mla format of journal article

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

• Introduction to MLA Style
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• 9th Edition Updates
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Basic style for citations of electronic sources (including online databases), journal article from library database with doi or a url, journal article in print.

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• ​Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.
• “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed)—While not required, it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.
• Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database (italicized) before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

The eighth edition of the MLA Handbook does not require that you include a date of access—the date on which you consulted a work—when you cite an online work from a reliable, stable source. However, you may include an access date as an optional element if it will be useful to others. (See the MLA Handbook, eighth edition, pp. 50–53, for more on optional elements.)

Including an access date for an online work may be especially useful if the work lacks a publication date or if you suspect that the work may be altered or removed, which is more common with informal or self-published works. Place the access date at the end of the entry.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  N ame of Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/ Permalink . 

Works Cited List Example:

Cardanay, Audrey. “Illustrating Motion, Music, and Story.” General Music Today, vol. 29, no. 3, 2016, pp. 25-29. Academic Search Premier , doi:10.1177/1048371315626498.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: ( Cardanay  444)

Two Authors

First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database ,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink.

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.”  Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR , doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1.

(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Best and Marcus 18)

Three or More Authors

For sources with three or more authors, list only the first author’s name followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for “and others”)

First Author's Last Name, First Name et al. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink. 

Isaac, Kathleen et al. "Incorporating Spirituality in Primary Care." Journal of Religion and Health , vol. 55, no. 3, 2016, pp. 1065-77. ATLA Religion Database , login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=114118885&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Isaac et al. 1067)

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  

Poythress, Vern S. "Rain Water Versus a Heavenly Sea in Genesis 1:6-8." The Westminster Theological Journal, vol. 77, no. 2, 2015, pp. 181-91.

Example: (Poythress 183)

• << Previous: How to Cite: Common Sources
• Next: Magazine/Newspaper Articles >>
• Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 3:07 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/mla

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Journal Article Citation

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

This page is a how-to guide for using scholarly journals as sources and citing them correctly in your papers. Academic journals publish scholarly, peer-reviewed articles written by experts in a specific field. This guide will help you understand what journals are and why they are valuable for your research.

Quickly cite a journal article by using our online form here .

Citing a journal article in mla:, the importance of peer-reviewed academic journals, how journals are organized, where to find journal articles.

• In-text citations
• Works cited references
• Citation with one author
• Citation with two authors
• Citation with three or more authors
• Citation with no known author
• Citation Structures and Examples: Web
• Citation Structures and Examples: Print

Our guide will show you how to cite the journal article both in the text and in the Works Cited page following the guidelines of the Modern Language Association Handbook, 9th Edition.

What is an Academic Journal?

Academic or scholarly journals are periodicals published by universities and other research organizations to present the findings of original research conducted in a particular field. These journals contain highly specific knowledge and are written by experts in that field.

Journals are different from other periodicals such as newspapers or magazines, which cover a broad range of topics and are written in easy to read prose.

Because  journals are written by experts for other experts, they can be difficult to read. The writers often use jargon and other complex language that students may not understand. But that doesn’t mean you should not use journals in your research. Journals are where the most recent research is published and provide in-depth information on a topic.

Tip : Reading the abstract and the conclusion first may help you to understand the article as you read.

Journals are good sources for academic research not only because they are written by experts, but because most (but not all) are also reviewed by other experts before the article is published.

Journals that are peer-reviewed have a board of experts in the field that review articles submitted to the journal. The peer reviewers scrutinize every article closely to validate its findings and ensure that the research was done properly. The process of peer review gives credibility to the journal because it means that every article published has been approved by other experts in the field.

Academic journals are organized in volumes and issues.

• Volume: The volume is all of the editions of the journal published in a calendar year.
• Issue(s):   The issues are all the specific editions of the journal published in that year.

Tip : Journals frequently publish issues around a certain theme, so all of the articles in that issue will relate to a certain topic. This means that there may be other articles in a particular issue that you can use for your research. It pays to check the table of contents for the issue when you find an article that fits your needs.

You will need to include the volume and the issue numbers, and the page numbers in your citations so make sure to write those down when you take notes from a journal.

When you are doing scholarly research, you can’t use popular search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. These will lead you to popular sources that may not work for a school paper. You need to search for information using an academic database which will lead you to scholarly articles.

Databases are organized computer-based collections of data that allow researchers to find a large number of articles quickly and easily.

Examples of popular general academic databases include:

• Academic Search Premier
• Google Scholar

Examples of popular academic databases focused on specific subjects:

• MEDLINE, PubMed Central — focus on biomedical and life sciences
• Lexis Web — focus on legal information
• Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) — focus on education

Many of these databases charge fees for use. The good news? Many can be accessed through a school or university library. Check your library’s website to see what databases it subscribes to and how you can access them.

Using a Journal Article in a Paper

You can use information from your research in three ways:

• Paraphrase: Take the information from a specific paragraph or section of the article and rewrite it in your own words.
• Summarize: Write a broad overview of the section or the article in your own words.
• Quote: Repeat the exact words used by the author using quotation marks.

Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information in your paper, you need to follow that information with an in-text citation and create a corresponding reference for the source (in the Works Cited).

Journal Article In-text Citations

Citations within your text are important. Each in-text citation:

• Alerts your reader that you are using information from an outside source.
• Usually appears in parentheses at the end of a sentence.
• Is short and only has enough information to help the reader find the complete reference listed in the Works Cited page at the end of the paper.

