HomeWhy do you write in-text citations?
Citations are essential in academic writing as they refer to previous findings in a research field. They are commonly used to enhance the quality of information in an academic text. In-text citations can include direct quotations when you use another author's exact words and indirect quotations when you report what someone said in your own words. In-text citations can be used to support an argument or to oppose a viewpoint. There are many styles to refer to a text, such as APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago, the Modern Language Association (MLA), and Harvard, each with specific guidelines.
Elements
When referencing a text please consider the following elements:
- Author's name
- Year of publication of the document
- Title of the text
- Name of the journal (including volume, issue, and page)
- Publishing company and place of publication (if it is a book or a chapter)
- Institution (if it's a master’s or doctoral thesis)
- Location and date (if it’s a conference)
- Page references
Methods
| Direct quotation | The writer uses the exact words of other authors in their text. |
| Indirect quotation | The writer reports the arguments or findings of other authors using their own words, e.g. paraphrasing and summarising. |
| Citing a secondary source | The writer references works quoted in another source. |
Styles
How you write an in-text citation or reference someone's work depends on the journal, institution, or conference's style guide. There are many styles, such as the American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago, Harvard, etc.
American Psychological Association (APA)
| Format | Example | |
|
Short (less than 40 words) |
Use the quotation marks for direct quotations. You must include the author's name, the year of publication, and the page number. Use "p." 26for a single page and "pp." for a range of pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash. |
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Long (more than 40 words) |
You must start a block quotation on a new line and indent the whole block 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) from the left margin. Double-space the entire block quotation. Do not add extra space before or after it. Quotation marks are not necessary. Include the author’s surname, year of publication and page within parentheses. | You will be more motivated to write a good paper, if you have thought about exactly why you want to have your research published. One of your reasons will probably be because you believe you can make a contribution to a gap in the current knowledge base of your field. It helps if you can write down concisely what this contribution is and then double check that your proposed contribution really is original. (Wallwork, 2016, p.5) |
| Format | Example | |
| Paraphrasing and summarising one single author | You must include the author's surname and the publication date. This information can be placed at the end of the sentence in parentheses or at the beginning, using introductory phrases such as "according to" or "as stated by." |
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| Paraphrasing a publication with two authors | You must include the source’s information within parentheses. Use an ampersand (&) to separate the authors’ names and the year of publication within parentheses. | (Wollforth & Beasley, 2021). |
| Sources with three or more authors | You can use the abbreviation “et al.” after the first author’s surname, and the year of publication within parentheses. | (Muller et al., 2019). |
| Paraphrasing two or more references in a sentence or paragraph | You must arrange them in alphabetical order, separated by semicolon, including the authors’ names and publication dates within parentheses. | (Muller, 2021; Smith, 2016). |
| Format | Example | |
| For example, if you read a work by Wallwork (2016) in which Smith (2001) was cited, and you did not read Smith's work yourself, cite Smith's work as the original source, followed by Wallwork's work as the secondary source. Only Wallwork's work appears in the reference list. | Include the name of the author of the original source, year of publication, and write “as cited in” the secondary source you used. Everything in parentheses. | (Smith, 2001, as cited in Wallwork, 2016) |
| Number of Authors | Format | Example | |
| Journal article | One author | The order must be author’s surname, first initial and second initial. (Publication year). Title of the text. Title of the journal, volume italicized (issue), pages. Digital object identifier (DOI). | MacDonald, S. P. (1987). Problem Definition in Academic Writing. College English, 49(3), 315–331. https://doi.org/10.2307/377930 |
