Citations Matter
In-text citations tell the reader exactly where you found a fact, quotation, or other piece of evidence—whether you quote it directly or paraphrase it in your own words. Depending on the information provided within your sentence, the amount of information you need to cite will vary.
Elements of In-text Citations (General)
For every quotation, fact, or piece of evidence you provide in your paper, you must note the following:
Author
This is the provider of the original evidence.
- Always state the author’s name as First Name I. Last Name.
- Always cite all authors the first time a work is mentioned. If there are many, name the first author followed by “et al.” in all subsequent citations.
- Author can be replaced by editor, compiler, or translator.
Date
Location of the information within the source
Placement of In-text Citations
The placement of in-text citations depends on where a quotation appears within a sentence and how many words it contains.
Middle of a sentence
- Place the entire parenthetical citation after the quote or paraphrase.
End of a sentence
- Place the entire parenthetical citation after the period.
Block quotation (more than 8 lines or 100 words)
Place the parenthetical citation after the quoted material, immediately after the final sentence’s period.
Indent the text of the entire quotation five spaces from the left margin. When a quotation has been indented and set off from the text, quotation marks are not needed.