HOW to CITE

Parenthetical citations:

  • Format: Quotation marks + space + parentheses + period
  • “…opinion” (Smith 89).
  • Inside: Author’s Last Name + space + Page Number
  • (Smith 89).

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  • Author’s Last Name: If the author’s name does not appear in the preview sentence (see lead-in expressions), place just the last name here (as seen above).
  • “Article Title”: If the source does not have an author, then use the next item listed on the Works Cited page – the article title, in quotation marks
  • (“Vote for Smith” 89).
  • For longer titles, truncate.
  • Page Numbers: Since readers often like to find the original of a thought or quote, they need to be able to find, easily and quickly, where it is located in the original source document. To accomplish this, we place page numbers in the parenthetical citation to help readers painlessly find the original, without having to read the entire source.
  • Paragraph Numbers:
  • If, however, no page numbers appear in or on the original – and this is particularly the case with e-sources such as Web site or database articles – then you cannot rely upon the page numbers supplied by the printers because each printer’s settings are different.
  • Shorter documents often have numberedparagraphs in them.
  • Therefore, whena document lacks page numbers, use paragraph numbers in your parenthetical citation.
  • Other Page Referents could include numbered–
  • chapters (ch., chs.), sections (sec., secs.),
  • parts (pt., pts.), books (bk.)
  • For example: (Smith par.6).or (Milton bk.10).
  • *NO NUMBERED SECTIONS*
  • You cannot use these indicators if a source has no numbered paragraphs or sections
  • Instead, describe the location in the Lead-In Expression:
  • In the third paragraph of Ebert’s review….
  • Under the subheading ‘Symptoms,’ ….
  • VIDEOS:
  • Use the TIME CODE for video locations.
  • hour + colon + minute + colon + second/s
  • (Fight Club 00:54:23).

LEAD-IN EXPRESSIONS:

  • Set up (or “lead into”) direct quotes or paraphrases with preview sentences.
  • To answer “So What?!” (author’s credentials = why we should care about his/her opinions)
  • To establish your ethos as a writer (citing, citing credible sources)
  • To distinguish, clearly and unequivocally, between your ideas and a source’s.
  • Jayne Smyth, founder of the Ethics in Politics Association and author of the Web article “The Ethical Deportments of the 2008 Presidential Candidates,” asserts, “Direct quote” (par.6). She further notes that “Direct quote” (par.3). In other words, brief explanation. Thus, warrant statement.