You need to include in-text citations of sources as you use them in the essay. You also need to document, or give credit to, your sources at the end of your research essay in a list of works cited.

Few people can remember the specifics of correct citation and documentation, so be sure to refer to this section or the reference text that your instructor prefers. Be sure to include all of the correct information, and pay attention to where punctuation marks such as commas, periods, and quotation marks should go.

There are several different systems of documentation. Most English professors prefer the Modern Language Association (MLA) system, which is used in this chapter. However, when you are writing a research paper in another course, you may be required to use another system. When in doubt, always ask your instructor.

Use In-Text Citations within Your Essay

Along with an introductory phrase that smoothly incorporates information from an outside source into your writing, your sources need to be cited where they are used and according to correct documentation format. In-text citations are shorter than Works Cited citations, but each must correspond to an entry in the Works Cited list.

The following section shows you what you need to include in an in-text citation for various kinds of sources. Use this format for any source material you are using: a summary, a paraphrase, or a direct quotation. In every case, insert the citation after the material you have used. If you use a direct quotation, the citation comes after the end quote and before the period ending the sentence.

NOTE: The formats given below are for print sources. When you cite a Web source, use page numbers if available. If the source is not paged, use the paragraph number instead. If there are no paragraphs, cite the author, title of the part of the Web site, or the Web site’s sponsor.

The series of dots (called ellipses) in the following examples indicate that words have been left out.

Two examples are provided for each citation:

One Author

As David Shipler states, “. . .” (16).

The number of people who work and fall below the poverty line has increased dramatically (Shipler 16).

Two or Three Authors Use all authors’ last names.

Quigley and Morrison found that . . . (243).

Banks and credit card companies are charging many more fees . . . (Quigley and Morrison 243).

Four or More Authors Use the first author’s last name and the words et al. (et al. means “and others”).

According to Sen et al., . . . (659).

The overuse of antibiotics can result in . . . (Sen et al. 659).

Group, Corporation, or Government Agency Use the name of the group, corporation, or government agency. The source can be abbreviated in the parentheses, as shown in the second example.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers guidelines for landscaping . . . (26).

Texas has more native plants than any other . . . (Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. 26).

Author Not Named Use the article title in quotations, shortened if it is a long title.

In the article “Texas Wildscapes,” . . . (7).

Many areas of Texas are filled with drought-tolerant native . . . (“Texas Wildscapes” 7).

Encyclopedia or Other Reference Work Use the name of the entry you are using as a source.

In its entry on xeriscaping, the Landscape Encyclopedia claims that . . . (“Xeriscaping”).

Xeriscaping is often used in . . . (“Xeriscaping”).

Work in an Anthology Use the name of the author(s) of the piece you are using as a source.

As Rich Chiappone believes, . . . (200).

Fly fishing is as much a spiritual . . . (Chiappone 200).

Interview, E-mail, Speech Use the name of the person interviewed or the author of an e-mail.

As University of Texas Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez said in an interview. . . .

Students have many resources available to . . . (Gonzalez).

Use a Works Cited List at the End of Your Essay

NOTE: Works cited entries that have a month and day as part of the publication date are formatted so that the date appears before the month; the month is abbreviated (Jan., Apr., Sept.); and there is no comma between the month and year:

WORKS CITED DATE STYLE: 14 Mar. 2011

Books

One Author

Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Medium of Publication.

Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America. New York: Knopf, 2004. Print.

Two or Three Authors

Author’s Last Name, First Name, and Other Authors’ First and Last Names. Title of Book. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Medium of Publication.

Picciotto, Richard, and Daniel Paisner. Last Man Down: A New York City Fire Chief and the Collapse of the World Trade Center. New York: Berkeley, 2002. Print.

Four or More Authors

Author’s Last Name, First Name, et al. Title of Book. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Medium of Publication.

Roark, James L., et al. The American Promise: A History of the United States. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2009. Print.

Group, Corporation, or Government Agency

Name of Group, Corporation, or Agency. Title of Book. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Medium of Publication.