A MLA style in-text citation has two parts (MLA Handbook 227-228):

• If there is no author listed, include a shortened version of the title
• While many online sources do not have a page number, academic journals almost always do, even when they are available online.

In most cases, the in-text citation is at the end of the sentence in parentheses. If you use the author’s name in the text, you don’t have to repeat it in the parenthesis at the end. Do not separate the author’s name and the page number with a comma. See below for examples.

Works Cited References for Journal Articles

A Works Cited page is included at the end of your paper. It lists full references/citations for all of the sources mentioned in your paper via your in-text citations.

MLA Containers

In the 9th edition of the official Handbook, MLA includes a new term for citing references, which was first introduced in the 8th edition — containers (134). Periodicals like journals are considered “containers” because they contain the articles that are part of a larger whole.

The container holds the source article and is crucial in identifying the source. The title of the first container, the journal name, is printed in italics and follows the article name. When accessing journals through a database, the database is considered the second container. This title is also printed in italics.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Another feature in citing sources is the DOI (Handbook 188) . DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier, which is used to permanently identify an article or document and link to it on the web.

Although a website or database may change names, the DOI will not change and will help your readers locate the document from your citation. Whenever possible, list the DOI in place of the URL. When you have a DOI, you do not need to give the URL of the website. Indicate that a reference is a DOI by adding “https://doi.org/” before the DOI number of your source.

Another way to identify an online location is with a permalink. Permalinks are URLs that are identified as a stable link that the publisher promises not to change.

For journal references, the following elements need to be included in your Work(s) Cited entries: 

• The name of the author or authors. Since journal articles often have more than one author, it is helpful to know when to use et al. in MLA .
• Title of article
• Title of journal (the container)
• Volume and issue number
• Date of publication
• Page numbers
• Database (the 2nd container)
• DOI, permalink, or URL
• Date of access (supplemental, but should be included if the information has no publication date listed)

Citing a Journal Article in MLA (found in databases)

The following are examples of how to cite a journal in MLA 9, both in text and as a full reference in the Works Cited. These were all found via a database.

Note that “Date Accessed” is the day that the journal article was found and read. This information is supplemental and does not always need to be included.

Journal Article Citation With One Author

Cite your source

Journal Article Citation With Two Authors

*Note:  When a source has multiple authors, you should always list them in your citation in the same order they are listed in the source.

Journal Article Citation With Three or More Authors

Journal article citation with no known author, citing a journal article in mla (print).

Citing a journal from a print source requires less information than an online source. For a print source, you need the following information:

• The name of the author or authors for articles with one or two authors. For articles with three or more authors, only the first author’s name is used followed by et al.
• The name of the article in quotation marks
• The name of the journal in italics
• The volume and issue numbers of the journal
• The year of publication
• The page number(s)

View Screenshot | Cite your source

Citing an Online Journal Article (not found using a database)

Some journal articles are accessible online without the use of a database. Citing an online journal article not found in a database requires that you cite the website that you used to access the article as the second container. Do not include the https:// in the web address.

*Note : Since journals are usually stable and credible sources, including an access date is supplemental and not required (“When Should I Include an Access Date for an Online Work”).

• Works Cited

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.  

“When should I include an access date for an online work?” MLA Style Center , Modern Language Association, 29 Dec. 2016, style.mla.org/access-dates/.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated June 6, 2021.

Written by Catherine Sigler. Catherine has a Ph.D. in English Education and has taught college-level writing for 15 years.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

It’s 100% free to create MLA citations. The EasyBib Citation Generator also supports 7,000+ other citation styles. These other styles—including APA, Chicago, and Harvard—are accessible for anyone with an EasyBib Plus subscription.

No matter what citation style you’re using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) the EasyBib Citation Generator can help you create the right bibliography quickly.

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Creating an account is not a requirement for generating MLA citations. However, registering for an EasyBib account is free and an account is how you can save all the citation you create. This can help make it easier to manage your citations and bibliographies.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

It supports MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and over 7,000 total citation styles.

To cite a magazine with multiple authors and no page numbers in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, the article’s title, the magazine’s title, the publication date, and the DOI, permalink, or URL. The templates and examples for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of a book written by multiple authors are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” for sources with three or more authors. In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Citation in prose:

First mention: Han Ong and colleagues…. or Han Ong and others ….

Subsequent occurrences: Ong and colleagues…. or Ong and others ….

Parenthetical:

….( Ong et al.).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside double quotation marks. The title of the magazine is set in italics and title case. Follow the format given in the template and example for setting the day, month, and year.

Surname, First., et al. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Magazine , Publication Date, DOI/permalink/URL.

Ong, Han, et al. “The Monkey Who Speaks.” The New Yorker , 13 Sept. 2021, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/the-monkey-who-speaks.

Use only the first author’s name in surname–first name order in the entry followed by “et al.”

To cite an online journal or magazine article in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author, the article’s title, the journal or magazine’s title, the publication date, and the DOI, permalink, or URL. If available, also include a volume and an issue number of the journal or magazine. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry of an online journal article and examples are given below for a source with one author:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author.

First mention: Elizabeth Garber ….

Subsequent occurrences: Garber ….

