For this Mini-Lesson, Cole and myself decided to focus on in-text citations because that is the area in our local categories that we struggled with the most grade wise. We also figured that since we struggle with it consistently that there are numerous others as well that would seem to have problems with it. Therefore, by using the video attached to the link below, as well as summarizing main ideas or points before and after, we are hoping to help clear up any questions people may have on the subject of in-text citations.
In the video, you will see that the examples that the speaker uses requires that the last name as well as the page number in the citation. That is not always going to be a necessity for citations. For the majority of our papers, we will reference the author at the beginning of the sentence which makes it okay to not include the authors name. However, either way, the page number must be included. This is important because just as the video says, it is a connecting point for the reader to find the rest of the information that they may need to further understand either your or the referenced author’s work.
Usually you can spot an in-text citation error if you are using someone else’s words and do not have any of the key elements of a citation: open or closed quotations and open or closed parenthesis. The quotations allow the reader to be able to spot where the direct quote begins and ends and where the writers thoughts begin and end as well. The parenthesis show the writer where to spot the information on the works cited page.
More often than not, if a writer is using one author for the majority of the writing, then the page number is all that is necessary for the in-text citations. This is because without another source, there is no other place that the direct quote should be coming from, thus making it safe to conclude that the words used in the citation according to the page number is from the same author throughout the piece.
One thing that is helpful when trying to use in-text citations is creating the sentence that you would like to use on another piece of paper or in another document. I find that if I do this before incorporating my sources then I slow down and create them properly. Just as the video says, having the correct citations will give your paper a better credibility than one that has little to no correct citations.
The last important thing about in-text citations is that they differ from MLA to APA and to Chicago-Style citations. Before creating any citations it is important to be confident in the style of paper your professor would like you to use when writing your paper. For the majority of this class, we use MLA, so the rules that the video outlines as well as what Cole and I have outlined here is applicable to the kinds of citations you will be using.
Remember, cite your sources correctly with quotation marks and parenthesis, and be sure to double check where the words that you are taking came from and your in-text citations will be phenomenal.
Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5igNRmKLug
