CJS1070 Criminal Courts (Sabot): MLA and Citation

When credit is given for a direct quote, the quotation marks are closed and the parenthesis is opened, but the endmark is saved and placed after the closed parenthesis.

Example: 

• "The earliest known writing, alphabets, and arithmetical systems, dating from about 3,000 B.C., are devoted to grain transactions. The culture of the fields made possible the culture of the mind" (Jones 116).

• As Jones stated, "The earliest known writing, alphabets, and arithmetical systems, dating from about 3,000 B.C., are devoted to grain transactions. The culture of the fields made possible the culture of the mind" (116).

Example:

According to Civitello:

New Orleans, however, was not a disappointment. Its Creole cuisine—ruling class French and Spanish cuisine prepared by African cooks, with some Native American elements—is unique in America. A prime example of this fusion food is gumbo, a sausage and seafood stew. The word is African and so is the use of okra—an African word for an African vegetable—as a thickener. But the roux base is French, the combination of sausage and seafood is southern Mediterranean, like French bouillabaisse, and the seasoning is file—powdered sassafras leaves obtained from Native Americans. (199)

If 2 or more sources by the same author are listed on the works cited page, the reader must be told to which book or article the text refers. This is done by including a key word from the title of the book or article in the parenthesis. (Note: Proper marking to designate the type of source must be included, e.g. italics or quotes).

Assume that the paper used information from two sources by Christopher Johnson. The first book is entitled Menus Reflecting a Culture or Tradition, and the material noted is from page 10 of this book. The second is from an article entitled "Menus Around the World," and the material noted is from page 65.

Examples:

• When people are on vacation, they enjoy meals which reflect a particular culture or tradition (Johnson, Reflecting 10).

• When planning a party, it is a great idea to have a theme. A wonderful idea is to choose a country and make foods which are served in that country (Johnson, "World" 65).

*Note: Menus would not be the word to choose since it appears in both titles.*

Examples:

• "Workforce diversity requires employers to be more sensitive to the differences that each group brings to the work setting" (DeCenzo and Robbins 15).

• DeCenzo and Robbins state "workforce diversity requires employers to be more sensitive to the differences that each group brings to the work setting" (15).

If more than 2 people have authored the book or article, the first author's last name, a comma, and the words et al. are used.

Assume the book is authored by Eleanor Pitney, Eva Cocchi, Sharon Rady, and Doryce Kilguss, and the idea expressed is taken from page 3 of their book.

Examples:

• Carbohydrate, fat and protein are the three classes of organic nutrients which provide energy the body can use (Pitney, et al. 3).
• Pitney, et al. noted that carbohydrate, fat and protein are the three classes of organic nutrients which provide energy the body can use (3).

• If Raymond Johnson is quoted in the article by Elliot (refer to works cited entry for the citation), the parenthetical documentation would read:

​     Johnson stated, "It is always necessary to choose a panel of judges that mirrors the target market" (qtd. in Elliot 12).

If there is no author/s given, use the first item listed in the works cited citation. Usually this will be the title of the article or section in quotation marks. (This is why it is very important to create a correct works cited before deciding what must be put in the in-text documentation!) 

Assume an article entitled "Problems with Plagiarism" has no author. Place a key word from the title in parenthesis OR begin your sentence with reference to the title of the article and end with the page number in parenthesis.

*Note: The key word chosen must be used consistently for any in-text citations using the same article, and the key word must distinguish that title from other similar titles.*

Examples:

• In order to avoid plagiarism, students must document their sources correctly or face serious consequences ("Plagiarism" 5).

• The article entitled "Problems with Plagiarism" states, students must document their sources correctly or face serious consequences (5).