How To Make the Parenthetical References

To refer to a source included in the Works Cited list, use a parenthetical reference or citation, e.g. (Hemingway 92) within the text of the research paper immediately following the cited or summarized material. Usually, a parenthetical reference uses the author’s last name (and the page number if the source was printed/published, not from computer sources) where the quote was found. Database or website sources do not need a page in the parenthetical reference. A typical in-text sentence where quoted material needs to be cross-referenced to the Works Cited list might look like:

According to the author, “Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Hemingway 92).

Note: If the cited material does not begin with the actual beginning of a sentence, the quoted material might look like this:

Benson shows in her analysis that “blah, blah, blah” (4).

Note: If Benson is used in the lead-in or signal phrase, and is from a website or database source, no parenthetical reference is needed to identify the source further. It will look like this:

Benson argued on her website that “blah, blah, blah.”

Sample parenthetical formats used in a research paper where a quotation is used for the sample Works Cited entries shown on page 3 might be:

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Ehrenreich, Nickle 67).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Ehrenreich, “Will Women”).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (“Financial” 6).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Hemingway 92).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Smith ).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (Specter).

“Blah, blah, blah, blah” (United States 121).

MLA Documentation Guidelines
English Department

Page maintained by : Marla DeSoto
Last edited: 4/4/2006