In-Text Citations
MLA
In MLA, the only information that must be included is the author’s last name; followed by a
space, followed by the number of the page where the information is found. The in-text citation is
written inside the parentheses and the period always comes after the closing of the last
parenthesis. Citations must be included when using someone else’s ideas or words, especially
when quoting and/or paraphrasing. Below are the most common examples of how to cite.
Option One: NOT including author’s name in sentence
Ex: Asteroids of a certain size can damage a city (Smith 5).
Option Two: INCLUDING author’s name in sentence
* When quoting, always put quotes next to words copied
Ex: John Smith explains that “asteroids of a certain size can damage a city” (5).
Option Three: Multiple authors not included in sentence
Ex: In fact, millions of asteroids orbit the Earth at any given time, some even getting
close (Jones, Lopez, and Moore 20).
Option Four: When using information from the web without an author name, use webpage title
*Webpage title is written between quotation marks
Ex: Halley’s Comet passes by the Earth every 75 years (“Planet Science”).
Option Five: Four or more authors in citation
Ex: The sun’s light takes 8 minutes to reach the Earth (Smith, et al. 35).
Turn page over for APA in text citation format →
Last Updated: April 16, 2014
In-Text Citations
APA
In APA, the only information that must be included is the author’s last name, year the source was
published, and page number where information is found. The in-text citation is written inside the
parentheses and the period always goes after the closing parenthesis. Must always cite when
using someone else’s thoughts or words, especially when quoting or paraphrasing.
Option One: Including author’s name in sentence, also place year next to name
Ex: According to Jones (2009), e-readers are the most popular method of reading books
(p. 20).
Option Two: Not including author’s name in sentence
Ex: The author explains, “E-readers are the best way to read” (Lopez, 2010, p. 50).
Option Three: Including multiple authors’ names in sentence
Ex: The authors McNally, Pearson, and Johnson (2012) all agree that “tablets can be
useful tools in the classroom” (p.6).
Option Four: Four or more authors in citation
Ex: The technology for computers is improving every year (Thomas, et al., 2011, p. 3).
Last Updated: April 16, 2014