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Academic or scholarly journal article

MLA Journal Article Citation Format

Works Cited format for a journal article

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA

1

Identify the article details

Find the author, article title, journal name, volume, issue, year, and page range. These are usually on the first page of the article or in the database record.

2

Check for a DOI

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent link. It usually starts with 10. and appears near the article header or in the database. Always prefer a DOI over a URL.

3

Format volume and issue

Use 'vol.' before the volume number and 'no.' before the issue number. Not all journals use issue numbers. If only a volume is available, omit the issue.

4

Add the page range

Use 'pp.' followed by the first and last page numbers separated by a dash. If the article is online-only with no page numbers, end with the DOI or URL.

MLA Journal Citation Examples

Print journal article
Works Cited
Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The New Yorker, 26 June 1978, pp. 29–32.
In-text
(Kincaid 30)
Journal article from a database
Works Cited
Lanser, Susan S. “The Feminist Poetics of Narrative Voice.” Style, vol. 50, no. 4, 2016, pp. 473–94. doi.org/10.5325/style.50.4.0473.
In-text
(Lanser 480)
When accessing an article through a database like JSTOR or EBSCOhost, include the DOI. The database name is no longer required in MLA 9th edition.
Article with multiple authors
Works Cited
Hunter, David J., et al. “Covid-19 and the Stiff Upper Lip.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 382, 2020, pp. 1–3. doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2005755.
In-text
(Hunter et al. 2)
Online-only article (no page numbers)
Works Cited
Patel, Raj. “Food Sovereignty and the Future.” Journal of Peasant Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, 2009. doi.org/10.1080/03066150903143079.
In-text
(Patel)
When an article has no page numbers, omit the page element. The in-text citation uses only the author name.

Special Cases for MLA Journal Citations

DOI vs. URL

Always use a DOI when available. DOIs are permanent and won't break. Only use a URL if no DOI exists. Remove https:// from both.

Database name

MLA 9th edition no longer requires the database name (JSTOR, EBSCOhost). Include only the DOI or a stable URL.

Journal vs. magazine

Journals are peer-reviewed academic publications with volume/issue numbers. Magazines are general-audience periodicals cited like newspapers.

Forthcoming article

If the article is accepted but not yet published, use 'forthcoming' in place of the year and omit page numbers.

MLA Journal Article Citation FAQ