How to Create Parenthetical Citations
Parenthetical citations are in-text citations set within parentheses that summarize source details, such as the author’s last name, year of publication, or relevant page numbers. Unlike full citations in a works cited page, parenthetical citations are quick and minimal, so they don’t disrupt reading.
Citing sources is necessary for academic writing, which often makes parenthetical citations a requirement. The good news is they’re simple once you know how they work. Below, we explain how to write parenthetical citations in the Chicago, APA, and MLA formats, along with some other need-to-know basics.
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What is a parenthetical citation?
Parenthetical citations are any citations set in parentheses (like this). In academic writing , they’re used to share a source’s details directly in the text, so the reader doesn’t have to go to the footnotes or works cited page to find the original work.
Because parenthetical citations lie in the text, they’re intentionally short to avoid distracting the reader. Each style guide has its own requirements, but in general, parenthetical citations contain details such as these:
- the author’s last name
- the page numbers for the reference
- the year of publication
The formatting and content of each citation vary, depending on the requirements of the style guide. We explain each style’s preferences below, but to save time, you can also use a citation generator or other citation tools . For example, our Grammarly auto-citations feature corrects parenthetical citations with a quick click, or it creates originals from compatible website sources.
When should you use an in-text parenthetical citation?
In-text parenthetical citations are a requirement if you’re using the APA or MLA formats.
If you’re using Chicago, you have a choice between parenthetical citations (the “author-date” format) and the notes format, which uses footnotes and endnotes. According to Chicago, parenthetical citations are preferred for the sciences, including the social sciences, whereas notes are better for topics relating to history, literature, or the arts.
You need a parenthetical citation for each new idea in your paper that’s not your own . Often, paragraphs will have three or four parenthetical citations (or more), one after each sentence—that’s completely normal. Sometimes you’ll even have multiple parenthetical citations in the same sentence.
Parenthetical citations are needed not only for direct quotes but also for paraphrasing . Additionally, even if you use parenthetical citations, you still need to list full citations in a bibliography section, such as a references list or works cited page.
What’s the difference between parenthetical citations and narrative citations?
In narrative citations, you mention the source author, work, or page number directly in the text:
As Freud (1930) put it, “under the pressure [. . .] of suffering, men are accustomed to moderate their claims to happiness.”
Because the author’s name is mentioned, it’s redundant to mention it a second time in the parenthetical citation.
However, in our example, the year of publication was not mentioned in the text, so an abridged parenthetical citation is needed to fill in the missing information. Typically, narrative citations still use parenthetical citations for a year or page number, depending on the style guide.
In short, narrative citations still incorporate partial parenthetical citations. In these cases, the parenthetical citation mentions only what information is not in the text, instead of all the details.
Chicago parenthetical citation
In the Chicago style , in-text parenthetical citations are optional. They’re required only if you choose to use the author-date system of citations instead of the notes system.
The Chicago style’s format for parenthetical citations is to list the author’s last name and the year of publication in parentheses, with no other punctuation. If you’re referring to a specific passage, you can also add page numbers (or a time stamp for other media), separated by a comma.
(Last Name Year)
(Last Name Year, Page No.)
If the parenthetical citation comes at the end of a sentence in quotation marks, forgo the period in quotes. Place the citation outside the quotation marks with the period following it.
For sources with two or three authors, you can include all their names using the word and (for three authors, use commas as well). For sources with four or more authors, use only the last name of the first listed author, followed by et al.
If the main author of a source is an editor or translator, use only their name without abbreviations like ed. For sources with no listed author, use a short form of the title.
All sources must have a corresponding full citation in the references list (similar to a works cited page) at the end of the work.
Chicago parenthetical citation example
There is no evidence to suggest there is currently life on Mars (Thompson 2018).
Even though the tests were conclusive (Richardson, Hacker, and Backhurst 2002, 76–77), research continues to this day.
According to Pratchett, “[Ambition] was something that happened to other people” (1989, 62).
APA parenthetical citation
In-text parenthetical citations are required for the APA format . Just like Chicago, the APA format uses an author-date style, although the author and year of publication are separated by a comma. Locations to specific passages are also used when applicable, with a comma and the appropriate abbreviation: p. for page , pp. for pages , and paras. for paragraphs .
(Last Name, Year)
(Last Name, Year, pp. No.)
One or two authors can be listed using an ampersand (&), but three or more authors use et al. after the first listed author. If no author is listed, use the title instead.
Just like Chicago, if the parenthetical citation comes at the end of a sentence in quotation marks, the citation goes outside the quotes, followed by the period.
Again, all sources must have a corresponding full citation in the references list.
APA parenthetical citation example
There is no evidence to suggest there is currently life on Mars (Thompson, 2018).
Even though the tests were conclusive (Richardson et al., 2002, pp. 76–77), research continues to this day.
According to Pratchett, “[Ambition] was something that happened to other people” (1989, p. 62).
MLA parenthetical citation
The MLA format also prefers in-text parenthetical citations, like the APA format. However, unlike the previous two style guides, MLA does not require the publication year. Only the author’s last name is necessary, although page numbers and other locations are also recommended if applicable, without a comma.
(Last Name)
(Last Name Page No.)
Abbreviations are not necessary for page numbers, but use them for chapters ( ch. ) and scenes ( sc. ).
For sources with two authors, list both names connected with the word and . For sources with three or more authors, use only the first listed author’s name and et al. Sources with no listed authors use the title instead, shortened to the first noun phrase—i.e., Faulkner’s Novels of the South becomes Faulkner’s Novels .
Again, place parenthetical citations outside the quotation marks, followed by the period.
As always, all sources must have a corresponding full citation in the works cited page.
MLA parenthetical citation example
There is no evidence to suggest there is currently life on Mars (Thompson).
Even though the tests were conclusive (Richardson et al. 76–77), research continues to this day.
According to Pratchett, “[Ambition] was something that happened to other people” (62).
Here’s a tip: Grammarly’s Citation Generator ensures your essays have flawless citations and no plagiarism. Try it for citing lectures in MLA , APA , or Chicago styles.
Parenthetical citation FAQs
What are parenthetical citations, when should parenthetical citations be used.
In-text parenthetical citations come at the end of each new idea that’s not your own. The APA and MLA formats use parenthetical citations as the main method for referencing sources. In the Chicago style, they are optional.
In narrative citations, you mention the author directly in the text—for example, “As Einstein himself once said . . .” Narrative citations still require a shortened form of parenthetical citations, but there’s no need to mention the author’s name twice.
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What is a parenthetical citation
Knowing how to handle parenthetical citations is a key skill that students and researchers need to master. This citation format, also sometimes referred to as an in-text citation, comes into play whenever you need to directly quote or paraphrase someone’s work in your essay or research paper.
In parenthetical citations, the original author or speaker’s words need to be given proper importance through referencing. The reader needs to be able to tell whose work it is, when it was created, and where it was sourced from.
By placing the reference directly into the text itself, the reader is also spared the effort of having to check the footnotes at the end of the paper while reading it.
This guide will be taking a closer look at the best practices for parenthetical citations that you need to know about before you tackle your next paper. The guidelines laid out below will give you all the information and examples you need to use and format a parenthetical reference the right way:
What does a parenthetical citation look like in APA format?
A typical parenthetical citation is made up of a few different parts, including:
- The author’s name
- The year of publication
- The page number
In practice, this will look a little something like this in-text citation example:
Modern architecture systems still rely on dynamic principles (Moseley, 2016) .
An alternative way to structure your parenthetical citation, in this case, would be to state it as:
Elhai et al. (2017) found that smartphone use could lead to depression based on current consumption levels (p.75).
There are a few things to be aware of when using parenthetical citations. If there is no known author, for example, does the method of citation need to be adjusted?
The answer is that the basic structure will remain largely the same. When no author can be found, the title of the work and year of publication needs to be included following the format shown above. If the title within the quotation marks is exceptionally long, it can be shortened for the purpose of being an in-text citation.
Check out these APA style resources
🌐 Official APA style guidelines
🗂 APA style guide
📝 APA citation generator
What does a parenthetical citation look like in MLA format?
The MLA style of parenthetical citation has many parallel elements to the APA format. The only major difference to be aware of is that the page number is cited rather than the date of publishing, and there is no comma separating the pages from the author's last name.
In practice, this would look like the in-text citation example below:
Running regularly can have significant health benefits (Lee et al. 45) .
Again if there is no author to be found, a shortened version of the original title or source can be used as a placeholder instead.
Check out these MLA style resources
🌐 Official MLA style guidelines
🗂 MLA style guide
📝 MLA citation generator
This table summarizes the main differences between parenthetical citations in APA and MLA:
Where are parenthetical citations used?
We’ve already mentioned that parenthetical references are sometimes known as in-text citations, which tells you exactly where you’ll need to add your sources. No matter which citation style you are using, these rules will apply.
The majority of parenthetical citations are placed within the paragraph that contains the direct quote, but this is not the only place that they need to be noted down. Your in-text citations will still need to be added to the final Reference list found at the end of your essay or paper as a bibliographical citation.
The state of paraphrasing
Let’s talk about what happens when you’ve taken information from a source and rephrased it in your own words instead of using a direct quote. How do parenthetical citations apply in this situation and what guidelines should you be aware of?
To start with, it’s important to bear in mind that the original author or source still needs to be cited even if you use a paraphrased version of their work. Taking the examples from the MLA section above, let’s see how this would look in action:
Incorrect running technique has been linked to lower back injuries (Greco et al. 1796) .
Be sure not to skip this step if you are paraphrasing. Giving fitting credit to your sources when using a direct quotation is one of the backbones of academic writing and honesty, and not doing so hurts both the author and you as the writer of the paper. After all, citing correctly only adds more strength and credibility to your argument or thesis.
What about online sources?
With the academic world becoming increasingly connected to technology, many research journals are now being published exclusively on online platforms. Scholarly journal articles, magazine articles, E-books, and other sources have all gone digital to huge benefit - increased accessibility.
Using an online source can have an impact on how in-text citations are written. Not all of these journals or online articles come with clear page numbers, for example. At the same time, it’s unrealistic to expect the reader to go through the entire source looking for the one point you have referenced.
So what do you do in this situation? You make use of the paragraphs instead. When you’re referencing an electronic source, you can use an abbreviation to highlight the paragraph that you are referring to. Take a look at this example:
The New York Times explored the performance of Amanda Gorman at the inauguration and how she started out in poetry ("Amanda Gorman Captures The Moment, In Verse" par. 10) .
Frequently Asked Questions about Parenthetical citations
The difference is that the parenthetical citation will feature the author's name and the date of publication in brackets at the end of the sentence. An in-text citation can, on the other hand, use the author's name in the sentence and only add the date of publication in brackets at the end of the sentence.
The parenthetical citation always corresponds to a full citation in the 'References' or 'Works Cited' section at the end of the paper. These references are cited in alphabetical order, using the author's last name.
It's best to use page numbers when you are making use of a direct quote, with a dash being used for page ranges. If you are paraphrasing the wording, you can add the parenthetical citation without page numbers.
Parenthetical notes indicate to the reader what the original source of the content is when citing research in your paper. This allows them to quickly check the citation and get further background about the point you are making.
Put the parenthetical citation immediately after the quote or at the end of the sentence that contains it. You should not put the parenthetical citation inside the quote, or use it to divide two lines of quotations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a parenthetical citation.
A parenthetical citation gives credit in parentheses to a source that you’re quoting or paraphrasing . It provides relevant information such as the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number(s) cited.
How you use parenthetical citations will depend on your chosen citation style . It will also depend on the type of source you are citing and the number of authors.
Frequently asked questions: Citing sources
A scientific citation style is a system of source citation that is used in scientific disciplines. Some commonly used scientific citation styles are:
- Chicago author-date , CSE , and Harvard , used across various sciences
- ACS , used in chemistry
- AMA , NLM , and Vancouver , used in medicine and related disciplines
- AAA , APA , and ASA , commonly used in the social sciences
There are many different citation styles used across different academic disciplines, but they fall into three basic approaches to citation:
- Parenthetical citations : Including identifying details of the source in parentheses —usually the author’s last name and the publication date, plus a page number if available ( author-date ). The publication date is occasionally omitted ( author-page ).
- Numerical citations: Including a number in brackets or superscript, corresponding to an entry in your numbered reference list.
- Note citations: Including a full citation in a footnote or endnote , which is indicated in the text with a superscript number or symbol.
A source annotation in an annotated bibliography fulfills a similar purpose to an abstract : they’re both intended to summarize the approach and key points of a source.
However, an annotation may also evaluate the source , discussing the validity and effectiveness of its arguments. Even if your annotation is purely descriptive , you may have a different perspective on the source from the author and highlight different key points.
You should never just copy text from the abstract for your annotation, as doing so constitutes plagiarism .
Most academics agree that you shouldn’t cite Wikipedia as a source in your academic writing , and universities often have rules against doing so.
