mla format in text citation newspaper article

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MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Magazine/Newspaper Articles

• Introduction to MLA Style
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• 9th Edition Updates
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

A note on magazine/newspaper citations, magazine/newspaper article from a website, magazine/newspaper article from nexis uni, magazine/newspaper article in print, how do i know if it's a newspaper.

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
• Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
• Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
• Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

Articles may also come from  journals  or magazines.

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed)—While not required, it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.
• Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Title of Website , Date of Publication, URL. Access date.

Note:  If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition. If no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Works Cited List Example:

Zimmerman, Eilene. "The Many Delicate Issues of Spirituality in the Office." New York Times , 15 Aug. 2004, www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/jobs/the-many-delicate-issues-of-spirituality-in-the-office.html.  Accessed 7 June 2016.

Note : This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name)

(Zimmerman)

Note: This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

Note : If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Title of Newspaper , Date of Publication, p. Page Number. Database Name , URL. 

Note:  If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article. Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition.

Ruhe, Pierre. “Pair of Recitals Show Musicians’ Contrasting Styles.” The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 5 Feb. 2001, p. 5D. Nexis Uni, advance.lexis.com/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:4292-6G90-0026-G40Y-00000-00&context=1516831.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Ruhe 5D)

Cite a newspaper article as you would a magazine article, but note the different pagination in most newspapers. If there is more than one edition available for that date (as in an early and late edition of a newspaper), identify the edition after the newspaper title.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."  Name of Newspaper , Date of Publication, p. Page number. 

Note:  If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Kershner, Isabel. "Ancient Grocery Lists May Shed Light on When the Bible Was First Written." New York Times , 2016 April 12, p. A8.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Kershner A8)

Note : If an article is only one page long, you do not need to provide the page number in the in-text citation. 

Note : If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks, e.g. ("Talks").

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

Behre, Robert. "Presidential Hopefuls Get Final Crack at Core of S.C. Democrats."  Post and Courier  [Charleston, SC], 29 Apr. 2007, p. A11.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite a Newspaper Article in MLA

How to Cite a Newspaper Article in MLA

Newspaper – A daily or weekly publication that contains news, often featuring articles on political events, crime, business, art, entertainment, society, and sports.

Some examples of popular newspapers include The New York Times , Wall Street Journal , USA Today , and The Chicago Tribune .

How to cite a newspaper in print

View Screenshot | Cite your source

When citing a newspaper in print

• The city name is in the name of the newspaper.
• It is a national or international newspaper.
• Page numbers : One page number is “p. #” More than one page is “pp. ##-##.”

How to cite a newspaper article found online

Cite your source

When citing a newspaper found online

• URL : Omit the https://.
• Accessed date : Technically, the access date is supplemental and does not always need to be included. However, due to the easily changeable nature of online information, many teachers prefer to include it in the citation.

How to cite a newspaper article found on a database

When citing a newspaper article found on a database

• Accessed date : Technically, the access date is supplemental. However, some teachers will request to have it included.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated May 18, 2021.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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To cite an online newspaper article in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author, publication date, title of the article, newspaper name, and the URL. The templates for in-text citations and works-cited-list entries of an online newspaper article, along with examples, are given below for one author:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author in the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Jane Brody . . .

Subsequent occurrences: Brody . . .

Parenthetical:

. . . (Brody)

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. The newspaper name is given in italics. Follow the format given in the template and example for writing the date, month, and year.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Newspaper , Publication date, URL.

Reuters. “Wildfire in Southern Spain Forces 500 to Flee.” The Times of India , 9 Sept. 2021, www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/wildfire-in-southern-spain-forces-500-to-flee/articleshow/86063279.cms .

To cite an article from the New York Times in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author, publication date, title of the article, and the URL. The templates for in-text citation and works-cited-list entry of an article from the New York Times, along with examples, are given below for one author:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. The newspaper name, “ The New York Times ,” is given in italics. Follow the format given in the template and example for writing the date, month, and year.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Article.” The New York Times , Publication date, URL.

Brody, Jane. “How Vision Loss Can Affect the Brain.” The New York Times , 10 Sept. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/well/live/vision-loss-brain-health.html .

