MLA In-Text Citations (Step-by-Step Guide)
Summary
TLDRThis video tutorial offers a comprehensive guide on implementing MLA style citations in research papers, focusing on in-text citations. It addresses the significance of avoiding plagiarism by correctly citing sources, whether books or online articles. The presenter provides examples of how to cite with and without direct quotations, emphasizing the placement of author names and page numbers. Additionally, the video touches on the citation of common phrases and the evolving standards for online sources. For a complete understanding, viewers are directed to Purdue University's Online Writing Lab for further guidance on various citation scenarios.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video is a tutorial on using MLA style citations for in-text citations in research papers.
- 📚 It mentions that there will be a separate video on creating the 'Works Cited' page.
- 🏫 The video is particularly useful for high school and college students who need to write research papers.
- 🔍 The presenter recommends using the MLA style, which is commonly used in English classes.
- ⚠️ Plagiarism is highlighted as a serious issue that can lead to expulsion or other disciplinary actions.
- 📝 The importance of citing sources is emphasized to avoid plagiarism, even if it's unintentional.
- 🔗 Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is recommended as a valuable resource for learning how to cite different types of sources.
- 📖 For in-text citations, the author's name must appear in the sentence or in parentheses, and the page number is always included in parentheses.
- 📝 Examples are provided to illustrate how to cite both direct quotations and paraphrased information.
- 💡 The video advises mixing up the citation style to avoid redundancy and improve the flow of the paper.
- 🌐 For online sources, the author's name is used if known; otherwise, the website's name or partial name is used.
- 📑 The video notes that MLA rules have changed regarding the inclusion of URLs in citations, but advises checking with the instructor for specific requirements.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is how to use MLA style citations for in-text citations when writing a research paper.
What is the purpose of the video?
-The purpose of the video is to educate viewers on how to correctly cite sources in MLA style to avoid plagiarism and to ensure proper academic integrity in research papers.
What is the significance of citing sources in academic writing?
-Citing sources is significant in academic writing as it acknowledges the original authors' work, avoids plagiarism, and allows readers to verify and locate the sources used in the paper.
What is plagiarism and why is it taken seriously?
-Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of someone else's work or ideas as one's own. It is taken seriously because it is considered academic dishonesty and can result in expulsion or other disciplinary actions.
What is the MLA style and why is it commonly used in English classes?
-MLA (Modern Language Association) style is a set of guidelines for formatting academic papers and citing sources. It is commonly used in English classes because it is widely accepted in the humanities.
What is a recommended resource for learning MLA style citations?
-A recommended resource for learning MLA style citations is Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL), which provides detailed guidelines and examples.
How should the author's name be included in an MLA in-text citation?
-The author's name should appear either in the sentence or in the parentheses at the end. It is not required to introduce the author at the beginning of every citation.
Where should the page number be placed in an MLA in-text citation?
-The page number should always be included in the parentheses at the end of the citation, never in the sentence.
What is the difference between a direct quotation and a paraphrase in MLA citations?
-A direct quotation in MLA citations requires quotation marks and the exact words from the source, while a paraphrase does not use quotation marks but still requires the author's name and page number since it is a rewording of the original text.
When is it acceptable not to cite a source even if it's a direct quotation?
-It is acceptable not to cite a source for a direct quotation if the phrase is common or universally known, such as a proverb, but quotation marks are still required.
How has the acceptance of online sources changed in academic papers over the past decade?
-Over the past decade, the acceptance of online sources in academic papers has increased, with MLA changing its rules in 2009 to accommodate the citation of online materials.
What is the current rule regarding including URLs in MLA in-text citations?
-As of the MLA rule changes in 2009, it is no longer required to include URLs in in-text citations. However, it is recommended to check with the instructor's preference as many may still expect it.
What are the formatting rules for block quotations in MLA style?
-For block quotations in MLA style, the text is indented without quotation marks, and the period is placed after the parenthetical citation.
How should you indicate added words in a quotation?
-Added words in a quotation should be enclosed in brackets to indicate that they are not part of the original text.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to MLA In-Text Citations
The paragraph introduces the topic of using MLA style citations in research papers, focusing on in-text citations. It emphasizes the importance of citing sources to avoid plagiarism, which can have serious consequences like expulsion. The speaker recommends Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) as a resource for citation guidance. The paragraph also discusses the basics of MLA in-text citations, including the use of the author's name and page numbers in parentheses, and provides examples of different ways to integrate citations into a sentence.
🔎 Citing Online Sources and Style Points
This paragraph delves into the specifics of citing online sources, which have become increasingly accepted in academic papers. It advises using the author's name if known, or the website's name or partial name as the author in citations. The paragraph also addresses the change in MLA rules regarding the inclusion of URLs in citations, suggesting that while it's no longer mandatory, it might still be expected by some instructors. Additionally, it covers style points for in-text citations, such as formatting for quotations of different lengths and the use of brackets to indicate added words within a quotation.