This is partly because of concerns about its reliability, and partly because it’s a tertiary source. Tertiary sources are things like encyclopedias and databases that collect information from other sources rather than presenting their own evidence or analysis. Usually, only primary and secondary sources are cited in academic papers.
A Wikipedia citation usually includes the title of the article, “Wikipedia” and/or “Wikimedia Foundation,” the date the article was last updated, and the URL.
In APA Style , you’ll give the URL of the current revision of the article so that you’re sure the reader accesses the same version as you.
There’s some disagreement about whether Wikipedia can be considered a reliable source . Because it can be edited by anyone, many people argue that it’s easy for misleading information to be added to an article without the reader knowing.
Others argue that because Wikipedia articles cite their sources , and because they are worked on by so many editors, misinformation is generally removed quickly.
However, most universities state that you shouldn’t cite Wikipedia in your writing.
Hanging indents are used in reference lists in various citation styles to allow the reader to easily distinguish between entries.
You should apply a hanging indent to your reference entries in APA , MLA , and Chicago style.
A hanging indent is used to indent all lines of a paragraph except the first.
When you create a hanging indent, the first line of the paragraph starts at the border. Each subsequent line is indented 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
APA and MLA style both use parenthetical in-text citations to cite sources and include a full list of references at the end, but they differ in other ways:
- APA in-text citations include the author name, date, and page number (Taylor, 2018, p. 23), while MLA in-text citations include only the author name and page number (Taylor 23).
- The APA reference list is titled “References,” while MLA’s version is called “ Works Cited .”
- The reference entries differ in terms of formatting and order of information.
- APA requires a title page , while MLA requires a header instead.
A parenthetical citation in Chicago author-date style includes the author’s last name, the publication date, and, if applicable, the relevant page number or page range in parentheses . Include a comma after the year, but not after the author’s name.
For example: (Swan 2003, 6)
To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .
APA Style distinguishes between parenthetical and narrative citations.
In parenthetical citations , you include all relevant source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence or clause: “Parts of the human body reflect the principles of tensegrity (Levin, 2002).”
In narrative citations , you include the author’s name in the text itself, followed by the publication date in parentheses: “Levin (2002) argues that parts of the human body reflect the principles of tensegrity.”
In a parenthetical citation in MLA style , include the author’s last name and the relevant page number or range in parentheses .
For example: (Eliot 21)
APA does not permit the use of ibid. This is because APA in-text citations are parenthetical and there’s no need to shorten them further.
Ibid. may be used in Chicago footnotes or endnotes .
Write “Ibid.” alone when you are citing the same page number and source as the previous citation.
When you are citing the same source, but a different page number, use ibid. followed by a comma and the relevant page number(s). For example:
- Ibid., 40–42.
Only use ibid . if you are directing the reader to a previous full citation of a source .
Ibid. only refers to the previous citation. Therefore, you should only use ibid. directly after a citation that you want to repeat.
Ibid. is an abbreviation of the Latin “ibidem,” meaning “in the same place.” Ibid. is used in citations to direct the reader to the previous source.
Signal phrases can be used in various ways and can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
To use signal phrases effectively, include:
- The name of the scholar(s) or study you’re referencing
- An attributive tag such as “according to” or “argues that”
- The quote or idea you want to include
Different citation styles require you to use specific verb tenses when using signal phrases.
- APA Style requires you to use the past or present perfect tense when using signal phrases.
- MLA and Chicago requires you to use the present tense when using signal phrases.
Signal phrases allow you to give credit for an idea or quote to its author or originator. This helps you to:
- Establish the credentials of your sources
- Display your depth of reading and understanding of the field
- Position your own work in relation to other scholars
- Avoid plagiarism
A signal phrase is a group of words that ascribes a quote or idea to an outside source.
Signal phrases distinguish the cited idea or argument from your own writing and introduce important information including the source of the material that you are quoting , paraphrasing , or summarizing . For example:
“ Cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker (1994) insists that humans possess an innate faculty for comprehending grammar.”
If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarizes other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA and Chicago both recommend retaining the citations as part of the quote. However, MLA recommends omitting citations within a quote:
- APA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic (Jones, 2015; Sill, 2019; Paulson, 2020) shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).
- MLA: Smith states that “the literature on this topic shows no clear consensus” (Smith, 2019, p. 4).
Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted in all styles.
If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase “as cited in” in your citation.
In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.
In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .
As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.
To present information from other sources in academic writing , it’s best to paraphrase in most cases. This shows that you’ve understood the ideas you’re discussing and incorporates them into your text smoothly.
It’s appropriate to quote when:
- Changing the phrasing would distort the meaning of the original text
- You want to discuss the author’s language choices (e.g., in literary analysis )
- You’re presenting a precise definition
- You’re looking in depth at a specific claim
To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:
- Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
- Combining information from multiple sentences into one
- Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
- Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning
The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.
“ Et al. ” is an abbreviation of the Latin term “et alia,” which means “and others.” It’s used in source citations to save space when there are too many authors to name them all.
Guidelines for using “et al.” differ depending on the citation style you’re following:
To insert endnotes in Microsoft Word, follow the steps below:
- Click on the spot in the text where you want the endnote to show up.
- In the “References” tab at the top, select “Insert Endnote.”
- Type whatever text you want into the endnote.
If you need to change the type of notes used in a Word document from footnotes to endnotes , or the other way around, follow these steps:
- Open the “References” tab, and click the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the “Footnotes” section.
- In the pop-up window, click on “Convert…”
- Choose the option you need, and click “OK.”
To insert a footnote automatically in a Word document:
- Click on the point in the text where the footnote should appear
- Select the “References” tab at the top and then click on “Insert Footnote”
- Type the text you want into the footnote that appears at the bottom of the page
Footnotes are notes indicated in your text with numbers and placed at the bottom of the page. They’re used to provide:
- Citations (e.g., in Chicago notes and bibliography )
- Additional information that would disrupt the flow of the main text
Be sparing in your use of footnotes (other than citation footnotes), and consider whether the information you’re adding is relevant for the reader.
Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page they refer to. This is convenient for the reader but may cause your text to look cluttered if there are a lot of footnotes.
Endnotes appear all together at the end of the whole text. This may be less convenient for the reader but reduces clutter.
Both footnotes and endnotes are used in the same way: to cite sources or add extra information. You should usually choose one or the other to use in your text, not both.
An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.
If you are reusing content or data you used in a previous assignment, make sure to cite yourself. You can cite yourself just as you would cite any other source: simply follow the directions for that source type in the citation style you are using.
Keep in mind that reusing your previous work can be considered self-plagiarism , so make sure you ask your professor or consult your university’s handbook before doing so.
A credible source should pass the CRAAP test and follow these guidelines:
- The information should be up to date and current.
- The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
- The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
- For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Utilizing rigorous criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether to accept each submission for publication. For this reason, academic journals are often considered among the most credible sources you can use in a research project– provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well-regarded.
Academic dishonesty can be intentional or unintentional, ranging from something as simple as claiming to have read something you didn’t to copying your neighbor’s answers on an exam.
You can commit academic dishonesty with the best of intentions, such as helping a friend cheat on a paper. Severe academic dishonesty can include buying a pre-written essay or the answers to a multiple-choice test, or falsifying a medical emergency to avoid taking a final exam.
Academic dishonesty refers to deceitful or misleading behavior in an academic setting. Academic dishonesty can occur intentionally or unintentionally, and varies in severity.
It can encompass paying for a pre-written essay, cheating on an exam, or committing plagiarism . It can also include helping others cheat, copying a friend’s homework answers, or even pretending to be sick to miss an exam.
Academic dishonesty doesn’t just occur in a classroom setting, but also in research and other academic-adjacent fields.
To apply a hanging indent to your reference list or Works Cited list in Word or Google Docs, follow the steps below.
Microsoft Word:
- Highlight the whole list and right click to open the Paragraph options.
- Under Indentation > Special , choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.
- Set the indent to 0.5 inches or 1.27cm.
Google Docs:
- Highlight the whole list and click on Format > Align and indent > Indentation options .
- Under Special indent , choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.
When the hanging indent is applied, for each reference, every line except the first is indented. This helps the reader see where one entry ends and the next begins.
For a published interview (whether in video , audio, or print form ), you should always include a citation , just as you would for any other source.
For an interview you conducted yourself , formally or informally, you often don’t need a citation and can just refer to it in the text or in a footnote , since the reader won’t be able to look them up anyway. MLA , however, still recommends including citations for your own interviews.
The main elements included in a newspaper interview citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the names of the interviewer and interviewee, the interview title, the publication date, the name of the newspaper, and a URL (for online sources).
The information is presented differently in different citation styles. One key difference is that APA advises listing the interviewer in the author position, while MLA and Chicago advise listing the interviewee first.
The elements included in a newspaper article citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the author name, the article title, the publication date, the newspaper name, and the URL if the article was accessed online .
In APA and MLA, the page numbers of the article appear in place of the URL if the article was accessed in print. No page numbers are used in Chicago newspaper citations.
Untitled sources (e.g. some images ) are usually cited using a short descriptive text in place of the title. In APA Style , this description appears in brackets: [Chair of stained oak]. In MLA and Chicago styles, no brackets are used: Chair of stained oak.
For social media posts, which are usually untitled, quote the initial words of the post in place of the title: the first 160 characters in Chicago , or the first 20 words in APA . E.g. Biden, J. [@JoeBiden]. “The American Rescue Plan means a $7,000 check for a single mom of four. It means more support to safely.”
MLA recommends quoting the full post for something short like a tweet, and just describing the post if it’s longer.
The main elements included in image citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name of the image’s creator, the image title, the year (or more precise date) of publication, and details of the container in which the image was found (e.g. a museum, book , website ).
In APA and Chicago style, it’s standard to also include a description of the image’s format (e.g. “Photograph” or “Oil on canvas”). This sort of information may be included in MLA too, but is not mandatory.
The main elements included in a lecture citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name of the speaker, the lecture title, the date it took place, the course or event it was part of, and the institution it took place at.
For transcripts or recordings of lectures/speeches, other details like the URL, the name of the book or website , and the length of the recording may be included instead of information about the event and institution.
The main elements included in a YouTube video citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name of the author/uploader, the title of the video, the publication date, and the URL.
The format in which this information appears is different for each style.
All styles also recommend using timestamps as a locator in the in-text citation or Chicago footnote .
Each annotation in an annotated bibliography is usually between 50 and 200 words long. Longer annotations may be divided into paragraphs .
The content of the annotation varies according to your assignment. An annotation can be descriptive, meaning it just describes the source objectively; evaluative, meaning it assesses its usefulness; or reflective, meaning it explains how the source will be used in your own research .
Any credible sources on your topic can be included in an annotated bibliography . The exact sources you cover will vary depending on the assignment, but you should usually focus on collecting journal articles and scholarly books . When in doubt, utilize the CRAAP test !
An annotated bibliography is an assignment where you collect sources on a specific topic and write an annotation for each source. An annotation is a short text that describes and sometimes evaluates the source.
The elements included in journal article citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name(s) of the author(s), the title of the article, the year of publication, the name of the journal, the volume and issue numbers, the page range of the article, and, when accessed online, the DOI or URL.
In MLA and Chicago style, you also include the specific month or season of publication alongside the year, when this information is available.
In APA , MLA , and Chicago style citations for sources that don’t list a specific author (e.g. many websites ), you can usually list the organization responsible for the source as the author.
If the organization is the same as the website or publisher, you shouldn’t repeat it twice in your reference:
- In APA and Chicago, omit the website or publisher name later in the reference.
- In MLA, omit the author element at the start of the reference, and cite the source title instead.
If there’s no appropriate organization to list as author, you will usually have to begin the citation and reference entry with the title of the source instead.
The main elements included in website citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the author, the date of publication, the page title, the website name, and the URL. The information is presented differently in each style.
When you want to cite a specific passage in a source without page numbers (e.g. an e-book or website ), all the main citation styles recommend using an alternate locator in your in-text citation . You might use a heading or chapter number, e.g. (Smith, 2016, ch. 1)
In APA Style , you can count the paragraph numbers in a text to identify a location by paragraph number. MLA and Chicago recommend that you only use paragraph numbers if they’re explicitly marked in the text.
For audiovisual sources (e.g. videos ), all styles recommend using a timestamp to show a specific point in the video when relevant.
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.
“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .
Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.
Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.
- APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
- MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
- Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
- Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.
Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.
The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.
The main elements included in all book citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the author, the title, the year of publication, and the name of the publisher. A page number is also included in in-text citations to highlight the specific passage cited.
In Chicago style and in the 6th edition of APA Style , the location of the publisher is also included, e.g. London: Penguin.
A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate “block” of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.
The rules for when to apply block quote formatting depend on the citation style:
- APA block quotes are 40 words or longer.
