IN-TEXT CITATIONS
To avoid plagiarism you must always give the source of your information. This must be
done in two places: once in the actual text of your paper (IN-TEXT citation) and once at
the end (Works Cited list).
Part A - The rules for IN-TEXT citation are complicated but there are 2 main kinds.
1. When you summarize or quote from one page only you must:
a. Cite the page number but not the author if you have mentioned the
author‟s name already.
Example: Smith says the political system in the US changed in
1945(23).
b. Cite the author‟s name and page if you do NOT mention the author‟s
name in your text.
Example: The political system in the US changed in 1945 (Smith
23).
c. Cite the title for magazines , Internet, multi-volume sources if there is no
author
Example: In winter the snowy owl feeds mainly on rodents
(“Snowy Owl”).
If you have more than one article by the same title you must add the title of
the magazine, website, encyclopedia etc.
Example: In the winter the snowy owl feeds mainly on rodents
(“Snowy Owl,” MacLean‟s).
Example: In the winter the snowy owl feeds mainly on rodents
(“Snowy Owl,” Encyclopedia Britannica Online).
2. When you summarize from a whole work you must cite as much information as
possible in the text itself. This is also true for on-line sources where the
reference markers such as authors, pages etc. are not easy to find. This is also
true for on-line sources where the reference markers such as authors, pages etc.
are not easy to find. This is also how to cite non-print sources such as television
programs, films, interviews, photos etc.
Example: In his book Why Birds Fly South, Choi concludes that global
warming will alter the migration of birds for many years to come. (from a book
that was generally used).
Example: William Lee‟s City of Bits reveals some significant changes in urban
architecture. (from a website entitled City of Bits).
Example: In the film production of Madama Butterfly, opera singer Gina
Marelli captures the haunted look of the betrayed woman in Verdi‟s famous
opera. (from a film).
IN ALL CASES ABOVE THE INFORMATION YOU WRITE IN THE TEXT OR
WHAT YOU PUT INTO PATENTHESES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE LEAD
DIRECTLY TO THE WORKS CITED LIST AT THE END OF YOUR WORK.
Citing and Integrating Quotations
Citation for Single Author, Name in Sentence
Nonetheless, as Specter notes, “In terms of political significance, economic dislocation
and absolute and enduring fear, Chernobyl stands alone” (2).
Citation for Single Author, Name in Citation
According to one observer, “In terms of political significance, economic dislocation and
absolute and enduring fear, Chernobyl stands alone” (Specter 2).
Direct Quotations using colon
Specter succinctly summarizes the impact of this disaster: “In terms of political
significance, economic dislocation and absolute and enduring fear, Chernobyl stands
alone” (2)
Long Direct Quotations (over 3 full lines)
(Note: Indent 1 inch from current left margin, none from right, double space, and no quotation
marks)
The disaster at Chernobyl had a variety of long-term, far-reaching effects:
The wind carried by far the heaviest radioactive deposits across this country, where
even today 25 percent of the land is considered uninhabitable. Thousands of villages
were abandoned. Schools were closed, prime cattle were slaughtered by the ton, and
huge factories were shut without a second thought. Desperate villagers fled their homes
with only the clothes on their backs. (Specter 2)
*If the author is mentioned in the sentence that leads to the quote, only put page number in
parentheses at the end.
Quotations from Anonymous Sources
If the work you are citing to has no author, use an abbreviated version of the work‟s title. For
example:
An anonymous Wordsworth critic once argued that his poems were too emotional
(“Wordsworth Is a Loser” 100)
Internet or Database Source (NO page numbers)
Hinduism and its mythology are a mixture, resulting from centuries of cross-cultural integration
(Naylor).
Internet or Database Source (NO author or page numbers)
The area of the retina where the optic nerves leave the eye contains no rods or cones, resulting
in a blind spot (“The Retina”).
_____________________________________________________________________________
Part B - Proper Paraphrasing
The following is a direct quotation from Riel and the Rebellion: 1885 Reconsidered by Thomas
Flanagan:
“However, the true importance of the Rebellion in our history is more symbolic than military. It
will always be remembered because it expressed several of the fundamental tensions of Canada:
the aspirations of western settlers to run their own affairs versus the desire of Ottawa to control
the public domain according to its own conceptions of the national interest; the conviction of
natives, both Indians and Metis, that this was „their land‟ versus the belief of Canadians in
British sovereignty; the conflicting sympathies of English and French Canadians towards the
French-speaking, Catholic Metis: the desire of some in the west for union with the United
States; and the quite realistic fear among Canadian statesmen that American annexation would
follow if Canada did not have a strong presence on the prairies” (4) .
Here is an example of incorrect paraphrasing:
The importance of the Red River Rebellion is not due to its military aspect but the symbolic
one. The rebellion will be remembered because it revealed several things about Canada. First,
the rebellion revealed the tension between the need for Ottawa to control the west and the
western settlers‟ need to control themselves, or join the United States. Second, the conflict
showed the division between the Natives and the other Canadians who believed in British
sovereignty and the division between the English and French Canadians towards the Frenchspeaking, Catholic Metis. Third, the rebellion revealed the fear of some politicians that the
Americans would take over the west if Canada did not settle the prairies.
This example is considered plagiarized for two reasons:
1) Only the wording of a few phrases was changed and the sentences were only rearranged.
2) The writer does not acknowledge the source of the information and ideas.
The following is an example of correct paraphrasing:
The Red River Rebellion will be remembered by what it revealed about the insecurities of a
fledgling nation and the conflicts among her people. In the west, the settlers aspired to
independence from a domineering government in Ottawa while some of the more radical
settlers wished to join the United Sates. Further conflict existed between the Natives, who
viewed the land as theirs, and the Canadians who perceived the land as an extension of British
ownership and governance. Other sources of tension were found between the differing English
and French perceptions of the plight of the French-speaking, Catholic Metis. Omnipresent
during these conflicts was the fear that the United States could readily subsume the Prairies
(Flanagan 4)
This paragraph is not plagiarism because:
1) Proper acknowledgement for the ideas presented in the passage is given.
2) The writer uses his or her own words.
Common Knowledge and Quotations
Common Knowledge can be defined as facts known by a large number of people. The following
statement is an example of common knowledge:
Sir John A Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada.
A large number of people know this fact and consequently the above example does not
need to be cited.
However, if you state anything not considered common knowledge, or make any statement that
is an interpretation of the facts, you will have to cite your source. (The following examples are
based on MLA format.) For example, the following statement would have to be cited: Sir John
A. Macdonald did more to consolidate and define the Dominion of Canada that any other
leading politician of his day (Bliss 4)
There are two reasons why the above example should be cited:
1) The thought and idea was found in Bliss‟ book Right Honourable Men.
2) Bliss interprets the role that Sir John A. Macdonald and other played in the political life
of Canada.
A quotation is any phrase or statement that is someone else‟s exact words. To cite a
quotation, simply put quotation marks around the statement in question and document the
source using an appropriate style guide.
Michael Bliss writes, “As Macdonald grew old in power, becoming something of a national
institution, opinion was equally divided on whether his scheming and manipulation had
been noble or cynical” (5)
OR
“As Macdonald grew old in power, becoming something of a national institution, opinion
was equally divided on whether his scheming and manipulation had been noble or cynical”
(Bliss 5)
*You must always cite the author and the page number when using a quotation.
Work Cited (for Part B)
“ Guide to Plagiarism and Cyber-Plagiarism.” University of Alberta Libraries.
University of Alberta. 2010. Web. 09 Nov. 2010.