In-text citations pinpoint the exact moment when you are making reference to the work of others. It may be a passing comment on a general theory or a specific quote, directly citing their exact words. Different referencing styles require you to make in-text citations in different ways. Remember to check which referencing style you are expected to use in your department.

If you are using Harvard, MLA or APA, in-text citations appear in brackets. You include the author, date (apart from MLA), and page numbers, if you are using them. Here are two different ways of making an in-text citation in the Harvard style:

• It has been noted by Smith (2005, p.38) that of the four contributory factors, the most important is...
• "Of the four factors that contributed to this, the latter must be considered the most important" (Smith, 2005, p.38).

If you are using MHRA, your reference will appear in a footnote. This means that the book or journal article details appear at the foot of the page on which the citation was made. A small, superscript number is used to link this footnote to the exact point in the text where it is relevant. Here is an example in-text reference using MHRA :

• It has been noted by Smith¹ that of the four contributory factors, the most important is...
• "Of the four factors that contributed to this situation, the latter must be considered the most important"¹.

The full reference to Smith including the year, title, place of publication and publisher (if a book) appear in the footer.

Vancouver also uses an in-text numbered system, but instead of footnotes, the references are listed in numerical order at the end of the document. Most other bibliographies or lists of references are in alphabetical order. Read the next page to find out more.

With thanks to:

Anna (Human, Social, and Political Sciences)

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