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

Knowing how to cite a journal article in APA and how to cite a journal article in MLA is an essential skill for anyone writing academic research or scholarly nonfiction. Citing sources correctly acknowledges the original researchers who produced the work, supports your arguments with credible evidence, demonstrates a thorough engagement with the existing literature, and protects you from plagiarism. This guide explains why journal article citations matter, what information they require, and exactly how to format them in both APA and MLA style with worked examples.

Why Citing Journal Articles Matters

Citing journal articles serves several important purposes in academic writing. Understanding why citations are required, not just how to format them, helps you approach the task with the right perspective:

• Acknowledging original authors. Citing a journal article recognizes the intellectual contribution of the researchers who conducted the study and gives them proper credit for their work.
• Establishing credibility. Citing peer-reviewed journal articles demonstrates that your arguments and statements are supported by reputable, expert-evaluated sources. Peer-reviewed journals undergo rigorous evaluation by experts in the field, ensuring the quality and validity of the information presented.
• Providing evidence and support. Journal articles contain data, scholarly analysis, and research findings that strengthen your own arguments and provide verifiable evidence for claims you make. Citing them allows readers to examine that evidence directly.
• Demonstrating a thorough literature review. Citing previous published research shows that you have engaged with the existing body of knowledge on your topic. This demonstrates academic integrity and shows that you understand the relevant scholarly conversation.
• Helping future researchers. Citing your sources gives future researchers a map of the relevant literature, allowing them to follow your sources and build on the work you have drawn on.
• Avoiding plagiarism. Proper citation acknowledges and respects the intellectual property of others. Using someone else's work or ideas without giving them proper credit is plagiarism, a serious academic offense with significant consequences.
  
  

Citing journal articles is essential for maintaining academic integrity, supporting your arguments, and contributing to scholarly discussions in your field. For a broader overview of citation systems used in academic writing, read our article on an overview of citation styles.

What Information Is Needed to Cite a Journal Article

Regardless of the citation style you are using, citing a journal article typically requires the following information:

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

The order, formatting, and punctuation of these elements differ between citation styles. The two most widely used styles for journal article citations in academic writing are APA and MLA.

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style

APA style is used primarily in the social sciences, education, psychology, and related fields. The general structure for citing a journal article in APA format is:

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstInitial. MiddleInitial. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL

Here is a worked example of a journal article citation in APA style:

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

Breaking this example down:

• Fisher, P. J., & Yao, R. are the authors' last names and first name initials.
• (2017) is the year of publication.
• Gender differences in financial risk tolerance is the article title, written in sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized).
• Journal of Economic Psychology is the journal title, italicized and written in title case.
• 61 is the volume number, italicized. If the volume had an issue number, it would appear as 61(1) with the issue number in parentheses but not italicized.
• 191–202 is the page range of the article.
• doi:10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006 is the Digital Object Identifier. If no DOI is available, include the URL of the journal's homepage or omit this element.
  
  

Here is a second APA example with multiple authors:

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

For a comprehensive guide to APA citation conventions, read our article on basic guide to APA style citation.

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA Style

MLA style is used primarily in the humanities, including literature, language, and cultural studies. The general structure for citing a journal article in MLA format is:

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName, and SecondAuthorFirstName LastName. "Title of the Article." Title of the Journal, vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, pp. page range, doi.

Here is a worked example of a journal article citation in MLA style using the same article:

Fisher, Patti J., and Rui Yao. "Gender Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance." Journal of Economic Psychology, vol. 61, 2017, pp. 191–202, doi: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. Subsequent authors are listed first name first.
• "Gender Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance." The article title is in quotation marks and written in title case.
• Journal of Economic Psychology is the journal title, italicized.
• vol. 61 is the volume number.
• 2017 is the publication year.
• pp. 191–202 is the page range, preceded by "pp."
• doi:10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006. The DOI is included at the end, followed by a period.
  
  

Here is a second MLA example with multiple authors:

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

FAQs

How do you cite a journal article in APA format?

To cite a journal article in APA format, use the following structure: AuthorLastName, FirstInitial. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Title in Title Case, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL. The article title is not italicized or placed in quotation marks. The journal title and volume number are italicized. The publication year appears in parentheses immediately after the author names.

How do you cite a journal article in MLA format?

To cite a journal article in MLA format, use the following structure: AuthorLastName, FirstName, and SecondAuthorFirstName LastName. "Article Title in Title Case." Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page range, doi. The article title is placed in quotation marks and written in title case. The journal title is italicized. The publication year appears near the end of the citation, after the volume and issue numbers.

What is the difference between APA and MLA citation for journal articles?

The key differences between APA and MLA journal article citations are: APA uses initials for author first names while MLA uses full first names; APA places the publication year immediately after the author names while MLA places it near the end; APA uses sentence case for article titles with no quotation marks while MLA uses title case with quotation marks; and APA does not use "pp." before page ranges while MLA does. The journal title is italicized in both styles.

Do I need a DOI when citing a journal article?

Including a DOI is strongly recommended in both APA and MLA style when one is available, as it provides a permanent link to the article. In APA style, if no DOI is available, you can include the URL of the journal's homepage or omit this element entirely. In MLA style, the DOI or URL is included at the end of the citation when available. Always check the specific guidelines of your target journal or institution, as requirements can vary.

How do I cite a journal article with multiple authors in APA?

In APA style, list all authors by last name and first initial, separated by commas, with an ampersand before the final author. For example: Smith, J. R., Johnson, A., & Lee, B. (2022). For works with more than 20 authors, list the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis, and then add the final author's name. Always check the current edition of the APA Publication Manual for the most up-to-date guidelines, as these rules have changed across editions.

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