- MLA block quotes are more than 4 lines of prose or 3 lines of poetry.
- Chicago block quotes are longer than 100 words.
In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:
- To analyze the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
- To give evidence from primary sources
- To accurately present a precise definition or argument
Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .
Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .
For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: “This is a quote” (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).
Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.
A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.
The DOI is usually clearly visible when you open a journal article on an academic database. It is often listed near the publication date, and includes “doi.org” or “DOI:”. If the database has a “cite this article” button, this should also produce a citation with the DOI included.
If you can’t find the DOI, you can search on Crossref using information like the author, the article title, and the journal name.
A DOI is a unique identifier for a digital document. DOIs are important in academic citation because they are more permanent than URLs, ensuring that your reader can reliably locate the source.
Journal articles and ebooks can often be found on multiple different websites and databases. The URL of the page where an article is hosted can be changed or removed over time, but a DOI is linked to the specific document and never changes.
When a book’s chapters are written by different authors, you should cite the specific chapter you are referring to.
When all the chapters are written by the same author (or group of authors), you should usually cite the entire book, but some styles include exceptions to this.
- In APA Style , single-author books should always be cited as a whole, even if you only quote or paraphrase from one chapter.
- In MLA Style , if a single-author book is a collection of stand-alone works (e.g. short stories ), you should cite the individual work.
- In Chicago Style , you may choose to cite a single chapter of a single-author book if you feel it is more appropriate than citing the whole book.
Articles in newspapers and magazines can be primary or secondary depending on the focus of your research.
In historical studies, old articles are used as primary sources that give direct evidence about the time period. In social and communication studies, articles are used as primary sources to analyze language and social relations (for example, by conducting content analysis or discourse analysis ).
If you are not analyzing the article itself, but only using it for background information or facts about your topic, then the article is a secondary source.
A fictional movie is usually a primary source. A documentary can be either primary or secondary depending on the context.
If you are directly analyzing some aspect of the movie itself – for example, the cinematography, narrative techniques, or social context – the movie is a primary source.
If you use the movie for background information or analysis about your topic – for example, to learn about a historical event or a scientific discovery – the movie is a secondary source.
Whether it’s primary or secondary, always properly cite the movie in the citation style you are using. Learn how to create an MLA movie citation or an APA movie citation .
To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself:
- Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
- Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?
- Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or only using it for background information (secondary)?
Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews ). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source.
Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. However, it’s up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate.
Always make sure to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism .
Common examples of secondary sources include academic books, journal articles , reviews, essays , and textbooks.
Anything that summarizes, evaluates or interprets primary sources can be a secondary source. If a source gives you an overview of background information or presents another researcher’s ideas on your topic, it is probably a secondary source.
Common examples of primary sources include interview transcripts , photographs, novels, paintings, films, historical documents, and official statistics.
Anything you directly analyze or use as first-hand evidence can be a primary source, including qualitative or quantitative data that you collected yourself.
The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.
You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .
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APA Style, 7th Edition
- Introduction
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Parenthetical and Narrative Citations in APA
8.12 multiple works in one citation, 8.14 unknown or anonymous author, 8.17 number of authors in in-text citations, 8.19 works with the same author and date, 8.20 authors with the same name, 8.21 group authors.
- Quoting and Paraphrasing
- Additional Resources
It is very important to insure that any item listed in a parenthetical or in-text citation corresponds to an item in your reference list. Make certain that author, title, and publication information are listed exactly the same in both citation types.
APA uses parenthetical or in text citations where the last name of the author, date of publication, and specific page or chapter are placed in parentheses within the text. Examples may be found in APA section 8.
Most parenthetical citations, placed immediately after a quotation or paraphrase, must include the following elements as shown in section 8.10-11.
- Include only the author's last name without any initials or suffixes followed by a comma.
- Include only the year of publication.
- When citing a specific quotation, idea, or figure from a specific page of the source, indicate the page number, chapter, or figure or table number after the publication year with a comma in between. The word page may be abbreviated but not chapter or figure. See 8.13 for additional examples.
- Place all elements in parentheses with the period after the closing parentheses.
Narrative citations incorporate the author and publication date within the sentence. In most instances, the author's name will be given and the publication date placed in parentheses immediately after. In some instances, the date may be included in the sentence without parentheses.
When utilizing multiple sources in a single instance, group all of the sources together in a single note. Sources should be listed alphabetically in the order found in the reference list and separated by semicolons.
List two or more works by the same author in chronological order
To highlight specific works that are particularly relevant to your point, place those works first in alphabetical order. Then use a semi-colon and the phrase see also before listing additional citations also in alphabetical order.
If citing multiple sources in a sentence as a narrative citation, no specific order is required.
If no author is listed, refer to the work by title within the text and parenthetical citation.
If the author is officially listed as "anonymous," APA indicates that word should be treated as the author's real name in both the parenthetical citation and reference list.
- For one or two authors, include both author names in every citation.
- For three or more authors, include the name of the first author followed by et al.
- The exception is when using et al would create confusion because more than one reference begins with the same authors.
- In those cases, write out all of the names until there is a difference.
- If there are multiple authors remaining, use et al.
- If there is only one additional author, write out that name as well.
- Use an ampersand (&) between names for two authors and before the last author's name when multiple authors are listed.
- In a narrative citation, write out the word and .
References by the same author with the same publication date should be listed in chronological order by the specific date and then place a lower case letter immediately after the year in the in-text citation.
When citing more than one work by authors with the same last name, include the author's initials in all text and parenthetical citations in order to differentiate between works.
If a group name has a familiar abbreviation, include the abbreviation in brackets after the full name for the first usage and then utilize the abbreviation for the following citations.
If two groups share the same abbreviation and both groups are cited in a paper, spell out both group names every time.
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- Last Updated: Sep 15, 2022 10:29 AM
- URL: https://libguides.lincolnchristian.edu/APA
What Are Parenthetical Citations? Explained
Here, we’ll explore what are parenthetical citations and how to use them correctly with examples, tips and tricks.
Whether a student or a professional writer, it can be tough to figure out exactly how to cite works within your paper or essay. From correcting grammar to figuring out the formatting, you must take the time to attribute ideas and quotes to sources correctly. Generally, the accepted format for parenthetical citations is: (Betz, 2010).
In-text citation allows the reader to locate the source of the information if they desire. They enable teachers to check references and ensure correct information in academic settings. In non-academic settings, using parenthetical citations helps the reader trust the writer’s knowledge of the topic.
To figure out exactly how to use parenthetical citations for your paper, you’ll need to know whether your professor or publisher prefers that you use MLA or APA format. The answer should be in your syllabus or your publication guidelines. When you come across questions as you work through your writing, consult the Purdue Online Writing Lab , the internet’s go-to source for all things APA and MLA .
Parenthetical citations are a citation style where the citations are enclosed within parenthesis. For example, “” is closed in parenthesis. Parenthesis can be in the style of dashes, brackets, or commas. Now, look at everything you need to know about parenthetical citations in your paper, from simple formatting to nuanced rules.
Parenthetical Citations: The Basics
When to use a parenthetical citation, how to use parenthetical citations, why use parenthetical citations, parenthetical citation example: mla style, parenthetical citations in the apa style, when in doubt, cite it, tips and tricks for parenthetical citations.
When you’re writing a paper that sticks to MLA style , you’ll use MLA citations to show your reader where you got quotes and ideas. You’ll need to include the author’s last name and the page number from where you got the idea or quote. There’s no need to include the year of publication in MLA format (the year is only required in APA format).
- In MLA format, a typical parenthetical citation would read: (Betz, 3)
- In APA format, a specific parenthetical citation would read: (Betz, 2010, p.3).
You will use parenthetical citations in three instances within an essay. These include:
- Summaries: When you need to summarize another author’s work, you must state where the summary came from, which requires a citation.
- Paraphrases: If you paraphrase someone else’s idea, you must add an appropriate citation.
- Quotes: Any quoted material must be cited following the rules of the citation style for the project
Use parenthetical citations if your project requires either APA or MLA formatting , as both use this form of citation. Chicago-style papers use footnotes instead of parenthetical citations.
In a research paper, essay or report , show which resources you used to write the piece. While a Works Cited or Bibliography page is helpful, sometimes the style guide requires an in-text citation. When using a parenthetical citation, add a set of parentheses after the paraphrase or quote at the end of the sentence. Put the author’s last name and the page number or publication date in this parenthesis. This citation will coordinate with one of the entries on your works cited, resources, or bibliography page.
If you’re writing a literary review or another piece of work in which you’re using many works by the same author, you may need to cite the title in your in-text citation instead of the author’s name to save your reader from confusion. There’s no need to cite the author’s name, for example: (“A Day in the Life” 29).
It can be tough to figure out how to use parenthetical citations when the resource you’re using is not straightforward. For example, how should you to cite a play, television show, or website?
If you don’t know the author but want to cite the work, use a title or a keyword from the title to help your reader link the citation to a part of your works cited page. For example, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows might be shortened to “ Hallows” in a parenthetical citation , with the full citation on the works cited page.
There’s no need to make a point to state that the author is unknown. Instead, ensure your in-text citation provides a clear link to a part of your works cited page so your reader can easily find more information if necessary.
When quoting or referencing a scene in a parenthetical citation, approach it like a page number (Betz, sc. 3). If you’re referencing a line in a poem, write out the word line (Betz, lines 3-4), and if you come across a reference in which you need to cite more than one author, be sure to include both in your in-text citation -for example, (Betz and Berkey 12).
Academic and business writers use parenthetical citations is to avoid the risk of plagiarism. Plagiarism can quickly destroy an author’s work and reputation, both unethical and illegal. When writers correctly cites all sources, even for paraphrased material, they are not guilty of this honest mistake. For quotes, placing the selection in quotation marks and adding a parenthetical citation will show where the quote came from, and this is vital to protect against plagiarism.
For more, check out our guide to the best plagiarism checkers . These tools will save you time and often handle citations.
Plagiarism and In Text Citations
If you’ve quoted or paraphrased accurately and cited or linked to the original source, it’s not plagiarism. That said, plagiarism has several potential consequences in both academic and professional settings. If you are found guilty of plagiarism in an academic setting, you will likely fail the assignment or even the class. Some schools have this as grounds for expulsion. Plagiarism is a violation of copyright law. As a result, you could face a lawsuit in a professional setting if you are guilty of plagiarism.
Even if you are not sued, a professional or academic who is guilty of plagiarism will suffer a loss of their reputation. Taking someone else’s work and passing it off as your own, without proper citation, could ruin your reputation as a writer. Because of these potential consequences, learning to use parenthetical citations properly is vital to your work as an academic or business writer. Read more about the consequences of plagiarism .
The MLA style follows the rules of the Modern Language Association handbook, also known as the MLA handbook. If the paper or report you are writing uses the MLA format for citation, place citations at the end of the sentence after you paraphrase or quote a resource.
The parenthetical citation contains the author’s last name and the page number without a comma separating the two. Instead, it goes before the period at the end of the sentence. If the paper uses the author’s name within the text, the parentheses only have to contain the page number. If no page numbers are available, you will use paragraph numbers and the abbreviation “par.” or “pars.” If you cannot find an author, use the proper punctuation to use the title of the article, journal article, website, or book.
If you’re unsure about using MLA, read our guide to style guides for business writing
MLA Style Citation Example
Sometimes seeing an example of how to cite something helps you do it correctly in your writing. Here is an example of a reference list entry formatted in the MLA style:
- King, David Lee. “Why Stay on Top of Technology Trends?” Library Technology Reports , vol. 54, no. 2, Feb.-Mar. 2018, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/2008817033?accountid=35635 .
Here is how the MLA citation would look in your piece:
- When it comes to technology, we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (King 11).
- When it comes to technology, King states that we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (11).
Note that in these examples, the parentheses come after the quotation mark but before the period. This shows that the citation goes with the quote immediately before it.
The APA style is another style guide that uses parentheses to show an original source within the text. It follows the rules of the American Psychological Association . However, it uses parenthetical citations slightly differently than the MLA.
With APA format citations, you will use the author’s last name and the date of publication, not the page number. You also will separate the two with a comma. If you name the author within the paragraph, you will list the publication date in parentheses. That said, if you use a direct quotation, you will add the page or paragraph number. If you are using a website, you can use a timestamp. Other acceptable resources include chapter, canto, verse, or line. Again, adding this to the parenthetical reference only is necessary if you are making a direct quote.
APA Style Citation Example
Consider a paper that requires you to quote from this resource:
- Crystal, K. (2011). The story of English in 100 words. St. Martin’s Press.
In this case, you would cite as follows:
- “Undeaf” is a word coined by Shakespeare in Richard II (Crystal, 2011).
- According to Crystal (2011), “undeaf” is a word invented by Shakespeare.
In these citations, the parentheses come before the period or immediately after the author’s name. This follows the APA citation format perfectly.
