In MLA style, sources that you have used are identified by in-text references in the body of your research paper and the works cited list at the end of the paper. When you use someone else's ideas or words, provide a citation. This helps to avoid plagiarism - for more information, see the Okanagan College Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial.
In-text references in the text of your paper identify the sources you have quoted, paraphrased or summarized, and corresponds to a source or sources in your Works Cited list.
In text citation for a source with numbered pages, paragraphs, or parts:
(Author page).
Example: (Smith 26), (Smith, par. 2), or (Smith, ch. 2).
In-text citation for a source with two authors, with numbered pages:
(Author and Author page).
Example: (Smith and Doe 26).
In-text citation for a source with more than two authors, with numbered pages:
(Author et al. page)
Example: (Smith et al. 26).
In text citation for a source without numbered pages or paragraphs:
Example: (Smith).
See MLA Handbook: "when a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation. Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts" (56)
If you need to include the title of a source in a parenthetical citation, see MLA Handbook 3.2.1 Abbreviating Titles of Sources
