APA and MLA citation styles are the most commonly used. Each of these styles has their own requirements in their use. In this article, we will discover the basics of in-text citation APA and MLA with a lot of examples.
First, what’s an in-text citation?
An in-text citation is a reference that appears within a text that cites its author(s) and its year of publication.
- Parenthetical in-text citation
The different elements are cited in parentheses at the end of citation.
- Narrative in-text citation
The author’s last name is in the text. The year of publication is in parentheses.
When to use APA?
The APA is often used in social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and education.
If you are writing an article to present research results or data analysis, APA is more appropriated.
Examples of APA in-text citation
- One Author
Parenthetical :
(Author, Date) => (Milton, 2000)
(Author, Date, Locator) => (Milton, 2000, p. 225)
The locator indicate the page(s), the timestamp(s), the slide number(s), the paragraph.
Narrative : Yanis Varoufakis (2023) decided to write a brief history of capitalism (p.6).
- Two authors :
Parenthetical : (Cyrulnik & Morin, 2018)
Narrative : As Cyrulnik and Morin (2018) write…
- Three authors and more :
Parenthetical : (Chiss and al., 2023)
Narrative : Chiss and al. (2018) suggested…
- Author is an corporate, an organization
Parenthetical : (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022) or (WHO, 2022)
Narrative : The World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) informed…
- Unknown author
Replace the author’s name with the title of the page, of the article, …. In the in-text citation, enclose the title in quotation marks.
(“ Introduction to French linguistics ”, 2023)
- No date
Parenthetical : (Renard, n.d.)
Narrative : Renard (n.d.) writed …
- More than one reference
Parenthetical : (Milton, 2000 ; Cyrulnik & Morin, 2018 ; Ferry, 2021)
Narrative : Milton (2000), Cyrulnik and Morin (2018) and Ferry (2021) writed …
- Direct quote
The quoted part is directly placed in quotation marks. The point is placed outside the parentheses, at the end of your in-text citation.
“You said that society lives on the death of its individuals “ (Cyrulnik & Morin, 2018, p.46) .
- Block quotes
A long quote has more than 4 lines.
- A colon at the end of the line to introduce the citation.
- Indent 0.5 inches from the rest of the text.
- Double the spacing before and after the entire block quote.
- No quotation marks around the quote.
- The point at the end of the quotation before your in-text quotation and no after, as with classical quotes.
Example :
I know why the caged bird sings :
- Double space
I have tried often to search behind the sophistication of years for the enchantment I so easily found in those gifts. The essence escapes but its aura remains. To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, and to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. (Angelou, n.d., p.196)
- Double space
When to use MLA ?
The MLA essentially concerns the field of human sciences (literature, philosophy and history).
This style is flexible. It allows writers to cite sources in a variety of ways.
Examples of MLA in-text citation
- One Author
You can find the author’s name in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase.
The page number should always be in the parentheses.
Parenthetical :
(Author Page number) => (Varoufakis 6)
Narrative : Yanis Varoufakis decided to write a brief history of capitalism (6).
- Two authors :
Both authors must be named. (Cyrulnik and Morin 38-50)
- Three authors and more :
Only the first author is named, followed by “and al.” (Chiss and al. 35, 65)
If the cited pages are consecutive, the page numbers are separated by a hyphen
(Cyrulnik and Morin 38-50)
If the cited pages are not consecutive, page numbers are separated by commas.
(Chiss and al. 35, 65)
- Unknown author
Use the first one, two, or three words of the title instead of the author's last name except initial articles such as "A", "An" or "The". You must write enough words to clearly inform which work on your bibliography you are referring to.
Example: (Human Nature 12)
If the title in bibliography is in quotation marks, place quotation marks around the title words in the in-text citation. (“Human Nature” 12)
- More than one reference
The different sources are separated by a semicolon.
(Milton 225 ; Varoufakis 6)
- Direct quote
The quoted part is directly placed in quotation marks. The point is placed outside the parentheses, at the end of your in-text citation.
If there is no page number, cite only the author's name or the first few words of the title if applicable
“You said that society lives on the death of its individuals “ (Cyrulnik and Morin 46) .
- Block quotes
A long quote has more than 4 lines.
1. A colon at the end of the line to introduce the quote.
2. Indent 0.5 inches from the rest of the text.
3. No quotation marks around the citation.
4. The point at the end of the quotation before your in-text citation and no after, as with classical quotes.
Example :
I know why the caged bird sings :
I have tried often to search behind the sophistication of years for the enchantment I so easily found in those gifts. The essence escapes but its aura remains. To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, and to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. (Angelou 196)
- Use the same source several times
After an initial full citation, use a simplified in-text citation by simply indicating the page number in parentheses.
Citation, an important part of academic writing
Each citation must correspond to a complete reference in your bibliography.
Citing in a text has many advantages :
- Credibility as a writer and researcher.
- Promoting your own expertise.
- A contribution to the advancement of your field based on the work of others.
- Transparency in your academic writing by allowing readers to access these sources themselves.
- Avoid plagiarism which is a serious academic offense by correctly citing sources.
- Avoid legal issues like accusations of copyright infringement.
Conclusion
Do not forget to take into consideration the instructions of the professor or institution as well as the conventions of your field of study. MLA and APA are not the only citation styles although they are the ones most often used.
The choice of citation style is very important in your writing. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice!