Whenever you use information for a research paper, it is recommended that you consult the original work if at all possible. However, sometimes you are forced to cite a work that cites another. This is known as an indirect citation. Luckily, the Modern Language Association (MLA) provides clear instructions for the proper in-text citation of indirect sources. For the purposes of this example, assume that you wish to quote historical figure James Jones, but can only find evidence of a particular quotation in the historical writings of Sam Smith.
Instructions
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1
List the last name of the author of the secondary source that quotes the earlier source. Precede the last name with the signifier "qtd. in," which stands for "quoted in." For example:
qtd. in Smith
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2
Follow the last name of the author with the page number you are citing.
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3
Enclose the citation in parentheses. For example:
(qtd. in Smith 145)
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4
Position your citation directly after the quoted or paraphrased passage. For example:
Jones apparently referred to Johnson on more than one occasion as the "angriest sort of little man" (qtd. in Smith 145).