Many writers wonder if they should add parenthetical citations or not, and a good rule of thumb is to cite anything you are unsure about. Add a link, footnote or an entry in a reference or bibliography. You are unlikely to be in trouble for citing too many sources, and the risks of plagiarism are just too significant. A good citation tool will take care of all this for you. So do not fall victim to this common academic writing mistake . Instead, ensure you cite all ideas that are not your own.
- Generally, simple is better. Both MLA and APA formats offer easy ways to cite in-text, and there’s no need to bog your reader down with extra information. Instead, provide the information required in the in-text citation and nothing more. Then, if your reader needs more information, they’ll be able to visit the works quickly cited section of your paper to get what they need.
- In-text citations are only as good as your works cited page. Ensure that your works cited page offers all the information your reader needs to learn more about your sources. Carefully check the requirements for your paper format to ensure you’re following current works cited guidelines.
- For more help, check out our round-up of the best citation software ! This type of software will automatically format your citations and also help you maintain a copy and paste library that you can use.
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Home / MLA / Parenthetical Citations MLA: Step-by-Step Guide (for 2017)
Parenthetical Citations MLA: Step-by-Step Guide (for 2017)
Parenthetical citation, also known as in-text citation, is an easy way to create citations within your document, allowing your reader to see where you found the information without looking at the bottom of the page or the end of the document for a footnote or endnote. Although footnotes were once the go-to way to cite information, parenthetical citation has become increasingly more popular, and is the go-to citation format for MLA format. In this guide we will show you a step-by-step process on how to add parenthetical citations to your essay in MLA format.
What is Parenthetical Citation / Definition
Parenthetical citation is a way of providing a short reference to the source used when citing to material that is referenced, either by a direct quotation or an indirect reference. Parenthetical citations can contain all of the reference material within the parenthesis or they can use signal phrases, which may contain some of the information. How to properly use a parenthetical citation depends on the guidelines for the particular writing style you are using. This guide will cover parenthetical citations for both MLA and APA.
MLA uses the author-page form of parenthetical citation. What information you use in the in-text citation will depend upon the information you included in your works cited page. For example, if you choose to use a signal to introduce your material, then that signal needs to be the first part of your works cited entry.
MLA Parenthetical Citation
While it is called author-page citation, the information that you use in the in-text citation will actually depend upon the information you included in your works cited page. Some works will not have an author, so you would need to include the first part of your works cited entry, either in the parenthesis or in the signal phrase. You can also use the author’s last name in your text to serve as a signal that you are going to provide a citation. If the quoted material is more than four lines of prose or three lines of text, you put it in an indented block quote, omitting quotation marks. The block quote remains double-spaced. In our examples, we will have block quotes, shorter direct quotes, and indirectly cited material.
General Guidelines for MLA Parenthetical Citation
-The basic author-page citation format is: (Last Name X). Example: (Smith 16)
-Using a signal means you use the author’s name (or whatever is first in your works cited page) to signal a quotation or indirect citation. Example: Smith says that “the apple does not fall far from the tree” (16).
-If no page number is available, just use the author’s last name. Example: (Smith).
-If there is no named author, you will either use the corporate author or the title of the work in your citation. If the title is a short work, like an article or a single web page, you would place it in quotation marks, but if the title is a longer work, like a website or book, you would place it in italics. Examples: (CNN.com), (“German Shepherds”)
-For videos, movies, podcasts, and other timed forms of media, while there is no page number available, you can pinpoint the time, so you include that time as part of your reference. Example: (Reiner 00:04:10- 00:04:56).
-Authors with the same last name are differentiated in in-text citations by the addition of the first initial. Example: (P. Smith 15)
-For multiple authors, how you cite them depends on the number of authors. For two authors include both of their last names in the citation and join them with the word “and” not a “&”. For more than three authors, list only the first author’s last name then use the phrase et al. Examples: (Smith and Jones 45), (Smith et al. 45).
-If you have multiple works by the same author, then include a reference to the work in the citation to differentiate between the works. Short works would be placed in quotation marks, while long works would be in italics. You can shorten the name of the work; it just needs to be enough to differentiate it from the other works by the same author in your works cited list. Example: (Butcher, Fool Moon 43)
-If you are citing from a multi-volume work, include the volume before the page number in your citation. Example: (Smith 1: 12).
-If you are citing to a play, you do not use the page number. Instead, you use the act, the scene, and the line numbers. For Shakespeare’s works, you can abbreviate the play names. You can find a list of common abbreviations for Shakespeare’s plays here . Example: (Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.2 25-45).
-Because there are different versions of the Bible, you want to include the version you are using in your first citation if only citing from one Bible in your paper or essay or the version you are using in all of your citations if you are citing from multiple Bibles. You then include the Bible’s book, chapter, and verse. Example (King James Bible, Genesis 1.4-5)
-Some indirect citations will contain references to more than one work. To include multiple references, use a semi-colon between the references in your in-text citation. Example: (Smith 15; Jones 14; Perez 345)
MLA Parenthetical Citation Examples
The easiest way to see how parenthetical citation works is to see examples. We have designed our tutorials to work together, and this tutorial works well with our works cited tutorial, which gives you a step-by-step process for building works cited pages in MLA format. We are drawing from the resources we used in that example to create this tutorial. So, in these examples we will provide you with a template for a works cited entry for a type of source, the correct works cited list citation for the source we are using, and then examples of how you would use that source in a parenthetical citation.
Simple Book Format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula: A Mystery Story . W.R. Caldwell & Co., 1897.
Short citation:
“Having had some time at my disposal when in London, I had visited the British Museum and made search among the books and maps in the library regarding Transylvania” (Stoker 1).
Long citation (using a signal phrase):
At the beginning of Dracula, Stoker immediately lets the reader know that his protagonist, Jonathan Harker, will be visiting Transylvania:
Having had some time at my disposal when in London, I had visited the British Museum and made search among the books and maps in the library regarding Transylvania; it had struck me that some foreknowledge of the country could hardly fail to have some importance in dealing with a nobleman of that country. I find that the district he named is in the extreme east of the country, just on the borders of three states, Transylvania, Moldavia, and Bukovinia, in the midst of the Carpathian mountains; one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe. (1-2)
Book with Multiple Authors:
Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. Title . Publisher, Year of Publication.
Pratchett, Terry and Neil Gaiman. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. Harpertorch, 2006.
Short Direct Citation:
“God does not play dice with the universe,” (Pratchett and Gaiman 14).
Indirect Citation:
One of the most interesting aspects of Good Omens is how the authors approach the idea of God. For example, Pratchett and Gaiman describe God as playing games with the universe in a way that suggests more of a cruel indifference than actual malice (14).
Translated or Edited Books with Authors:
Translated or edited books can become a little challenging in your works cited. Usually, you want to focus on the author. However, there may be a reason that you want to focus on the translator or editor. In those instances, you will focus on the translator or editor first, but indicate that they are not the author. Our example involves a translator. It also involves a republication, which is why it has two dates.
Last, First. Title. Translated by First Last, Publisher, Year.
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. 100 Years of Solitude . Translated by Gregory Rabassa, 1970, Harper Collins, 2003.
However, to emphasize the translator, it would be:
Last, First, translator. Title . By First Last, Publisher, Year.
Rabassa, Gregory, translator. 100 Years of Solitude. By Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1970, Harper Collins, 2003.
Short Citation:
“On the first contact the bones of the girl seemed to become disjointed with a disorderly crunch like the sound of a box of dominoes” (Marquez 33).
Rabassa’s unique word often serves to make the story more vivid, like when he describes the “disorderly crunch” of a girl’s bones (Rabassa 33).
Basic MLA website citation format:
Author Last, Author First. Title. Title of Website, Other contributors, Version or Edition,
Volume, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Pages or Paragraphs, URL or doi, Accessed Day Month Year.
Chemaly, Soraya. “50 Actual Facts About Rape.” Huffington Post , 8 December 2014, huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/50-facts-rape_b_2019338.html Accessed 19 May 2017.
Direct Quotation:
“Remember facts about rape? Because it turns out that a whole lot of people know less than nothing about the subject” (Chemaly).
Indirect citation:
Men often define what constitutes rape in a way that reinforces their own power (Chemaly).
Online Encyclopedias:
Article name. (Date). In Encylopedia name. Retrieved from URL
William Shakespeare. Wikipedia , 9 May 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare , Accessed 19 May 2017.
Shakespeare’s “plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright” (“William Shakespeare”).
Article from an Online Periodical (Magazine or Non-Scholarly Journal):
Last, First. “Article Name.” Periodical Name , vol., no., year of publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Scherer, Michael and Alex Altman, A. “Trump’s Loyalty Test.” Time Magazine , 189 (20), 29 May 2017. time.com/4783929/president-trump-loyalty-test/?xid=homepage&pcd=hp- magmod . Accessed 19 May 2017.
Direct Citation:
“The West Wing’s thick walls, even with the TV turned up, cannot muffle the sounds of staffers shouting behind closed doors” (Scherer and Altman).
Article from an Online Scholarly Journal:
The general format for an online-only scholarly journal is:
Last, First. “Article Name.” Journal Name , vol., no., year of publication, URL or doi. Accessed Day Month Year.
Yardimci, Veysi and Aytul Yardimci. “An Unusual First Manifestation of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Epitrochlear Lymph Node Involvement- A Case Report and Brief Review of Literature. Journal of Investigative Medicine: High Impact Case Reports, 5, 2, 10.1177/2324709617706709 . Accessed 19 May 2017.
Yardimci and Yardimci noted that “in the histopathological examination of the bone marrow biopsy, no finding in favor of lymphoma was detected” (Yardimci and Yardimci).
Scholarly Journal with No DOI:
Last, First. “Article Name.” Journal Name , vol., no., year of publication, pp. xxx-xxx, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Kovan, Martin. “Capital Punishment: A Buddhist Critique. Journal of Buddhist Ethics , 24. blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/files/2017/03/Kovan-Capital-Punishment-final-4.pdf. Accessed 19 May 2017.
According to Kovan (2017), “Capital punishment is irreversible and so requires a degree and kind of justification not necessary for non-lethal punishment” (64).
Of course, Kovan is not the first commentator to point out that because capital punishment cannot be undone, it requires a different approach than non-lethal punishments (64).
Newspaper Articles:
Last, First. “Article Name.” Newspaper Name , Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Takahashi, Julie. “Judge Dismisses Ahmed Mohamed ‘Clock Boy’ Suit Against Irving ISD.” Houston Chronicle , 19 May 2017, www.chron.com/news/houston- texas/article/Judge-dismisses-Ahmed-Mohamed-Clock-Boy-suit-11159334.php .Accessed 19 May 2017.
“On Thursday, the U.S. District Judge granted Irving and Irving ISD’s motions to dismiss the Mohamed family’s lawsuit, saying there was no evidence Ahmed faced religious or racial discrimination” (Takahashi).
YouTube Video:
Late name, First name of the creator. “Title of the film or video.” YouTube , uploaded by username, date of upload, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
“We Won the Game: Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds #2 w/Robin.” YouTube, uploaded by Jack Septic Eye, 15 May 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIdx2NCzlyI. Accessed 19 May 2017.
Popular YouTube personality Jack Septic Eye opens up his video with a consistent phrase and a recap of what happened on his last episode (“We Won the Game”).
“The Russia Connection.” YouTube, uploaded by Randy Rainbow, 15 May 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2OuJYaz_oE
Randy Rainbow uses political satire to make a point, singing, “Someday they’ll find it, the Russia connection,”, to the tune of The Rainbow Connection song made popular by the Muppets (“The Russia Connection” 00:02:54-00:03:00).
Motion Pictures:
Title of Movie . Directed by Director First and Last, Performances by First and Last Name(s), Studio, Year of Release.
The Princess Bride , Directed by Rob Reiner, Performances by Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, and Chris Sarandon, Act III Communications, 1987.
However, to highlight the role of various people, you might but a producer, director, or actor as the first person in your works cited. Those examples would look like :
Lear, Norman, producer. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Reiner, Rob, director. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Elwes, Cary, actor. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Wright, Robin, actor. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Sarandon, Chris, actor. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Patinkin, Mandy, actor. The Princess Bride , Act III Communications, 1987.
Wesley manages to keep his identity secret, but reveals himself to Buttercup when he cries out his catchphrase after she pushes him down a hill ( The Princess Bride ).
Hopefully, this guide on how to add parenthetical citations in MLA format to your essay, along with these examples, have shown you how easy it is to use parenthetical citations in your MLA research papers. While we have covered the most commonly asked questions about parenthetical citations in this tutorial, if you have additional questions, we are happy to help.
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How to Do In-Text and Parenthetical Citations
As you start writing your school paper, you need to include citations in the body of your work. Are they in-text citations or parenthetical citations? Actually, both terms are correct. Both “in-text” and “parenthetical citations” are terms you use for the citation you make when you directly quote or paraphrase someone else in your work. Learn what a parenthetical citation is and how to create one in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats.