American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society’s Guide to Pain Control. New York: McGraw, 2004. Print.

Editor

Editor’s Last Name, First Name, ed. Title of Book. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Medium of Publication.

Canellos, Peter S., ed. The Last Lion. New York: Simon, 2009. Print.

Work in an Anthology

Selection Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Selection in the Anthology.” Anthology Title. Ed. First and Last Name of Anthology Editor. Publisher Location: Name of Publisher, Publication Date. Pages of Selection. Medium of Publication.

Brown, Sterling A. “Riverbank Blues.” 250 Poems: A Portable Anthology. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 141–42. Print.

Encyclopedia

Entry Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Entry.” Title of Encyclopedia. Edition Number [2nd, 3rd] ed. Date of publication. Medium of Publication.

Araya, Yoseph. “Ecology of Water Relations in Plants.” Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. Apr. 2007. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.

Periodicals

Magazine Article

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Day Month Year of Publication: Page Numbers. Medium of Publication.

Kluger, Jeffrey. “One Weird Dinosaur.” Time 11 Oct. 2010: 44–45. Print.

Newspaper Article

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper Day Month Year of Publication: Page Number [if Print]. Medium of Publication.

Barringer, Felicity. “Indians Join Fight for an Oklahoma Lake’s Flow.” New York Times 12 Apr. 2011: A1+. Print.

Editorial in a Magazine or Newspaper, Author Known

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Editorial.” Title of Newspaper Day Month Year of Publication: Page Number [if Print]. Medium of Publication.

Udall, Don. “When Someone Is Alive but Not Living.” Editorial. Newsweek 14 June 1999: 12. Print.

Editorial in a Magazine or Newspaper, Author Unknown

“Title of Editorial.” Editorial. Title of Magazine or Newspaper Day Month Year of Publication: Page Number [if Print]. Medium of Publication.

“Growing Smart.” Editorial. Miami Herald 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 May 2010.

Article, Scholarly Journal with Numbered Volumes

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume Number. Issue Number (Year of Publication): Page Number [if Print]. Medium of Publication.

Fountain, Glinda H. “Inverting the Southern Belle: Romance Writers Redefine Gender Myths.” Journal of Popular Culture Volume 41.1 (2008): 37–55. Print.

Article, Scholarly Journal without Numbered Volumes

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Issue Number (Year of Publication): Page Number [if Print]. Medium of Publication.

Thiel, Peter. “The Optimistic Though Experiment.” Policy Review 147 (2008): 17–37. Print.

Electronic Sources

The format for citing electronic periodicals follows much of the same format as for print periodicals, so refer to the entries in the previous section for journals with numbered volumes.

Work from a Library Subscription Database (such as InfoTrac)

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical Volume number. Issue number (Year of Publication): Page Numbers. Name of Database. Web. Date of access.

McManus, John F. “Global Warming Skeptic Remains Adamant.” New American 27.2 (2011): 9. InfoTrac. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.

Online Periodical

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Online Periodical. Name of Periodical Publisher, Day Month Year of Article Publication. Web. Day Month Year of Access.

Manjoo, Farhad. “Is Something Rotten at Apple?” Slate. Slate Group, 25 Aug. 2008. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.

Short Work from a Web site If no author is given, omit this information. If no site sponsor is listed, use N.p. If no date of publication is available, use n.d.

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.” Title of Web Site. Name of Site Sponsor, Day Month Year of Publication. Web. Day Month Year of Access.

“In Her Own Words.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Univ. of Texas at Austin, 2010. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.

Other Sources

Personal Interview

Last Name, First Name of Person Interviewed. Personal interview. Day Month Year of Interview.

Okayo, Margaret. Personal interview. 16 Apr. 2009.

E-mail

Last Name, First Name of Author of E-mail Message. “Subject of E-mail.” Name of Person Who Received E-mail. Day Month Year E-mail Received. E-mail.

Willey, Liz. “Happy Holidays from Paraguay.” Message to Susan Anker. 4 Jan. 2011. E-mail.