MLA Style Guide, 9th Edition: In-text Citations

What are in-text citations?  

Think of it as a Google map pin.  You are marking a spot in your paper to lead the reader back to the citation on a Works Cited.  

MLA uses parenthetical citations to identify the source and if available the specific location (page number) from which you used information, either by integrating a quote, paraphrasing, or summarizing.   

Place the parenthetical reference where a natural pause would occur, as near as possible to the material documented. In-text citations are typically placed at the end of a quote, sentence, or paragraph.

Google Maps Pin. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 22 Oct 2018. 
quest.eb.com/search/315_2831873/1/315_2831873/cite. Accessed 6 Dec 2018.