Cite in essay example

Proper citation of sources is a two-part process. You must first cite each source in the body of your essay; these citations within the essay are called in-text citations. You MUST cite all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized words, ideas, and facts from sources.

Without in-text citations, you are technically in danger of plagiarism, even if you have listed your sources at the end of the essay. In-text citations point the reader to the sources’ information on the references page. The in-text citation typically includes the author's last name and the year of publication.

When citing sources in the body of your paper, list the author’s last name only (no initials) and the year the information was published, like this: (Dodge, 2008). (Author, Date). If you use a direct quote, add the page number to your citation, like this: (Dodge, 2008, p. 125). What is Plagiarism?

To cite an essay using MLA format, include the name of the author and the page number of the source you’re citing in the in-text citation. For example, if you’re referencing page 123 from a book by John Smith, you would include “ (Smith 123)” at the end of the sentence.