….(Garber).

The title of the journal or magazine article is set in plain roman text and title case; it is placed inside double quotation marks. The title of the journal or magazine is set in italics and title case. Follow the format given in the template and example for writing the publication month or season and year.

Surname, First. “Title of the Article.” Journal or Magazine Title , Volume, Issue, Publication Date, DOI/permalink/URL.

Garber, Elizabeth. “Craft as Activism.” The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education , vol. 33, no.1, spring 2013, www.scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jstae/vol33/iss1/6/ .

MLA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

University Libraries      University of Nevada, Reno

• Skill Guides
• Subject Guides

MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Journal and Magazine Articles

• Understanding Core Elements
• Formatting Appendices and Works Cited List
• Writing an Annotated Bibliography
• Academic Honesty and Citation
• In-Text Citation
• Charts, Graphs, Images, and Tables
• Class Notes and Presentations
• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
• Generative AI
• In Digital Assignments
• Interviews and Emails
• Journal and Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Social Media
• Special Collections
• Videos and DVDs
• When Information Is Missing
• Citation Software

General Guidelines

The general MLA 9 formatting for articles is:

Works Cited List: Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , Volume Number, Issue Number, Date of Publication, First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database,  DOI, Permalink or URL.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article"  Name of Magazine , Volume Number, Issue Number (if applicable), Date (usually month or season year), First Page Number-Last Page Number.  URL .

In-text citation:  (Author's Last Name Page Number)

DOIs and Permalinks

Many journal articles accessed from library databases will include a digital object identifier (DOI). A DOI is a string of numbers and letters assigned to an electronic publication.

If a DOI is not available, look for a permanent URL (or permalink ) which is a URL that will stay active past the time that you are on that webpage. Look for the "Permalink" button, sometimes indicated by an icon made of two connected gray links as show, when using Library Search or a database. The permalink will lead on-campus users to the source and prompt off-campus users to log in.

If neither a DOI nor a permalink are available, include a URL if applicable.

Journal Article in Print

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number- Last Page Number.

Ki, Eyun-Jung. "A Measure of Relationship Cultivation Strategies."  Journal of Public Relations Research , vol. 21, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-24.

Journal Article From a Website

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number- Last Page Number if available, DOI, permalink or URL.

Elson, Peter. "A Comparative Analysis of Nonprofit Policy Network Governance in Canada."  Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research , vol. 6, no. 2, 2015, pp. 42-64,  https://doi.org/10.22230/cjnser.2015v6n2a201.

Journal Article from Library Database

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , Volume Number, Issue Number, Date of Publication, First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, DOI, Permalink or URL.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Guillen , Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?"  Emerging Markets Finance & Trade , vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155.  Business Source Premier,  https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.

(Guillen 1147)

Two Authors

Cite the first author listed Last Name, First Name followed by a comma, then "and [the Second Author's First Name Last Name.]"

Author Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title , Publication Information [volume, issue/number, year, pages]. Name of Database , DOI, Permalink or shortened URL for article in the database.

(Author Last Name and Second Author Last Name Page Number)

Latartara, John, and Melanie Bass. "The Timbre of Thai Classical Singing." Asian Music , vol. 43, no. 2, 2012, pp. 88-114. Project MUSE , https://doi.org/10.1353/amu.2012.0013.

(Latartara and Bass 97-8)

Three Authors

Cite only the Last Name, First Name of the first author followed by a comma et al.

First Author Last Name, First Name, et al. "Title of Article."  Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title , Publication Information [volume, issue/number, year, pages]. Name of Database , DOI, Permalink or shortened URL for article in the database.

(Author Last Name et al. Page Number)

Latartara, John, et al. "The Timbre of Thai Classical Singing." Asian Music , vol. 43, no. 2, 2012, pp. 88-114. Project MUSE , https://doi.org/10.1353/amu.2012.0013.  

(Latartara, et al. 97-8)

When No Author is Listed

If no author is listed, skip the author entry and begin the citation with the article title. 

"The Horror."  Career World , vol. 37, no. 2, p. 2, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823237289.

Magazine Article

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article."  Name of Magazine , Volume Number, Issue Number (if applicable), Date (usually month or season Year), First Page Number-Last Page Number. URL.

(Author's Last Name Page Number).

Fort, Ellen. "The Ultimate Mushroom Trip: A Foray into the Woods of Big Sur in search of Spores, Caps, and Other Elusive Mycological Delights." Sunset,  Jan.-Feb. 2020, pp. 64-71. www.sunset.com/food-wine/big-sur-mushroom-foraging.

(Fort 66).

• << Previous: Interviews and Emails
• Next: Newspaper Articles >>

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Journal Articles

• What Kind of Source Is This?
• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• In-Text Citation
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

On This Page: Journal Articles

Volume, issue, and number in a journal citation.

• Journal Article from a Library Database With a DOI Number - One Author
• Journal Article from a Library Database With a DOI Number - Two Authors

Journal Article From Library Database Without a DOI Number - One Author

Journal article from library database without a doi number - two authors, a course reading uploaded to moodle, journal article from a website - one author, journal article from a website - two authors, journal article in print - one author, journal article in print - two authors, citing three or more authors, in-text citation for two or more authors/editors, what is a doi.

