Mla citation within essay
In academic writing, it is necessary to document sources properly or risk plagiarism. MLA (Modern Language Association) citation format is one of the most common citation styles used in academic texts. When including a citation within an essay or assignment, it is important to follow MLA guidelines.
Citing a source in an essay requires providing both in-text citations and a reference list. An in-text citation should be included whenever you cite a source directly, give an idea that originated from a source, or quote from a source. This can be done by using the authors name in the sentence and providing the page number. For example, Smith (2015) argues that. The page number should be included in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
When completing the reference list at the end of the paper, all in-text citations should be included. The reference list should be organized alphabetically by authors last name and include all of the necessary information for the source. This includes the authors name and initials, year of publication, title of article or book, place of publication, publisher and page numbers.
Also important to note is the punctuation used when citing sources in MLA format. A comma should be used between the authors name and the next element of the citation (year of publication). In addition, a period should be used after each element of the citation, except for the last one.
Following these MLA guidelines not only helps avoid plagiarism, but also makes it easier for readers to find your sources. Remember to use in-text citations whenever you include information from sources and create a reference list at the end of your essay or assignment.