👍 Conclusion and Further Resources
The final paragraph wraps up the discussion on MLA in-text citations, reiterating the complexity of citation rules and the importance of adhering to them to avoid paper rejection. It encourages viewers to use resources like the Purdue OWL for guidance and offers a part two of the video series on creating a work cited page. The speaker acknowledges the challenge of remembering all the rules and suggests keeping a handbook nearby for reference.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡MLA style citations
💡In-text citations
💡Plagiarism
💡Purdue OWL
💡Author's name
💡Page number
💡Quotation marks
💡Paraphrasing
💡Common knowledge
💡Online sources
💡Indentation
💡Brackets
Highlights
Introduction to MLA style citations for research papers
Explanation of in-text citations and the work cited page
Importance of citing sources to avoid plagiarism
Definition and consequences of plagiarism
Recommendation of Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) as a resource
MLA style citation basics for books and online articles
How to format in-text citations with author's name and page number
Examples of different ways to introduce an author in a sentence
Instructions on how to handle quotations without introducing the author initially
Guidelines for paraphrasing and citing sources
Exception for citing common phrases or proverbs
Advice on citing online sources and handling authorship
Instructions on when to include URLs in citations
Differences in citing scholarly articles versus other online content
Style points for formatting block quotes in MLA
How to indicate added words within a quotation using brackets
Encouragement to use a handbook for complex citation rules
Anticipation of a follow-up video on creating a work cited page
Transcripts
hey everyone so this is a video on using
MLA style citations um in text when
you're writing a research paper I broke
this video up so that if you're wanting
to know how to do Intex citations watch
this video and there will be another
video on how to do the work cited page
um but if anyone who's writing a
research paper and if you're in school
whether it's high school or college at
some point you're going to write a
research paper you're going to have to
cite your sources um different
instructors use different methods some
like APA um in English class it's
probably most likely going to be MLA um
that's what I use it's what I like it's
what I'm familiar with so I'm going to
show you how to do it and there's
there's this is pretty confusing for a
lot of people but I'm going to try and
give you the basics okay let's talk
briefly about plagiarism what is it
plagiarism is the intentional or
unintentional use of someone else's work
or ideas as your own and it's it's
actually pretty serious it can result in
expulsion or some other type of
discipline um I think a lot of the time
when people play Dr they didn't actually
mean to do it they just forgot to site
their Source they weren't sure how to
site their Source just don't take the
risk when in doubt site your Source if
there's any question in your mind about
whether you're using someone else's
ideas um basically if it didn't come out
of your own head you had to get it from
somewhere wherever you got that from
site The Source if you always cite your
sources then you don't have to be
nervous about
it okay what is the MLA it's the modern
language Association and I want to give
you a great resource it's called Purdue
Al Purdue University and Al stands for
online writing lab and here's the link
and I'm going to um show you the most
common sources which are books and
online articles but there's a lot of
different types of sources and they have
to be cited differently um so if you're
not doing a book or an online article I
recommend you go to this website and
it'll show you exactly how to do it but
for most people most of the time they're
going to be using books or online
articles so those are the ones I want to
go over if I were to go over all the
different types uh we'd be here all day
so um let's just go over these two okay
so with an Intex citation you've got the
author's name and it must appear either
in the sentence or in the parenthesis at
the end and we're going to look at
examples of this um and the page number
will always be in the parentheses it
will never be in the sentence so let's
look at I'm going to show you four
quotations and they're all the same but
they're all a little bit different so in
this case I just pulled this out of a
paper I was writing um I'm introducing
the author at the beginning right so
best will suggest that then I've got a
comma a lot of people forget that and
then I've got my quotation at the end of
the quotation I've got the page number
and then notice that the period goes at
the very end of the par uh the sorry the
parenthesis a lot of people want to put
it inside the quotation marks because it
looks more correct and I understand
because I kind of have that impulse also
but it it's counterintuitive but it
actually has to go all the way at the
end try and think of it like the page
number is part of your sentence maybe
that will help you um but the period
always goes at the end here's another
example it's it's basically the same
thing except for style purposes is maybe
I didn't want to actually introduce the
author at the beginning of the quotation
depending on how the wording is in the
paragraph you're using maybe you want to
just run straight into the quotation you
don't want to be introducing the author
at the beginning all the time because
that could get a little bit clunky and I
recommend that you mix up the way you do
this as I'm doing here um but I still
have the author's name but in this case
because I didn't introduce it at the
beginning it goes in the parenthesis at
the end still have the page number and
the period still goes outside the
quotation marks at the very end now if
you don't want to use a direct quotation
but you're still conveying some kind of
information that you found that's
basically um a paraphrase um so if the
information wasn't your own you didn't
know it yourself you need to cite it but
it's not really a quotation it's
something that you read and that you're
you're putting it into your own words um
but I still have the author's name and I
still have the page number and notice
the period is still going at the end but
what's missing as I'm sure you've
noticed is there's no quotation marks
because I'm not actually using the exact
words that best tool used I'm using my
own uh and here's another example of
that it's the same thing except I didn't
