MLA Citation Examples: Articles
The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook recommends using the following core elements in every citation. If elements are missing from the source, they should be omitted from the citation.
Important Elements:
- Author.
- Title of source.
- Title of container,
- Other contributors,
- Version,
- Number,
- Publisher,
- Publication date
- Location.
For online sources:
- Use DOIs (digital object identifiers) when possible, with https://doi.org .
- Include the URL (You can omit the http:// or https:// unless hyperlinking in your paper).
- Citing the date when an online work was consulted is optional, unless there is no publication date or you suspect the work has been altered or removed.
- Placeholders for unknown information like n.d. (“no date”) are no longer used.
Article in a monthly magazine
Author Last, Author First Middle Initial. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Date Month Year, pp.- pp.
Swedin, Eric G. “Designing Babies: A Eugenics Race with China?”The Futurist, May/June 2006, pp. 18-21.
Article in an online magazine from an online database
Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Date Mon. Year, pp.- pp. Database, Stable URL.
Poe, Marshall. “The Hive.” Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 2006, pp. 86-95. ProQuest, https://login.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/223086760?accountid=14663.
Article in a weekly magazine
Author Last, First Middle Initial. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Date day Month year, pp.
Will, George F. “Waging War on Wal-Mart.” Newsweek, 5 July 2004, p. 64.
Article in a daily newspaper
Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Date day Mon. year, pp.
Dougherty, Ryan. “Jury Convicts Man in Drunk Driving Death.” Centre Daily Times, 11 Jan. 2006, p. 1A.
Article in a scholarly journal
Author Last, First Middle Initial. and Author First Middle Initial Last. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. XX, no. X, Year, pp. xx-xx.
Stock, Carol D. and Philip A. Fisher. “Language Delays Among Foster Children: Implications for Policy and Practice.” Child Welfare, vol. 40, no. 3, 2006, pp. 445-462.
Article in an online magazine
Author Last, First. "Title of Article" Title of Online Magazine, Date day, Month Year, Stable URL.
Schumaker, Erin. "What's the Deal with 'Natural' Sunscreen?" Huffington Post, 5 July 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/does-natural-sunscreen-work_us_57767571e4b0a629c1a98df8.
Book Review
Author Last, First. "Title of Review." Review of Title of Book Reviewed by Book Author First Last. Periodical Review is in, Date day Month year, pp.
Rifkind, Donna. “Breaking Their Vows.” Review of The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2005, p. T6.
Courtesy of Penn State University Libraries
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