Parenthetical References (In-Text Citations)
These are references in the body of the paper that document quotations, paraphrases, and the direct use of information and ideas. They are used instead of footnotes or endnotes. References appear in parentheses within the text of the essay.
The parenthetical references correspond to the list of works cited. In other words, the information given in the parenthetical reference should make it absolutely clear to the reader which source is being referred to in your list of Works Cited.
If your Works Cited includes only one title by a particular author or editor, you only need to place the author’s last name and the relevant page number(s) without any intervening punctuation in your parenthetical reference.
Keep the references in parentheses as brief as possible. If you mention the author’s name or the title of the source in your text, then you do not include that information in the parenthetical reference.