How to mla cite an article

Overview

Citing sources is a fundamental aspect of academic and professional writing. It not only gives credit to the original authors but also allows your readers to locate and verify the information you present. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is widely used in the humanities, particularly in English, literature, and other languages and cultural studies. Proper MLA citation ensures that your work is credible and adheres to academic standards.

Why MLA Citation is Important

The MLA style guide provides a standardized way to cite sources, making your research transparent and accessible. It helps prevent plagiarism by acknowledging the ideas and words of others. Furthermore, a consistent citation style enhances the readability and professionalism of your work. When citing articles, it's crucial to distinguish between different types of publications, such as journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and online articles, as the citation format will vary slightly.

Basic MLA Citation Format for an Article

The core elements of an MLA citation for an article generally follow this pattern:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Publication, Date of Publication, Page Numbers.

For online articles, you'll typically add:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Publication, Date of Publication, Page Numbers. Website Name, URL or DOI. Accessed Date.

Detailed Breakdown of Each Element

Author(s)

List the author's last name first, followed by a comma, then their first name. If there are two authors, use the format: Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. For three or more authors, list the first author's name as Last Name, First Name, followed by et al. (meaning 'and others').

Article Title

Enclose the title of the article in quotation marks. Capitalize major words in the title. For example: "The Impact of Digital Media on Contemporary Art."

Publication Title

Italicize the title of the larger work in which the article appears (e.g., the journal, magazine, or newspaper name). Follow the same capitalization rules as for article titles.

Date of Publication

Include the full publication date, usually in the format Day Month Year (e.g., 15 Jan. 2023). For journals, you might only need the volume and issue number, followed by the year.

Page Numbers

Provide the page numbers where the article can be found. Use 'pp.' for multiple pages (e.g., pp. 45-52) or 'p.' for a single page (e.g., p. 10). If the article is on non-consecutive pages, list the first page followed by a hyphen and 'seq.' (e.g., pp. 45-seq.). For online articles that are not paginated, you may omit this element.

Website Name (for Online Articles)

If the article is found on a website, italicize the name of the website. This could be the name of the online journal, newspaper website, or aggregator site.

URL or DOI

For online articles, include the stable URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). A DOI is preferred as it is a permanent link. Remove 'http://' or 'https://' from the URL unless it is necessary for navigation.

Access Date

Include the date you accessed the online article in the format Day Month Year (e.g., 20 Feb. 2024). This is important because online content can change or be removed.

Specific Examples

Example: Journal Article

A scholarly article from a peer-reviewed journal:

Author, First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date (Month Year or Season Year), pp. #-#.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Evolution of Impressionist Techniques." Art History Journal, vol. 15, no. 2, Spring 2022, pp. 78-95.

Example: Magazine Article

An article from a popular magazine:

Author, First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Date (Day Month Year), pp. #-#.

Example:

Davis, Emily. "Rediscovering Van Gogh's Early Works." Art Monthly, 10 Nov. 2023, pp. 30-35.

Example: Newspaper Article

An article from a newspaper:

Author, First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Date (Day Month Year), p. #.

Example:

Brown, Michael. "Local Gallery Showcases Emerging Artists." The City Times, 5 Jan. 2024, p. A3.

Example: Online Article (from a website)

An article found on a website, potentially without print page numbers:

Author, First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Name of Website, Date Published, URL or DOI. Accessed Date.

Example:

Lee, Sarah. "The Influence of Surrealism on Modern Design." Art Insights Online, 20 Oct. 2023, www.artinsightsonline.com/surrealism-design. Accessed 15 Feb. 2024.

Example: Article from an Online Database (like JSTOR or ProQuest)

When citing an article from a subscription database, you often include the database name and the DOI or URL provided by the database.

Author, First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. #-#.

Database Name, DOI or URL.

Example:

Garcia, Maria. "Abstract Expressionism: A New American Identity." Journal of American Art History, vol. 22, no. 1, Winter 2021, pp. 112-130. JSTOR, doi:10.1086/art.2021.0005.

Works Cited Page

All the sources you cite in your paper must be listed alphabetically by the author's last name on a separate page titled "Works Cited" at the end of your paper. Each entry should have a hanging indent, meaning the first line of each citation is flush with the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented.

Tools and Resources

Several online tools can help you generate MLA citations, such as the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab), EasyBib, and Citation Machine. However, it is always best to understand the fundamental rules yourself to ensure accuracy, especially when dealing with less common source types.