In Text Citations

Before we begin

•How many sources do you need to use in your paper? 5 minimum

•How many “quotes” do you need 7 (this can include paraphrasing and summary

as well) minimum

Quotes•Use quotes when you need them If you use information you didn’t know, you must

CITE IT

•Be sure to USE them (don’t just throw them out there and walk away)

•Use the kind that work best at that moment: direct quote, condensed quote Summary/paraphrase

Option 1: Citing Direct QuotationsHere’s the source citation:

"Veteran Homelessness Facts." Homes through Community Partnership in Austin, Texas. Green Doors, Web. 06 Jan. 2014.

Veterans are 50% more likely to become homeless than other Americans due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

• I want the whole quote. What do I do?

It should look like this

“Veterans are 50% more likely to become homeless than other Americans due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing” (“Veterans”).

•Add quotation marks around it

•Add parenthesis

•Add first word from the citation (and put that into quotes if needed)

•If it were from a book, you’d add page numbers

Using direct quotations

Quotes are like a jealous girlfriend:

•Don’t forget to introduce her• Remember to always introduce your quotation

before you state it (who said the information, where did it come from, etc.)

• Avoid beginning body paragraphs with quotes

•Don’t lie about her • don’t claim words that aren’t your own= plagiarism

•Don’t leave her behind• Be sure you explain each quote you use

• Avoid ending body paragraphs with quotes

Option 2: Condensing a quoteSometimes you want parts of a long quote, but

don’t need all of it. In that case, condense the quote

•Start it where you need it: You can start and end where you like—as long as you maintain the integrity of the sentence

• End it where you need it

•Eliminate the middle: use an ellipses …

NEVER put an ellipses at the beginning or end of a quote—just isn’t needed

Condensing a quote1. Select the section/s you want to use

Each year, VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans. Additionally, more than 40,000 homeless veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.

Since 1987, VA’s programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. VA, using its own resources or in partnerships with others, has secured nearly 15,000 residential rehabilitative and transitional beds and more than 30,000 permanent beds for homeless veterans throughout the nation. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by 70% since 2005. 

2. Put the pieces together to make sure they flow/make sense

1. if not, use a bracket to enhance clarity [sic]

3. Add the citation: “National”

"National Coalition for Homeless Veterans." National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.

The obvious question becomes, what is Veterans Affairs (VA) doing about this problem? As it turns out, they have not be idle:

VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans… Since 1987, VA’s programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis…These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by 70% since 2005. (“National”)

Notice: because this is a quote LONGER than 4 lines, I had to use a block quote format (no quotation marks, tab each line over .5, citation after the period

Option 3: Paraphrasing a source

• What if I didn’t really want to use a super long quote (like the last one) but just wanted to put the ideas into my own words?• PARAPHRASE

• If you are paraphrasing information from ONE source and it takes up just a sentence, just it at the end of that sentence

• If it takes up most of a paragraph, put the citation at the end of the paragraph after the period in the last sentence.

• For this source: I need to paraphrase because it is so long, and also, the information isn’t in the order I want

Paraphrasing one sourceOriginal source: Each year, VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans. Additionally, more than 40,000 homeless veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.

Since 1987, VA’s programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. VA, using its own resources or in partnerships with others, has secured nearly 15,000 residential rehabilitative and transitional beds and more than 30,000 permanent beds for homeless veterans throughout the nation. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by 70% since 2005. 

My paragraph: Veterans Affairs has not been idle in their attempts to be sure that veterans, especially those of foreign wars, are cared for when they return from combat. Since 1987 the VA has used its resources to support veterans in crisis. These efforts have included securing 15,000 rehabilitative beds and 30,000 permanent beds for homeless veterans in an effort to support those who are already homeless. In order to try to prevent homelessness, 40,000 receive compensation or pension benefits each month. The results of that effort have reduced the number of homelessness among veterans since 2005. (“National”)

Hints• Put the period after the parenthesis for direct quotes

• Citation always goes at the end of the sentence in which the quote appears

• If it is a summary or a long quote, the citation goes at the end, after the period

• Cite everything cite what you were not born knowing or that you did

not come up with on your own

• Write your Works Consulted first—that will tell you what word to use in the in-text citation

use the author’s last name or the 1st unique word in the citation