An in-text citation, a parenthetical reference, contains the last name of the author, if not previously stated, and the page number of the material, if available. In-text citations appear at the end of the sentence containing the summarized, paraphrased, or quoted material.
Holden Caulfield wears the hunting cap in public but only when “Nobody was around” (Salinger 53).
In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Caulfield wears the cap only when “Nobody was around” (53).
In the first example, the author’s last name is present because it is not previously mentioned. In the second example, since the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, it is not necessary to be repeated in the parenthetical reference.
As 81% of students who use the service are freshmen, the service is advertised accordingly (Smith 124).
As shown in the survey conducted by Brianna Smith, advertising is geared towards freshmen since 81% of the department’s services are freshmen used (124).
In the first example, the paraphrased material contains a statistic; therefore, it must be cited. In the second example, the paraphrased material includes the author’s last name, but the page number is still given. Note that the page number is the page of the journal, magazine, or book in which the material appears.
Article or Essay from an Internet Database or Website
Record producers have called the singer “an angry troll because of her frequent tantrums during recording sessions” (Walters).
According to music journalist Henry Walters, record producers have called the singer “an angry troll because of her frequent tantrums during recording sessions.”
Even though original page numbers may be given on the database or website, we have no idea on what page we find this quote. Do not refer to the pages as marked out of the printer; for example, 1 of 3 is not a proper page number for your citation. In the second example, since the author’s last name is given, a parenthetical reference is unnecessary.
Article or Essay with No Author
In a blind taste test, 65% chose No-Cola as his or her preferred brand (“The Road” 34).
In the article “The Road Is Paved for No-Cola,” researchers found that 65% preferred No-Cola in a blind taste test (34).
In the absence of an author, the first few words of the title in quotes need to be listed. These are the first two or three words listed in the Works Cited entry.
In cases when a direct quote exceeds four lines, you need to use a block quote. In these cases, the text should be moved in one inch from the margin. The quote remains double-spaced. Note that the quote is not placed in quotation marks and that the final punctuation comes before the citation.
The use of the color red in the book denotes passion:
Walter walked into the room and saw the red scarf on the bed. He grabbed
it and envisioned Doris wearing it. Despite this vision, he had to control himself. The
amber dawn outside mocked him at this point. The streaks of golden red flowed
through the window, juxtaposing the dullness in the room. Now, only the light and
the scarf mattered. (Green 112)
In making this connection between color and life, Walter shows maturation of thought, but he fails to support those thoughts with action.
Notice that once the block quote is complete, the paragraph continues at its original margins.
Using an Ellipsis and Brackets
When omitting words from the middle of a quote, use an ellipsis, . . . If a sentence ends before you omit anything, make sure to put a period before the brackets, . . . .
The author uses red quite a bit: “Walter walked into the room and saw the red scarf … The amber dawn outside mocked him … The streaks of golden red flowed through the window” (Green 112).
Or
The author uses red quite a bit: “Walter walked into the room and saw the red scarf on the
bed. . . .The streaks of golden red flowed through the window, juxtaposing the dullness in his room. . . . only the light and the scarf mattered (Green 112).
Also, if you are adding words to a quote or pointing out that an error in the text is not yours, you use brackets.
At first, it seems as though “it [origami] is too complicated to learn” (Walsh 15).
In saying this, the chairman acknowledged the he “failed too [sic] properly complete his duty” (Lamb).
The words “Works Cited” should appear in the center of the page. The entries should have reverse indentation, with the first line at the left margin and subsequent lines indented one inch. Also, the entries should be listed in alphabetical order.
Last name, First name. Book Title. City of publication: Publisher, year.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.
Article, Article with a Volume Number, Article with a Volume and Issue Number
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Title. Date: pages.
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Title Volume (year):
Pages.
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Title Volume.Issue
(year): Pages.
Smith, Brianna. “College Report: A Study of Students.” College Weekly 9.3 (19 Sept. 2001):
120-134.
Names of months are abbreviated except for May, June, and July. Also, put a plus (+) sign after the page numbers if the article does not appear on consecutive pages.
Article in a Book or Collection of Essays
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Name of Book. Ed. Editor’s name. City: Publisher,
Year. Pages of article.
Simmons, Tyler. “Arctic Weather.” The Arctic. Ed. Jean Russell. New York: Putnam,
1975. 34-41.
Article from an Internet Database
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Title Volume.Issue
(year): Pages. Name of Database. Name of Service. Name and Location of Retrieval.
Date of that Retrieval.
Walters, Henry. “A Musician’s Quest.” Music Fun. 10 Nov. 2001: 12-13. Academic Search
Elite. EBSCOhost. Dominican University Lib., River Forest, IL. 13 Oct. 2003.
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Title of Site. Date of Publication or Last Update.
Sponsor of the site. Date Retrieved . .
Jones, Jane. “Milk’s Good.” Dairy Goodness. 10 May 2000. America’s Dairy Farmers.
If any of the information does not appear on the website, simply omit it.
Last name, First name or corporate author. Website Title. Date Updated. Date Retrieved.
.
In the example, no author or date updated is provided.
Many other types of Works Cited entries exist; however, these are the most common. Do not forget that movies, interviews, pamphlets, television shows, government publications, poems, songs, advertisements, e-mails, and many other types of works have specific entries.