want to introduce the author's name at
the beginning I wanted it at the end so
it's going to go in the parenthesis so
that that seems maybe a little bit
confusing um but it's really just the
same sentence four different ways and as
I said before I really recommend that
you mix up the way you do this don't
always um use the author at the very
beginning or don't always use the author
and the parenthesis try and mix it up
because otherwise it can really really
start to sound really redundant so um
let's talk about citing the sources
here's the exception um and this is
basically the only exception if a phrase
is common or universally known such as a
proverb then no citation is needing is
needed though quotation marks are still
required so for example Aristotle
advised like activities produce like
dispositions if you're using that in
your paper you don't actually have to
cite where you found it because it's a
proverb or a common phrase um but it is
someone else's words so you're going to
use the quotation
marks again when in doubt if you did
look it up just cite the source um
because you can get into this game where
you're saying to yourself well it's
pretty commonly known maybe I don't
really need to cite it don't play that
game because you can end up in a lot of
trouble it's not worth it it's too
stressful if you pulled it from
something just site The Source if you
already knew it in your own head and it
just came to you um but you know it with
someone else you use the quotation marks
but don't site the
source so as I said when in doubt just
side The Source okay online Source
material um this is becoming more and
more common um about 10 years ago it
wasn't really accepted in academic
papers um but now it is more so um so
basically if you know the author use it
if not use the name or partial name of
the website as the author as I showed
you in the previous examples just use
the name or partial name of the website
in place of the author um you don't need
to give paragraph numbers or page
numbers if it's online probably aren't
any don't give the few full URL in the
text it's sufficient to use for example
CNN.com you don't need to put HTTP colon
now here's the thing MLA and 2009
actually changed the rules on this you
don't have to give the URLs anymore um
but a lot of instructors are probably
used to it and they're probably going to
want it anyway the thing about MLA is
they change a lot so check with your
instructor um technically the rules say
you don't have to do that anymore more
but so many people have done it for so
long that it you you might have some
explain to do if you don't do it so just
check with your instructor on that um
legitimate online sources scholarly
articles will be easy to reference
because the author will be clearly
indicated if you're having trouble
finding the source info it's probably
not a good source to be using for
academics so if you've got some kind of
article that you found online and you
can't really figure out who the author
is um probably use it then anything
that's a legitimate scholarly Source
it's going to be very clear who the
author is because they want credit for
their work um so if you're having
trouble finding it I would say just
don't use
it okay let's talk about two style
points um this is for Intex citations if
the quotation is four lines of Pros or
less or three if it's verse use the
format that I just showed you where you
um have the quotation and you have the
parenthesis and you have the page number
um if it's longer you need to indent you
remove the quotation marks and you place
the punctuation before the parenthetical
science uh citation so um as you see
here for example if in your paper you
had the sentence in this sense that is a
sacrifice not the Epiphany that defines
the tragic that blue line would
basically be the U margin of your paper
and that's the margin that's set by your
word processor what you're going to have
to do is you take that chunk um of a
quotation that you want to use and you
have to indent the whole thing so that
it lines up and B just use your t key um
and notice the quotation marks are gone
um and that's because by indenting it
I'm indicating that it is a quotation um
and you've still got the period but
notice now it's moved now it's on the
other side of the parentheses so this is
where it gets a little hairy um if it's
just one line it's going to be quotation
marks and the period is going to go on
the outside of the parenthesis if it's a
block quote like this it's called block
quoting it's going to be indented which
is going to indicate that it is a quote
so you don't need quotation marks and
the period goes on the other side this
like I said this stuff is confusing just
um use the website I showed you Purdue
Al that will help you if you forget but
the more you do this it almost becomes
second nature and you don't really have
to think about it that much um okay if
you add a word or words in a quotation
you should put brackets around the words
to indicate that they're not part of the
original text so if you are introducing
something into the quotation
um that maybe was clear in the text but
because you've taken a chunk out of the
text you've lifted it and you're putting
it in your paper it's maybe not clear
what the author was referring to or you
want to just add some kind of
clarification of your own use brackets
so um the quotation actually from the
book was like Hil um like and then I
can't actually I can't remember it was
but it wasn't specifically G Chaser and
languin um best referred to somebody and
then he said like you know probably um
medieval authors Hilton is a
practitioner of the vernacular well I
didn't feel like that was clear enough
but I knew what he was talking about
because i' read the article so I
introduced um more specific information
so you always want to put it in Brackets
but otherwise the rules don't change
about where the periods go and where the
uh quotations go that's Basics that
sorry that's the basics um like I said
there's a ton of different ways to do it
check out that website um it will really
help you um but I hope that that at
least gives you enough to move
forward um when I write paper I almost
always have some kind of handbook next
to me because nobody can remember this
stuff it's really complicated but um you
have to follow the rules if you don't
follow the rules your paper's going to
get rejected so anyway thumbs up if you
found that helpful and if you're
wondering how to do a work cited page I
have another video on that um which is
basically part two of this so thanks a
lot
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