Anytime you quote or paraphrase in your paper, give credit where it is due by using in-text citations.

An in-text citation is a short citation that refers the reader to the References at the end of the paper.

Quotations

When quoting an author’s exact words. Remember the following:

• Try not to use too many quotes. It is important that your paper reflects your knowledge and critical assessment of the subject.
• Use quotes " " around the author's words.
• Include the author's last name, year of publication, and the page number of the quote.
• Surround the in-text information in parenthesis BEFORE the period.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is when you summarize the author’s words in your own words. When paraphrasing an author's words, remember the following:

• You are still required to include an in-text citation
• Since you are using your own words to paraphrase the author, you do not need to use quotation marks
• The author's last name and the year of publication are required within quotes BEFORE the period
• A page number(s) are NOT necessary when paraphrasing

Still confused? Watch the following video:

Narrative In-Text Citations

Narrative In-Text Citations simply describes a way to include the required information (author last name, year of publication, page number(s)) as part of your sentence rather than being confined to everything in the parenthesis at the end.

Quotation example:

What's required for an in-text citation:

• Author’s last name
• Year of publication
• Page number(s) - Quotations only

All examples below illustrate an in-text citation used with a quotation. Paraphrasing requires an in-text citation, but does not require a page number.

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Two authors:

(Talley & Dalfen, 2011, p.38)

If including author(s) in sentence:
Talley and Dalfen (2011) suggest...

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Three or more authors:

Include the first listed author's last name and then follow with et al. Et al means "and others."
(Talley et al., 2011, p. 38)

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Unknown author:

If no known author, include a shortened title in replace of the authors name.

(“Hip-hop pop art”, 2011, p. 38)

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No page number:

If there are no page numbers, count what paragraph the quote is in. Typically a paragraph number is needed for web sites.

(Talley & Dalfen, 2011, para.4)