Citation and Referencing Practice Questions

Correct answer: MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is the standard format used within the humanities, particularly in literary scholarship. APA style is a tempting distractor because it is also widely used, but it is tailored for the social sciences.

Correct answer: Author's surname and the page number

MLA style uses an author-page parenthetical system (e.g., Smith 42). Including the publication year is the standard rule for APA style, making it a common distractor for students.

Correct answer: In the exact same place as before

'Ibid.' stands for ibidem, meaning 'in the same place,' and is used to refer to the single source cited immediately above. 'In the work cited' refers to op. cit., which serves as a highly tempting alternative distractor.

Correct answer: Set in italics with title case styling

Titles of larger works and containers like journals or books must be italicized under MLA guidelines. Quotation marks are used for shorter works contained within them, such as individual essay or article titles.

Correct answer: et al.

MLA requires using the first author's name followed by the Latin abbreviation 'et al.' (meaning 'and others'). The phrase 'and others' is the English equivalent but is incorrect because the style manual explicitly mandates the Latin form.

Correct answer: The point is found throughout the text

'Passim' indicates that a particular concept, term, or argument occurs frequently throughout the cited work. It is distinct from works lacking page numbers, which are typically designated by 'n. pag.' or similar markers.

Correct answer: op. cit.

'Op. cit.' stands for opere citato, meaning 'in the work cited,' used with the author's name for non-consecutive citations. 'Ibid.' is incorrect because it can only be used when the source immediately precedes the new note.

Correct answer: Rewriting an author's argument without credit

Paraphrasing someone else's unique argument or syntax structure without an in-text citation constitutes plagiarism. Providing a citation makes the paraphrase legitimate, which rules out the first distractor option.

Correct answer: Works Cited

MLA explicitly designates the final page of documentation as 'Works Cited.' 'References' is a highly tempting distractor because it is the standard label used under APA style rules.

Correct answer: Alphabetically by the author's surname

Works Cited entries are arranged alphabetically by the first word, usually the author's last name. Chronological sequencing is incorrect, though it is used within specific author subsets in some styles.

Correct answer: A permanent, stable link to the article

A DOI is a persistent identifier string that provides a permanent link to the location of a digital object on the internet. URLs can change over time, which makes the DOI superior and preferred in modern referencing.

Correct answer: As a free-standing block indent format

Long prose quotations must be formatted as a block text, indented half an inch from the left margin, without quotation marks. Retaining quotation marks in line is the rule for short quotes, making it a strong distractor.

Correct answer: An anthology containing multiple plays

An anthology functions as a container because it holds individual shorter works like plays or poems. The poem title itself is the source element being contained, making it a highly plausible distractor.

Correct answer: To invite the reader to compare sources

'Cf.' stands for confer, translating to 'compare' or 'consult,' used to offer a point of comparison. It does not mean text has been deleted, which is instead indicated by an ellipsis (...).

Correct answer: Using a shortened version of the title

When a source has no author, the citation uses the title (or a shortened version of it) inside parentheses. 'Anonymous' is only used if the book explicitly publishes the author's name as 'Anonymous'.

Correct answer: It should be italicized as a long poem

Because 'The Waste Land' was published as an independent book-length poem, it is italicized. Short lyric poems are put in quotation marks, which is a common point of confusion for students.

Correct answer: Citing a source that is quoted in another

A secondary citation involves referencing a work that you have only read about or seen quoted within another source. While valid via 'qtd. in', researchers are encouraged to locate the original text directly.

Correct answer: The publisher, place, and release date

The imprint consists of the publication details typically found at the bottom of a title page. Font layout falls under typography or design history rather than bibliographic publication data.

Correct answer: Before the closing punctuation mark

The parenthetical citation should appear before the terminal punctuation mark of the sentence (e.g., ...words" (Smith 12).). Placing it after the period is a common student error.

Correct answer: The researcher added or altered words

Brackets are used to indicate neat clarifications or editorial alterations made to a quotation by the researcher. Typos present in the original text are denoted using the term `[sic]`, which acts as a close distractor.