How to Cite Sources in the Body of Your Paper
The purpose of in-text citation is to point the reader to the information on the Works Cited page that will allow them to find the original source. You will need the following information:
- Name of the author
- The page number
This information goes at the end of the quotation, after the final quotation mark, in parentheses, before the punctuation--see the example below. Do not put a comma between the author and the page number. All punctuation should come after the parenthesis.
Example:
"Sinkholes are a result of decaying limestone" (Fremont 52).
You may introduce your source by giving the author's name. If you include the author's name in your sentence, you do not need to include the author's name in the parenthetical citation. Include only the relevant page numbers in the citation.
Example:
Fremont has done extensive research on characteristics of limestone (55-82).
Example:
As Fremont maintains, we can "avoid disastrous sinkholes by restricting the amount of weight we place on the earth" (73).
How to Cite Sources in Your Paper
Citing an Unknown Author
For works that have no obvious author, such as electronic sources and non-print sources, use an abbreviated version of the work's title.
Example:
According to an anonymous TV and film critic, "the TV series Lost has become an American occult" ("TV: America's Pastime" 35).
Citing Paragraph Numbers
When your source does not have page numbers, use paragraph numbers only if they are present in the source. Include the abbreviation "par." or "pars." before the paragraph number(s) in your parenthetical citation.
Example:
"Postal mail," said Benjamin Billings, "has become almost obsolete with e-mail and the increasingly popular media" (par. 9).
Citing a Work with No Page Numbers or Paragraph Numbers
When you have a work with no page numbers or paragraph numbers, include only the name of the author in either the sentence or a parenthetical citation.
Example:
As Fremont maintains, we can "avoid disastrous sinkholes by restricting the amount of weight we place on the earth."
Example:
We can "avoid disastrous sinkholes by restricting the amount of weight we place on the earth" (Fremont).
Citing Indirect Sources
Although it's better to quote information from the original source, sometimes only an indirect source is available. An indirect source is a source cited in the source you are using. Name the original source in your sentence, and put the abbreviation "qtd. in" at the beginning of your parenthetical citation, followed by the author and page number.
Example:
According to Johnson, compiling the first dictionary was a "Herculean effort" (qtd. in Roberts 54).
Citing Volume Numbers
When your source is from a volume of work, you need to include the author's (or editor's) last name, the volume number and the relevant page numbers. Separate the author's name and volume number with a comma and a space. Then separate the volume number and page numbers with a colon and a space.
Example:
William Blake honestly believed he had received divine revelation and been ministered to by the heavens (Nigel, 5: 3542-43).
Citing a Work from an Anthology
An anthology is a collection of selected writings by various authors. When you are working with an anthology but only want to cite one work from it, put the author's name in the sentence or parenthetical citation and not the name of the anthology's editor.
Example:
"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a psychological story of a woman trapped by social climate and inactivity (Gilman 433-58).
Example:
T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" is one of his most widely known and little understood poems (550-62).
Citing Literary Prose
When citing classic prose, give the author's name and the page number, followed by a semi-colon. Then give additional information such as chapter or section. If you use more than one, separate them by commas. Use abbreviations in the citation - "ch." for chapter, "pt." for part, "bk." for book, "sec." for section, and "sc." for scene.
Example:
Human history is described as being marked by class struggles (Marks and Engels 79; ch. 1).
Example:
One of the most memorable scenes in Don Quixote is when the man of la Mancha charges and tilts at the windmills (Cervantes 4; bk. 5, ch. 16).
Citing Plays
For classic verse, plays, and poetry give additional information such as part, scene, or line numbers. Separate the numbers with periods. For instance, 2.34 would refer to scene 2, line 34.
Example:
In Eugene Onegin, Onegin rejects Tanya when she is free to be his, and only decides he wants her when she is already married (Pushkin 4.452-53).
Citing Poetry
For quotations of poetry, place quotation marks around the selected text. If the selected text is more than one line of the poem, signify the separate lines by placing a slash (/) at the appropriate place. Include a space before and after the slash, and capitalize the first word of the next line. Include the word "line" or "lines" in your parenthetical citation. Do not abbreviate as "l." or "ll." since these can be confused with roman numerals.
Example:
"For I must love because I live / And life in me is what you give." (Brennan lines 15-16).
Citing Long Quotations
When citing four lines or longer from a source, indent the quote one inch (or two tabs) from the left margin, double-space, and do not use quotation marks. Type one space after the concluding punctuation mark of the quote and then type the parenthetical reference.
Example:
Geologist and scientist Lindsey Sumner explains the process:
It begins as magma underneath the surface of the earth. This magma crystallizes
and becomes igneous rock. The igneous rock can then re-melt and return to magma;
succumb to heat and pressure and turn into metamorphic rock; or be exposed to the
surface of the earth and be subject to weathering, erosion, and deposition. (358)
Citing Religious Works
When citing the scriptures, your first parenthetical citation should include which version you are using (such as the King James Version), underlined or italicized, and separated from the name of the book by a comma. Separate chapter numbers and verse numbers with a period. After the first citation, you do not need to give the version. It is okay to use abbreviations for the different books of the scriptures.
Example:
When God commanded Noah to build the ark, despite the people's unrighteousness, Noah still preached repentance (King James Bible, Gen. 3.13-16).
