Let's be honest – figuring out how to cite an MLA article can feel like cracking a secret code. You stare at your screen, wondering if the author's middle initial matters or where that darn comma goes. I've graded hundreds of papers, and citation errors are the most common headaches I see. But here's the good news: MLA style isn't magic, just a set of rules we can master together. Whether you're citing a journal article, a news piece, or something trickier like a tweet, this guide will walk you through it.
Why MLA Citations Actually Matter (Beyond the Grade)
It's not just about avoiding plagiarism. Getting MLA citations right builds trust. It shows readers (and professors!) where your information comes from. Imagine reading a statistic without knowing the source – you'd doubt it, right? Accurate citations let others verify your work and dig deeper. Plus, many scholarly databases rely on properly formatted citations. Messy citations might mean others can't find your sources.
The Core Ingredients of an MLA Article Citation
Every time you need to know how to cite an MLA article, whether online or in print, you'll need these core elements, almost always in this order:
| Element | What It Is | Key Rules & Pitfalls |
|---|---|---|
| Author(s) | The person or people who wrote the article. | Last Name, First Name. For two authors: Last1, First1, and First2 Last2. For three or more: Last1, First1, et al. |
| Article Title | The title of the specific article. | Put in "quotation marks". Capitalize major words. |
| Container Title | The title of the journal, magazine, newspaper, or website where the article lives. | Italicize this title. Capitalize major words. THIS IS OFTEN MISSED! |
| Volume & Issue (Journals) | Identifying numbers for scholarly journals. | Format: vol. 45, no. 2 |
| Publication Date | When the article was published. | Varies: Day Month Year (e.g., 15 May 2023), Month Year, or just Year. Be as specific as the source gives you. |
| Page Numbers | Where the article is located within the larger source. | Use p. for a single page (p. 24), pp. for a range (pp. 24-35). If pages are discontinuous, list them (pp. 24-27, 34). |
| Location (Online) | How readers can find it online. | DOI (preferred: https://doi.org/xxxxx) OR Stable Permalink OR URL (omit http:// or https://). Never use a shortened URL. |
Pro Tip: Stuck on what constitutes the "container"? Think of it like a box holding your article. A New York Times article is in the container "The New York Times." A journal article in "Journal of Environmental Studies" is contained within that journal.
Cracking the Code: MLA Article Citation Templates & Real Examples
Let's translate those elements into actual templates you can use. Seeing concrete examples is the best way to grasp how to cite an MLA article correctly.
Scholarly Journal Article (Online with DOI - Best Case!)
This is the gold standard for academic sources.
Real Example:
Why use the DOI? It's a permanent link, unlike URLs which can break. Always try to find this first.
Scholarly Journal Article (Online, No DOI - URL Needed)
Still common, especially with older journals.
Real Example:
Notice we include the publisher/platform name (Sage Journals) before the URL. Only include the publisher if it's different from the journal title itself.
Newspaper or Magazine Article (Online)
Common for current events analysis.
Real Example:
No page numbers? Online news/magazine articles often don't have them or they aren't stable, so we omit.
Print Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Article
Yes, physical sources still exist!
Real Example (Journal):
Real Example (Magazine):
Real Example (Newspaper):
Navigating the Tricky Bits: Common MLA Citation Headaches Solved
Okay, the basics are down. But what about the stuff that makes you want to pull your hair out? Let's tackle those tricky scenarios.
No Author? Don't Panic.
Start the citation with the article title. Alphabetize it in your Works Cited based on the first major word.
Multiple Authors? We Have Rules.
| Number of Authors | Format in Works Cited | Format in Parenthetical Citation |
|---|---|---|
| One Author | Smith, John | (Smith) |
| Two Authors | Smith, John, and Jane Doe | (Smith and Doe) |
| Three or More Authors | Smith, John, et al. | (Smith et al.) |
Page Numbers: When They're Messy or Missing
- Print Source, Pages Not Continuous? (e.g., starts on 45, then jumps to 52): List all relevant pages: pp. 45, 52-55.
