How to Cite a Journal Article in APA and MLA: A Complete Guide

Updated May 2026.

Knowing how to cite a journal article in APA and how to cite a journal article in MLA is a key skill for anyone writing academic research. Good citations give credit to the original authors. They back up your claims with strong proof. They show that you've engaged with the field. They also protect you from plagiarism. This guide explains why citations matter, what info you need, and how to format them in both styles with real examples.

Why Citing Journal Articles Matters

Citing journal articles serves many purposes in academic writing. Knowing why citations are required (not just how to format them) helps you approach the task with the right mindset.

• Crediting the original authors. A citation gives credit to the researchers who did the work. It's a basic act of academic respect.
• Building your credibility. Citing peer-reviewed articles shows your claims rest on solid sources. Peer-reviewed journals go through expert review. That review confirms the quality of the work.
• Providing proof for your claims. Journal articles hold data, analysis, and findings. They back up your own points with real proof. Citing them also lets readers check that proof for themselves.
• Showing a thorough literature review. Citing past research shows you've read the field. It proves that you understand the scholarly conversation around your topic.
• Helping future researchers. Your citations give the next researcher a map. They can follow your trail and build on the work you used.
• Avoiding plagiarism. Proper citation respects the intellectual work of others. Using someone else's ideas without credit is plagiarism. The consequences are serious.

Citing journal articles is key for academic integrity. It also helps you contribute to scholarly work in your field. For a broader overview, read our article on citation styles.

What Information You Need to Cite a Journal Article

No matter the style, every journal article citation needs the same core info. Required sources include the article itself, the journal it was published in, and a DOI or URL when available.

• Author name or names
• Publication date
• Title of the article
• Title of periodical (the journal name)
• Volume and issue number
• Page numbers (the range the article covers)
• DOI or URL, where available

The order and punctuation of these elements differ by style. APA and MLA are the two most common citation styles for journal articles in academic writing. The sections below show each one with worked examples.

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style

APA style is used most often in the social sciences, education, psychology, and related fields. Here's the general structure for an APA journal citation.

Author Last, F. M. (Year). Title of the article. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), page numbers. https://doi.org/xxxx

Here's a worked example in APA style.

Fisher, P. J., & Yao, R. (2017). Gender differences in financial risk tolerance. Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 191–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006

Breaking this example down:

• Fisher, P. J., & Yao, R. are the authors' last names and first initials.
• (2017) is the year of publication.
• Gender differences in financial risk tolerance is the article title in sentence case. Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• Journal of Economic Psychology is the title of periodical. It's italicized and uses title case.
• 61 is the volume number, italicized. If the journal had an issue number, it would appear as 61(1). The issue is in parentheses but not italicized.
• 191–202 are the page numbers.
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006 is the DOI link. Format it as a full URL starting with https doi.org. If no DOI is available, you can include a stable URL or omit this element.

Here's a second APA example with three authors and an issue number.

Smith, J. R., Johnson, A., & Lee, B. (2022). Trends in science. Top Science Review, 27(3), 245–259.

For more on APA conventions, read our basic guide to APA style citation.

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA Style

MLA style is used most often in the humanities. That includes literature, language, and cultural studies. Here's the general structure for an MLA journal citation.

Author Last, First, and Second Author First Last. "Title of the Article." Title of Periodical, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page numbers, https://doi.org/xxxx.

Here's the same article cited in MLA style.

Fisher, Patti J., and Rui Yao. "Gender Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance." Journal of Economic Psychology, vol. 61, 2017, pp. 191–202, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006.

Breaking this example down:

• Fisher, Patti J., and Rui Yao. The first author is listed last name first. Other authors are listed first name first.
• "Gender Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance." The article title sits in quotation marks. It uses title case.
• Journal of Economic Psychology is the title of periodical. It's italicized.
• vol. 61 is the volume number, prefixed with "vol."
• 2017 is the publication year.
• pp. 191–202 are the page numbers, prefixed with "pp."
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006. The DOI sits at the end, formatted as a full URL. It's followed by a period.

Here's a second MLA example with three authors and an issue number.

Smith, John R., Alex Johnson, and Bo Lee. "Trends in Science." Top Science Review, vol. 27, no. 3, 2022, pp. 245–259.

APA vs MLA Journal Article Citation: Key Differences

Citing Online Sources and Online-Only Journals

Many journals now publish online only. Online sources need the same core info as print articles. The format is also nearly the same. The key difference is the URL or DOI link.

• Always use a DOI when one exists. DOIs are stable. URLs sometimes change. A DOI link starts with https doi.org and points to the article forever.
• Format DOIs as full URLs. Both APA 7 and MLA 9 want the DOI written out as a full link (https://doi.org/xxxx). Old formats like "doi:xxxx" are out of date.
• If no DOI exists, use a stable URL. Use the journal's own page for the article. Don't use a database link that might require a login.
• Check the journal's terms and conditions. Some publishers spell out how their articles should be cited. Always follow those terms and conditions when they exist.

Common Citation Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing sentence case and title case. APA uses sentence case for article titles. MLA uses title case. The wrong choice is a quick way to spot an error.
• Forgetting to italicize the title of periodical. The journal name is always italicized in both styles. The article title is not.
• Mixing up the author format. APA uses initials. MLA uses full first names. Switching them is a common slip.
• Skipping the DOI. If a DOI exists, include it. It makes the source easy to find and lasts longer than a URL.
• Using the wrong volume and issue format. In APA, the volume is italicized and the issue is in parentheses. In MLA, both use "vol." and "no." prefixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

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