In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation or an in-text citation.
Basic in-text rules:
Quotation marks go around the quotations before the parenthesis.
Put the sentence-ending punctuation after the parenthesis.
If the quotation ends in a ? or an ! then include those BEFORE the end of the quotation marks and still put a period after the parenthesis.
If you introduce the source prior to the quotation and the source does NOT have page numbers, there is no need for a parenthetical/in-text citation at the end of the sentence.
It is important to know that parenthetical citations (and Works Cited pages) allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.
When a source does not have a known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work, or italicize it if it's a longer work.
For this project, often the shortened title of the work is a shortened title of the WEBPAGE.
ex:
In 2023, the median wage across the country for teachers at the secondary level was $65,220 ("Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education").
TOO LONG!
In 2023, the median wage across the country for teachers at the secondary level was $65,220 ("Secondary School Teachers").
Here's the MLA Citation that will be in the Works Cited page:
"Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education." ONet Online, 2024, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-2031.00. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.
When a source has an author (or multiple authors), use his/her last name (or the last name of the first author listed).
Immediately following a quotation from a source or a paraphrase of a source's ideas, you place the author's name followed by a space and the relevant page number(s) - if known.
ex:
Deirdre Jeffers is the author of the webpage about secondary teachers on O*Net:
In 2023, the median wage for secondary school teachers was $65,220 (Jeffers).
Here is the citation for this webpage that will appear in the works cited:
Jeffers, Deirdre. "Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education." ONet Online, 2024, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-2031.00. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.
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When you mention the author or the title of the work or the title of the article/webpage title before the quotation/paraphrase…Only include the page number in the parenthesis at the end of the example if there are page numbers. If the source doesn’t include page numbers, then there is no need for a parenthetical citation. ex: According to "Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education," in 2023, the median wage across the country for teachers at the secondary level was $65,220. Or, consider shortening the title: According to the webpage "Secondary School Teachers," in 2023, the median wage across the country for teachers at the secondary level was $65,220. Here is the MLA citation that will appear on the project's works cited page: "Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education." ONet Online, 2024, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-2031.00. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024. |