DOI Numbers for Journal Articles

Some electronic content like journal articles are assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). The DOI provides a stable way to see a description of the article. If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as a URL beginning with https://doi.org/ followed immediately by the DOI number.  

Abbreviating Months

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

How Can I Tell if it's a Journal?

Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle

Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is often to report results of original search
• Articles usually have a very specific subject focus
• May see sections such as abstract, discussion, results, and conclusion
• Author of the article is an expert or specialist in the field and often their credentials are listed
• Article is intended for students, scientists, researchers and/or professionals instead of the general public
• Usually includes a References list at the end

Articles may also come from  newspapers  or  magazines .

Journal Article From Library Database With a DOI Number - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database,  https://doi.org/DOI number.

Journal Article From Library Database With a DOI Number - Two Authors

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database,  https://doi.org/DOI number.

 Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format. 

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database.

 Note:  While MLA 9th edition recommends including URLs, Columbia College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database. 

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database. 

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article or Book Chapter."  Moodle , uploaded by Instructor Name, upload date [if known], moodle.columbiacollege.bc.ca/.

 Note:  Use this format only for files that you download directly from Moodle. If the reading is shared on Moodle via a link, do not include Moodle as a container. Cite the reading according to the format for the type of source it is (eg a journal article from a library database, a news article from a website, etc).  Also see the note below about instructors' preferences for how course materials are cited.

The MLA Style Center has guidance based on the 8th edition of the  MLA Handbook   on citing online handouts and readings , including the difference between a reading that is uploaded to a course versus one that is shared via a link. The 9th edition of the  MLA Handbook  notes that instructors may wish students to practice citing course materials according to the original publication information, as training for citing materials found while doing research (xxii-xiii). Students should follow the requirements of their assignment and seek clarification from their instructor when necessary.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed  Day Month Year site was visited.

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name Middle Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

• << Previous: Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Next: Magazine Articles >>
• Last Updated: Jan 5, 2024 1:52 PM
• URL: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/MLA9

• Hofstra University Library Home

MLA Citation Guide

• Articles in Print Periodicals
• Works Cited Lists
• Government Publications
• Electronic Books
• Articles in Digital Periodicals
• Other Digital Resources: Blogs, Tweets, YouTube Videos
• In-Text Citations

Professor of Library Services

Citing Articles in Different Types of Periodicals

Periodicals  are publications that appear periodically . They include magazines, newspapers and scholarly journals.This section shows you how to cite articles in each type of publication.

CONTENTS OF THIS BOX

Articles in Scholarly Journals

Articles in Magazines

Articles in Newspapers

All of the examples shown here show only articles with one author. The format for articles with two or more authors is the same as for Books . It is important to note that a significant difference between citing books and citing periodical articles is that information about the publisher is NEVER included in citations of periodical articles!

Articles in Scholarly Journals Scholarly journals are published much less frequently than do magazines and newspapers. Usually they are only published about three or four times per year.

Basic Format

Author of article (last name, first name). "Title" of article (in quotation marks. Title of journal (italicized), Volume, number,

issue (if provided), Year, Page numbers (abbreviated pp.).

What do citations look like?

With issue number provided:

Jelinek, Eloise. "The Agent Hierarchy and Voice in Some Coast Salish Languages." International Journal of

American Linguistics,  vol.49, no. 2, 1983, pp. 167-185.

With month(s) but no issue number provided:

Lehman, David. "The Visionary Walt Whitman." American Poetry Review , vol. 37, Jan/Feb. 2008, pp. 11-13.

Do not list volume numbers for magazine articles. If the magazine appears every week or every two weeks , give the complete date, beginning with the day and followed by the month and the year, as illustrated below.

Author of article (last name, first name). "Title" of article (in quotation marks). Title of magazine (italicized), Day, Month

Year, Page numbers (abbreviated pp.).

Magazine that appears weekly:

Rosen, Jeffrey and Charles Lane. "Neo-Nazis." New Republic , 31 Oct.1994, pp. 14-15.

Magazine that appears monthly or bimonthly:

Fraser, Nicholas. "To BBC or Not to BBC." Harper's Magazine , May 2004, pp. 55-64.

Citing newspaper articles is similar to citing articles in magazines that appear weekly. In listing the name of the newspaper, omit initial articles (e.g. New York Times, NOT The New York Times ). If sections are numbered separately, list the section number or letter followed by the page number on which the article begins. When an article is continued on a nonconsecutive page, indicate this with a + immediately following the beginning page number.

Author of article (last name, first name). "Title" of article (in quotation marks). Title of newspaper (italicized).

Date, Edition (if stated on the masthead, Section (if numbered separately), Page number (s)

(abbreviated p. or pp. followed by. : .).

Sections numbered separately

Urquhart, Ian. "Ontario Weighs Gay Marriage Options." Toronto Star 17 July 2002, p.: A21.

Discontinuous pagination and edition listed on masthead

Jeromack, Paul. "This Once, a David in the Art World Does Goliath a Favor." New York Times 13 July 2002, New

England ed., pp. A13+.

I f the newspaper is not a well-known national publication, include the city name in square brackets following the title of the newspaper.

Behre, Robert. "Presidential Hopefuls Get Final Crack at Core of S.C. Democrats." Post and Courier

[Charleston, SC], 29 Apr. 2007, p. A11.

