Double-Check Your Citations

A common mistake in student papers is a "mismatch" between a parenthetical citation in the body of the paper and the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

Here is an example of this mistake.

Jamaica: A Wonderful Vacation Destination "The food in Jamaica is delicious" (Smith). Works Cited "Jamaican Cuisine." Caribbean Travel. 3 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2018. <caribbeantravel.com>.

This example is wrong because if I wanted to look up the source in the parentheses (Smith), how am I supposed to find it if it's listed under "Jamaican Cuisine"?

Remember:

• The thing that goes in the parentheses is the last name of the author you are citing.
• The last name of the author you are citing is also the first thing on your Works Cited page.
• Only if you don't have an author would you put the title of your source in the parentheses. In that case, the first thing on the corresponding entry should also be the title of the article. (And remember, titles always get put within quotation marks).

Here is an example of evidence that is cited correctly. Notice how the citations inside in the parentheses match the first words of the corresponding entries on the Works Cited page.

Jamaica: A Wonderful Vacation Destination "The food in Jamaica is delicious" (Smith). "Jamaica is a safe country" ("How to"). Works Cited "How to Stay Safe on Your Vacation." Travel Magazine. 5 June 2013. Web. 26 May 2018. <travelmag.com>. Smith, Robert. "Jamaican Cuisine." Caribbean Travel. 3 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2018. <caribbeantravel.com>.

 

Also, notice how—in the second parenthetical citation—I shortened the title of the article that I was citing. You are allowed to do this, as long as it does not result in confusion.

1 Count your parenthetical citations. Look through the body of your paper. You should have at least three parenthetical citations, and each of your citations should correspond to an entry on your Works Cited Page. 2 Check for "mismatch" problems. Do the words inside your parenthetical citations "match" the first words of the corresponding entries on your Works Cited page? 3 Check the punctuation of your citations. The final period of your sentence should be placed after your parenthetical citation, like this: According to journalist Al Bundy, "The food is greasy" (Bundy). Block quotes are the exception. For block quotes, the final period comes before the parenthetical citation, like this: According to journalist Al Bundy:   Most cafeteria food is too greasy. It's unhealthy. Greasy foods can cause health problems like obesity and heart disease. Schools should definitely eliminate greasy foods like pizza from the menu. (Jones)   4 Congratulations! You're done with this lesson.