Chapter 4: In-Text Citation

This chapter will explain how to cite a source material in one’s writing. In-text citations are very important in order to avoid plagiarism and using them correctly is equally important. Incorrect use of in-text citations can lead to unintentional plagiarism.

There are two different ways of incorporating information taken from source materials into one’s writing: quotation and paraphrasing. Regardless of whether text is quoted or paraphrased, both an in-text citation and a corresponding reference are needed. However, the information required in the in-text citation sometimes differs between quoted and paraphrased information.

Quotation is when words are taken from a source material and copied directly into one’s writing. When a writer has done this, it is indicated by quotation marks around the copied words. Be careful not to use quotation too much in your writing because it can be difficult to follow writing that contains too many quotations. The following are some examples of quotation: