This document provides guidance on creating in-text citations and a works cited page using MLA format. It explains that the works cited page should be created first as it will include the information needed for the in-text citations. Examples are provided for different types of in-text citations depending on whether the author, page numbers, or organization are known. Formatting guidelines are outlined for the works cited page, including alphabetizing entries and indenting subsequent lines. Various library databases and citation tools are recommended for automatically generating citations.

1. MLA Citation
The Works Cited Page & In-Text Citations

2. The Works Cited Page
Do it as you do your research to make your in-text citations
easier to format.

3. The easiest way to do your in-text citations,
which appear in your essay itself, is to do the
works cited page first.
Why?
When you do the in-text citations, you will
include the first bit of information included
in your works cited page in the parentheses
of your in-text citation.

4. Here’s an example.
Sumner, Thomas. "States Ranked On Climate Change
Preparation." Science News 189.2 (2016): 5. Vocational and
Career Collection. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.
Works
Cited
entry
“Report cards are out and some states are better prepared
for climate change threats than others” (Sumner 5).
In-text
citation
The in-text citation uses the
first item from the works
cited entry!
The in-text citation uses the
first item from the works
cited entry!

5. In-Text Citations
Include one every time you put information in your paper that you
found somewhere else, i.e. somewhere other than your own brain.

6. Two reasons for the in-text
citation
• To show that you found the information
in your paper elsewhere, i.e. to show that
you are not plagiarizing.
• To tell the reader where to look on the
works cited page for the resource where
you found that information.

7. When to include an in-text
citation
When you directly quote a section from
another text.
Example: “The paper takes stock of the
wide-ranging implications for fiscal,
financial, and macroeconomic policies of
coming to grips with climate change” (“IMF
Releases Paper”).

8. When to include an in-text
citation
When you directly quote pieces from
another text.
Example: “Environmentalists chose” not to
participate in state efforts to remedy the
pollution at Silver Springs “and say they
have no regrets” (Hiers).

9. When to include an in-text
citation
When you paraphrase a section or idea from
a text.
Example: In Australia, the middle class will
be both the ones who lose the most from
climate change and the ones with the most
impact on government decisions (Bennett
16).

10. When NOT to include an
in-text citation
• When you are including commonly
known information, such as the fact that
George Washington was the first
president of the U.S.
• When you are including a quote that is
well-known or from a very famous person,
such as “I have not yet begun to fight,” by
John Paul Jones.

11. How to Format an In-Text
Citation
“In other words, the people who will
figure out a response -- if not a
solution -- to climate change will be
working in the forests, in the
waterways and in the farmland”
(Trillhaase).
Use quotation
marks around
the words you
copy from the
source.
Place the in-text
citation after the
quotation marks.
Place the
period after the
parentheses,
not inside the
quote itself.

12. How to Format an In-Text
Citation—the block quote
If the quote extends beyond four lines on your
page, format it as a block quote.
Start the
quote on a
new line,
and indent
each line
of the
quote.
Place the end
punctuation
(the period)
before the
parentheses.
Continue your
paper on the
next line after
the quote.

13. Basic Format for an In-
Text Citation
When you know the author’s name and the
page number:
Example: “The disappearance of
mammoths and giant sloths has defied
explanation since the turn of the 19th
century” (Keats 14). Include the author’s last name
and the page number(s) where
the quote appeared, no comma.

14. Format for an In-Text
Citation
When you know the author’s name but there
is no page number:
Example: “There is no reason free trade
and climate progress can't coexist” (Boyd).
Include the
author’s last
name only.

15. Format for an In-Text
Citation
When you don’t know the author’s name, but the
information comes from an organization:
Example: “The United States and the world are
warming, global sea level is rising, and some types
of extreme weather events are becoming more
frequent and more severe” (US Global Change
Research Program). Include the name of
the organization in
parentheses.

16. Watch out!
Sometimes you have to dig to find the author’s
name, especially when you are getting
information from a website.
Try clicking on the “about us” link if there is one
to discover the name of the author or
organization.
If you can’t find an author or organization name,
you might not want to use the resource in your
paper.

17. Format for an In-Text
Citation
When you don’t know the author’s or
organization’s name:
Example: “I am grateful to those who reach out
to me, to others, when they are clearly in need or
just to nod in understanding” (“Bears Repeating”).
Include an
abbreviated name of
the article in
quotation marks.

18. Remember
Whatever you put in the parentheses will match
the first item in the full citation. That’s why it’s a
good idea to do your citation (or even the whole
works cited page) first.
Full Citation:
"IMF Releases Paper On Implications Of Climate
Change For Fiscal, Financial, And
Macroeconomic Policies."Arabia
2000 (2016): Newspaper Source. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
Parenthetical Citation:
(“IMF Releases Paper”)
The
parenthetical
citation
matches the
first thing in
the full
citation.

19. The Works Cited Page
Use cheats like CitationMachine, KnightCite, or EasyBib to
create individual entries.

20. Create your works cited
entries (the full citations)
Tip One:
Most library databases have tools
that will create the full citation for
you.

21. Student Research Center
1. Click “E-mail.”
2. Choose MLA.
2. Get the citation from
the email sent to you.

22. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context
1. Click “Citation
Tools.”
2. Copy the citation.
(Don’t include the
URL underneath.)

23. CQ Researcher
1. Click “Cite
Now.”
2. Choose MLA
Style and copy the
citation.

24. Academic Search
Complete
1. Click “Cite.”
2. Scroll down to
MLA Style and copy
the citation.

25. Warning!
Sometimes databases give an
incorrectly formatted citation. Be sure
to check the citation to ensure it is
formatted correctly. For example, it
should not be in all caps. Always
check! Don’t take for granted that the
citation is correct!

26. Create your works cited
entries (the full citations)
Tip Two:
If the citation isn’t readily available,
use an online tool to create the
citation for you.

27. Try one of these.
CitationMachine
EasyBib
KnightCite

28. Warning!
If you enter the information
incorrectly, the citation will be
incorrect. Always check for errors.

29. The Works Cited Page
(Cont.)
Make sure you format the works cited page correctly.

30. Begin your
works cited
page on a
new page.
Center the title “Works Cited”
in the middle of the page.
Don’t misspell it as “Sighted”
or “Sited.”
Include one
blank line
between the
title and the
first citation.
Double space
the page.
How to format your works
cited page.

31. Left align the
first line of
each citation.
How to format your works
cited page.
Indent any
subsequent
line(s) of each
citation.
Alphabetize the
entries according
to the first word
in each citation.

32. Questions?
• Try Googling your question, such as “How do
I cite a Tweet in MLA format?”
• Refer to the OWL at Purdue:
owl.english.purdue.edu
• Look in your textbook.
• Ask your professor.