentence follows this format with the parenthetical citation right after the quotation marks and before the period, making it the correct sentence.
Which citation is correctly formatted using MLA guidelines for a magazine article?
Ryan O'Neil: "Strategies for Young Investors," Finance Weekly: August 1, 2009: 33-35. Print.
Ryan O'Neil. "Strategies for Young Investors.” Finance Weekly 1 August 2009: 33-35.O'Neil,
Ryan. "Strategies for Young Investors." Finance Weekly, 1 August 2009, 33-35. Print.O'Neil,
Ryan: "Strategies for Young Investors." Finance Weekly August 1, 2009: 33-35.
Answer: We have briefly discussed the correct format for citing articles. Following that format, the correct sentence in the above examples is the third sentence. It correctly starts with the author’s last name then first name, separated by a comma. Next is the title of the article in quotation marks while the publication is italicized. This is followed by the date of publication and the page numbers, even indicating that it is a printed source.
Which citation correctly reflects MLA guidelines for a website without an author?
N.A. The Land Down Under. Australia Department of Tourism, 1 February 2013. Net. 14 June 2013.
N.A. The Land Down Under. Australia Department of Tourism, 1 February 2013. Web. 14 June 2013.
The Land Down Under. Australia Department of Tourism, 1 February 2013. Net. 14 June 2013.
“The Land Down Under.” Australia Department of Tourism, 1 February 2013. Web. 14 June 2013.
Answer: The correct citation in the above examples based on MLA guidelines is the last sentence. When the website has no author, the citation begins with the title of the entry. There is no need to “N.A.” for “no author” which the first two examples have. The word “Net” is also not used in MLA citations. The rest should follow the same format as when you cite a website with an author – title of the website/publication, publication date. Year, web page URL.
Conclusion
This is only the basics of MLA citation. There is more to talk about the rules for citing your sources following this citation style, especially with the modern changes over the past few years. It can be overwhelming but we are here to help.If you have yet to master MLA style citation, you can ask our writers to “write my discussion post for me” and let them take care of properly citing your sources. Studyfy.com will make sure your papers follow MLA citations to a tee.