| Two or more authors | The order must be first author’s surname, first initial and second initial, use an ampersand (&), second author’s surname, first initial and second initial. (Publication year). Title of the text. Title of the journal, volume italicized (issue), pages. Digital object identifier (DOI). | Herman, D. J., & Redfield, M. W. (1989). Academic Writing. PMLA, 104(5), 898–899. https://doi.org/10.2307/462584 | |
| Book | One author | Author’s surname, first initial and second initial. (Year of publication). Title of the book italicized. Publisher. | Hasler, E. (2018). The Built Environment. Liverpool University Press. |
| Two authors | First author’s surname, first initial and second initial & Second author’s surname, first initial second initial. (Year of publication). Title of publication. Publisher. | Ward, G. C., & Burns, K. (2007). The war: An intimate history, 1941-1945. Random House Audio. | |
| Book chapter | - | Author’s surname, first initial. (Year of publication). Chapter’s title. In Editor first initial. Second Initial. Surname. Book title italicized (page numbers). Publisher. | Rattan, A. (2019). How lay theories (or mindsets) shape the confrontation of prejudice. In R. K. Mallett & M. J. Monteith (Eds.), Confronting prejudice and discrimination: The science of changing minds and behaviors (pp. 121-140). Academic Press. |
Chicago (author-date)
| Format | Example | |
| Short (four lines or less than 100 words) |
It should be enclosed in double quotation marks. You have to include the author’s surname, year of publication and the page within parentheses. Or you can use introductory phrases, put the author’s surname, the date of publication within parentheses, the text enclosed in double quotation marks. The page number in parentheses. |
|
| Long (more than four lines or 100 words) |
You have to start a new paragraph. Enter the text as a free-standing block of text with an indented left margin by one half inch (3.81 cm). Double space the text. Place the reference with the author’s surname, year of publication and page number(s) at the end of the quote after punctuation. Do not use quotation marks. | If you have never written a paper before and your supervisor has not indicated a specific journal where he/she would like you to publish, it is a good idea to ask colleagues in your research group what they read and what sort of publication they aspire to publish in. Even if you are writing a paper for the first time, it does not mean that it will only be suitable for a marginal or not very well known journal. (Wallwork, 2016, 6) |
| Format | Example | |
| Paraphrasing and summarising one single author | The sources should be cited in parentheses, including the author's surname and the year of publication within parentheses. There is no need to use a comma to separate the author's surname from the year of publication. | (Smith 2019) |
| Paraphrasing a publication with two authors | Include the first author’s surname and second author’s surname publication year within parentheses. |
|
| Sources with three or more authors | Use the term “et al.” after the first author’s surname and year of publication within parentheses. | (Muller et al. 2017) |
| Paraphrasing two or more references in a sentence or paragraph | You need to arrange publications in alphabetical order based on authors' surnames, followed by the publication year, with each entry separated by a semicolon within parentheses. | (Muller 2021; Smith 2016) |
| Format | Example | |
| Chicago style’s manual discourages writers from citing secondary sources. Whenever possible, the original source should be located and cited. However, if it is impossible to cite the original, the writer can use the notes to cite the secondary source. |
Start with the author and publication details of the original work. Add the text "quoted in" and the author and publication details of the secondary work and the source you consulted. The original and the secondary source must both appear in the reference list. If you read a work by Wallwork (2016) in which Smith (2001) was cited, and you did not read Smith's work yourself, cite Smith's work as the original source, followed by Wallwork's work as the secondary source. Both Wallwork (2016) and Smith (2001) should appear in the reference list. |
Smith (2001), quoted in Wallwork (2016). |
| Number of Authors | Format | Example | |
| Journal article | One author | The order must be the author’s surname, first and second names. Within quotation marks “Title of the text.” Title or journal italicized volume, issue (year of publication): pages. Digital object identifier. | MacDonald, Susan Peck. “Problem Definition in Academic Writing.” College English 49, no. 3 (1987): 315–31. https://doi.org/10.2307/377930. |
| Two or more authors | First author’s full name, and second author’s full name. Within quotation marks “Title of the text.” Title or journal italicized volume, issue (year of publication): pages. Digital object identifier. | Herman David J., and Marc W. Redfield. “Academic Writing.” PMLA 104, no. 5 (1989): 898–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/462584. | |
