7

I've always been confused when citing like:

"The windows misted over from the heat and the smoke inside.” (Hemingway 1)

Does the period go inside the quotes (as above)? Or after the citation (as below)?

"The windows misted over from the heat and the smoke inside” (Hemingway 1).

6
  • 1
    I suggest you check out EasyBib.com. I used it extensively when I was in school and it is super handy. You can either give it a URL, ISBN #, or just fill in the relevant details in a form and it will automatically generate a properly formatted citation in a number of different styles, including MLA.
    – JohnFx
    Aug 23, 2010 at 18:10
  • I also found that using a program like Zotero was a very effective way to organize my sources. Once you download the plugin or standalone, and you get the extension for your browser, you can download the data you need for your citation by using a little link in the corner of your browser. You can then choose a source and create a citation or a bibliography (from a number of sources) and paste it into your essay. It works with many types of citation styles such as MLA, Chicago, and AAA, among others.
    – user54711
    Oct 23, 2013 at 4:30
  • 3
    This may be more appropriate on Writing
    – Kris
    Dec 12, 2013 at 12:50
  • 1
    Migrate to academia.stackexchange.com ?
    – A E
    Nov 29, 2014 at 18:41
  • @AE Punctuation and style guide info is very much on topic here at ELU.
    – Mitch
    Nov 30, 2014 at 16:55

3 Answers 3

13

The second is correct, the period goes after the citation. For example:

(Rowling 8).

2

"The period goes after the complete citation because the citation is considered part of the sentence" (me 34).

-2

The period goes at the end of the whole sentence, including the page number, otherwise you would be giving the page number its own sentence. :/

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  • 2
    Welcome to the site, ajit - generally, if the question already has an accepted answer, there is no point giving the same answer. Instead, why not upvote the existing answer?
    – Rory Alsop
    Dec 12, 2013 at 9:47
  • "Instead, why not upvote the existing answer?" --- Because ajit's hoping to get some reputation out of this answer. (Not saying it is okay to do so...)
    – Daniel
    Feb 1, 2017 at 17:05

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