Answers

There are no set rules for how many in-text citations should appear in your paragraphs.

Generally speaking, the introduction and conclusion tend not to have in-text citations (unless you have a literature review in your introduction), as the introduction provides an overview of your assignment and its argument and the conclusion provide a summary of your assignment.

When it comes to the main body of your assignment, some lecturers, especially at foundation, recommend at least one in-text citation per paragraph.

The citation should be placed immediately after the idea you are using from a source (you don't need to leave the citation for the end of the paragraph).

But as you advance in your studies, you will want to use more to show your ability to think critically.

One of the key skills of critical thinking is synthesis. This is the linking together of different scholars' ideas to create a new understanding of a topic. To do this effectively, you will need multiple in-text citations in a paragraph.

Watch this short video to get an idea of what writing with multiple sources in a paragraph can look like:

If you would like more help understanding how to use citations or write critically, book an appointment with an Academic Skills Tutor or email our team at AcademicSkills@arden.ac.uk