MLA- Modern Language Association
Citing Sources within Your Document
Citing Sources within Your Document
The MLA's in-text citation system follows a parenthetical format emphasizing authors and page numbers rather than dates. The logic behind this approach stems from the fact that texts in the humanities remain authoritative and relevant far longer than those in other fields, particularly the "hard" sciences.
The general format is quite simple. Each citation includes the last name of the author and the specific page number where the material will be found. Placed inside parentheses, the citation appears just before the period at the end of the sentence. In the case of quoted material, the citation is placed between the final quotation mark and the period at the end of the sentence.
MLA in-text formatting rules are as follows:
- One space goes between the author's name and the page number.
- Punctuation and page abbreviations ("p." or "pp.") are not required.
Specific rules depend on whether or not an author's name is mentioned in the sentence where the citation occurs. Go to "Examples of MLA In-Text Formatting Rules" to view examples of how to apply the basic formatting rules in each of these situations. Go to "Examples of MLA Variations to In-Text Formatting Rule" to view specific variations to these rules.