Citing Journal Articles in MLA 9th Edition: A Practical Guide
Accurate citation is crucial in academic writing. It gives credit to original authors, helps readers find your sources, and bolsters your own credibility. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is common in the humanities. This guide breaks down how to cite a journal article in MLA, focusing on the 9th edition.
The Core Components of a Journal Article Citation
MLA uses a template of core elements. For a journal article, these are generally:
- Author(s): The name(s) of the person(s) who wrote the article.
- Title of Article: The specific title of the article itself.
- Title of Journal: The name of the academic journal where the article was published.
- Volume and Issue Numbers: These help pinpoint the exact publication.
- Publication Date: The year (and sometimes month) the journal was published.
- Page Numbers: The range of pages the article occupies.
- DOI or URL: A persistent identifier or web address for the article.
Standard MLA Citation Format for Journal Articles
Here’s the general structure you’ll follow:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, pp. #-#. DOI or URL.
Let's look at each part with examples.
Author(s)
For one author, list their last name, then a comma, then their first name.
Example: Smith, John.
If there are two authors, list the first author as usual, then use "and" before the second author's first and last name.
Example: Smith, John, and Jane Doe.
For three or more authors, list the first author’s last name, first name, followed by "et al." (which means "and others").
Example: Smith, John, et al.
Title of Article
Enclose the article title in quotation marks. Capitalize major words.
Example: "The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health."
Title of Journal
Italicize the title of the journal. Capitalize major words.
Example: Journal of Adolescent Psychology.
Volume and Issue Numbers
MLA uses "vol." for volume and "no." for issue.
Example: vol. 25, no. 3,
Publication Date
Provide the year of publication. If the journal specifies a month or season along with the year (e.g., Spring 2023), include that too.
Example: 2023. Example: Spring 2023.
Page Numbers
Use "pp." followed by the page range. If the article is only on one page, just list that page number.
Example: pp. 112-135. Example: p. 45.
DOI or URL
A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a permanent link to an article. If available, use it. It looks like a URL but is more stable. If no DOI is available, use the URL. For articles accessed online, it's generally best practice to include the DOI if one exists. If you're citing a print-only article and it has no DOI, you can omit this element. When providing a URL, omit "http://" or "https://".
Example (with DOI): doi:10.1037/a0020123 Example (with URL): www.journalwebsite.com/article-on-social-media
Putting It All Together: Full Examples
Here are a few complete examples demonstrating different scenarios.
Example 1: Article with a DOI (Most Common Online Scenario)
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Month Year, pp. #-#. DOI.
Example: Chen, Li. "The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Creative Writing." Digital Humanities Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 2, Spring 2021, pp. 45-62. doi:10.1234/dhq.15.2.45
Example 2: Article with a URL (No DOI)
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, pp. #-#. URL.
Example: Rodriguez, Maria. "Exploring Postcolonial Themes in Contemporary Latin American Cinema." Studies in Latin American Cinema, vol. 8, no. 1, 2019, pp. 78-95. www.latinamericancinema.com/articles/rodriguez-postcolonial
Example 3: Article from a Print Journal (No DOI or URL)
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, pp. #-#.
Example: Baker, Samuel. "Victorian Literature and the Rise of the Novel." The Victorian Review, vol. 40, no. 4, 2014, pp. 201-225.
What If the Journal is Paginated Continuously?
Some journals restart pagination with each issue, while others continue the page numbering throughout an entire volume. If a journal is paginated continuously, you only need the volume number and the starting page number of the article.
Example (Continuous Pagination): Miller, David. "The Economic Impact of Renewable Energy." Energy Policy Review, vol. 55, 2022, pp. 150-175.
Citing an Article from a Database (e.g., JSTOR, Project MUSE)
When you retrieve an article from a subscription database, you might not have a stable DOI or URL. In these cases, cite it as you normally would, and then include the name of the database and a URL or permalink if provided.
Example: Garcia, Sofia. "The Influence of Renaissance Art on Modern Design." Art History Monthly, vol. 30, no. 3, Fall 2018, pp. 88-105. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/45678901
In-Text Citations
Remember that each citation in your Works Cited list needs a corresponding in-text citation. For journal articles, this usually includes the author's last name and the page number(s) where the information was found.
Example: (Chen 55) (Rodriguez 82)
If you mention the author's name in your sentence, you only need the page number in parentheses.
Example: Chen discusses the evolution of artificial intelligence in creative writing (55).
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Frequently Asked Questions about MLA Journal Citations
Q: What is the most important part of a journal article citation? A: The author's name and the article title are crucial. These elements, along with the journal title, help readers locate the specific source of your information.
Q: Do I always need a DOI or URL? A: Use a DOI if available. If not, use a URL. For print-only articles without a DOI, you can omit both the DOI and URL entirely.
Q: How do I cite an article with no author? A: If an article lacks an author, begin the citation with the article title, enclosed in quotation marks, followed by the journal title and other publication details.
Q: What if the journal has no volume or issue number? A: If a journal doesn't use volume and issue numbers, skip those elements. Provide the publication date, page numbers, and the DOI or URL if available.