What Is an Example of a Parenthetical Citation?
Formatting and examples of parenthetical citations found in this guide can be found in the MLA 8th edition style manual, APA 7th edition manual, and the 17th edition of the Chicago style. However, before you can work on examples, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what a parenthetical, internal, or in-text citation is.
A parenthetical citation is how you give credit to your sources in the body of your work. Every time you make a direct quote (including a block quote) or paraphrase someone else’s work, you need to give them credit. While each different style has its own way of doing this, an example of a parenthetical citation can speak volumes.
When to Include Parenthetical Citations
Citing sources helps you avoid plagiarizing the work of other writers. Therefore, you include an internal citation when you:
- Refer to another work
- Insert a quotation from another source
- Summarize or paraphrase their work
In-Text Citations vs. Parenthetical Citations vs. Narrative Citations
The debate between an in-text vs. parenthetical vs. narrative citation is a pretty easy one. All citations that you make within the text are “in-text” or “internal citations.” Additionally, the word parenthetical means it is enclosed in parentheses like:
(Lessing 12)
However, where things get a bit tricky is the difference between parenthetical and narrative citations. The difference between the two is how you compose the citation.
- Parenthetical citations include all elements of the citation in parenthesis.
- Narrative citations have some of the citation information in the sentence itself.
MLA Parenthetical Citation
There is a lack of diversity among colleges in the northwest (Lessing 12).
MLA Narrative Citation
According to Lessing (12), there is a lack of diversity among colleges in the northwest.
Examples of Parenthetical Citations
Parenthetic citations are a required part of any scholarly article; therefore, it’s essential to know how to do them in each different style. Check out how to create parenthetical citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles through examples.
MLA Citation Example
MLA style parenthetical citations require you to include the author’s last name and the page number within parentheses. If there is no author, use the first few words of the title or website. Do not use p. or pp. or commas.
In-Text Citation Example MLA
Parenthetical: The article states that “cultural diversity within literature is important” (Druven 34).
Narrative: Druven states that “cultural diversity withing literature is important” (12).
For longer quotes in MLA style, you set off the quotation in an MLA block style .
Parenthetical Citation APA
Citing in-text in APA style requires you to include the author’s last name and year of publication. If you are citing a direct quote, add the page number as well, such as p.12 or pp. 12-13. Separate each element with commas.
APA In-Text Citation Example
Parenthetical: There is a lack of diversity among colleges in the northwest (Lessing, 2016).
Narrative: According to Lessing (2016), there is a lack of diversity among colleges in the northwest.
If you use a direct quote, add the page number as well.
Among colleges in the northwest, “there is a lack of diversity” (Lessing, 2016, p. 12).
If you use longer quotations, follow an APA block quote format .
Chicago Style Parenthetical Citations
To create parenthetical citations in Chicago style , you can use either the author-date or notes-bibliography style. However, author-date is more common.
Chicago Style Author-Date Parenthetical Citations
In Chicago’s author-date style, create parenthetical citations by including the author(s), year of publication, and the page(s). Add a comma after the year, but not after the author’s name.
(Lessing and Smith 2016, 12)
(Lessing 2016, 12–16)
Chicago Style Notes-Biblio Parenthetical Citations
In Chicago notes-biblio, you create notes entries rather than in-text citations. In the text, you include a superscript number after your quotes or paraphrased information. This is followed by a footnote or endnote created at the foot of the page or the end of the paper or chapter.
Notes In-Text Citation Example
“Many times, parasitic conditions can be misdiagnosed by doctors.” 1
Short Note Example
1. Martin, Timeless , 240.
Chicago block quotations are formatted differently and set off from the rest of the text by indenting them 1/2 inch.
How to Do a Parenthetical Citation for a Website
When it comes to creating a parenthetical citation for a website in any style, it depends on whether the article or page has an author. If so, then the parenthetical citation includes the author. However, if not, then the parenthetical citation consists of the title of the article.
However, the page number is different. Why? Because a website doesn’t have a page number. Therefore, if you use MLA, you use the paragraph number, header, chapter, or some other type of locator for your audience.
MLA Website In-Text Citation
Looking through the article, you can see the growing interest in Classic Literature (Dallas, par. 12).
What Is a Citation?
Now, you know what parenthetical or in-text citations are, but that’s not all there is to a citation. A citation is composed of two parts.
To create a successful paper, you need to have both types of citations in your paper. And, the in-text citation corresponds with the bibliographic entry.
The Full Reference
Creating a full citation of a source includes both the in-text citation and its corresponding reference or works cited list . Bibliographies or works consulted lists can include sources that are not referred to within the text.
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FAQ How to Do In-Text and Parenthetical Citations
What is an example of a parenthetical citation.
An example of a parenthetical citation is when you include the author and location in the text of the article that corresponds with the bibliographical citation. For example, in MLA, an in-text citation consists of the author and page number like: (Lessing 20)
What does parenthetical citation mean?
The meaning of a parenthetical citation is that the author and locator information is enclosed in parenthesis (Lessing 20). However, you can also have a narrative citation where part of the citation is in the sentence like: Lessings tends to agree... (20).
How do you parenthetically cite in MLA?
To create a parenthetical citation in MLA, you need the author of the work and the page number you are quoting or paraphrasing. For example, an in-text citation in MLA looks like: (Betts 7)
How do you do a parenthetical citation for a website?
To create a parenthetical citation for a website, you follow the same basic format as you do for a book or journal article. For example, in APA, you include the author of the website article and the year it was created like: (Betts, 2019). However, if you don't know the author, you can use the title of the article like (MLA Citations, 2019).
What is the difference between parenthetical citation and narrative citation?
The difference between a parenthetical citation and a narrative citation is that a narrative citation includes some information in the sentence. An example of an MLA citation looks like: Parenthetical citation: MLA format can include parenthetical and narrative citations (Betts 7). Narrative citations: According to Betts, MLA format can include parenthetical and narrative citations (7).
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How to Write Footnotes in MLA and APA
Correct blog citations, difference between footnotes and endnotes explained, common research paper bibliography formats.
Parenthetical Versus Narrative In-Text Citations
In-text citations have two formats: parenthetical and narrative.
- In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses.
- In narrative citations, the author name is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence and the year follows in parentheses.
Parenthetical citations
Both the author and the date, separated by a comma, appear in parentheses for a parenthetical citation. A parenthetical citation can appear within or at the end of a sentence.
Falsely balanced news coverage can distort the public’s perception of expert consensus on an issue (Koehler, 2016).
If other text appears with the parenthetical citation, use commas around the year.
(see Koehler, 2016, for more detail)
When text and a citation appear together in parentheses, use a semicolon to separate the citation from the text; do not use parentheses within parentheses.
(e.g., falsely balanced news coverage; Koehler, 2016)
This guidance is the same as in the 6th edition.
Narrative citations
The author’s surname appears in running text, and the date appears in parentheses immediately after the author’s name for a narrative citation. The author’s name can be included in the sentence in any place it makes sense.
Koehler (2016) noted the dangers of falsely balanced news coverage.
In rare cases, the author and date might both appear in the narrative. In this case, do not use parentheses.
In 2016, Koehler noted the dangers of falsely balanced news coverage.
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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics
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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the MLA Handbook and in chapter 7 of the MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.
Basic in-text citation rules
In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.
General Guidelines
- The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
- Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.
In-text citations: Author-page style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. 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. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.
In-text citations for print sources with known author
For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.
In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author
When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.
In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems
If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:
The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).
Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.
In-text citations for print sources with no known author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.
Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.
Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .
If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:
"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.
If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.
Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.
Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions
Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:
Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection
When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in Nature in 1921, you might write something like this:
See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .
Citing authors with same last names
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:
Citing a work by multiple authors
For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:
Corresponding Works Cited entry:
Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1
For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.
Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.
Citing multiple works by the same author
If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.
Citing two articles by the same author :
Citing two books by the same author :
Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):
Citing multivolume works
If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)
Citing the Bible
In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:
If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:
John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).
Citing indirect sources
Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:
Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.
Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays
Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.
Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.
Here is an example from O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.
WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.
ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.
WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)
Citing non-print or sources from the Internet
With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's Evaluating Sources of Information resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.
Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:
- Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
- Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
- Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com, as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.
Miscellaneous non-print sources
Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:
In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:
Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.
Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.
Electronic sources
Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:
In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).
In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:
Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009.
"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.
Multiple citations
To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:
Time-based media sources
When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).
When a citation is not needed
Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.
Other Sources
The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.
In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.
You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.
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How To Format a Parenthetical Citation in an Essay
4-minute read
- 29th January 2023
Introduction
Parenthetical citations are used in many referencing styles. They allow you to credit a source when paraphrasing another author’s work. They include the author’s name in parentheses along with other information, depending on which style guide you’re using.
MLA, Chicago, and APA are some of the most common referencing systems that use parenthetical citations. In today’s blog post, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide for each format.
In-text citations in MLA style are known as author–page citations. As the name suggests, you include the author’s last name and the relevant page number(s). This applies whether you’re paraphrasing or directly quoting a source. Here are a few examples:
If the source has two authors, include both last names with “and” between them. If there are three or more authors, only include the first author’s last name and follow it with “et al.” And if no author is named, you can include the title of the work instead.
Chicago Format
Chicago style has two formats: a) notes and bibliography and b) author–date . If you’re using the author–date style, you’ll need to include parenthetical citations.
These citations include the author’s last name and the year the work was published. If you include a direct quotation, you’ll need to add a comma after the year, followed by the page number(s) of the source.
If a source has two or three authors, include all the last names: (Brown, Jacobs, and Smith 2013); (Darren and Hoffman 1999). For four or more authors, only include one last name followed by “ et al. ”
APA 7th Format
APA style uses author–date in-text citations, so your parenthetical citations will include the author’s last name and the year of publication separated by commas. If you directly quote a source, include the page number(s) after the year. Page numbers should be indicated using “p.” or “pp.” For example:
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If a source has two authors, include both last names separated by an ampersand (e.g., Lewis & Stephens). If there are more than two authors, include only the first author followed by “et al.”
Tips for Using Parenthetical Citations
As with other elements of your essay, make sure your citations are consistent. Stick to one referencing style, and make sure you include all necessary information. To be safe, double-check your instructions and style guide, as referencing requirements can vary between institutions.
It’s also important to avoid over-citing your sources. This means including too many parenthetical citations, which can muddy up the text and distract the reader. Some referencing styles have guidelines on this, such as APA . As a rule of thumb, though, you only need to provide one in-text citation each time you paraphrase another author’s work.
How do I format a parenthetical citation in MLA style?
In MLA style, in-text citations include the last name of the author and the page number(s) of the source: (Smith 12).
How do I format a parenthetical citation in Chicago style?
In Chicago author–date style, parenthetical citations include the last name of the author followed by the year of publication. If there is a direct quote, the page number(s) should also be included: (Smith 2016, 12).
How do I format a parenthetical citation in APA?
In APA 7th style, parenthetical citations include the last name of the author followed by the year of publication. If there is a direct quote, the page number(s) should also be included: (Smith, 2016, p. 12).
Proofreading and Editing
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Parenthetical Citations: APA & MLA Examples
From scholarly writers and researchers to university and graduate students, every academic writer needs to understand how to use parenthetical citations correctly. Parenthetical citations are commonly used to credit sources when quoting directly or paraphrasing another author’s ideas or statements in your academic work.
In this article, we explain how to correctly cite your sources using parenthetical citations in your research article, dissertation , or college essay. Specifically, you will learn crucial information about how to use parenthetical citations using MLA, APA, and Vancouver style Works Cited and Reference formats, along with best practices for in-text citations.
What are parenthetical citations?
Citing original sources within parentheses in your text is known as parenthetical citation or in-text citation . As the terms indicate, parenthetical citations use parentheses ( ) within the text itself to cite the source listed in the Works Cited or References section. Readers should be able to immediately see where your information comes from, without referring to footnotes or endnotes. Parenthetical citations are used in MLA format , APA format , and many other academic styles .
What is the purpose of parenthetical citations ?
Parenthetical citations are useful because they give credit to the original author or speaker’s message or research within the text. This allows the reader to understand the cited author’s voice, the date of publication, and the source of the information.
With the reference placed directly in-text, the reader does not have to check footnotes at the bottom of each page or the citation list at the end of the paper. This helps the reader stay focused while being able to view the relevant sources.
When to Include Parenthetical Citations
Citing your sources assures that you are not plagiarizing other writers’ work. Therefore, you include a parenthetical citation when you:
- Reference another author’s work
- Include a quotation from a cited source
- Summarize or paraphrase another work
Parenthetical citations are often used in formal research papers and journal manuscripts to show where information was found. Proper citations can hugely impact the credibility of a paper.
