Published January 28, 2021. Updated December 16, 2021.

To create an article reference or citation, you will need to know the author, publication year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page range, and/or DOI (digital object identifier) or URL (uniform resource locator).

The templates and examples below will show you how to cite an article in MLA, APA, Chicago style, and Harvard referencing.

Easily cite an article in the style of your choice using the Chegg Writing citation generator.

Citing an article in MLA style

The article title should be in title case and enclosed in double quotation marks.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Last Name Page #)

(Bird 12)

Works cited entry template and example:

For more information and other examples, see this guide on citing an article in MLA style.

Citing an article in APA style

The article title should be in sentence case.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Bird, 2014)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more information and other examples, see this guide on citing an article in APA style.

Citing an article in Chicago style, notes-bibliography

The article title should be in title case and enclosed in double quotation marks.

Footnotes template and example:

Note

1. Author’s Full Name, “Title of the Article: Subtitle,” Expanded Journal Title Volume (Publication Year): First Page.

2. Karen Bird, “Ethnic Quotas and Ethnic Representation Worldwide,” International Political Science Review 35, no. 1 (2014): 12.

Shortened note

1. Author Surname, “Article Title,” Page #.

2. Bird, “Ethnic Quotas,” 12.

Bibliography entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing an article in Chicago style.

Citing an article in Chicago style, author-date

The article title should be in title case and enclosed in double quotation marks.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname Publication Year, Page #)

(Bird 2014, 12)

Reference list entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing an article in Chicago style.

How to cite an article in Harvard referencing style

The article title should be in sentence case and enclosed in single quotation marks. The journal title should be in title case and italicized.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Bird, 2014)

Reference list entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing an article in Harvard referencing style. Writing a paper? Don’t forget to include a bibliography.

Troubleshooting

Solution #1: What to do if you need to cite a whole special issue of a journal

If you need to cite a special issue of a journal, use the templates and examples below for each citation style.

1. MLA 

In-text citation template & example:

(Author or Editor surname OR Organization name)

(Center for the Study of Technology and Society)

Works cited list entry template & example:

2. APA

Since you are citing a whole issue, the page range is not needed. A page range is only needed if you are citing a special section.

In-text citation template & example:

(Author or Editor surname OR Organization name, Year published)

(Center for the Study of Technology and Society, 2015)

Reference list entry template & example:

If the editor name is not available, use the following template:

3. Chicago (notes-bibliography)

Note template & example:

1. Editor Surname, First, ed., “Special Issue Title,” Special issue, Journal Title volume, no. # (Month/Season Year): page range, URL or DOI.

2. “The Threat of Human Cloning Ethics, Recent Developments, and the Case for Action,” Special issue, The New Atlantis, no. 46 (Summer 2015): 1-146, https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40141197.

Bibliography entry template & example:

4. Chicago (author-date)

In-text citation template & example:

(“Shortened Title” Year)

(“The Threat” 2015)

Reference list entry template & example:

5. Harvard referencing

In-text citation template & example:

(Author's Surname, Year published)

(Smith, 2022)

Reference list entry template & example:

If the editor name is not available, use the following template & example:

Solution #2: How to cite an article with an article number

Some journal articles may be identified using an article number instead of a page number. To cite an article that uses an article number, use the templates and examples below for each citation style.

1. MLA

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname Page#)

(Mair et al. 22)

Works cited list entry template & example:

2. APA

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname, Year Published)

(Mair et al., 2021)

Reference list entry template & example:

3. Chicago (notes-bibliography)

Notes template & example:

1. Author Surname, First, “Article Title,” Journal Title volume, no. # (Month/Season Year): article #, URL or DOI.

2. Mair, Ali, Marie Poirier, and Martin A. Conway, “Age Effects in Autobiographical Memory Depend on the Measure,” PLOS ONE 16, no. 10 (2021): e0259279, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259279.

Bibliography entry template & example:

4. Chicago (author-date)

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname(s) Year)

(Mair, Poirier, and Conway 2021)

Reference list entry template & example:

5. Harvard referencing

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname(s), Year)

(Mair eta al., 2021)

Reference list example template & entry: