How to Do a Proper Parenthetical Citation in MLA Format

The style guide designed by the Modern Language Association (MLA) to format manuscripts is used in the humanities and liberal arts. Parenthetical citations are a system for referring to sources that appear at the end of the essay on the Works Cited page. The system is designed to help readers easily understand and locate the page on which a quote or paraphrase originates. The proper use of citations creates professional credibility. It also provides a consistent format within an academic discipline and protects writers from accusations of plagiarism.

Instructions

    • 1

      Collect the publication information. You will need the title of the work, the author's name, and the page number on which the quote or paraphrase appears. The publication information required depends on the type of source (e.g. book, web, DVD).

    • 2

      Decide how you will divide the publication information between the sentence in which the quote or paraphrase appears and the parentheses at the end. The first time you use a source it should be introduced in the sentence. You can write it like this: According to "author's name" in his book, "name of book", "insert quote or paraphrase". At the end of this sentence the parentheses would contain the page number, (17).

    • 3

      Citing from a source after it has been introduced only requires parenthetical citations. It is not necessary to refer to the source in the sentence. All you need to do is put the author's name and the page number in parentheses: (Boone 17).

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