In-text citations point the reader to the full bibliographical information for the source in the Works Cited, and to the page for the quote or paraphrase.

 

For this reason, in-text citations always show the first element in your works cited entry.

 

Usually, that is the author’s last name, but, for sources with no author, the title will appear first. In such cases, use a short version of the title (one or two words) in place of the author’s last name.

 

Hanging indentation in Works Cited helps the reader scroll through the sources and quickly find what they are looking for.

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The examples below cover the most common types of in-line citations.

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Single author

 

(Smith 105).

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Two authors

 

(Smith and Riley 105).

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More than two authors

 

(Smith et al. 105).

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Online/Web source without page numbers

 

(Smith); (Smith and Riley); (Smith et al.). 

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Corporate author (institution or organization)

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(Commission 105)

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[The full name of the corporate author here is Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. Use the fewest words possible. If more than one source begins with the same word, add more words to differentiate: (Commission on Wartime 105) vs (Commission on International) for Commission on International Religious Freedom.]

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Book with no author/Entire website

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 (Pokemon); (Harper’s)

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[For the authorless book Pokemon: Official Nintendo Players Guide. The text inside the citation is in italics to indicate a book title (always in italics in MLA).]

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Any source with no author (YouTube videos, newspaper and magazine articles, online articles, etc.)

 

(“Rehab”)

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For the YouTube video “Rehab: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).” YouTube, Last Week Tonight, 20 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQiXv0sn9Y. If more than one of your authorless sources begin with the same word, add more words to the in-text citation to differentiate).

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Multiple sources by the same author

 

(Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms 105); (Hemingway, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro" 53).

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Add the work’s title next to the author’s name, after a comma. If the work is a book, put the title in italics, if it is a short story, an essay in a collection or anthology, or an article, put the title in “quotation marks”.