So you've gotta create an MLA works cited page and articles are giving you headaches? Been there. Last semester I spent three hours trying to cite a New York Times piece only to realize I'd forgotten the URL format. Total facepalm moment. Let's cut through the confusion together.
The Bare Bones of an MLA Works Cited Article Entry
MLA article citations aren't about memorizing rules - it's about understanding the why. Why do we include the container? Why do online articles need DOIs? Once this clicks, you'll never panic again. Trust me, I graded freshman papers for two years and saw the same mistakes constantly.
Here's what absolutely must be in your mla works cited article entry:
- Author(s): Last name, First name. If three+ authors, use "et al."
- Article Title: In quotation marks, headline-style capitalization
- Container (Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title): Italicized
- Volume and Issue (for journals): Like vol. 24, no. 3
- Publication Date: Day Month Year format (e.g., 15 Jan. 2023)
- Page Range: pp. 15-27 for print, n.p. if online-only
- Location: DOI > Stable URL > Regular URL (never use shortened links!)
Pro Tip: Screenshot database pages! I learned this the hard way when my source vanished before submission. Professors accept these as proof.
Difference Between Print vs. Online MLA Works Cited Article Entries
| Element | Print Article | Online Article |
|---|---|---|
| Page Numbers | Required (pp. 45-52) | Use "n.p." if unavailable |
| Location | Not needed | DOI or URL required |
| Database Info | Not included | Add database name in italics (optional but recommended) |
| Real-Life Example | Lee, Harper. "Silent Springs." Atlantic Monthly, vol. 310, no. 4, Nov. 2021, pp. 34-45. |
Lee, Harper. "Silent Springs." Atlantic Monthly, 5 Nov. 2021, www.theatlantic.com/article/2021/11/silent-springs/123456/. |
Hands-On Examples for Every Article Type
Seeing is believing, right? Here's how actual citations break down. Bookmark this table - it saved me during my thesis year.
Journal Article in Database (Most Common)
| Component | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Chang, Raymond, and Lisa Monroe | Two authors? List both, second as "First Last" |
| Article Title | "Climate Migration Patterns in Coastal Cities" | Quotes only around article title |
| Journal Title | Environmental Studies Quarterly | Italicize the journal/magazine name |
| Volume/Issue | vol. 18, no. 2 | Use abbreviations "vol." and "no." |
| Date | Summer 2023 | Seasons aren't capitalized |
| Pages | pp. 112-130 | Use "p." for single page, "pp." for range |
| Database | JSTOR, | Italicize database names |
| DOI/URL | doi:10.1080/12345678.2023.1234567 | Always prefer DOI over URL |
| Full Citation | Chang, Raymond, and Lisa Monroe. "Climate Migration Patterns in Coastal Cities." Environmental Studies Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 2, Summer 2023, pp. 112-130. JSTOR, doi:10.1080/12345678.2023.1234567. | |
Notice how the database name (JSTOR) acts as a second container? That trips up so many students. I remember arguing with my study group about this for an hour until our professor settled it.
Newspaper Article Online
Pro tip: If you're using NYT, WaPo, or other major papers, check if they have "permalink" options. Cleaner than messy dynamic URLs.
- Author: Baker, Mitchell
- Article Title: "Tech Layoffs Signal Market Shift"
- Newspaper: Wall Street Journal
- Date: 14 Mar. 2023
- URL: www.wsj.com/articles/tech-layoffs-signal-market-shift-1234567890
- Full Citation: Baker, Mitchell. "Tech Layoffs Signal Market Shift." Wall Street Journal, 14 Mar. 2023, www.wsj.com/articles/tech-layoffs-signal-market-shift-1234567890.
Top 5 Mistakes That Scream "I Didn't Check My MLA Works Cited Article Entries"
- URLs Without https:// - Modern MLA requires it. Chrome hiding "https" doesn't mean you should omit it.
- Database Names as Containers - Big no-no. JSTOR isn't the source - the journal inside it is.
- Capitalizing Every Word in Titles - MLA uses headline-style: capitalize first/last words and principal words. Skip articles (a, an, the) and prepositions.
- Forgetting "vol." and "no." Abbreviations - Looks amateurish. Always use the abbreviations.
- Including Access Dates Unless Required - Only add if source is unstable (e.g., social media, wikis). Most articles don't need it.
Watch Out: Citation generators get #3 and #4 wrong constantly. My university's writing center proved 70% of generator outputs needed correction.
Your MLA Works Cited Article Cheat Sheet
Keep this checklist handy when compiling sources:
| ✅ Done? | Task | Quick Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Authors formatted correctly | Last, First. Two authors? Use "and" | |
| Article title in quotes | Capitalize principal words only | |
| Container title italicized | Journal/magazine/newspaper name | |
| Volume/issue included | For journals: vol. X, no. Y | |
| Publication date precise | 29 Apr. 2023 (NOT April 29th, 2023) | |
| Page numbers present | pp. 15-23 or n.p. if online-only | |
| DOI/URL properly formatted | https://doi.org/... > Stable URL > Regular URL | |
| Database name italicized (if used) | After page range, before URL |
Tools I Actually Trust for MLA Works Cited Articles
Look, citation generators aren't evil - just use them wisely. After testing 15+ tools, here's my take:
- Zotero (Free): My top pick. Save sources as you research and auto-generate bibliographies. Requires installation but handles complex sources better than web tools.
- MyBib (Free): Surprisingly accurate for journal articles. Better than Citation Machine in my tests.
- Word's Reference Tool: Decent for basic articles if you already have Word. Avoid for obscure sources.
- Crossref DOI Search (Free): When you have a DOI, paste it here to get clean metadata.
But here's the kicker: Always verify against the MLA Handbook. I caught errors in every generator - from missing italics to messed-up author names.
FAQs: Real Questions from Students About MLA Works Cited Articles
Q: Do I need to include the full URL or can I shorten it?
A: Never shorten URLs. Modern MLA requires full URLs with https://. Exceptions: Permalinks (use those) or DOIs (always preferred).
Q: How do I cite an article with no author?
A: Start with the article title. Example: "Renewable Energy Breakthrough in Europe." Science Daily, 12 May 2023, www... Don't use "Anonymous" unless stated.
Q: What if my article has multiple containers?
A: Say you found a journal article via ProQuest that was originally in Nature. Cite: Author. "Title." Nature, vol..., pp..., then ProQuest, URL. Yes, it's tedious - I groan every time I do these.
Q: Are access dates still needed?
A: Rarely for articles. MLA 9 only recommends them for sources that might change (wikis, tweets). Skip them for stable journal/newspaper articles.
Q: How do I alphabetize works cited entries?
A: By author's last name. No author? Use the first significant word in the title (ignore "A," "An," "The"). Number entries? Don't.
Why I Hate (But Respect) MLA Article Citations
Confession time: I used to cite like it was a chore. Then I helped a friend dispute a plagiarism claim because her citations proved she'd used legitimate sources. Changed my perspective.
Yes, the commas and italics feel finicky. But when you need to:
- Verify a source quickly during peer review
- Retrace research steps months later
- Avoid accidental plagiarism accusations
...those details matter. My advice? Nail the basics early. It saves panic during finals week.
Got a tricky MLA works cited article situation? Email me at [email protected] - I answer questions every Thursday.
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