• << Previous: Books
• Next: Government Publications >>
• Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 4:19 PM
• URL: https://libguides.hofstra.edu/mla

This site is compliant with the W3C-WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY Hempstead, NY 11549-1000 (516) 463-6600 © 2000-2009 Hofstra University

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Journal Articles

• Advertisements
• Audio Materials
• Books, Ebooks, & Book Chapters
• ChatGPT or Other Generative AI
• Class Materials (Notes, Slides, & Recordings)
• Creative Commons Works
• Encyclopedias, & Dictionaries
• Images, Charts, Graphs, & Tables

Journal Articles

• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communications (Interviews, Emails, etc.)
• Religious Works
• Social Media
• Unpublished Manuscript or Paper
• Websites (includes documents/PDFs posted online)
• When Information Is Missing
• When a Work Is Quoted in Another Source
• Works in Another Language / Translations
• Permalinks, URLs, & DOIs!
• Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
• Works Cited & Paper Format
• Citation Tools
• Journal Articles from a Library Database
• Journal Articles from a Website
• Journal Articles in Print

Journal articles from Library Databases

Journal article from a website (with doi), journal article from a website (no doi), journal article in print.

• << Previous: Images, Charts, Graphs, & Tables
• Next: Magazine Articles >>
• Last Updated: Mar 19, 2024 10:41 AM
• URL: https://owhlguides.andover.edu/mla

• Spartanburg Community College Library
• SCC Research Guides
• Citing a Journal Article

Citing a Journal Article (Print or Electronic)

Please see below for MLA guidelines on how to cite journal articles according to where they were found (in a library database or a website).

• From Database
• From Website
• Help Resources

Basic Format

Format:  Author(s). "Title of Article."  Title of Journal in Italics , vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, page number(s).  Database or Website Name in Italics (if electronic) , URL/DOI.

*Note:  If piece is a single page, use: p. for page number; if article is multiple pages, use: pp.

*Note:  Date of publications are written as Day Month Year (Example. 15 Sept. 2020) leaving out any information that the source doesn’t include (Example. Aug. 2017 or simply 2017 depending on what's provided). Remember to abbreviate the months that are more than 4 letters.

Journal Article found on a Database 

Example :  Godwin, John. "Wallace’s 'Jest'."  Explicator , vol. 61, no. 2, 2003, pp. 122-24.  General OneFile , link.gale.com/apps/doc/A186269246/ITOF?u=spartechcl&sid=ITOF&xid=1e4615a6.

*Note : You can usually omit the http:// unless needed to hyperlink.

*Note:  For URLs longer than 3 lines, you can shorten the URL. Always retain the host (main website) of the URL.

*Note:  a DOI is a unique code assigned to academic articles to help you locate them. It's sort of like an article's social security number. A DOI may look like a link (https://doi.org/10.1109/5.771073) or they may just have the DOI itself (10.1109/5.771073). In your Works Cited, format the DOI as a link. If you see this on your article, you should include it, but not every source will have one. If a source has a DOI, you would use instead of the URL.

Article with a DOI:

Example :  Goldman, Ann. “Reading Primo Levi Reading.”  The Georgia Review , vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88.  Gale Literature Resource Center,  https://doi.org/10.1632/adfl.43.2.11.

Journal Article from a Website

Example:  Enright, Lyle. “Powers of the False: The Slender Man, and Post-Postmodernism.”  Cultural Analysis , vol. 16, no. 2, 20 Apr. 2017, www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~culturalanalysis/volume16_2/vol16_2_Enright.html.

Example:  Eckardt, Nancy and Sabeeha Merchant. "Journal Impact: Brave New World."  The Plant Cell , vol. 29, no. 9, Sept. 2017, pp. 2071-74.  ResearchGate , https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00680.

• Where to Find Citation Information in Journal Articles This guide will walk you through how to find citation information in journal articles.
• How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA This worksheet will break down how to cite a journal article in MLA Format.
• << Previous: Citing an Encyclopedia
• Next: Citing an Article Written for a Database >>
• Online MLA Handbook This link opens in a new window
• Formatting the Author and Title
• Container Punctuation
• Citing a Book or Ebook
• Citing Part of a Book or Ebook
• Citing an Encyclopedia
• Citing an Article Written for a Database
• Citing a Magazine or Newspaper Article
• Citing an Interview/Podcast
• Citing a Website
• Citing a Video
• Citing Social Media
• Citing Images in a Project
• Citing Artistic Works/Performances
• Citing a Play
• Citing a Poem
• In-text Citations
• Formatting Your Word Document
• MLA Handouts
• MLA Workshop (video, Feb. 2022)
• MLA - Getting Started (Basic Tutorial)
• Annotated Bibliography

Questions? Ask a Librarian

• Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 9:21 AM
• URL: https://libguides.sccsc.edu/MLA

Giles Campus | 864.592.4764 | Toll Free 866.542.2779 | Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Spartanburg Community College. All rights reserved.

Info for Library Staff | Guide Search

Return to SCC Website

MLA Style, 9th Edition: Citing a journal or magazine article

• Citing a book
• Citing a newspaper article
• Citing a journal or magazine article
• Citing a website

MLA Core Elements to an entry for a "Works Cited" list

The 9th edition of MLA uses nine core elements to create a works cited entry.  Using the information you have, you can create an entry for a source by following the order of the core elements listed below.  If a core element does not apply to your source or is missing then proceed to the next core element.  Using the core elements correctly requires an understanding of "containers."  A source may be part of a larger work or collection (with one or more containers), or it may be a stand alone self-contained work.  See the MLA Works Cited: A Quick Guide and use the practice template to better understand this concept.

