Parenthetical Documentation
A parenthetical citation is used in the text of your paper or project to document when you used another person’s ideas, facts or words.
Author's Name given
Parenthetical citations usually includes the author's last name and a location in the source (page # or paragraph #) to indicate where in the source you found the information. Nonprint source (e.g. web page, film) don't have page #'s, so you can skip them. You can add paragraph #'s from web pages.
Example:
One of the arguments against genetic engineering of human beings is that the effects might not be known for one or two generations (Resnik 963-64).
Citation from Works Cited List:
Resnik, David B. "Genetic Engineering, Human." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen G. Post. 3rd ed.
Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 959-966. Print.
One of the arguments against genetic engineering of human beings is that the effects might not be known for one or two generations (Resnik 963-64).
Citation from Works Cited List:
Resnik, David B. "Genetic Engineering, Human." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen G. Post. 3rd ed.
Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 959-966. Print.
No Author Name Given
Use a shortened version of the title; if the title is already pretty short, use the full title.
Example:
When the first colonists first arrived in America, they found that Native Americans had a much more democratic system of government than they were used to in Europe (“Native Americans”).
Citation from Works Cited List:
“Native Americans and the Europeans (Overview).” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web.
5 Dec. 2011. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/>.
When the first colonists first arrived in America, they found that Native Americans had a much more democratic system of government than they were used to in Europe (“Native Americans”).
Citation from Works Cited List:
“Native Americans and the Europeans (Overview).” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web.
5 Dec. 2011. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/>.