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MLA: In-text Citations

Prevent Plagiarism

Use in-text citations anytime you:

  • Quote 
  • Paraphrase
  • Provide statistics
  • Provide little known facts

When you do not use in-text citations where and when they are needed, you may be committing plagiarism!

Author Mentioned in the Text

If you mention the author's name in the sentence, you do not need a parenthetical citation at the end unless there is a page number that  you need to mention. 

Ex. Posnock is quick to point out that Pater believes in the autonomy of the self (181). 

Parenthetical or In-text Citations

Parenthetical Documentation or Citing Sources in the Text: Use the following examples as a guide for referencing sources in the body of your paper.

  • Source with one author: 

"LifeMap is a guide to help you figure out your career and educational goals" (Jones).

  • Source that includes accurate page numbers:

"An understanding of international politics is essential in today's world" (Crawford 55).

  • Source with two or three authors: 

The LRC has many electronic resources (Smith, Adams, and Williams).

  • Source with more than three authors: 

"Online courses provide a way for students to use their time wisely" (Kilby et al.).

  • Source with no author; use first two words of title: 

Valencia has a vital workforce development program ("More Companies").

  • Source with a corporate author: 

"Valencia is a better place to start" (Valencia College).

  • Source which numbers paragraphs: 

Academic Search Premier is an extremely versatile database (Byrnes, pars. 5-6).