MLA Optional Elements to an entry for a "Works Cited" list

Optional elements are just what they sound like; they are included at the writer's discretion.  They may follow at the end of the entry, or they may follow one of the core elements if there is an element that they clarify.  Some optional elements that might be included are:  date of original publication, city of publication, the date that you accessed an online source, and other factual items about the source that will assist the reader in locating the item .    [MLA Handbook, pages 50-53]

Want to learn more?  See Optional Elements: A Primer at the MLA website.

Article from a magazine - print

Article from a magazine - within a library database, magazine article from a library database, + optional element, scholarly journal article - print, scholarly journal article from a library database, + optional element, in-text citations.

Inside your paper, give credit to the works you quote.

See examples of how to tell your readers where facts, paraphrases, or quotes in your paper come from at this site from the Purdue OWL: MLA In-text Citations .

• << Previous: Citing a newspaper article
• Next: Citing a website >>
• Last Updated: Oct 1, 2023 6:46 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bgsu.edu/MLA

Cite Your Sources in MLA 9th: Journal Articles

• Books and eBooks
• Encyclopedia and Dictionary Entries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Journal Articles
• Newspaper and Magazine Articles
• Social Media
• Videos and Other Multimedia
• Advertisements
• Book Reviews
• ChatGPT and Generative AI
• Emails, Interviews, and Personal Communications
• Religious Texts
• Formatting Your Paper
• How to Identify Source Types
• Other Styles

How to Cite Journal Articles

Online journal articles, print journal articles, journal article from library database (with doi).

Author(s). "Title of Article: Subtitle If Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Article Page Numbers.  Name of Database , https://doi.org/DOI.

Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?"  Emerging Markets Finance & Trade , vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155.  Business Source Complete , https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.

Journal Article from Library Database (No DOI)

Author(s). "Title of Article: Subtitle If Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Article Page Numbers.  Name of Database , Permalink or Stable Link [if any, skip if not].

Lowy, Alice S., et al. “Body Image and Internalization of Appearance Ideals in Black Women: An Update and Call for Culturally-Sensitive Research.”  Body Image , vol. 39, 2021, pp. 313–27.  ScienceDirect Social & Behavioral Sciences .

Journal Article from a Website

Author(s). "Title of Article: Subtitle If Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Article Page Numbers [if given], DOI or URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Elson, Peter. "A Comparative Analysis of Nonprofit Policy Network Governance in Canada."  Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research , vol. 6, no. 2, 2015, pp. 42-64, anserj.ca/anser/index.php/cjnser/article/view/201/127. Accessed 27 Jun. 2021.

Journal Article in Print

Author(s). "Title of Article: Subtitle If Any."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Article Page Numbers.

Kushkova, Anna. "At the Center of the Table."  Russian Studies in History , vol. 50, no. 1, 2011, pp. 44-96.

How to Format Author Names

• Works Cited List
• In-Text Citation

Last Name, First Name or Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial (if provided in source)

Name Examples:

Anzaldúa, Gloria Kendi, Ibram X. Wallace, David Foster

Citation Example:

Anzaldúa, Gloria.  Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza . 4th ed., Aunt Lute Books, 2012. 

Two Authors

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name

Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter.  The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill.  Sage, 2005.

Three or More Authors

First Author's Last Name, First Name, et al.

Chan, Sabrina S., et al.  Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation.  InterVarsity Press, 2022.

Group or Corporate Author

If the group author is different from publisher.

If the group author and the publisher are different entities, list the Group Name as the author. 

Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation.  Employability Skills: Creating My Future . Nelson, 1996.

If the Group Author and Publisher Are the Same

If the group author and the publisher are the same, skip the author and list the title first. Then, list the group author only as the publisher.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending . Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

If a source has no author, skip the author and start with the title. Do not use "Anonymous" as the author name.

"How to Teach Yourself Guitar."  eHow,  Demand Media, www.ehow.com/how_5298173_teach-yourself-guitar.html. Accessed 24 June 2016.

(Last Name Page Number)

(Anzaldúa 30)

(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Wykes and Gunter 53)

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

(Chan et al. 97)

(Group Name Page Number)

(Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation 230)

If your full citation for a group author starts with the title rather than the group's name, follow the "No Author" in-text citation rules instead.

( Title of Longer Work  or "Title of Shorter Work" Page Number)

( Fair Housing  15)

("How to Teach")

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i format dates.

Dates in your Works Cited list should be formatted like this: Day Month Year. Month names should be abbreviated using the list below.  Example:  17 Oct. 2021.

For publication dates, include as much information as the source provides. This may be a full date, only the month and year, a season (such as Spring 2019), or just a publication year.

Month Abbreviations

In your Works Cited list, abbreviate months as follows:

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper.

What is a DOI?

Digital Object Identifiers, or DOIs, are unique numbers or hyperlinks assigned to some online resources, such as journal articles, to make them easier to find.

If a DOI is provided for a source, include it at the end of your citation after any page numbers. In your Works Cited list, you should always format a DOI as a URL beginning with "https://doi.org/" followed immediately by the DOI number.