MLA Citation Examples

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Newspaper Articles

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On This Page: Newspapers

Newspaper article from a library database, newspaper article from a library database - newspapers with volumes and issues, newspaper article from a website, newspaper article in print, citing two authors, citing three or more authors, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

How Can I Tell if it's a Newspaper?

Photo from Flickr, created by user NS Newsflash. Available under a Creative Commons license.

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
• Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
• Articles are usually written by journalists who may or may not have subject expertise.
• Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
• Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

Articles may also come from journals or magazines .

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [city of newspaper if local paper with city name not in name], Date of Publication, p. Page Number if given. Name of Database.  

 Note: If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [City of newspaper if local paper with city name not in name of newspaper], vol. Volume Number, no. Issues Number, Date of Publication, p. Page Number if given. Name of Database.  

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Website,  Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, p. Page Number. 

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name Middle Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Newspaper Articles

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• Newspaper Articles from a Library Database
• Newspaper Articles from a Website
• Newspaper Articles in Print

For more help, see Tips for Citing Newspaper Articles below, and explainers on  how to tell the difference between Journals , Magazines , and Newspapers .

How Can I Tell If It's a Newspaper?

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
• Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
• Articles are usually written by journalists who may or may not have subject expertise.
• Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
• Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

Articles may also come from  journals   or  magazines .

How Can I Tell If It's a Magazine?

Not sure whether your article is from a magazine? Look for these characteristics:

Popular magazines:

• Main purpose is to entertain, sell products or promote a viewpoint.
• Appeal to the general public.
• Often have many photos and illustrations, as well as many advertisements.
• Author may or may not have subject expertise.
• Name and credentials of authors often NOT provided.
• Articles tend to be short –less than 5 pages
• Unlikely to have a bibliography or references list

Trade magazines:

• Main purpose is to update and inform readers on current trends in a specific industry or trade.
• Audience is members of a specific industry or trade or professors and students in that trade or industry
• May have photos and numerous advertisements , but still assume that readers understand specific jargon of the profession.
• Usually published by an association.
• Authors are professionals working in the specific industry or trade.

Articles may also come from  journals  or  newspapers .

How Can I Tell if it's a Journal?

Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle

Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is often to report results of original search
• Articles usually have a very specific subject focus
• May see sections such as abtract , discussion, results, and conclusion
• Author of the article is an expert or specialist in the field and often their credentials are listed
• Article is intended for students, scientists, researchers and/or professionals instead of the general public
• Usually includes a References list at the end

Articles may also come from magazines or newspapers .

Tips for Citing Newspaper Articles

For all content found on the Web, you must list the date you first viewed the resource. This comes last in a citation.

An author can be a person but can also be an organization, or company. These are called group or corporate authors.

If the name of the city in which the newspaper is published is not evident from the title of the newspaper then provide the city in square brackets after the title of the newspaper.

E.g., When citing the Toronto Star, it is evident that the newspaper is published in Toronto. However, if citing The Gazette, it is not evident from the title that it is published in Montreal, so include [Montreal] after writing The Gazette.

The name of the database will usually apear at the top of the search screen. Note that Elsevier, Gale and EBSCOhost are NOT database names, they are database providers. The name of the database will appear separately.

If you have used the function to search multiple databases at once and therefore do not know the individual database name, enter the name of the database provider (e.g. ProQuest) as the database.

The format of all dates is: Date Month (shortened) Year. E.g. 5 Sept. 2012.

If no date is listed, write n.d.

If no page number is listed, write n. pag. in the Works Cited list.

If the entire article is only one page, do not include a page number in the in-text citation.

If the article appears on non-consecutive pages (e.g., the article starts on page 5 then continues on page 12), write the first page number and a plus (+) sign. E.g., 5+

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Newspaper Articles

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• When Creating Digital Assignments
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On This Page

Newspaper article from a library database, newspaper article from a website, newspaper article in print, how can i tell if it's a newspaper.

Photo from Flickr, created by user NS Newsflash. Available under a Creative Commons license.

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
• Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
• Articles are usually written by journalists who may or may not have subject expertise.
• Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
• Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

Articles may also come from journals or magazines .

Access Date

In the 9th edition of the MLA Manual, accessed dates are no longer used for most entries.  The exception is if you have a web source without a publication date or which has been altered or removed.  This date will be added to the end of the entry. E.g. Accessed 23 July 2022.

