Parenthetical Citations using

MLA (Modern Language

Association)Format

Avoiding Plagiarism / Citing Sources

What is plagiarism ?

It is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another and the representation of them as one's own original work (“plagiarism”).

Parenthetical Citations What is a parenthetical citations?

Material borrowed from another source

documented within the text that direct readers to

the source listed on the Works Cited page.

In using the work (s) of others in your text, you must include the reference to their work in your paper AND on your works cited page. When you refer to someone else's words, idea, or other creation, either through paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting them directly:

1. Provide the author's last name (or the title of the work) and the page (or paragraph) number of the work in a parenthetical citation, then…

Parenthetical Citations in MLA

2. Provide full citation information for the work on your Works Cited page.

3 Ways to “Borrow” Information3 Ways to “Borrow” Information

Quoting - easiest way, but use selectively and quote only the passages that deal directly with your subject…If you decide to omit part of the passage, use ellipsis points (…) to indicate omitted words from the original source (Trimmer 22).

Paraphrasing - rewords the content of a short passage phrase by phrase, restating the author’s words using your own (Trimmer 24). Summarizing - condenses a lengthy passage, rewording the main idea and outlines main points (Trimmer 24).

The author's name or title if there is no author

may appear in one of two places:

1) in the sentence itself or

2) in parentheses following the

quotation, paraphrase, or summary

Page number(s)…

should always appear in the parentheses

following the quotation, paraphrase, or

summary, not in the text of your sentence.

If no author is listed in your source, use the title of the article or book.

Arguably Mark Twain's greatest fiction was "Mark Twain." Several of the characters in his novels -- Colonel Sellers, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn -- became well-known even to people who never read the books” (Sam Clemens as Mark Twain).

If there are no page numbers - leave blank

This will be especially true of Internet sources.

Quoting - (Author, page) at the end of the quote.

President Truman was pleased that the President Truman was pleased that the testing of the atomic bomb had gone so well. testing of the atomic bomb had gone so well. In his opinion, “the atomic bomb could be In his opinion, “the atomic bomb could be used to bring the war in the Pacific to a quick used to bring the war in the Pacific to a quick end and, therefore, save American lives” end and, therefore, save American lives” (Malam 18).(Malam 18).

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

the same information

Use quotation marks, author’s last name, and page number

Long Quotations – four or more linesIndent 1 inch one each side, do not use quotation marks, double-space, set off by a colon. The final period goes before the parenthetical citation. (Trimmer 25)

Huck Finn explains why he has to leave:

But I recon I got to light out for the Territory

ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s

going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t

stand it. I been there before.(Twain 366)

Secondary Quotation

A secondary quotation is citing a quote from another source

Author named in paragraph, page at end

Malam, in The Bombing of Hiroshima, recounts statements of Albert Einstein, whose letter encouraged the U.S. to build the atomic bomb. Einstein said, “I could burn my fingers that I wrote that first letter to Roosevelt” (27).

OR

Secondary Quotation

Author and page at end of quotation

Albert Einstein’s response after the bombing of Hiroshima is telling of the horrific result and his guilt resulting from the bombing. In reflecting on a letter he had once written to President Roosevelt regarding uranium, he said, “I could burn my fingers” for ever writing it (qtd. in Malam 27).

Paraphrasing

(Author, page) at the end of the paraphrase).

President Truman was pleased that the testing of the atomic bomb had gone so well; he felt the use of the bomb could bring the war in the Pacific to an end, saving countless American lives (Malam 18).

Summarizing

(Author, page) at the end of the summary

Though a tough political situation, President Truman thought it would be best to use the atomic bomb to end the war in the Pacific (Malam 18).

For more examples and more detailed explanations, click here!

Malam, John. The Bombing of Hiroshima. North Mankato, MN:

Smart Apple Media, 2003. Print.

“MLA In-text Citations: the Basics.” The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue

and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://owl.english.

purdue. edu/owl/resource/747/02/>.

“plagiarism.” Collins English Dictionary. Comp. and Unabridged 10th ed. Harper Colins,

n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism>.

Trimmer, Joseph F. A Guide to MLA Documentation. 7th ed. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print.

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Kemble edition. New York:

Modern Library, 1985. Print.

Works Cited