Example:  For DOI "10.5642/jhummath.20170120," the URL version would be: https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.20170120

If no DOI is provided but a permalink or stable link is present, you can use that instead.

What if some information is missing?

If a source is missing information that you need for your Works Cited citation, you can skip that element and move on to the next element in the citation.

Examples: Some sources don't have an author; in this case, we skip the author and start our citation with the title. Most academic journals are published in volumes and issues, but some only have volumes; in this case, we list the volume number and skip the issue number. 

What if I don't know which source type I'm citing?

If you're not sure what type of source you're working with, don't worry! This is a very common challenge. Check out our page on Identifying Source Types .

What if I need to cite multiple sources by the same author?

Works Cited List:  To cite two or more works by the same author, give the name in the first entry only. For subsequent works by the same author, replace the author's name with three hyphens followed by a period (---.), which signifies that the name is the same as the preceding entry. Alphabetize works with the same author by title. 

In-Text Citations: To distinguish multiple works by the same author, add a comma followed by a shortened version of the title (usually the first 2-4 words) between the author name and the page number. Example: (Anzaldúa,  Borderlands / La Frontera  38). Alternately, you can mention the author and title in the sentence, and then only include the page number. 

For page numbers, should I use p. or pp.?

If you are citing a single page, use "p." If you are citing multiple pages, use "pp."

Example: If an article runs from page 10 to page 15, your citation should say "pp. 10-15" because it covers multiple pages. If it's a short article that only appears on page 11, your citation should say "p. 11".

More Information on MLA 9th

• Pierce Library's MLA 9th Quick Citation Guide Downloadable PDF with sample citations (including in-text) for different types of sources and a sample Works Cited page.
• MLA Style Center Tips for working in MLA Style, answers to common questions, and more.
• Purdue OWL MLA 9 Formatting & Style Guide Very thorough overview of MLA 9th with examples for how to construct both in-text and Works Cited entries.

• << Previous: Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Next: Newspaper and Magazine Articles >>
• Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024 5:12 PM
• URL: https://library.piercecollege.edu/mla9

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Journal Articles

• Advertisements
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Books and eBooks
• Book Reviews
• Class Notes and Presentations
• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos and DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• Paraphrasing
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a DOI?

How can i tell if it's a journal, tips: articles from websites.

Examples (Journal Article From Library Database with DOI):

• Two Authors

Examples (Journal Article From Library Database no DOI):

Examples (Journal Article From a Website):

Examples (Journal Article in Print):

More Examples:

Citing Three or More Authors

In-text citation for two or more authors/editors.

DOI Numbers for Journal Articles

Some electronic content like journal articles are assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). The DOI gives a way to find an article. If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as "doi:doi number". 

Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle

Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is often to report results of original search
• Articles usually have a very specific subject focus
• May see sections such as abstract, discussion, results, and conclusion
• Author of the article is an expert or specialist in the field and often their credentials are listed
• Article is intended for students, scientists, researchers and/or professionals instead of the general public
• Usually includes a References list at the end

Articles may also come from  newspapers and magazines .

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition. If no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Journal Article From Library Database With a DOI - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, doi:DOI number.

Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging Markets Finance & Trade , vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155. Business Source Complete, doi:10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Guillen 1146)

Journal Article From Library Database With a DOI - Two Authors

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, doi:DOI number.

Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format.

Salafia, Elizabeth Blodgett, and Jessica Lemer. "Associations Between Multiple Types of Stress and Disordered Eating Among Girls and Boys in Middle School." Journal of Child and Family Studies , vol. 21, no. 1, 2012, pp.148-57. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1007/s10826-011-9458-z.

(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Salafia and Lemer 149)

Journal Article From Library Database Without a DOI Number - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database.

Leichty, Toni. "Yes I Worry About My Weight... But for the Most Part I'm Content with My Body: Older Women's Body Dissatisfaction Alongside Contentment." Journal of Women & Aging , vol. 24, no. 1, 2012, pp. 70-88. Academic Search Complete.

Example: (Leichty 71)

Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, Lower Canada College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database.

Journal Article From Library Database Without a DOI Number - Two Authors

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database .

Larr, Allison S., and Matthew Neidell. "Pollution and Climate Change." The Future of Children , vol. 26, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 93-113. Academic Search Complete.

Note: Give as complete a date of publication as given. Because the season for the journal, "Spring" is given, this is included as part of the date.

Example: (Larr and Neidell 96)

Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, Lower Canada College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database.

Journal Article From a Website - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.

Elson, Peter. "A Comparative Analysis of Nonprofit Policy Network Governance in Canada." Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research , vol. 6, no. 2, 2015, pp. 42-64, anserj.ca/anser/ index.php/cjnser/article/view/201/127. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016.

Note : Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given.

Example: (Elson 44)

Journal Article From a Website - Two Authors

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.

Sadig, Husam, and Ahmed Banany. "The Impact of Non-Response Weighting: Empirical Evidence From Modelling Residential Mobility." Journal of Social Research & Policy , vol. 5, no. 1, July 2014, pp. 91-99, www.jsrp.ro/site/jrspone/content/JSRP_Vol5_Iss1_Sadig. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016.

Note : Give as complete a date as is provided. Both month and year were provided for this journal.

(Sadig and Banany 91)

Journal Article in Print - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.