Authors/Editors

An author can be a person but can also be an organization, or company. These are called group or corporate authors.

City of Newspaper

If the name of the city in which the newspaper is published is not evident from the title of the newspaper then provide the city in square brackets after the title of the newspaper.

E.g., When citing the Toronto Star, it is evident that the newspaper is published in Toronto. However, if citing The Gazette, it is not evident from the title that it is published in Montreal, so include [Montreal] after writing The Gazette.

Database Names

The name of the database will usually apear at the top of the search screen. Note that ProQuest and EBSCOhost are NOT database names, they are database providers. The name of the database will appear separately.

If you have used the function to search multiple databases at once and therefore do not know the individual database name, enter the name of the database provider (e.g. ProQuest) as the database.

The format of all dates is: Date Month (shortened) Year. E.g. 5 Sept. 2012.

If no date is listed, write n.d.

Page Numbers

If no page number is listed, write n. pag. in the Works Cited list.

If the entire article is only one page, do not include a page number in the in-text citation.

If the article appears on non-consecutive pages (e.g., the article starts on page 5 then continues on page 12), write the first page number and a plus (+) sign. E.g., 5+

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [city of newspaper if city name not in name], Date of Publication, p. Page number if given. Name of Database,  Permalink , Stable URL, or URL.

Note: If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of website,  Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, URL.

 Note: If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, p. Page number. 

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MLA Referencing – How to Cite a Newspaper Article

2-minute read

• 15th August 2018

Using MLA referencing in a college paper ? Found an interesting newspaper article that you want to cite but not sure how? Then you’re in exactly the right place! In this post, we look at how to format in-text citations and references for newspaper articles in MLA referencing .

In-Text Citations

As with other source types, an MLA citation for a newspaper article should include the author’s surname and a page number for the specific part of the text cited:

We discovered the artifact on an island in the Aegean Sea (Jones 32).

Keep in mind that some newspapers are divided into sections with their own numbering. These should be used in place of a standard page number reference if applicable.

Should you cite a newspaper article with no named author , you can use either an organizational author (e.g., the name of the newspaper) or a shortened version of the article title in citations instead.

The key is to make whatever you use in citations the first piece of information given for the source in the Works Cited list at the end of your document.

Works Cited: Print Newspaper Article

In the Works Cited list , the format for a print newspaper article is as follows:

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Surname, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper , Day Month and Year of Publication, page number(s).

In practice, then, a reference for a newspaper article would look like this:

Jones, Indiana. “Long Lost Biblical Ark Discovered in Mediterranean.” The Paramount Times , 12 June 1981, p. 32.

Works Cited: Online Newspaper Article

When citing an article found online, you should give a URL in place of page numbers. For example, we would reference an online version of the article above as follows:

Jones, Indiana. “Long Lost Biblical Ark Discovered in Mediterranean.” The Paramount Times , 12 June 1981, www.paramountimes.org/stories/06121981/lost-ark-discovered.html.

If your school or lecturer requires it, you may want to add a date of access, too. This refers to the most recent date you accessed the article online and goes after the URL.

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MLA Citation (7th edition)

• Citing a book
• Citing the Parts of a Books
• Citing a journal or magazine article

In Text Citations

Basic newspaper article citation, newspaper article - print, newspaper article - electronic or library database.

• Citing a Website
• MLA Resources

Writing Center

Visit the Writing Center for help with brainstorming, organization, revising, citations, and other writing assistance! 

• Every Monday: Saurwein 232
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Regular Writing Center Hours:

• Monday-Friday 12:00PM-7:00PM
• Sundays 12:00PM-5:00PM

Book an appointment  with a Writing Center consultant. 

For an overview of the various ways to cite information in text in MLA style, see the Purdue OWL , which provides an overview of the basic in text citation formats.

Author's last name, Author's first name.   "Title of the Article."    Name   of newspaper [city of publication if not in newspaper

          name]  day  month  year: pages.   Medium of publication.

Buescher, James.   "Animal Magnetism: 'Jungle Jack' Hanna Brings His  Critters to AMT."    Sunday New s [Lancaster,

          Pennsylvania] 22  Mar. 2009 : H1+.   LexisNexis Academic.  Web.  12 June 2009.