| Book | One author | The order should be the author’s surname, first name. Title of the book italicized. Place of publication: publisher, year. | Wallwork Adrian. English for Writing Research Papers. Pisa: Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2016. |
| Two authors | First author’s surname, first name, and second author’s full name. Title of the book italicized. Place of publication: publisher, year. | Ward, Geoffrey C, and Ken Burns. The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945. New York: A.A. Knopf, 2007. | |
| Book chapter | - | Author(s) of the chapter surname, first name. Within quotation marks “Chapter title.” In Title of the book italicized edited by and Editor’s name, pages. Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication. | Schwartz, Paula. “Redefining Resistance: Woman’s Activism in Wartime France.” In Behind the Lines: Gender and the Two World Wars, edited by Margaret R. Higonnet, Jane Jenson, Sonya Michel, and Margaret C. Weitz, 141–53. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale UP, 1987. |
Modern Language Association (MLA) (author-page)
| Format | Example | |
|
Short (less than four lines) |
Enclose the text in quotation marks, put the author's surname and page number within parentheses. | “An impact factor is a measure of how prestigious is a journal is” (Wallwork 6). |
|
Long (more than four lines) |
Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1inch and half (3.81 cm) from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark, including author’s surname and page. | You could try to insert your paper into an ongoing discussion that is currently being covered in the journal. This approach may increase the chances of getting your paper approved by the editor. The topic you choose to write about is obviously related to the journal where you want to publish. Occasionally it may be worth choosing the journal first (rather than your exact topic), and then deciding which angle of your research to focus on so that it will match the expectations of your chosen journal. (Wallwork 6) |
| Format | Example | |
| Paraphrasing and summarising one single author | The citation should include the author’s surname and page number in parentheses. | (Wallwork 6). |
| Paraphrasing a publication with two authors | Include the authors’ surnames “and” page (s) within parentheses. | (Moore and Patel 48–50). |
| Sources with three or more authors | Use the term “et al.” after the first author’s name and number page | (Muller et al. 35). |
| Paraphrasing two or more references in a sentence or paragraph | To cite multiple sources in the same in-text citation, separate the authors' surnames and pages with a semi-colon. Include the source’s information within parentheses. | (Miller 25; Wallwork 126) |
| Format | Example | |
| When citing secondary sources, use "quoted in” abbreviation to indicate the source you consulted. | You must include the original source, which may contain the author’s surname, followed by the page. Use “qtd. in”, then include the source you consulted. | (Smith 17, qtd. in Wallwork 256). |
| Number of Authors | Format | Example | |
| Journal article | One author | Author’s surname, first and second name. “Title of publication.” Name of journal, vol., issue, year of publication, pages. Digital object identifier. Date of access. | MacDonald, Susan Peck. “Problem Definition in Academic Writing.” College English, vol. 49, no. 3, 1987, pp. 315–31. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/377930. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024. |
| Two or more authors | First author’s surname, first name, and second author’s full name. Within quotation marks “Title of the publication.” Name of the journal italicized, volume, issue, year or publication, pages indicated by pp. Digital object identifier. Date of access. | Herman, David J., and Marc W. Redfield. “Academic Writing.” PMLA, vol. 104, no. 5, 1989, pp. 898–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/462584. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024. | |
| Book | One author | Author’s surname, first name. Title of publication italicized. Publisher, date. | Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994. |
| Two authors | First author’s surname, first name and second author’s full name. Title of publication italicized. Publisher, year. | Gullion, Jessica, and Abigail Tilton. Researching With: A Decolonizing Approach to Community-Based Action Research. Brill Publishers, 2020. | |
| Book chapter | - | Author(s) of Chapter. "Title of Chapter: Subtitle of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editor of Book, Publisher, Publication Date, page numbers. | Schwartz, Paula. “Redefining Resistance: Woman’s Activism in Wartime France.” Behind the Lines: Gender and the Two World Wars, edited by Margaret R. Higonnet, Jane Jenson, Sonya Michel, and Margaret C. Weitz, Yale UP, 1987, 141–53. |
