In-text citation
According to Lorine Goodwin, a food historian, nineteenth-century reformers who sought to purify the food supply were called “fanatics” and “radicals” by critics who argued that consumers should be free to buy and eat what they want (77).
Explain
Ordinarily, introduce the material being cited with a signal phrase that includes the author’s name. In addition to preparing readers for the source, the signal phrase allows you to keep the parenthetical citation brief.
In this example, the signal phrase—According to Lorine Goodwin—names the author; the parenthetical citation gives the page number of the book in which the quoted words may be found.
Note on question marks and exclamation points
When a quotation ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, leave the question mark or exclamation point inside the quotation mark and add a period after the parentheses.
Burgess asks a critical question: “How can we think differently about food labeling?” (51).
Works cited entry
Goodwin, Lorine Swainston. The Pure Food, Drink, and Drug Crusaders, 1879-1914. McFarland, 2006.
Directory to MLA in-text citation models