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MLA - In Text Citations
The general rule for citing within the text is to acknowledge the author whose ideas you are using in the form of a parenthetical reference, containing usually the author’s surname and the page number only. Keep these references as brief and as few as clarity and accuracy permit. If you cite the whole work, the author’s surname in parentheses will suffice. For more information, see Gibaldi, Chapter 5.
- A work by one author
- A work by two or three authors
- A work by more than three authors
- Corporate body (or group) as author
- More than one work by the same author
- No author
- Multi-volume title
- More than one work in a single parenthetical reference
Citing a work by one author
Use only the last name of the author, followed by the number of the page cited:
According to recent research (Smith 14)...
or
According to Smith (14)...
Citing a work by two or three authors
The names of all authors should be included:
It has been stated (Eggins and Slade 167-182) that...
or
Eggins and Slade (167-182) stated...
Citing a work by more than three authors
There are two methods that can be used when citing works by more than three authors. Choose one method and be consistent throughout your text.
- Use the surname of the first-listed author, followed by “et al.”:
It has been reported (Lauter et al. 2425-33)...
or
Lauter et al. (2425-33) have reported... - List all the authors involved:
A recent challenge to this theory (Larsen, Robertson, Talbot, Hall and Murphy 24-56)...
or
Larsen, Robertson, Talbot, Hall and Murphy (24-56) have recently challenged this theory...
Corporate body (or group) as author
When you are citing the work of a corporate body (or group), use the same form as you would when citing an author:
It is clear from the findings of one study (Public Agenda Foundation 4) that...
or
According to a study sponsored by the Public Agenda Foundation (4) it is clear that...
More than one work by the same author
Include the title of each work in parentheses:
One theory emphasizes the fact that... (Frye, Anatomy 184), but research shows that... (Frye, Sound and Poetry 78).
No author
Cite the reference by using the title followed by the page number, if applicable:
A government report has indicated that...(Report 3).
Multi-volume title
Give the author and the volume you have used for your research:
As Schlesinger (vol.4) says, it is not possible to…
More than one work in a single parenthetical reference
To include two or more works in a single parenthetical reference, separate each citation by a semicolon:
(Lauter et al. 57; Madwoman 1-25)