- Online Source with Stable Page Numbers? Include them! Some PDF articles or databases provide them: pp. 24-35.
- Online Source with NO Page Numbers? Omit page numbers entirely. Do NOT use paragraph numbers unless the source explicitly numbers them (rare). Cite just by author (or title if no author) in your parentheses.
DOIs vs. URLs: The Eternal Question
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): This is a unique, permanent string of numbers/letters. Looks like: 10.1000/xyz123. Always use it if available. Cite as: DOI: followed by the number. No "https://doi.org/" needed in MLA 9th edition, just "doi:10.1000/xyz123". Though including the full link (https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123) is also widely accepted now. Check professor preference.
URL: Use if no DOI. Copy the full URL from your browser's address bar, but omit the "http://" or "https://". Why? It's cleaner and the link still works. Example: www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/science/space/nasa-asteroid-mission.html. Never use a URL shortener (bit.ly, etc.).
Citing Articles from Databases (JSTOR, ProQuest, etc.)
Treat the database like the container of the container? Not exactly. MLA simplified this. Cite it exactly like the online journal article examples above. Do NOT include the database name unless your instructor specifically requires it (some still do for course context). The key location element is the DOI or the stable URL provided by the database/journal itself.
Instructor wants database name? Add it as a second container after the journal name, italicized, before the DOI/URL.
Personal Pet Peeve: I see students lose points constantly on database citations by including the messy, session-specific URL from their browser bar. Always look for the DOI first, or failing that, the "Permalink," "Stable URL," or "Document URL" provided by the database itself (often near the abstract or tools).
Putting Citations into Action: The Parenthetical Citation
Your Works Cited list is one piece. The other is telling your reader exactly where in that source your idea came from, right within your paper's text. That's the parenthetical citation.
- Basic Rule: (Author's Last Name Page Number)
- Example: (Smith 24)
Important Nuances:
- No Page Numbers? Just (Author's Last Name).
- Two Authors? (Smith and Doe 42)
- Three or More Authors? (Smith et al. 157)
- No Author? Use a shortened version of the article title in quotes: ("Climate Goals" 5).
- Multiple Works by Same Author? Add a shortened title: (Smith, "Solar Power" 12) vs. (Smith, "Wind Farms" 8).
Signal Phrases Help: Introduce the source smoothly to minimize parenthetical clutter.
Crafting the Perfect Works Cited Page
This is where all your citations live together at the end of your paper. Formatting matters here!
- Title: Center the words "Works Cited" (not bolded, italicized, or underlined) at the top of the page.
- Order: Alphabetize entries by the first word (usually the author's last name, or the title if no author). Ignore "A", "An", or "The" at the start of a title when alphabetizing.
- Spacing: Double-space everything (entries and between entries).
- Indentation: Use a "hanging indent" for each entry. The first line is flush left; subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches.
- Punctuation: Follow the templates exactly – periods, commas, placement of italics/quotes are crucial.
Common Works Cited Blunder: Mixing citation styles. Don't throw in APA or Chicago style entries because you copied them from somewhere else. Stick purely to MLA format rules for every entry.
Your Burning MLA Citation Questions Answered (FAQ)
Q: How do I cite an article I found on a news aggregator like Apple News or Flipboard?
A: Cite the original source! Look for the name of the actual newspaper, magazine, or website that published the article. Cite it as if you accessed it directly on their site. The aggregator is just a delivery method. Only cite the aggregator if the content is exclusive to it (rare).
Q: How do I cite a PDF of an article I downloaded?
A: Cite the source based on where the PDF originated. Was it downloaded directly from the journal's website? Use the standard journal citation format. Was it uploaded to a course website by your professor? Cite it like a journal article but include the course site/platform as the container and use its URL if stable/public.
Q: How do I cite a comment on an article?
