How to cite your sources
There are two types of citations that you will need to use in your papers. The first is called in-text citations, which is when you place parenthesis with the source you are citing throughout your paper. Every source you cite in your paper should also be listed in a list of your sources, called a "Bibliography," or "Works Cited."
In-text citations |
Works Cited |
The format of your citations should follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) format. There are two components to a citation in MLA format: the author's last name, and the page number, if applicable (Purdue OWL). When you cite something in your paper using MLA format, you need to show someone where you got your idea from, and give them the information that they need to find that information: "this means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page" (Purdue OWL).
Sometimes when you cite your source, you run into problems. For example, my citations above are from a website, which means they don't have a page number for me to cite. The website is also written by an organization made up or multiple people, so instead of citing a single author's last name, I cited the name of the website. You probably don't want to memorize all of these exceptions, and the good news is that websites like the Purdue OWL and NoodleTools give you instructions and examples that you can refer to when you have questions. Or, when in doubt, ask a librarian or teacher for their help! |
For every source that you cite, you should have a more detailed description of the source in a list at the end of your paper. That way, if a reader wants to look more closely at your source, he or she can find the information easily.
Sometimes, it can feel tedious to have to track down all the information on your source: who wrote it, when it was published, and so on. But think of how hard it would be for someone else who reads your paper to find that same source without this information. Creating a Works Cited list is how researchers help their audiences follow their research and locate information that may help them in their own work. The good news is, you don't need to format your citation by yourself! Use NoodleTools to keep track of your sources, and when you finish your research you can download a perfectly formatted Works Cited for your project! Works CitedThe Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2014. Web. 16 Nov 2015.
|
Examples of MLA Author Formats
Last name of one person
Example: (Smith 23)
This is what most of your sources should look like: author last name plus the page number.
Up to three authors
Example: (Smith, Jones, and Miller 12)
When you have two or three authors, you list all three in parenthesis before the page number.
More than three authors
Example: (Smith et al. 17)
If you have more than three authors, you only need to list the first one, followed by the phrase, "et al." which shows your reader that there are a lot more people who helped create the source - too many to fit in your parenthesis!
The name of a company or organization
Example: (Brighton Area Schools 4)
When you can't find the name of a specific person, but your source names a company or organization as an author, you can use this instead of an author last name.
The name of a website
Example: (CNN.com)
Just like with an organization, you can use the name of a website in your citation if there is no specific author named.
Example: (Smith 23)
This is what most of your sources should look like: author last name plus the page number.
Up to three authors
Example: (Smith, Jones, and Miller 12)
When you have two or three authors, you list all three in parenthesis before the page number.
More than three authors
Example: (Smith et al. 17)
If you have more than three authors, you only need to list the first one, followed by the phrase, "et al." which shows your reader that there are a lot more people who helped create the source - too many to fit in your parenthesis!
The name of a company or organization
Example: (Brighton Area Schools 4)
When you can't find the name of a specific person, but your source names a company or organization as an author, you can use this instead of an author last name.
The name of a website
Example: (CNN.com)
Just like with an organization, you can use the name of a website in your citation if there is no specific author named.