The benefits of using parenthetical citations are that they provide readers with more detailed information about how you discovered certain content or information, which may be helpful for future research. Using these citations correctly also demonstrates to readers–whether a professor or a fellow researcher–that your work is deliberate and credible with sourcing. When submitting to a journal, it is important to check their “Guide for Authors” section to understand the specific formatting and citation guidelines.
Parenthetical vs. Narrative In-text Citations
When using in-text citations in any style format, there are two methods: parenthetical and narrative.
In parenthetical format, citations include all relevant information (author’s last name, publication year, page number) within the in-text citation, which is located at the end of the sentence.
The Korean War technically ended in an armistice, not a treaty (Kim, 2019) or (Kim, 2019, p. 12).
In narrative citation format, the author of the cited work is referenced as part of the written sentence itself. Write the first or lead author’s name along with “et al.”, followed by the year in parentheses. This is especially useful when you want to append your own commentary or criticism.
According to Kim et al. (2019), the Korean diaspora can be broken down into several economic and cultural factors.
Read More: A Researcher’s Guide to Citations: listing authors and using et al.
How to Use Parenthetical Citations in APA
A parenthetical citation in APA format consists of the following parts:
- Author’s name
- Year of publication
- Page number
Parenthetical format:
Modern economics in South Korea has grown as a discipline since 1960 (Kim, 2019).
Narrative format:
Kim et al. (2019) recently found in a survey of East Asian economists that modern economics in South Korea has grown as a discipline since 1960.
Tips for APA in-text parenthetical citations
When using parenthetical citations, there are a few situations to be aware of, such as if there is no author name provided.
When no author can be found, the title of the work and year of publication need to be included following the format shown above. If the title within the quotation marks is exceptionally long, it can be shortened in the in-text citation.
APA Style Resources
- Official APA Style Guidebook
- Wordvice APA Citation Guide
- Wordvice APA Citation Generator
How to Use Parenthetical Citations in MLA
Parenthetical citations are used in MLA format and closely resemble those in APA format. However, there are two main differences between MLA and APA formats:
- Cite the page number rather than the date of publication .
- There is no comma separating the page number from the author’s last name.
Include the first few words in the title of the work or website if there is no author. Do not use “p.” or “pp.” to denote pages, and do not apply commas, even if there are multiple authors:
The tourism industry is one of the main components of Korea’s GDP (Kim 15)…(Kim and Lee 15)…(Kim et al. 15)
MLA Style Resources
- Official MLA Style Guidebook
- Wordvice MLA Style Quick Guide
- Wordvice MLA 8th Citation Generator
How to Use Parenthetical Citations in Vancouver Style
Parenthetical citations in Vancouver style should have numbering (either superscript or in brackets) on either side of the name of an author or study. A unique number should be assigned to each citation, which is then listed at the end of the manuscript in the bibliography. If you cite a source multiple times, use the same citation number from the first work in subsequent parenthetical citations.
Park et al. (4) reported that over 90% of all Korean citizens own a smartphone (p. 552) .
Vancouver Style Resources
- Official Vancouver Style Guidebook
- Wordvice Vancouver Style Quick Guide
- Wordvice Vancouver Style Citation Generator
Parenthetical Citations Examples
Let’s look at some specific examples of what parenthetical citations look like in the context of a sentence within an academic document. Remember that sources cited in the text MUST be listed in the Works Cited (in MLA) or References section (in APA).
APA parenthetical citation example (author-date-page style)
These three examples are from the same source, but as you can see, they are formulated differently. The first example uses a signal phrase that includes the author’s last name and then the date of publication in parentheses. The second example introduces the source with only a name. And the third example does not include any information about the author in the text and therefore includes the name, date, and publication year in one set of parentheses.
MLA parenthetical citation examples (author-page style)
As mentioned previously in this article, MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. It is quite similar to APA style, except that the citation only includes the author’s last name and page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken. No comma or other punctuation marks are included in the parenthetical citation, and the citation appears at the end of the sentence. The author’s name may appear either in the sentence or in parentheses, but the page number or range must always appear in parentheses, not in the text. See these three parenthetical citations of the same source.
Editing and Formatting Your Academic Papers
As you have probably figured out by now, learning how to use citations and references is a bit tedious and there is always the risk of making mistakes. Before you submit your academic work to professors or journals, be sure to get professional English proofreading services –including paper editing and manuscript editing –to make sure your work is completely free of errors, including mistakes in citation and reference formatting. Wordvice provides all-in language editing services that include a review of your citations. And be sure to use our APA citation generator , MLA citation generator , Chicago citation generator , or Vancouver citation generator (depending on your style guide) to prepare your paper’s reference list or works cited.
How to Cite a Dissertation MLA?
Citing a dissertation in your paper seems challenging until you explore our MLA citation guidelines. Our experts prepared tips on how to organize sources in your work correctly. Here you will find all about in-text citations and citing sources in the works-cited list. Read the article and learn the basics of MLA citation masters dissertation. You can also facilitate the process using an MLA citation generator.
What is an MLA Dissertation Citation?
MLA dissertation citation is the application of special referencing rules for in-text citations as well as formatting works-cited entries. MLA stands for the Modern Language Association and is used in the humanities. A dissertation is a work written to earn an advanced degree at a university. When writing their assignments, students refer to dissertations for interesting ideas, and it’s obligatory to cite the source they use. The MLA format has a set of rules outlining how to organize different sources, including dissertations. The MLA 9th edition is used as a citation guideline.
Dissertation citing is frequently confused with citing a thesis paper. But you should specify the type of degree (M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation) after the name of the university. MLA dissertation citation rules concern citing online and printed sources, and dissertations with one or several authors. Read on and explore all ins and outs of MLA reference lists and in-text citation formatting.
MLA Format Dissertation Citation
A dissertation is a stand-alone work written under the auspices of an institution. It’s a unique type of source that requires you to specify the author, title, date of publication, the institution granting the degree, city, and type of degree. The 9th MLA style edition includes these elements for the reference list entry.
For example, Mitter, Jesse. A History of Money in Poland: From the 1700s to the Present. 2018. Northwestern U, Ph.D. dissertation.
By the way, an MLA citation online dissertation requires the website name and URL after the type of degree. For example, Wilson, Jesse. Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English as the Second Language. 2015. Northwestern U, Ph.D. dissertation. ProQuest, search.proquest.com/docview/305212264?accountid=7432.
As you can see, firstly, we give the author’s last name, then write the first name, separating them with a comma. If there are two authors, you should reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Wilson, Bob, and Bob Wilson). For three or more authors, write only the first name and then add “et al.” (e. g. Wilson, Bob, et al.). The thesis title should be italicized. If it’s a part of a larger source, add quotation marks and do not italicize the dissertation title.
In-Text Citation of Dissertation MLA
In this section, we will focus on the in-text MLA citation for dissertation. This citing method is quite widespread since students and writers resort to someone’s ideas and thoughts in their papers. To look credible, every time they paraphrase, summarize or give quotes, they need to back up their writing with in-text citations. The in-text citation structure consists of the author’s last name followed by the page number in parenthesis. Look at the example, “Photoionization rates are essential in the propagation of streamers and are therefore important in simulations of computational codes.” (Wilson 14). As you see, there’s any punctuation mark dividing the surname and the number. We don’t put the contracted words p. or pp. before the page number.
Citing an Unpublished Dissertation in MLA Style
Ph.D. candidates have at least three dissertation copies: one each for the candidate, the dissertation supervisor, the university library, and sometimes an archive. The unpublished dissertations aren’t widely read. But if you found an unpublished dissertation with interesting ideas and want to cite it in your paper, there are several rules. The in-text citation may have two forms of the author’s surname: narrative and parenthetical. Using the narrative format, you should simply write the author’s surname. The parenthetical format uses the dissertation author’s surname in parentheses, for example, (Malzone).
If you list the unpublished dissertation in the works-cited entry, consider the following template. The writer’s surname, dissertation title, date, and university name. As you see, it’s quite an easy way to cite a dissertation since you don’t have to search for the publisher and city. For example, Rossetti, Alex. The Effects of Government on the Stock Market. 2019. Alberta University.
Dissertation Citation From Database MLA
If you need to cite a dissertation accessed from a database using the Modern Language Association style, you can use the surname of the author in the narrative and parenthetical formats. In-text citation in the narrative form includes only the author’s surname, for example, Corey. The parenthetical style correspondingly requires the author’s surname in parentheses, for example, (Corey). You should resort to the in-text citation method every time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize the dissertation author’s ideas.
The works-cited entry will include the dissertation writer’s surname, title, date, university name, online repository or database, and URL. For example, Smith, Justin. Measurement of Photoionization Rates in Air. 2019. The University of New Mexico. Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ece_etds/478/.
You can also speed up the citing process and benefit from an online citation generator. It’s a fast and reliable solution to create high-quality referencing in your paper. All you need is to insert the required information on the dissertation in the corresponding lines and have your citation generated in seconds. With an MLA dissertation citation generator, you will get a free, accurate, and fast citation without ads. If there’s any missing information the machine will alert you, and you will add the necessary details for a complete citation. If you want to add some details, the automatically generated citation can be edited easily.
So let’s take a look at what you need to do to create a perfect MLA citation. If the dissertation is available online, you can choose the type of work and insert the URL. The generator will find the source and compile a top-quality citation. You can also choose the option to cite a source manually. Firstly, select whether a dissertation is available in print or an online database. Then specify whether it was in a publication or unpublished. Add the dissertation title, university name, and year. Include contributors, their positions, and names. Then you should provide in-print publication information, like publisher, city, year, and pages. Add annotation if needed. As you see, an MLA citation masters dissertation generator is a very helpful solution for dedicating more time to the content of your paper rather than organizing sources.
We hope you have found a lot of useful information on MLA dissertation citations. There’s nothing complicated in organizing a reference list entry and in-text citations in MLA format. If you have any issues, use a special citation machine or contact our experts. We will assist you with any questions relating to MLA paper formatting.
Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA In-text Citations
MLA In-Text Citations
An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information.
This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text citations, such as citations in prose and parenthetical citations in the current MLA style, which is in its 9th edition. This style was created by the Modern Language Association . This guide reviews MLA guidelines but is not related directly to the association.
Table of Contents
Here’s a quick rundown of the contents of this guide on how to use in-text citations.
Fundamentals
- Why in-text citations are important
- Prose vs parenthetical in-text citation differences
- Parenthetical citation reference chart
In-text citation examples
- In-text citation with two authors
- In-text citation with 3+ authors
- In-text citation with no authors
- In-text citation with corporate authors
- In-text citation with edited books and anthologies
- In-text citation with no page numbers and online sources
- Citing the same sources multiple times
- Citing 2+ sources in the same in-text citation
- Citing multiple works by the same author in the same in-text citation
- Abbreviating titles
- Citing religious works and scriptures
- Citing long or block quotes
Why are in-text citations important?
In-text citations
- Give full credit to sources that are quoted and paraphrased in a work/paper.
- Help the writer avoid plagiarism.
- Are a signal that the information came from another source.
- Tell the reader where the information came from.
In-text citation vs. in-prose vs. parenthetical
An in-text citation is a general citation of where presented information came from. In MLA, an in-text citation can be displayed in two different ways:
- In the prose
- As a parenthetical citation
While the two ways are similar, there are slight differences. However, for both ways, you’ll need to know how to format page numbers in MLA .
Citation in prose
An MLA citation in prose is when the author’s name is used in the text of the sentence. At the end of the sentence, in parentheses, is the page number where the information was found.
Here is an example
When it comes to technology, King states that we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (11).
This MLA citation in prose includes King’s name in the sentence itself, and this specific line of text was taken from page 11 of the journal it was found in.
Parenthetical citation
An MLA parenthetical citation is created when the author’s name is NOT in the sentence. Instead, the author’s name is in parentheses after the sentence, along with the page number.
Here is an MLA parenthetical citation example
When it comes to technology, we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (King 11).
In the above example, King’s name is not included in the sentence itself, so his name is in parentheses after the sentence, with 11 for the page number. The 11 indicates that the quote is found on page 11 in the journal.
Full reference
For every source that is cited using an in-text citation, there is a corresponding full reference. This allows readers to track down the original source.
At the end of the assignment, on the MLA works cited page , is the full reference. The full reference includes the full name of the author, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue number, the date the journal was published, and the URL where the article was found.
Here is the full reference for King’s quote
King, David Lee. “Why Stay on Top of Technology Trends?” Library Technology Reports , vol. 54, no. 2, Feb.-Mar. 2018, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/2008817033?accountid=35635.
Readers can locate the article online via the information included above.
Citation overview
The next section of this guide focuses on how to structure an MLA in-text citation and reference in parentheses in various situations.
A narrative APA in-text citation and APA parenthetical citation are somewhat similar but have some minor differences. Check out our helpful guides, and others, on EasyBib.com!
Wondering how to handle these types of references in other styles? Check out our page on APA format , or choose from more styles .
