in-text citation
/ɪn tɛkst saɪˈteɪʃən/
Meaning
An in-text citation is a brief reference within the body of an academic paper that directs readers to the full source on the bibliography page. It typically includes the author's last name and the year of publication or page number, enclosed in parentheses. Using them correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism.
Examples
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Every direct quote in your research paper must be followed by an in-text citation.
Every direct quote in your research paper must be followed by an in-text citation.
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APA style requires an in-text citation to include the author's last name and publication year.
APA style requires an in-text citation to include the author's last name and publication year.
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If you paraphrase an idea, you still need to provide an in-text citation.
If you paraphrase an idea, you still need to provide an in-text citation.
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I forgot to include the page number in my in-text citation, so I lost a few points.
I forgot to include the page number in my in-text citation, so I lost a few points.
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The editor pointed out that my in-text citation format was inconsistent throughout the chapter.
The editor pointed out that my in-text citation format was inconsistent throughout the chapter.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I wrote an inside-text citation for the article.
✓ I wrote an in-text citation for the article.
The correct academic term is 'in-text citation', not 'inside-text' or 'inner-text'.
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✗ You must put the in-text citation after the period.
✓ You must put the in-text citation before the period.
In standard academic styles like APA and MLA, the in-text citation goes before the closing punctuation of the sentence.
Related Expressions
Practice
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When quoting a source directly, always include an ___ with the page number.
💡 A short reference inside the main body of your text.
Show answer
in-text citation
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The professor checked if each ___ matched an entry in the bibliography.
💡 The brief source credit embedded in the sentence.
Show answer
in-text citation