In-text citations

 In-text Citations

What are in-text citations?

When you include sources in your writing, you need to cite (or give credit to) the original author.  In-text citations allow authors to credit their sources immediately after they quote them in the text.  This method allows the reader to immediately see the author’s source. In-text citations may also be called parenthetical citations.

When should in-text citations be used?

An author should include in-text citations whenever he or she directly quotes, paraphrases or summarizes a source. 

How are in-text citations generally formatted?

In-text citations appear directly after the quoted, paraphrased or summarized material in parenthesis.  The information within the parenthesis will vary depending upon whether the writer is citing according to MLA or APA guidelines.  Generally, in-text citations usually include the author’s name and page number of the source material for MLA citations:  In the paper, "This sentence would be directly quoted from a source."  (Reilly 101).  APA formatting is slightly different; generally, in-text citations will include the author's last name and the publication year.  For example, "This sentence would be directly quoted from a source." (Reilly, 2011)  The information in the parenthesis lets the reader know where he or she needs to look on the Works Cited page for more information regarding a particular source.

What else should I know about in-text citations?

When citing research sources in the text, you will need to include a works cited page which will list all of your sources ALPHABETICALLY.  The purpose of a Works Cited page is so the reader can look up your sources for further information.