Parenthetical Citation Reference Chart
Sources with two authors.
There are many books, journal articles, magazine articles, reports, and other source types written or created by two authors.
When a source has two authors, place both authors’ last names in the body of your work ( Handbook 232). The last names do not need to be listed in alphabetical order. Instead, follow the same order as shown on the source.
In an MLA in-text citation, separate the two last names with the word “and.” After both authors’ names, add a space and the page number where the original quote or information is found on.
Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with two authors
Gaiman and Pratchett further elaborate by sharing their creepy reminder that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (15).
Here is an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for a book with two authors
Don’t forget that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (Gaiman and Pratchett 15).
If you’re still confused, check out EasyBib.com’s MLA in-text citation generator, which allows you to create MLA in-text citations and other types of references in just a few clicks!
If it’s an APA book citation you’re looking to create, we have a helpful guide on EasyBib.com. While you’re at it, check out our APA journal guide!
Sources With Three or More Authors
There are a number of sources written or created by three or more authors. Many research studies and reports, scholarly journal articles, and government publications are developed by three or more individuals.
If you included the last names of all individuals in your MLA in-text citations or in parentheses, it would be too distracting to the reader. It may also cause the reader to lose sight of the overall message of the paper or assignment. Instead of including all last names, only include the last name of the first individual shown on the source. Follow the first author’s last name with the Latin phrase, “et al.” This Latin phrase translates to “and others.” Add the page number after et al.
Here’s an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for multiple authors
“School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (Tam et al. 299).
The example above only includes the first listed author’s last name. All other authors are credited when “et al.” is used. If the reader wants to see the other authors’ full names, the reader can refer to the final references at the end of the assignment or to the full source.
The abbreviation et al. is used with references in parentheses, as well as in full references. To include the authors’ names in prose, you can either write each name out individually or, you can type out the meaning of et al., which is “and others.”
Here is an acceptable MLA citation in prose example for sources with more than three authors
School library programming in Croatia and Hong Kong is somewhat similar to programming in the United States. Tam, Choi, Tkalcevic, Dukic, and Zheng share that “school library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (299).
If your instructor’s examples of how to do MLA in-text citations for three or more authors looks different than the example here, your instructor may be using an older edition of this style. To discover more about previous editions, learn more here .
Need some inspiration for your research project? Trying to figure out the perfect topic? Check out our Dr. Seuss , Marilyn Monroe , and Malcolm X topic guides!
Sources Without an Author
It may seem unlikely, but there are times when an author’s name isn’t included on a source. Many digital images, films and videos, encyclopedia articles, dictionary entries, web pages, and more do not have author names listed.
If the source you’re attempting to cite does not have an author’s name listed, the MLA in-text citation or parenthetical citation should display the title. If the title is rather long, it is acceptable to shorten it in the body of your assignment. If you choose to shorten the title, make sure the first word in the full citation is also the first word used in the citation in prose or parenthetical citation. This is done to allow the reader to easily locate the full citation that corresponds with the reference in the text.
If, in the Works Cited list, the full reference has the title within quotation marks, include those quotation marks in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses. If the title is written in italics in the full reference, use italics for the title in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses as well.
Parenthetical Citations MLA Examples
The example below is from a poem found online, titled “the last time.” the poem’s author is unknown..
“From the moment you hold your baby in your arms you will never be the same. You might long for the person you were before, when you had freedom and time and nothing in particular to worry about” (“The Last Time”).
The example below is from the movie, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain .
“Perhaps it would have been different if there hadn’t been a war, but this was 1917, and people were exhausted by loss. Those that were allowed to stay manned the pits, mining the coal that would fuel the ships. Twenty-four hours a day they labored” ( Englishman ).
Notice the shortened title in the above reference. This allows the reader to spend more time focusing on the content of your project, rather than the sources.
If you’re looking for an MLA in-text citation website to help you with your references, check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! EasyBib Plus can help you determine how to do in-text citations MLA and many other types of references!
Corporate Authors
Numerous government publications, research reports, and brochures state the name of the organization as the author responsible for publishing it.
When the author is a corporate entity or organization, this information is included in the MLA citation in prose or parenthetical citation.
“One project became the first to evaluate how e-prescribing standards work in certain long-term care settings and assessed the impact of e-prescribing on the workflow among prescribers, nurses, the pharmacies, and payers” (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2).
If the full name of the organization or governmental agency is long in length, it is acceptable to abbreviate some words, as long as they are considered common abbreviations. These abbreviations should only be in the references with parentheses. They should not be used in citations in prose.
Here is a list of words that can be abbreviated in parentheses:
- Department = Dept.
- Government = Govt.
- Corporation = Corp.
- Incorporated = Inc.
- Company = Co.
- United States = US
Example of a shortened corporate author name in an MLA parenthetical citation
“Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (US Govt. Accountability Office 14).
Here is how the same corporate author name would look in an MLA citation in prose
The United States Government Accountability Office states, “Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (14).
Remember, citations in prose should not have abbreviations; other types of references can.
Looking for more information on abbreviations? Check out our page on MLA format.
Edited Books and Anthologies
Edited books and anthologies often include chapters or sections, each written by an individual author or a small group of authors. These compilations are placed together by an editor or a group of editors. There are tons of edited books and anthologies available today, ranging from ones showcasing Black history facts and literature to those focusing on notable individuals such as scientists like Albert Eintein and politicians such as Winston Churchill .
If you’re using information from an edited book or an anthology, include the chapter author’s name in your MLA citation in prose or reference in parentheses. Do not use the name(s) of the editor(s). Remember, the purpose of these references is to provide the reader with some insight as to where the information originated. If, after reading your project, the reader would like more information on the sources used, the reader can use the information provided in the full reference, at the very end of the assignment. With that in mind, since the full reference begins with the author of the individual chapter or section, that same information is what should be included in any citations in prose or references in parentheses.
Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with an editor
Weinstein further states that “one implication of this widespread adaptation of anthropological methods to historical research was the eclipse of the longstanding concern with “change over time,” and the emergence of a preference for synchronic, rather than diachronic, themes” (195).
Full reference at the end of the assignment
Weinstein, Barbara. “History Without a Cause? Grand Narratives, World History, and the Postcolonial Dilemma.” Postcolonial Studies: An Anthology , edited by Pramod K. Nayar, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, p. 196. Wiley , www.wiley.com/en-us/Postcolonial+Studies%3A+An+Anthology-p-9781118780985.
Once you’re through with writing and citing, run your paper through our innovative plagiarism checker ! It’s the editor of your dreams and provides suggestions for improvement.
Sources Without Page Numbers and Online Sources
When a source has no page numbers, which is often the case with long web page articles, e-books, and numerous other source types, do not include any page number information in the body of the project. Do not estimate or invent your own page numbering system for the source. If there aren’t any page numbers, omit this information from the MLA in-text citation. There may, however, be paragraph numbers included in some sources. If there are distinct and clear paragraph numbers directly on the source, replace the page number with this information. Make it clear to the reader that the source is organized by paragraphs by using “par.” before the paragraph number, or use “pars.” if the information is from more than one paragraph.
Here is an example of how to create an MLA parenthetical citation for a website
“She ran through the field with the wind blowing in her hair and a song through the breeze” (Jackson par. 5).
Here’s an example of an MLA citation in prose for a website
In Brenner’s meeting notes, he further shared his motivation to actively seek out and secure self help resources when he announced, “When we looked at statistical evidence, the most commonly checked out section of the library was self-help. This proves that patrons consistently seek out help for personal issues and wish to solve them with the help of the community’s resources” (pars. 2-3).
Here’s another MLA in-text citation example for a website
Holson writes about a new mindful app, which provides listeners with the soothing sound of not only Bob Ross’ voice, but also the “soothing swish of his painter’s brush on canvas.”
In above example, the information normally found in the parentheses is omitted since there aren’t any page, parentheses, or chapter numbers on the website article.
Looking for APA citation website examples? We have what you need on EasyBib.com!
Need an in-text or parenthetical citation MLA website? Check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! Also, check out MLA Citation Website , which explains how to create references for websites.
Citing the Same Source Multiple Times
It may seem redundant to constantly include an author’s name in the body of a research project or paper. If you use an author’s work in one section of your project, and the next piece of information included is by the same individual(s), then it is not necessary to share in-text, whether in prose or in parentheses, that both items are from the same author. It is acceptable to include the last name of the author in the first use, and in the second usage, only a page number needs to be included.
Here is an example of how to cite the same source multiple times
“One of the major tests is the Project for Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. This measurement was developed over four years as a joint partnership between the Association of Research Libraries and Kent State University” (Tong and Moran 290). This exam is just one of many available to measure students’ information literacy skills. It is fee-based, so it is not free, but the results can provide stakeholders, professors, curriculum developers, and even librarians and library service team members with an understanding of students’ abilities and misconceptions. It is not surprising to read the results, which stated that “upper-level undergraduate students generally lack information literacy skills as evidenced by the results on this specific iteration of the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills test” (295).
The reader can assume that the information in the second quote is from the same article as the first quote. If, in between the two quotes, a different source is included, Tong and Moran’s names would need to be added again in the last quote.
Here is the full reference at the end of the project:
Tong, Min, and Carrie Moran. “Are Transfer Students Lagging Behind in Information Literacy?” Reference Services Review , vol. 45, no. 2, 2017, pp. 286-297. ProQuest , ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/1917280148?accountid=35635.
Citing Two or More Sources in the Same In-text Citation
According to section 6.30 of the Handbook , parenthetical citations containing multiple sources in a single parenthesis should be separated by semicolons.
(Granger 5; Tsun 77) (Ruiz 212; Diego 149)
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in One In-text Citation
Just as you might want to cite two different sources at the same time, it can also be useful to cite different works by the same author all at once.
Section 6.30 of the Handbook specifies that “citations of different locations in a single source are separated by commas” (251).
(Maeda 59, 174-76, 24) (Kauffman 7, 234, 299)
Furthermore, if you are citing multiple works by the same author, the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .
(Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase and Norwegian Wood ) (Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase , Norwegian Wood , and “With the Beatles”)
Abbreviating Titles
When listing the titles, be aware that long titles in parenthetical citations can distract the reader and cause confusion. It will be necessary to shorten the titles appropriately for in-text citations. According to the Handbook , “shorten the title if it is longer than a noun phrase” (237). The abbreviated title should begin with the word by which the title is alphabetized.
Best practice is to give the first word the reference is listed by so the source is easily found in the works cited. Omit articles that start a title: a, an, the. When possible, use the first noun (and any adjectives before it). For more on titles and their abbreviations, head to section 6.10 of the Handbook .
- Full title : The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- Abbreviated: Curious
- Full title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
- Abbreviated: Disreputable History
Religious Works and Scriptures
There are instances when religious works are italicized in the text of a project, and times when it is not necessary to italicize the title.
If you’re referring to the general religious text, such as the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an, it is not necessary to italicize the name of the scripture in the body of the project. If you’re referring to a specific edition of a religious text, then it is necessary to italicize it, both in text and in the full reference.
Here are some commonly used editions:
- King James Bible
- The Orthodox Jewish Bible
- American Standard Bible
- The Steinsaltz Talmud
- The Babylonian Talmud
- New International Bible
When including a reference, do not use page numbers from the scripture. Instead, use the designated chapter numbers and verse numbers.
MLA example of an in-text citation for a religious scripture
While, unacceptable in today’s society, the Bible is riddled with individuals who have two, three, and sometimes four or more spouses. One example in the King James Bible , states that an individual “had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1.2)
The only religious scripture that is allowed to be in the text of a project, but not in the Works Cited list, is the Qur’an. There is only one version of the Qur’an. It is acceptable to include the name of the Qur’an in the text, along with the specific chapter and verse numbers.
If you’re attempting to create a reference for a religious work, but it’s not considered a “classic” religious book, such as a biography about Mother Teresa , or a book about Muhammed Ali’s conversion, then a reference in the text and also on the final page of the project is necessary.
If you’re creating an APA bibliography , you do not need to create a full reference for classic religious works on an APA reference page .
For another MLA in-text citation website and for more on the Bible and other source types, click here .
Long or Block Quotes
Quotes longer than four lines are called, “block quotes.” Block quotes are sometimes necessary when you’re adding a lengthy piece of information into your project. If you’d like to add a large portion of Martin Luther King ’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a lengthy amount of text from a Mark Twain book, or multiple lines from Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address, a block quote is needed.
MLA block quotes are formatted differently than shorter quotes in the body of a project. Why? The unique formatting signals to the reader that they’re about to read a lengthy quote.
Block quotes are called block quotes because they form their own block of text. They are set apart from the body of a project with different spacing and margins.
Begin the block quote on a new line. The body of the full project should run along the one inch margin, but the block quote should be set in an inch and a half. The entire quote should be along the inch and a half margin.