Harvard
| Format | Example | |
| Short (two or three lines in length) |
Put the exact words found in someone’s text. The sentence (s) should be placed in a single quotation mark followed by an in-text that includes the author’s surname, year, and page numbers. |
|
| Long (more than three lines) |
Enter the quotation as a separate paragraph, indent the paragraph in one inch (2.54cm), leave a blank line above, and below the quotation. Do not use quotation marks. Include the author’s surname, year, and page in the parentheses. | You could try to insert your paper into an ongoing discussion that is currently being covered in the journal. This approach may increase the chances of getting your paper approved by the editor. The topic you choose to write about is obviously related to the journal where you want to publish. Occasionally it may be worth choosing the journal first (rather than your exact topic), and then deciding which angle of your research to focus on so that it will match the expectations of your chosen journal (Wallwork, 2016, p. 6). |
| Format | Example | |
| Paraphrasing and summarising one single author | You should include both the author’s surname and the year within parentheses. | (Smith, 2019) |
| Paraphrasing a publication with two authors | You should separate their surnames with an ampersand (&) in the parenthetical citation | (Walton & Cohen, 2011) |
| Sources with three or more authors | You should only include the first author's name followed by et al in the parenthetical citation | (Muller et al., 2011) |
| Paraphrasing two or more references in a sentence or paragraph | List them in one parenthetical citation, ordered alphabetically by author and separated by semicolons | (Muller 2021; Smith 2016). |
| Format | Example | |
| When referencing a source that is quoted in another work using Harvard style, you should use the phrase "cited in." | You have to include the original source first and then the information of the source you consulted. The order should be as follows: the author's surname, the year of publication, followed by "cited in" and the secondary source's author and year. Be sure to place this information within parentheses. | (Smith, 2001, cited in Wallwork, 2016) |
| Number of Authors | Format | Example | |
| Journal article | One author | The order is author’s surname, first initial second initial. (year of publication) ‘title’ in single quotation marks, journal italicized, volume (issue), page number. doi | Adamson, P. (2019) ‘American history at the foreign office: Exporting the silent epic Western’, Film History, 31(2), pp; 32-59. Doi:10.2979/filmhistory.31.2.02 |
| Two or more authors | The order is the first author’s surname, first and second initials, [&] second author’s surname, first and second initials. Year or publication in parentheses. ‘title’ in single quotation marks, journal italicized, volume (issue), use “pp.” to indicate page numbers. Digital object identifier. | Herman, D. J., & Redfield, M. W.(1989) ‘Academic writing’. PMLA, 104(5), pp. 898. https://doi.org/10.2307/462584 | |
| Book | One author | The order should be the author’s surname, first initial second initial. (year of publication) Title. Place of publication: publisher. | Logan, R.K. (2010) Poetry of physics and the physics of poetry. London: World Scientific. |
| Two authors | First author’s surname, first initial and second author’s surname, first initial. (year of publication) title. Edition. Place of publication: publisher. | Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. 11th ed. London: MacMillan. | |
| Book chapter | - | The sequence is author’s surname, initial. (year) 'Chapter title', in Initial, Surname (ed.) Book title. Place of publication: publisher, page range of chapter. | Franklin, A. W. (2012). 'Management of the problem', in Smith, S. M. (ed.) The maltreatment of children. Lancaster: MTP, pp.83-95. |
Bibliography
- In-Text citations. (n.d.). Harvard Guide to Using Sources. https://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/text-citations-0
- Library guides: MLA citation guide (9th edition): In-text citation. In-Text Citation - MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition) - LibGuides at Columbia College (BC). (n.d.). https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/MLA9/in-text
- Library guides: The Chicago Manual of Style Guide: Quoting and paraphrasing. Quoting and Paraphrasing - The Chicago Manual of Style Guide - Library Guides at Long Island University - Post. (n.d.). https://liu.cwp.libguides.com/c.php?g=45846&p=291625
- Library guides: Harvard Style Guide: Quotation. Quotation - Harvard Style Guide - LibGuides at UCD Library. (n.d.).https://libguides.ucd.ie/harvardstyle/quotationharvard
- Wallwork, Adrian. (2016). English for Writing Research Papers. Springer.