Kushkova, Anna. "At the Center of the Table." Russian Studies in History , vol. 50, no.1, 2011, pp. 44-96.

Example: (Kushkova 79)

Journal Article in Print - Two Authors

Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.

Ki, Eyun-Jung, and Linda Childers Hon. "A Measure of Relationship Cultivation Strategies." Journal of Public Relations Research , vol. 21, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-24.

Example: (Ki and Hon 12)

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name Middle Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

(Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Case and Daristotle 57)

(Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Case et al. 57)

MLA Handbook

Abbreviating Months

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

• << Previous: Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Next: Magazine Articles >>
• Last Updated: Jul 4, 2023 12:01 PM
• URL: https://lcc-ca.libguides.com/mla-citation-guide-9th-ed

Using the Library

• Library Catalogue

Subject Guides

Project guides, digital resources, reading lists, quick access.

• Junior School Catalog
• Senior School Catalog
• Sora Tutorials
• Sora Web Application
• Citation Guides

Lower Canada College Libraries

514-482-9916 ext. 473

LCC is an English coeducational K-11 school leading to the MEES Secondary Leaving Diploma / LCC est une école anglophone mixte de la maternelle à la 5e secondaire menant au DES du MEES.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in MLA style

Works Cited Page

Resources on writing an MLA style works cited page, including citation formats

Other MLA Resources

Scribbr MLA Citation Generator

Accurate MLA citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions.

Scribbr's MLA Citation Generator for Chrome

Effortlessly cite any page or article directly from your browser with just one click. Our extension simplifies the citation process by automatically retrieving essential details such as the title, author(s), and publication date , ensuring accurate MLA citations in seconds.

Trust in expert-verified MLA citations

Avoid the risk of losing points due to incorrect citations. Our MLA citation experts have meticulously refined our algorithms, ensuring precision and reliability. This dedication has earned us recognition and recommendations from educators worldwide.

Experience distraction-free citation

Focus on your work without interruptions. Our citation generator provides a clean interface, free from distracting video pop-ups and flashing ads. Best of all, it's completely free for everyone.

Features you'll love

Search for your source by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, and more to retrieve the relevant information automatically.

MLA 8th & 9th edition

Scribbr's Citation Generator supports both MLA 8 and MLA 9 (as well as APA and Harvard ). No matter what edition you're using, we’ve got you covered!

Export to Bib(La)TeX

Easily export in BibTeX format and continue working in your favorite LaTeX editor.

Export to Word

Reference list finished? Export to Word with perfect indentation and spacing set up for you.

Sorting, grouping, and filtering

Organize the reference list the way you want: from A to Z, new to old, or grouped by source type.

Save multiple lists

Stay organized by creating a separate reference list for each of your assignments.

Choose between Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and more options to match your style.

Industry-standard technology

Scribbr's citation generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.

Annotations

Create perfectly formatted MLA Style annotated bibliographies with just a few clicks.

Explanatory tips help you get the details right to ensure accurate citations.

Citation guides

Getting to grips with citation is simple with the help of our highly rated MLA citation guides and videos .

Secure backup

Your work is saved automatically after every change and stored securely in your Scribbr account.

• Introduction
• Missing information
• No page numbers
• Scroll to top

How to cite in MLA format

MLA is one of the most common citation styles used by students and academics. This quick guide explains how to cite sources according to the 9th edition (the most recent) of the MLA Handbook . You can also use Scribbr’s free  citation generator to automatically generate references and in-text citations.

An MLA citation has two components:

• In-text citation : Every time you quote or paraphrase a source, you cite the author and the page number in parentheses.
• Works Cited : At the end of your paper, you give a full reference for every source you cited, alphabetized by the author’s last name.

MLA Works Cited list

The list of Works Cited (also known as the bibliography or reference page) gives full details of every source you cited in your text. Each entry is built from nine core elements:

Following this format, you can create a citation for any type of source—for example, a book , journal article , website , or movie . You only include information that’s relevant to the type of source you’re citing.

Missing information in MLA citations

Regardless of the source type, the most important elements of any MLA citation are the author , the source title , and the publication date. If any of these are missing from the source, the Works Cited entry will look slightly different.

MLA Citation Generator

Generate accurate MLA citations in seconds

Get started

MLA in-text citations

MLA in-text citations are brief references that direct your reader to the full source entry. You include them every time you quote , block quote , paraphrase or summarize a source.

The in-text citation must match the first word of the Works Cited entry—usually the author’s last name . It also includes a page number or range to help the reader locate the relevant passage.

If you already named the author in your sentence, include only the page number in parentheses:

Sources with no page numbers

If the source has no page numbers, you either use an alternative locator, or leave the page number out of the citation:

Tools and resources

Besides the MLA Citation Generator, Scribbr provides many more helpful tools and resources;

• Citation generator : Generate flawless APA , MLA , and Harvard citations in seconds
• Free plagiarism checker : Detect and correct plagiarism with the most accurate plagiarism checker for students
• AI Proofreader : Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
• Paraphrasing tool: Avoid accidental plagiarism and make your text sound better.
• Grammar checker : Eliminate pesky spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Summarizer: Read more in less time. Distill lengthy and complex texts down to their key points.
• AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
• Proofreading services : Hire a professional editor to improve your writing
• Citation checker : Check your work for citation errors and missing citations.
• Guides and videos : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.