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Business Citation Guide: In-Text Citations

This guide provides examples for citing business resources in APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles.

Parenthetical and Narrative In-Text Citations

You need to include in-text citations in the body of your paper or assignment to show your reader (i.e. your professor) which information sources you used to build your arguments.

There are two types of in-text citations:

  • Parenthetical In-Text Citations: The author's last name and page number appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence:
    • Example: (Toft 47)
    • Note: For some format types, you may have to use the title of the source and page numbers may not be available.
  • Narrative In-Text Citations: The author's last name is incorporated into the body of the sentence, while the page number appears in parentheses:
    • Example: Toft notes that MLA citation style can be challenging for students to learn during their first year of university (47).
    • Note: For some format types, you may have to use the title of the source and page numbers may not be available.

In-Text Citation Examples

Example Type Parenthetical Example Narrative Example
One Author

(Vidal-Salazar 24)

Note: Only the author's surname is used.

First Use:

Thomas Vidal-Salazar explores how...(24).

Subsequent Uses:

Vidal-Salazar discusses the...(36).

Note: The full name of the author is included in the first mention. The author's surname is used for all subsequent uses.

Two Authors

(Vidal-Salazar and Ross 78)

Note: Only the authors' surnames are used.

First Use:

Thomas Vidal-Salazar and Emily Ross explore how...(24).

Subsequent Uses:

Vidal-Salazar and Ross discuss...(36).

Note: The full name of the author is included in the first mention. The author's surname is used for all subsequent uses.

Three or More Authors

(Vidal-Salazar et al. 83)

Note: Use the first author's last name and et al. to represent the other authors.

Option 1: List all of the authors names.

  • First Use: Thomas Vidal-Salazar, Emily Ross, and Anna Fergus explore how...(24).
  • Subsequent Uses: Vidal-Salazar, Ross, and Fergus discuss...(36).

Option 2: Use the first author's name followed by 'and others' or 'and colleagues'.

  • First Use: Thomas Vidal-Salazar and colleagues explore how...(24).
  • Subsequent Uses: Vidal-Salazar and others discuss...(36).
Two or More Works by Same Author

Note: Use the work's title in the in-text citation to differentiate it. The title can be shortened.

Example 1:

(Vidal-Salazar, "Citation Basics" 23)

Example 2:

(Vidal-Salazar, "Changes in MLA" 16)

Note: You can use the author's name in the sentence and have the shortened title of the work and page number in parentheses. Or you can use the author's name and shortened title of the work in the sentence and have the page number in parentheses.

Example 1:  Author's Name in Sentence

Vidal-Salazar shows how...("Citation Basics" 23).

Example 2: Author's Name and Shortened Title of Work in Sentence

In "Citation Basics", Vidal-Salazar shows how...(23).


Review section 6.3-6.30: In-Text Citations: What to Include and How to Style It in the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition for additional in-text examples.

Example Type Parenthetical Example Narrative Example

Corporate Author

Note: Shorten the corporate author's name to the shortest noun phrase. Usually you would give the first noun and any preceding adjectives, while excluding articles (i.e. a, the, an).

Example 1: The corporate author is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

  • (Intergovernmental Panel 37)

The shortest noun phrase is Intergovernmental Panel.

Example 2: The corporate author is the Mining Association of Canada.

  • (Mining Association 82)

The shortest noun phrase is Mining Association.

Note: The full association name is used in narrative in-text citations.

Example 1:

  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that...(37).

Example 2:

  • The Mining Association of Canada developed...(23-30).
Two or More Works by the Same Corporate Author

Note: Use the work's title in the in-text citation to differentiate it. The title can be shortened.

Example 1:

(Barrick Gold Corporation, "Annual Report 2020" 24)

Example 2:

(Barrick Gold Corporation, "Q4 2021" 4)

Note: You can use the author's name in the sentence and have the shortened title of the work and page number in parentheses. Or you can use the author's name and shortened title of the work in the sentence and have the page number in parentheses.

Example 1: Author's Name in Sentence

Barrick Gold Corporation shows how...("Annual Report 2020" 24).

Example 2: Author's Name and Shortened Title of Work in Sentence

Barrick Gold Corporation's "Annual Report 2020" shows...(24)

Review section 6.3-6.30: In-Text Citations: What to Include and How to Style It in the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition for additional in-text examples.

Example Type Parenthetical Example Narrative Example

No Author

Note: Use a shortened version of the title if there is no author information. Include page numbers is they are available.

Example: Book

(Interpersonal Skills 23)

Example: Article

("Business Research Basics" 2)

Note: Use a shortened version of the title if there is no author information. Include page numbers at the end of the sentence in parentheses if they are available.

Example: Book

Interpersonal Skills discusses how...(23).

Example: Article

"Business Research Basics" shows how...(2).

One Page Works

Note: When a page is only 1 page long, do not include page numbers in your in-text citation.

Example:

(An)

Note: The MLA 9th edition recommends including the information as a parenthetical quotation.

No Page Numbers

Note: Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.

Example:

(Vidal-Salazar)

Note: Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.

Example:

Vidal-Salazar discusses how...


Review section 6.3-6.30: In-Text Citations: What to Include and How to Style It in the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition for additional in-text examples.

Example Type Parenthetical Example Narrative Example

Video with an Author

Note: Cite the relevant hour, minute and seconds as displayed in your media player. 

(Author's Last Name Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

Example:

(Ross 00:1:15-00:12:24)

Note: Cite the relevant hour, minute and seconds as displayed in your media player. 

Ross shows how...(00:1:15-00:12:24).

Video with no Author

Note: Cite the relevant hour, minute and seconds as displayed in your media player. 

("Shortened Title" Start Time of Relevant Section-End Time of Section)

Example:

("P-E Ratio" 00:00:34-00:2:53)

Note: Cite the relevant hour, minute and seconds as displayed in your media player. 

"P-E Ratio" illustrates how...(00:00:34-00:2:53).

 


Review section 6.3-6.30: In-Text Citations: What to Include and How to Style It in the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition for additional in-text examples.