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Citation Guide: Articles-Print

A guide to citing your sources

Basic Format p.136

Possible components of an print periodical entry and the order in which they are normally arranged.

  1. Author(s) name
  2. Title of the article (in quotation marks)
  3. Name of the periodical (italicized)
  4. Series number or name
  5. Volume number
  6. Issue number
  7. Date of publication 
  8. Inclusive page numbers
  9. Medium of publication 
  10. Supplementary information

Article from a Journal (Scholarly Publication) p.137-141

The basic format is as follows:

Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of publication.

Regardless of pagination, all scholarly publication citations include both volume and issue numbers. End citations with the medium of publication.

NOTE: The period after the article title goes inside quotation marks.

Engelhaupt, Erika, "Burning Sugarcane Releases Ozone-Producing Nitrogen." Environmental Science & Technology 42.2 (2008):
   335-336. Print.

Jacobsen, K. H. "Patterns of Co-Authorship in International Epidemiology." Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
   63.8 (2009): 665-669. Print.

Article in a Magazine p.142-143

Cite by listing the article's author, putting the title of the article in quotations marks, and italicizing the periodical title. Follow with the date of publication. Remember to abbreviate the month. 

One Author:

Lake, Thomas. "The Shot That Saved Lives." Sports Illustrated 16 Mar. 2009: 56-61. Print.

No Author:

"Volcano Plumes Swirl Up a Storm." New Scientist 28 Mar. 2009: 15. Print.

Two or More Authors:

Barrie, Douglas and Robert Wall. "Resolving Contradictions." Aviation Week & Space Technology 5 Jan. 2009: 27. Print.

Article in a Newspaper p.141

Same as magazine but different pagination.

   "Insurer to Unveil Rules to Cut Risks After Hurricanes." Wall Street Journal 10 Oct. 1996, Eastern ed.: C18. Print.

If the newspaper is a less well-known or local publication, include the city name and state in brackets after the title of the newspaper.

   "Nurturing High-Tech Business." Times-West Virginian [Fairmont, WV] 13 Sept. 2009: D1. Print.

* Note: Hanging indents

All MLA citations should be formatted with the first line of an entry flush left and successive lines indented 1/2 ". Use a hanging indent. Do not go by the spacing in the examples we're providing in this guide, as your screen's display format may be different.

If you are using Word follow the steps below. You can select options on the Indents and Spacing tab.

  1. On the Page Layout tab, click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher, and then click the Indents and Spacing tab.
  2. In the Special list under Indentation, click Hanging, and then in the By box, set the amount of space that you want for the hanging indent. (0.5" = 1/2 inch)