I’m writing a paper (MLA style guidelines apply) and I have two consecutive sentences, both needing a citation that are from the same source and same page. This site encourages me to do a full cite at the end of the first sentence, and just a page number for the second sentence. Does this same advice apply if the page numbers are also the same?
Furthermore, I could have sworn I remember a formatting guideline where you just put a citation at the end of the second sentence, but there’s a good possibility I made this rule up in my head. Anyone have some clarification?
Is there quoted matter in both sentences, or paraphrased material in indirect quotations, or a mix of each?
If it’s the first, then it’s pretty clear what the number in the second in-text citation refers to. If they’re both paraphrases, I would probably throw in the author’s name, too, on the second one just to be clear. Remember that too much information is not incorrect, at least not on the same scale as providing inadequate citation information, which can often look like plagiarism. Worse come to worst, your instructor will just tell you that the author’s name was excessive, or inelegant, but you’ll be in no trouble.
Also you should be providing a signal phrase which should indicate where paraphrased material comes from; if your context doesn’t make it crystal clear that you’re referring to someone’s work, the signal phrase should show exactly what you’re taking from that author.
I was always told, but not authoritatively, that one should provide enough information to unambiguously resolve the information. But this thread does make me wonder what would count here. Do we expect the person to be reading the entire paragraph? The section? Only the immediately preceding sentence?
I don’t have a physical copy of a style guide available for this.
You were instructed by someone who split an infinitive?
Just kidding. I think the assumption is that the reader is reading the chapter, at least. If you’re writing a college assignment, then the presumption is that the paper is the unit. To clarify ambiguities, each sentence should make clear where its references come from. If BrandonR had only the second sentence sourced, then it’s possible the reader would think that the first had contained only original material, which isn’t the case, so he needs to source that, even though the in-text citation after the second sentence could be claimed to cover both sentences.