Citing an article in MLA Style

Published January 23, 2021. Updated November 20, 2021.

To cite an article in MLA, you need to know the source type, author, publication year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page range, and/or DOI or ISBN.
The templates and examples below are based on the MLA Handbook, 8th edition. On this page, you can learn how to cite the following:

Journal article
Newspaper article
Magazine article
Citing multiple authors or no author

If you’re trying to cite an article in MLA, the Chegg Writing MLA citation generator could help.

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Citing a journal article in MLA style

For citing journal articles in MLA, the surname of the author and page range are used in narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, only the surname can be used.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Author Surname (Page Number)

Jin et al. (60)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Page Number)

(Jin et al. 743)

Works cited entry template and example:

Surname, First M. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title, vol. Volume Number, Issue Number, Publication Year, pp. Page Range. DOI.

Jin, Shilun, et al. “Enhanced Triple-α Reaction Reduces Proton-Rich Nucleosynthesis in Supernovae.” Nature, vol. 588, no. 7836, 2020, pp. 57–60. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2948-7.

Citing a newspaper article in MLA style

For citing newspaper articles in MLA, the surname of the author and page range are used in narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, only the surname can be used.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Author Surname (Page Number)

Sample

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Page Number)

(Sample)

Works cited entry template and example:

Surname, First M. “Title of the Article.” Newspaper Title, Publication Date, pp. Page Range. URL.

Sample, Ian. “Astronomers Unveil Most Detailed 3D Map Yet of Milky Way.” The Guardian, 3 Dec. 2020. www.theguardian.com/science/2020/dec/03/astronomers-unveil-most-detailed-3d-map-yet-of-milky-way.

Read this MLA format guide for more style basics.

Citing a magazine article in MLA style

For citing newspaper articles in MLA, the surname of the author and page range are used in narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, only the surname can be used.

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Author Surname (Page Number)

Lang

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Page Number)

(Lang)

Works cited entry template and example:

Surname, First M. “Title of the Article.” Magazine Title, Publication Date, pp. Page Range. URL.

Lang, Cady. “How Small Retailers Are Getting Creative to Survive a Pandemic Holiday Season.” TIME, 3 Dec. 2020. www.time.com/5917383/small-business-holiday-shopping-pandemic/.

Multiple authors and no author in MLA style

2 authors

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

Truran and Kozlovsky worked for … (1032)

… has been done (Truran and Kozlovsky 1032)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

Truran, James, and Benz Kozlovsky. “The Enhancement of the 3 4He → 12C Reaction Rate in Dense Matter by Inelastic-scattering Processes.” Astrophysics Journal, vol. 158, 1969, pp. 1021–32.

3+ authors

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

According to Beard et al. the … (112707)

… was checked (Beard et al. 112701)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

Beard, Mary, Sam M. Austin, and Richard Cyburt. “Enhancement of the Triple Alpha Rate in a Hot Dense Medium.” Physical Review Letters, vol. 119, no. 11, 2017, p. 112701.

No author

IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:

“Fibrosis” explains in detail …(566)

…shared and discussed (“Fibrosis” 566)

WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:

“Fibrosis: From Mechanisms to Medicines.” Nature 587, 2020, pp. 555–66. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2938-9.

For more information on citing sources in MLA, also read these guides on MLA in-text citations and MLA works cited examples.

MLA Style: Learn More

Frequently asked questions

To cite a magazine article in MLA style, the core elements required are the names of the author(s), title of the article, name of the magazine, year of publication, and URL. The below table shows how the in-text parenthetical citation and the works-cited entry are included for a magazine article.

In-text parenthetical citation template and example:

(Author Surname)

(Sims)

Works-cited template and example:

Surname, First name. “Title of the Article.” Magazine Name, Publication Date, URL.

Sims, David. “Ridley Scott’s Masterly New Film Tells a Familiar Story—And Then Unravels It.” The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2021, www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/10/in-the-last-duel-men-are-unreliable-narrators/620377/.

Notes

Add the magazine article inside double quotation marks. Write the magazine article in title case.

The magazine name is italicized.

Add the date in the format mentioned in the table. It is not necessary to have the day, month, and year. Add the information that is available.

Periodicals begin with the author name(s) followed by the title of the article and the name of the periodical. A newspaper article generally follows with a date and page number(s). Sometimes, edition names and section identifiers may be included. A magazine article generally follows with the date and page number(s) only. A journal article follows the name of the journal with volume number, issue number, date, and inclusive pages. The table below shows how articles are cited in a newspaper, magazine, and scholarly journal.

Newspaper article

In-text parenthetical citation

(Douville)

Works-cited list

Douville, Amanda. “Remembering the Life and Career of Baseball Legend Joe DiMaggio.” New York Daily News, 31 Oct. 2021, p. 12.

Magazine article

In-text parenthetical citation

(O’Falt)

Works-cited list

O’Falt, Chris. “Influences: The Movies that Inspired Wadjda Director Haifaa Al Mansour to Make History.” The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2013, p. 7.

Journal article

In-text parenthetical citation

(MacFadyen)

Works-cited list (with database and DOI number)

MacFadyen, Heather. “Maria Edgeworth and the Construction of Gentlemanly Reading: Forester, Robinson Crusoe, and Benjamin Franklin.” ESC: English Studies in Canada, vol. 20, no. 4, 1994, pp. 395–411. Project MUSE, https://doi:10.1353/esc.1994.0003.