Appropriate level of citation Instead, when paraphrasing a key point in more than one sentence within a paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged.
The best way to solve this problem and still make your paper easy to read is to use a lead-in referring to your source at the beginning of a sentence or at the start of the paragraph (signal phrase). You can alternate this with putting the in-text cite in parentheses at the end of other sentences or the paragraph.
Where multiple consecutive sentences use information from the same single source, it is not necessary to provide a citation after each of the sentences. It is sufficient to place a citation at the end of the consecutive sentences, or a paragraph, to cover the citable information in the preceding text.
Solution: Use a lead-in at the beginning of your paragraph. Basically, introduce the source you are summarizing or paraphrasing at the beginning of the paragraph. Then, refer back to the source when needed to ensure your reader understands you are still using the same source.
When making reference to the same source for a second or further time in your work, there is no need to repeat the reference in full. It is best to use the shortest form of reference that will still allow a reader to find the source.
Instead, when paraphrasing a key point in more than one sentence within a paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged.
The rule of thumb is to cite the very first sentence, make it clear you are still talking about the same work in your subsequent sentences (for example, "The study noted that..."), and then confirm you are still talking about the work by including another citation at the end (if this has continued for several sentences ...
When incorporating in-text citations into a document, it is common to reference the same source multiple times in a single paragraph. Use the following tips to reference the source, avoid plagiarism, and improve the quality of your writing.
When citing multiple works parenthetically, place the citations in alphabetical order, separating them with semicolons. Arrange two or more works by the same authors by year of publication. Place citations with no date first. Then, order works with dates in chronological order.
If you are paraphrasing from one source throughout a paragraph, don't worry about putting a citation after every sentence. Putting a citation at the end of the paragraph is fine (there should be at least one citation at the end of each paragraph if the material is paraphrased).
For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing.
When paraphrasing or summarising using one source over several sentences or even a whole paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence. There is no need to cite the work again in this paragraph provided it is clear that this is the only source being paraphrased.
When citing multiple works parenthetically, place the citations in alphabetical order, separating them with semicolons. Arrange two or more works by the same authors by year of publication. Place citations with no date first, followed by works with dates in chronological order.
For quotations that continue for several sentences, all the sentences should be enclosed within a single set of quotation marks. She said: “I did not see the car when I stepped out onto the street. But when I saw the headlights coming at me, I knew it was going to hit me.”
If you're using information from a single source more than once in a row (with no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. The first time you use information from the source, use a full in-text citation. The second time, you only need to give the page number.
Multiple In-Text Citations
When multiple studies support what you have to say, you can include multiple citations inside the same set of parentheses. Within parentheses, alphabetize the studies as they would appear in the reference list and separate them by semicolons.
The MLA Style Center
If you continue to cite the same source in subsequent paragraphs and no other source intervenes, you do not need to identify the source again unless ambiguity would result.
You should provide an in-text citation whenever you quote, paraphrase or summarize research and ideas that are not your own. This may include theories, best practice guidelines, and of course, statistics. You should also cite whenever you present a fact that is not common knowledge.
You could quote a block literally and cite once. You could then use your own words to summarize if you think it needed. This separates your words from the original. For long runs of literal citations you could use indented blocks and block shading/coloring (if allowed) rather than just quote marks.
The in-text reference is placed within the first sentence, and the writer must make sure that the reader understands that the subsequent sentences, too, are connected with the same in-text reference.
Yes, you can abbreviate the subsequent citations of the source. If the subsequent citation is in the footnote immediately following the full citation, you can use 'ibid'.
Citing Multiple Sources in the Same Parentheses
To do that, just include each set of authors and dates in your parentheses, in the same order they appear in your reference list (i.e. alphabetically), and separated by semicolons.