MLA In-Text Citations – Format, Sources, and Examples
Parenthetical citations
Parenthetical citations, or in-text citations, provide readers with information to identify the source of the material a writer used in a research paper. Parenthetical citations link the information to a source list on the works cited page.
Writers should use in-text citations when summarizing, paraphrasing, or directly quoting a source:
Summarizing condenses information down to its most essential points using the writer's own words. Add the citation after the final sentence in a summary, not at the end of each sentence.
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from the source material into the writer's own words. Just as with summaries, place the citation after the final sentence of paraphrased information.
Direct quotes contain information directly from the original source material without making any changes. This information should always be placed between quotation marks to signify it is not the writer's words and to avoid plagiarism.
The instructions below follow the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook.
How to cite in MLA
When citing in MLA format, in-text citations typically contain the author's name and page number, if there is one. Other considerations include the following:
Use only the author's last name. If the source contains two authors, use both of them separated by "and." For sources with more than two authors, use the first author's last name followed by "et al.," Latin for "and others." If the writer's name is used in the sentence, include only the page number in the citation.
One Author: (Smith 67)
Two Authors: (Smith and Jones 67)
More than Two Authors: (Smith et al. 67)
Author Referenced in the Signal Phrase: According to Smith, MLA is widely used in high schools (67).
If citing multiple sources by the same author, use the title of the work rather than the author's last name. Italicize or place quotation marks around the full title as appropriate.
Paulson, Gregory. The Benefits of MLA. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
(The Benefits of MLA 46)
Paulson, Gregory. Differences between MLA and Chicago. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
(Differences Between MLA and Chicago 184)
When multiple authors share the same last name, set them apart by including the author's first initial.
Paulson, Gregory. The Benefits of MLA. Modern Language Association of American, 1998.
(G. Paulson 46)
Paulson, Steven. Differences between MLA and Chicago. Modern Language Association of American, 1998.
(S. Paulson 184)
Include the page number(s) after identifying the author(s). If the source does not have page numbers, only the name is needed. Do not separate the author's name and page number with a comma or other punctuation mark.
Page Number: (Williams 105)
No Page Number: (Williams)
If the source does not have an author, use the work's title. The title of shorter sources (articles) should be placed within quotation marks, while longer works (books, newspapers, etc.) should be italicized.
Shorter Work: ("Writing in MLA")
Longer Work: (The New York Times)
Shorten long titles before placing them within a citation. The shortened version should include the first few words, making it easier for a reader to identify the source on the works cited page.
Title: "Citing Sources: How to Use MLA Citation Guidelines in Research Papers"
Citation: ("Citing Sources")
Writers should place the citation at the end of the sentence(s) that contain(s) the information to be cited. The citation itself should be placed within parentheses with the sentence's punctuation placed after. If the citation is after a quotation, provide the closing quotation marks before the citation.
Paraphrase: Research papers that focus on the humanities utilize the MLA style guide, while scientific research uses the Chicago Manual of Style (Cartwright 14).
Direct Quotation: According to the Modern Language Association, "Parenthetical citations are vital when writing a research paper" (Cartwright 14).
Indirect Source: Smith said, "Always quote your sources correctly." (qtd. in Cartwright 14).
MLA in-text citation examples
The source information provided on the works cited pages determines what is within the parenthetical citations. Typically, the first word(s) of the MLA works cited entry is in the in-text citation, such as the author's last name or journal article title.
Print sources
Book
One Author: Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
(Gibaldi 87)
Two Authors: Gibaldi, Joseph, and Walter S. Achtert. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
(Gibaldi and Achtert 87)
More than Two Authors: Gibaldi, Joseph, et al. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 1998.
(Gibaldi et al. 87)
Corporate Author: National Research Council. The World's Population Growth. National Academy, 2000.
(Nat'l Research Council 25)
Anthology or Collection
Boyd, Carrie C. "MLA and Research." Collection, edited by Diane B. Lipsett, Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, pp. 103-114.
(Boyd 106-108)
Article in a Reference Book
"Citing Sources." The Writer's Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., Dell, 1997, p. 369.
("Citing Sources" 369)
Newspaper Article
Schackner, Bill. "Students at Pennsylvania's State-Owned Universities Will See a Tuition Freeze for the Fourth Straight Year." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 April 2022, A3.
(Schackner)
Academic Journals
Author: Steffen, Will, et al. "How to Write a Research Paper." Writing 101, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 81–98.
(Steffen 86)
No Author: "How to Write a Research Paper." Writing 101, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 81–98.
("How to Write" 86)
Government Reports
United States, Congress, House, Committee on the Education and Labor. Impact of Research in Education. Department of Education. Government Printing Office, 2015.
(United States)
Legal Documents
Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education. 17 May 1954. Legal Information Institute, Cornell U Law School.
(Supreme Court)
Digital and electronic sources
Online Book
One Author: Silva, Paul J. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007. Digital Library, www.digitallibrary.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Silva)
Two Authors: Silva, Paul J. and Steve Forester. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007. Digital Library, www.digitallibrary.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Silva and Forester)
More than Two Authors: Silva, Paul J., et al. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing, eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007. Digital Library, www.digitallibrary.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Silva et al.)
Online Article
Author: Millard, Avery. "Research Dos and Don'ts." Writer's Digest. 10 Aug. 2013, www.writersdigestquarterly.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Millard)
No Author: "Research Dos and Don'ts." Writer's Digest. 10 Aug. 2013, www.writersdigestquarterly.com. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(“Research Dos and Don'ts”)
Online Database
Trier, James. "'Cool' Engagements with YouTube: Part 2." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 50, no. 7, April 2007, pp. 598-603. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.50. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Trier)
Websites
Modern Language Association. 1 Jan. 2022, https://www.mla.org/. Accessed 18 April 2022.
(Modern Language Association)