Guide to MLA Parenthetical Citations

Parentheticals or In-text citations should be keyed to a reference in your alphabetical list of works included at the end of the paper. Examples of different tyes of parentheticals include:

1. Basic citation: Place author’s last name and page number in parentheses after the material that is documented. Make sure that the period is placed after the final parenthesis. Note: do not place a comma between the author’s last name and the page number.

In California, officials estimate “since 1972 lion numbers have increased from 2,400 to at least 6,000”(Williams 30).

2. Basic citation with author’s name in text: If the author’s name is clear in the context of the reference, only a page number is necessary.

Barry Williams noted in Wildlife Management, “since 1972 lion numbers have increased from 2,400 to at least 6,000”(30).

3. Citation of an anonymous work: If an author is not listed or identified as the source, give an abbreviated version of the title, followed by a page number. Note: Do not use any more than three words, if possible.

Four children have been attacked and killed in California(“Mountain Lion Outrage” 8).

(Original title: “Mountain Lion Outrage Breaks Out in California”)

4.Citation of a quotation appearing in source: When citing a statement that is quoted by one person, but appears in a different author’s source, use the abbreviation qtd. in.

As a spokesperson explained, “We support managing the lions. But they shouldn’t be shot and stuck on a wall”(qtd. in Johnson 48).

5.Citation of a work by two or three authors: If a source has two or three authors, list authors’ last names, divided by a comma and the page number.

Some mountain lions need to be relocated because they are vital to the delicate balance of the environment (Smith, Jones, and Roberts 29).

6. Citation of a work by more than three authors: If a source has more than three authors, list the last name of first author followed by et. al. and the page number.

Scientists are still debating the pros and cons of hunting on preserved land to eliminate the risk of mountain lion attacks (Williams et. al. 20).

7. Citation of an encyclopedia or similar reference work: When citing a reference work like the dictionary or encyclopedia or internet source and there is no author listed, list only the title or a shortened version of the title. Note: No page number needed.

Mountain lions are found primarily in Northern California(“Mountain Lions”).