How to Do an In Text Citation For Online Sources

In text citations for online sources tend to be one of the most confusing aspects of citing within a paper. Because the internet is not always a dependable source, be sure to clear using internet sources with your instructor before citing them in your paper. This guide is for MLA format only.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Use the author's name whenever possible. Just like when you are citing a book, the author's name should go within the parenthesis at the end of the sentence you are citing. Ex. (Roberts).

2. Give the page or paragraph number if one is available. Sometimes the internet source you are citing is actually pulled from another work and will give you this information. If it is just an article, you do not have to give a page number. Ex. (Roberts 9).

3. Cite the title of the work if there is no author listed. You may shorten the title of the work if you need to. Example: (Many Leagues Beneath the Sea). OR Example: (Many Leagues).

4. Cite the editor's name if no author's name is available on the work. Be sure to specify "ed." so that the name cannot be confused with that of an author. Example: (ed. Roberts 9).

5. Place the period after the in text citation when you are citing a work in that sentence. Do not place a period after the sentence itself.
   
   Example: This is my sentence (Roberts 9).