Does including a first initial with a last name affect the order of names in a parenthetical citation?

No. When more than one name appears in a parenthetical citation, the order of those names should correspond to the quotations that precede the citation. Read More

Should I include a time stamp for time-based media when I am paraphrasing rather than quoting?

The MLA recommends making your citations useful to your reader. A time stamp could help your reader locate the scene in a movie, video, or… Read More

Distinguishing Paraphrasing from Patchwriting

by Ted Roggenbuck, Emma Slotterback, and Morgan Mickavicz

A lesson on paraphrasing Read More

How do I make clear that a paraphrase is on the same page as a quotation I’ve given in the previous sentence?

The MLA Handbook (3.5) provides techniques for making citations more concise when a source is used more than once in succession. But it notes that you should… Read More

If I paraphrase information from a source and then refer to that information again later in my paper, do I need to credit the source again?

If you paraphrase information from a source and cite that source appropriately, you do not need to cite subsequent references to that information. For example,… Read More

Should I create an entry for an e-mail conversation?

How you cite e-mail messages depends on how you are using them in your work.  If you refer generally to a series of e-mail exchanges… Read More

If more than one source for a paraphrased idea is cited in a parenthetical citation, in what order do I list the sources?

If you paraphrase a single idea from more than one source and the sources are equally important, the order in which you list them is… Read More

If I cite a work that has no page numbers and I give the author’s name at the beginning of my sentence, how does the reader know where the author’s idea ends, since there is no parenthetical citation?

As the MLA Handbook notes, when you borrow an idea from a source, “it is important to signal at the end . . . that you are… Read More

How do I cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence?

If you need to cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence, you may provide the page numbers at the end… Read More

If I paraphrase a source that mentions other sources, which one do I cite?

You should consult an original source whenever possible. If, however, you paraphrase a source you did not personally consult, indicate this for your reader. Paraphrasing… Read More