Here are some examples of MLA in-text citation 

Quoted source material in MLA style

As Carmichael stated, "magazines written for the general public generally have less reliable evidence than scholarly or professional journals" (2). 

OR 

According to Carmichael , "magazines written for the general public generally have less reliable information than scholarly or professional journals" (2). 

Quoted source from a Web page
On The Copyright Web site, Mahoney says, "The Internet has been characterized as the largest threat to copyright since its inception. The Internet is awash in information, a lot of it with varying degrees of copyright protection." <http://www.benedict.com/digital/digital.htm>. 

Be sure you link to the specific page yon which your reference resides.If the electronic source lacks page numbers, use a section name or subtitle name in parentheses.

Paraphrased source in MLA style

Magazines written for a lay audience tend to have less objective information than that found in scholarly publications (Carmichael 2). 
 

NOTE: There are no quotation marks for a paraphrase. In MLA you don't use a "p" before the page number.

It is poor form to begin a paragraph or a sentence with a quotation - letting the source speak for you instead of incorporating the source into your text. For example, here is an example of poor form, which shows no input from the writer of the paper. He or she is just writing what the original author said, without trying to paraphrase the information or, at the very least setting up the quote in context: 

"The proliferation of computer crimes and security breaches on the Internet speaks to the need for a better watchdog system and enforceable legislation on computer crimes." (Jones 82). 

An example of a more graceful form of setting up a quote: 

Because of the significant number of breakdowns in Internet security and other computer crimes, Jones points out that there needs to me "a better watchdog system and enforceable legislation" (82). 

All sources in your research paper, like the examples above, are not only documented in the body of your paper, but must also be listed in the proper format on the references page. 

Use quotes judiciously. Use them only when paraphrasing will make the statement unclear or a kernel of an idea is so perfectly stated that trying to paraphrase in your own words will ruin the impact of the statement. 

Long quotes are indented and should be used sparingly.  Refer to the appropriate style manual for the exact form. 

You want to avoid having a paper that is merely a string of other people's quotations or paraphrases.  You also want to avoid writing a research paper that is only your personal opinion.  A research paper is one in which you use information from sources to back up points you are making on the subject. 

If you are in doubt whether to cite a source or not, always cite.

Remember, all sources have to be documented: text, Internet, graphics, pictures, interviews, etc.

Reference Page Formats
Books, journal, internet sources, etc., are documented differently. Refer to your style guide for the differences.  In APA and MLA style the references are listed alphabetically, in general, according to the last name of the author. In APA the reference page is called "References."  In MLA, the reference page is called "Works Cited."

MLA reference page format for a book
Jones, D. Security in the Internet Age. New York: Langston, 2000. Langston

Explanation of citation format: 
Jones, D. [name of the author] Security in the Internet Age [name of the book is underlined] New York [place of publication] Langston [name of publisher] 2000 [year of publication]

MLA reference page format for a Web page
O'Mahoney, Benedict (No date). "Digital Arts." The Copyright Web Site. Retrieved 6 June 2000. <http://www.benedict.com/digital/digital.htm> 

Explanation of citation format: 
O'Mahoney, Benedict [author, last name first] (No date) [information accessed has no publication date] "Digital Arts." ["page/topic" in Web site] The Copyright Web Site [Name of Web site] Retrieved 6 June 2000.[date retrieved on WWW] <http://www.benedict.com/digital/digital.htm> [Web site address {URL) between brackets]

Different types of written material,  media, and Internet sources have different citation formats.  Refer to a research style guide for the distinctions. For example, for indepth information on research style guides, see: 

• Research Guides for additional resources 
• APA (American Psychological Association) documentation