What is "citation"?
Introduced within the paragraph, "citation" is the identification of a source to which you have made a reference. A reference may be any one of four types: a quotation, paraphrase, summary, or an allusion. Every time you make a reference of any kind to a source, you must cite it.

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The Elements of a Citation
A citation includes at least the name of the author and an introductory verb, but it usually includes as well the name of the source–the article and text (magazine, journal, or book title). The verb–some more precise choice besides "talks about" or "says/said"–clarifies the author's intellectual function such as explains, notes, clarifies, responds, argues, suggests, etc. Citations may also include the date, particularly in the case when an author has modified his/her position or made additional studies over a course of time.

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Placement of the Citation
The citation must appear in the text of the paragraph in which you make the reference. Usually, that will be in a lead-in statement before you make the reference or in the same sentence you make the reference. If the statement is separated from the quotation, it is followed by either a comma (in the case of a short phrase) or a colon if the it is a longer explanatory clause.

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Typical Format
Generally, the citation will appear before the reference.

Example:
In People of God, Penney Lernoux observes, "The Roman Curia was stunned."

Avoid placing citations after the quotation or reference.

Poor style:
"The Roman Curia was stunned," Penny Lernoux observes in People of God.

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Use of Citations with Quotations

Example of a Short Citation of a Quotation
In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes, "When John XXIII announced his intentions to convoke the Second Vatican Council a mere three months after assuming the papacy, the Roman Curia was stunned."

Example of a Long Citation of a Quotation
In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes the shock of the Catholic leadership: "When John XXIII announced his intentions to convoke the Second Vatican Council a mere three months after assuming the papacy, the Roman Curia was stunned."

The two examples of quotations above are called "separated direct quotations" since the citation and quotation are separated from each other as independent clauses.

"Integrated direct quotations" are not separated from the citation by punctuation but rather are incorporated into the text of a single sentence.

Example of an Integrated Direct Quotation
In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes that "when John XXIII announced his intentions to convoke the Second Vatican Council a mere three months after assuming the papacy, the Roman Curia was stunned."

The word "that" replaces the comma. Since the quotation is now incorporated into a single sentence, the capital "W" is presented in lower case ("w").

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Use of Citations with Paraphrases
Like quotations, paraphrases–quotations rewritten in your own words–must be cited by at least author, source, and introductory verb.

Example:
In People of God, Penny Lernoux explains that when Pope John XIII revealed plans to convene the Second Vatican Council, only after three months as head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Roman Curia was shocked.

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Use of Citations with Summaries
Summaries–even one-sentence ones–must also be cited.

Example:
In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes the shock of the Catholic hierarchy in learning of plans to convene the Second Vatican.

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Use of Citations with Allusions
Like quotations, paraphrases, and summaries, even simple references or allusions to works should be cited.

Example: In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes the Catholic Church's reaction to the Second Vatican Council.

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Documentation of Sources

In addition to citations, references must also be documented. Generally, within the text of an essay, documentation means citing the author, source, year, and the pages of the publication. This documentation is accomplished, in part, by the citation. Additional information, like the year or page number) is placed in a set of parentheses at the end of the reference (not just at the end of the paragraph or section of the paper).

If the citation establishes the author in the text of the passage, then, depending on the style sheet you are using (MLA or APA Style Sheets), you will place an abbreviated title of the source (if it is long) and either the page number or the year inside the parentheses.

Example of Documentation Using the MLA Style Sheet

In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes that "when John XXIII announced his intentions to convoke the Second Vatican Council a mere three months after assuming the papacy, the Roman Curia was stunned" (21).

The "21" reflects the page number on which the quoted sentence is to be found. Also note that the period comes after the closing parenthesis.

Example of Documentation Using the APA Style Sheet
In People of God, Penny Lernoux notes that "when John XXIII announced his intentions to convoke the Second Vatican Council a mere three months after assuming the papacy, the Roman Curia was stunned." (1989, p. 21)

Note that while the documentation parentheses contain both the year of publication and the page number, it is common to see only the year. References to chapters or page numbers always follow the year of publication.

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Citations of Works Used Repeatedly in an Essay
Use of the author's last name and introductory verb are all that are necessary in subsequent references to the same source.

Examples:
MLA Style Sheet
Lernoux characterizes the results of Vatican II as nothing short of "extraordinary" (23).

APA Style Sheet
Lernoux characterizes the results of Vatican II as nothing short of "extraordinary." (page 23)

Note once more the place of final punctuation in each of these subsequent references.

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Fuller Explanations of the MLA and APA Style Sheets

Click here for more detailed information on the MLA and APA guidelines for citations and documentation of sources.

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Documentation of Electronic Resources: MLA and APA Style Sheets

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"Works Cited" Pages and Bibliographies
In addition to citing and documenting sources within the body of the essay, you must also provide a "Works Cited" page or bibliography at the end of the paper (again, follow the formats for the MLA or APA Style Sheets for both lists of works).

A "Works Cited" page includes full bibliographic entries for only those sources actually "cited" (used) in the development of the essay.

A "Bibliography" literally means a "list of books." Today, bibliographies include the full range of both print and electronic media. Some professors will require bibliography pages to be titled appropiately "A Selected Bibliography on (name of topic), noting that most student bibliographies are never meant to be comprehensive.

Go to Exercise 12

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