A: Treat the comment as a source unto itself. Structure:
Comment Author (or username). Comment on "Title of Article." Website Name, Day Month Year, Time (if available), URL of the comment thread or specific comment.
Example:
JupiterRising. Comment on "New Hubble Images Reveal Stellar Nursery." NASA.gov, 12 Oct. 2023, 4:23 p.m., www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/story/update20231012.html#comment-12345.
Q: How do I cite a newsletter article (like Substack)?
A: Cite it like an online article, treating the newsletter name as the container. If the newsletter author is also the article author, start with the author.
Example:
Thompson, Clive. "Why Analog Synths Are Making a Comeback." Sound Ideas Newsletter, Substack, 28 Sept. 2023, clivethompson.substack.com/p/analog-synths.
Q: How do I cite an article from a library database when there's no DOI?
A: Use the stable/permanent URL provided by the database itself (look for "Permalink," "Stable URL," "Document URL"). Do NOT use the temporary session URL from your browser's address bar. Cite it as the location element. Only include the database name if your instructor insists (see Database tip above).
Q: How do I cite an abstract of an article?
A: Only if you are specifically discussing *only* the abstract. Add "Abstract" at the end of the standard citation, before the location.
Example:
Chen, Wei, and Li Zhang. "Neural Pathways of Auditory Processing." Brain Research, vol. 1705, 2019, pp. 45-58. Abstract. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2018.10.012.
Q: How do I cite a translated article?
A: Include the translator after the title. Format: Author. "Article Title." Translated by FirstName LastName, Container, Publication Details, Location.
Example:
Dumas, Alexandre. "The Art of Narrative in the 19th Century." Translated by Sarah Blackwood, Literary Review International, vol. 18, no. 4, Winter 2022, pp. 88-105.
Spotting and Fixing Common MLA Mistakes (Learn from Others!)
After years of teaching, these are the errors I see *constantly*. Avoid these!
- Forgetting the Container Title: Citing just the article title and author, missing the italicized journal/newspaper/website title. Huge omission!
- Mishandling URLs/DOIs: Including "http://", using broken session URLs from databases, or omitting the DOI/URL entirely for online sources.
- Incorrect Author Format: Writing "John Smith" instead of "Smith, John"; messing up the "and" or "et al." for multiple authors.
- Page Number Chaos: Using "pg." or "page" instead of "p." or "pp."; forgetting page numbers for print sources; trying to invent page numbers for online sources without stable pagination.
- Date Format Slip-Ups: Writing "May 15, 2023" instead of "15 May 2023"; including the season inconsistently for journals (only include if explicitly part of the issue).
- Mixing Capitalization Styles: Not capitalizing major words in article and container titles; randomly capitalizing words in URLs.
- Works Cited Woes: Not alphabetizing correctly, forgetting the hanging indent, double-spacing inconsistently, calling it "Bibliography" or "References".
Tools & Resources: Use Wisely!
Citation generators (ZoteroBib, MyBib, Scribbr, even Word's built-in tool) can be helpful BUT you must double-check their output. They make mistakes, especially with complex sources or identifying containers.
The ONLY Source of Truth: The MLA Handbook (9th Edition). Your university library definitely has copies. The MLA Style Center website is also an excellent free resource with official examples and Q&A.
I remember a student confidently submitted a paper citing every source perfectly... except the generator had defaulted to APA style! Devastating. Always verify.
Putting It All Together: Confidence with MLA
Learning how to cite an MLA article precisely is a skill. It takes practice, attention to detail, and knowing where to find the rules when you hit a snag. Don't expect memorization on day one. Bookmark this guide, refer to the MLA Style Center, and build good habits. Start collecting citation information as soon as you find a source – author, title, container, date, location. Trying to reconstruct it later is a nightmare.
The payoff? Credibility. Your professors will notice the care you took. Your readers can trust your work. And honestly, once the core concepts click, it stops being a chore and just becomes part of the writing process. You've got this!
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