If there aren’t any quotation marks in the text itself, do not include any in the block quote. This is very different than standard reference rules. In most cases, quotation marks are added around quoted material. For block quotes, since the reader can see that the quoted material sits in its own block, it is not necessary to place quotation marks around it.
Here is an MLA citation in prose example of a block quote
Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, basketball kept his mind busy and focused:
When I got off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home. The store was locked and there was a note from Grama on the house door. Doc Magovern had come to the house because Grampa was “having trouble with his blood.” Now they were off to the hospital and I “wasn’t to worry.” This had happened before. Grampa had pernicious anemia and sometimes was very sick. So, naturally, it worried the pants off me. I actually thought about taking my bike down the dreaded 9N the three miles to the Saratoga Hospital. Instead, I did as I knew they wanted. I opened the store and waited for customers. None came, though, and my eye was caught by the basketball stowed away as usual behind the door. I had to do something to take my mind off what was happening to Grampa. I took out the ball and went around the side. (13)
Notice the use of the colon prior to the start of the block quote. Do not use a colon if the block quote is part of the sentence above it.
Here is an example of the same block quote, without the use of the colon:
Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, it was clear that basketball kept his mind busy and focused when he states
When I get off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home…
If two or more paragraphs are included in your block quote, start each paragraph on a new line.
Looking for additional helpful websites? Need another MLA in-text citation website? Check out the style in the news . We also have other handy articles, guides, and posts to help you with your research needs. Here’s one on how to write an MLA annotated bibliography .
Visit our EasyBib Twitter feed to discover more citing tips, fun grammar facts, and the latest product updates.
If you’re looking for information on styling an APA citation , EasyBib.com has the guides you need!
MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.
Published October 31, 2011. Updated July 5, 2021.
Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.
MLA Formatting Guide
MLA Formatting
- Annotated Bibliography
- Bibliography
- Block Quotes
- et al Usage
- In-text Citations
- Paraphrasing
- Page Numbers
- Sample Paper
- Works Cited
- MLA 8 Updates
- MLA 9 Updates
- View MLA Guide
Citation Examples
- Book Chapter
- Journal Article
- Magazine Article
- Newspaper Article
- Website (no author)
- View all MLA Examples
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In MLA style, if multiple sources have the same author , the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .
- In-text citation: (Austen Emma and Mansfield Park )
- Structure: (Last name 1st Source’s title and 2nd Source’s title )
- In-text citation: (Leung et al. 58)
If the author is a corporate entity or organization, included the name of the corporate entity or organization in the in-text citation.
- In-text citation: (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2)
Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.
Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.
An in-text citation is a shortened version of the source being referred to in the paper. As the name implies, it appears in the text of the paper. A works cited list entry, on the other hand, details the complete information of the source being cited and is listed within the works cited list at the end of the paper after the main text. The in-text citation is designed to direct the reader to the full works cited list entry. An example of an in-text citation and the corresponding works cited list entry for a journal article with one author is listed below:
In-text citation template and example:
Only the author surname (or the title of the work if there is no author) is used in in-text citations to direct the reader to the corresponding reference list entry. For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author for the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author. If you are directly quoting the source, the page number should also be included in the in-text citation.
Citation in prose:
First mention: Christopher Collins ….
Subsequent occurrences: Collins ….
Parenthetical:
….(Collins)
….(Collins 5)
Works cited list entry template and example:
The title of the article is in plain text and title case and is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the journal is set in italics.
Surname, F. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title , vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, page range.
Collins, Christopher. “On Posthuman Materiality: Art-Making as Rhizomatic Rehearsal.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 2, 2019, pp. 153–59.
Note that because the author’s surname (Collins) was included in the in-text citation, the reader would then be able to easily locate the works cited list entry since the entry begins with the author’s surname.
An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text being cited. The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.
Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry.
Parenthetical
Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses.
Examples of in-text citations
Here are a few tips to create in-text citations for sources with various numbers and types of authors:
Use both the first name and surname of the author if you are mentioning the author for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the author’s surname. Always use only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations.
First mention: Sheele John asserts …. (7).
Subsequent occurrences: John argues …. (7).
…. (John 7).
Two authors
Use the first name and surname of both authors if you are mentioning the work for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the surnames of the two authors. Always use only the authors’ surnames in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.
First mention: Katie Longman and Clara Sullivan ….
Subsequent occurrences: Longman and Sullivan ….
…. ( Longman and Sullivan).
Three or more authors
For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” For parenthetical citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”
Lincy Mathew and colleagues…. or Lincy Mathew and others ….
…. (Mathew et al.).
Corporate author
For citations in prose, treat the corporate author like you would treat the author’s name. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name to the shortest noun phrase. For example, shorten the Modern Language Association of America to Modern Language Association.
The Literary Society of Malaysia….
…. (Literary Society).
If there is no author for the source, use the source’s title in place of the author’s name for both citations in prose and parenthetical citations.
When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, shorten the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to Fantastic Beasts .
Knowing Body of Work explains …. (102).
….( Knowing Body 102).
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Parenthetical Citation Guidelines (Examples in APA and MLA)
Published 30 Nov 2021
What Is Parenthetical Citation In Academic Writing?
It may sound a bit complex if you have never used this type of citation before. Yet, once you see some examples, things become easier. It is also known as the "in-text" citing, which means that it is used when you provide a direct quote or paraphrase a bit of text that is being used. In simple terms, a parenthetical citation is used for those cases when you are referring to something encountered in another source by inserting a part of text right in your paper. In the majority of cases, you must summarize, paraphrase, or provide a quote from another source. When you are using an in-text citation in your paper, always provide a corresponding entry that is mentioned and reflected in your Works Cited or References list.
As you might have already guessed, it is essential to provide your parenthetical citations in an accurate way without altering the meaning if it is a direct quote. Alternatively, paraphrase things accordingly to keep the original idea. The purpose here is to provide your target audience with information regarding whose work is being cited, tell about the creation date, and provide a page number if and when available. This way your readers will be able to find the original source easier by turning to your References page.
The Rules of Parenthetical Citation In APA & MLA Formats
Mla parenthetical citation:.
When you have a single author, here is how to do a parenthetical citationr:
(Last Author’s Name Page Number)
- Two authors in MLA:
(Last Name and Last Name Page Number)
- Three and more authors:
(Last Name et al. Page Number)
- When you have no author known, you should use:
(Organization's Name Page Number) ("Title of the article" Page Number)
- Corporate Authors:
(The National Museum 23) (United States, Taxation Dept. Report 224)
- A source with the editor:
(Last Name Page number)
- Different sources:
(Last Name Page Number; Last Name Page Number)
APA Parenthetical Citation:
Here is how to parenthetically cite the different types of sources in APA 7th edition:
- One Author:
(Last Name, Year)
- Two Authors:
(Last Name & Last Name, Year)
- Three to Five Authors:
You must cite all authors for the first time, yet when using all your upcoming citations, use "et al.".
- Six And More Authors:
(Last Name, et al, Year)
- Group author with abbreviation:
(Ministry of Education [MOE], Year) for your first citation
(MOE, Year) for all the subsequent citing.
- Group Author (Organization) Without Abbreviation:
(HealthTimes, Year)
( Title of the article , Year)
The Parenthetical Citation Examples (MLA & APA)
Now let us proceed with the actual examples on how to cite in parentheses:
MLA Parenthetical Citation Examples:
- No Author
If you have some text from a larger source where it is included:
("The Paradise Lost" 223)
If it is only a title of some article, a citation will look this way:
(Strange Things 27)
- A Single Author:
(Jones 12)
- Two Authors
(Stipe and Mills 79)
- Three And More Authors
(Lange et al. 34)
- Corporate Authors
(The Aviation Museum 300) (United Arab Emirates, Habib Dept. 210)
- Source With An Editor Parenthetical Citation Example:
(King 26)
- Two Different Sources For Same Citation
(Samick 13; Downes 98)
APA Parenthetical Citation Examples:
(Thomas, 2021)
(Kane & Lord, 2009, p.32)
- Three to Five Authors
(Wade et al., 2004)
- Six or More Authors
(Lakewood et al., 1995)
- Group Author With Abbreviation
First citation:
(Ministry of Defense [MOD], 2019)
Cite parenthetically for all the subsequent occasions:
(MOD, 2019)
Group Author Without Abbreviation
(Henriksen Corp, 2018)
( Why do we know the way , 2009)
Remember that you must add italics in APA parenthetical citations only when they are italicized in your References list, too! The in-text citation must use the title case as in the example above.
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A parenthetical citation gives credit in parentheses to a source that you're quoting or paraphrasing. It contains information such as the author's name, the publication date, and the page number (s) if relevant. Parenthetical citations are used in many citation styles, including MLA, APA, and Chicago.
If the parenthetical citation comes at the end of a sentence in quotation marks, forgo the period in quotes. Place the citation outside the quotation marks with the period following it. For sources with two or three authors, you can include all their names using the word and (for three authors, use commas as well).
A typical parenthetical citation is made up of a few different parts, including: The author's name The year of publication The page number In practice, this will look a little something like this in-text citation example: Modern architecture systems still rely on dynamic principles (Moseley, 2016).
Parenthetical Citations The most common form of in-text citation is known as a parenthetical. This means that the reference information is provided within parentheses at the end of the sentence. Parenthetical citation structure: (Author Last Name, Year Published) Parenthetical citation APA example: (Crystal, 2011) Example in use:
A parenthetical citation gives credit in parentheses to a source that you're quoting or paraphrasing. It provides relevant information such as the author's name, the publication date, and the page number (s) cited. How you use parenthetical citations will depend on your chosen citation style. It will also depend on the type of source you ...
Most parenthetical citations, placed immediately after a quotation or paraphrase, must include the following elements as shown in section 8.10-11. Include only the author's last name without any initials or suffixes followed by a comma. Include only the year of publication.
How To Use Parenthetical Citations. In a research paper, essay or report, show which resources you used to write the piece. While a Works Cited or Bibliography page is helpful, sometimes the style guide requires an in-text citation. When using a parenthetical citation, add a set of parentheses after the paraphrase or quote at the end of the ...
A parenthetical citation is a form of in-text citation. The only difference is it is enclosed in parentheses unlike a narrative citation (APA style) or a citation in prose (MLA style). Narrative citation and citation in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence along with the text. APA style. Narrative:
Parenthetical citation is a way of providing a short reference to the source used when citing to material that is referenced, either by a direct quotation or an indirect reference. Parenthetical citations can contain all of the reference material within the parenthesis or they can use signal phrases, which may contain some of the information.
quotation. How should the author's name be listed in an in-text citation? *last name only. *last name and initial. *last name and first name. *last name and degree/titles. last name only. If there is no publication year for the source, what should be placed in the in-text citation for the date? *n.d.
A parenthetical citation is how you give credit to your sources in the body of your work. Every time you make a direct quote (including a block quote) or paraphrase someone else's work, you need to give them credit. While each different style has its own way of doing this, an example of a parenthetical citation can speak volumes.
The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number (s). Citing an Essay
In-text citations have two formats: parenthetical and narrative. In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses. In narrative citations, the author name is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence and the year follows in parentheses. Parenthetical citations
Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work. Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions
This comprehensive essay packet teaches students all the elements of a structured, informative essay. Included in the packet are: 1. A graphic organizer that goes over the parts of an essay (answer key included)2. An activity for properly using parenthetical citations and their relationship to a works cited page3.
Parenthetical citations are used in many referencing styles. They allow you to credit a source when paraphrasing another author's work. They include the author's name in parentheses along with other information, depending on which style guide you're using.
In parenthetical format, citations include all relevant information (author's last name, publication year, page number) within the in-text citation, which is located at the end of the sentence. The Korean War technically ended in an armistice, not a treaty (Kim, 2019) or (Kim, 2019, p. 12).
Parenthetical Citations If the information derived from more than one page in the work, format page numbers just as you do in an MLA Works Cited. Examples: 3-4; 5-15; 23-29; 431-39; 497-503. There are 12 basic formats: 1. Author named within the signal phrase
The unpublished dissertations aren't widely read. But if you found an unpublished dissertation with interesting ideas and want to cite it in your paper, there are several rules. The in-text citation may have two forms of the author's surname: narrative and parenthetical. Using the narrative format, you should simply write the author's ...
Parenthetical citation An MLA parenthetical citation is created when the author's name is NOT in the sentence. Instead, the author's name is in parentheses after the sentence, along with the page number. Here is an MLA parenthetical citation example
In simple terms, a parenthetical citation is used for those cases when you are referring to something encountered in another source by inserting a part of text right in your paper. In the majority of cases, you must summarize, paraphrase, or provide a quote from another source.
Parenthetical Citation In An Essay | Top Writers User ID: 307863 506 Finished Papers Laura V. Svendsen #9 in Global Rating Get help with any kind of Assignment Ask the experts to write an essay for me! Our writers will be by your side throughout the entire process of essay writing.