Do I really have to put that period in that spot? What about indents? Do I need to cite my textbook?
Yes, yes, and YES!
Every part of a citation matters because it matters to your professor. Correct citation can be difficult but once you get the hang of it, it will become like second nature. Below are resources to get you started on your Works Cited citations and your In-text or Parenthetical citations. Have questions or a complicated citation? Ask a Librarian!
Everything you consult when creating your paper should be cited on a separate page called the Works Cited Page. This page is the last page of your essay. The links and resources below will help you craft citations for your essays.
Use the following video and sites to learn about proper citation in MLA. In addition, learn about cross-checking your citations.
Covers the basic citation rules and provides citation examples of the commonly used source types.
A guide from Purdue University on using MLA guidelines in research papers and and citing all sources. A good resource for more complex MLA sources.
You can also create citations using generators, especially helpful for resources that are not from ACC databases like your textbook. Remember: it's your responsibility to double check the citations for accuracy!
A citation generator for MLA, APA, Turabian and Chicago styles. Popular with students.
Citation generator created by the Hekman Library of Calvin College, it assists with creating citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago. Popular with me, the librarian.
A Firefox only extension that helps with the collection, management, and citation of sources.
Citations in the middle of your paper are called in-text or parenthetical citations. You will use in-text citations whenever you:
ACC Library Services provides a nice overview for parenthetical citations including examples.
Say you want to use this source material for your paper. You can use the entire quote, called a block quote, but make sure you follow the correct formatting.
"It's either going to be vote-by-mail or nothing if we have to deal with a worst-case scenario," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Monday on a conference call with reporters. Wyden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who announced her husband's coronavirus diagnosis Monday, have sponsored a Senate bill similar to the provisions that House Democrats are trying to put in the emergency package.
Some GOP lawmakers have said their primary opposition is to the mandates that Wyden and others want to impose on the states, and argue that election-related funding can come later. But advocates said there is little time to waste for officials on the ground. (Gardner, et al.)
The "et al." for the in-text citation occurs because you have more than one author. Instead of listing each author, use the "et al." phrase to indicate multiple authors.
You can also use it as a parenthetical citation in the following ways:
"Some GOP lawmakers have said their primary opposition is to the mandates that Wyden and others want to impose on the states, and argue that election-related funding can come later (Gardner, et al.)."
Gardner, et al. found that "some GOP lawmakers have said their primary opposition to the mandates" are largely in line with what state governments want to impose.
According to Gardner, et al., reporters for the The Washington Post, funding for voting by mail will likely occur later but not for the current elections (Gardner, et al.).
The citation for the Works Cited page for this source is created automatically using the Cite feature in the database.
Gardner, Amy, Elise Viebeck, and Joseph Marks. "Election Officials, in Bipartisan Push, Seek Funds for Mail Voting." The Washington Post, Mar 25, 2020. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/election-officials-bipartisan-push-seek-funds/docview/2382291382/se-2.