Information found using a library database should include the name of the database after the page numbers, use Web as the medium of publication, and include the date the information was found in the database.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Newspaper Articles

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• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos and DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• Paraphrasing
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How Do I Know If It's a Newspaper?

Tips: Articles from Websites

Newspaper article from a library database.

• Newspapers with Volumes and Issues

Newspaper Article From a Website

Newspaper article in print, citing two authors, citing three or more authors, how can i tell if it's a newspaper.

Photo from Flickr, created by user NS Newsflash. Available under a Creative Commons license.

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
• Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
• Articles are usually written by journalists who may or may not have subject expertise.
• Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
• Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

The Libraries subscribe to the newspapers The Montreal Gazette , The Globe and Mail , and Le Devoir .

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition. If no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [city of newspaper if local paper with city name not in name], Date of Publication, p. Page Number if given. Name of Database.

 Note: If the author's name is not listed, begin the citation with the title of the article.

Schmidt, Sarah. "Companies Fail the Test; Junk Food Marketing Aimed at Kids Faulted." The Gazette [Montreal], 10 Mar. 2010, p. A.11. Canadian Newsstand.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Schmidt A11)

 Note: If an article is only one page long, you do not need to provide the page number in the in-text citation.

 Note: If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks, e.g. ("Companies").

Newspaper Article From a Library Database - Newspapers with Volumes and Issues

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper [City of newspaper if local paper with city name not in name of newspaper], vol. Volume Number, no. Issues Number, Date of Publication, p. Page Number if given. Name of Database.

Crawford, Maxine. "Research in a Celtic Nation." Psynopsis: Canada's Psychology Newspaper , vol. 39, no. 3, Summer 2017, p. 32. Canadian Points of View Reference Centre.

 Note: You do not need to add the city of publication to the name of a nationally published newspaper.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Website, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.

Morrison, Malcolm. "TSX Recovers on Greece News." Toronto Star , 23 June 2011, www.thestar.com/business/economy/2011/06/ 23/tsx_recovers_on_greece_news.html. Accessed 7 June 2016.

 Note: This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

(Author's Last Name)

Note: This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

Note: If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks, e.g. ("TSX Recovers").

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, p. Page Number.

Smith, Bill. "Talks on Bosnia Bog Down Over Borders." Toronto Star,  18 Aug. 2012, p. B6.

 Note: If an article is only one page long, you do not need to provide the page number in the in-text citation. 

 Note: If there is no author listed, the in-text citation would include the first word or words of the title of the article in quotation marks, e.g. ("Talks").

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name Middle Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

MLA Handbook

Abbreviating Months

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

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MLA Style: Basics

Newspaper articles, articles by format, print newspaper article, general format.

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title , Publication Date, pp. page range where article appears. Website or Database Name , DOI or URL.

For Example

Alvarez, Lizette. "Resident Attractions: Cats at Hemingway Museum Draw Tourists, and a Legal Battle." New York Times , 23 Dec. 2012, pp. 20, 26

In-Text Citation

(Alvarez 26).

Newspaper Article in a Database

Sulcas, Roslyn. "Bending Gender Every Which Way." New York Times , 14 Jun. 2008, p. B13. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times , www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/bending-gender-every-which-way/docview/897118829/

(Sulcas B13).

Online Newspaper Article

Trotta, Daniel. "East L.A., the Cradle of Mexican American Culture, Seeks Greater Independence." Reuters , www.reuters.com/world/us/east-la-cradle-mexican-american-culture-seeks-greater-independence-2021-06-04/

Two Authors

First Author's Last Name, First Author's First Name, and Second Author's First Name Second Author's Last Name. "Article Title." Journal Title , vol. volume number, no. Issue number, Publication Year, pp. page range where entry appears. Containter or Database Name , DOI or URL.

Print Example

Finn, Jeremy D., and Donald A. Rock. "Academic success among students at risk for school failure." Journal of Applied Psychology , vol. 82, no. 2, 1997, pp. 221-234.

Finn, Jeremy D., and Donald A. Rock. "Academic success among students at risk for school failure." Journal of Applied Psychology , vol. 82, no. 2, 1997, pp. 221-234. Business Source Ultimate , ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=1997-03393-002&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

(Finn and Rock 225).

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): In-Text Citation

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In-Text Citation

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In-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. 

• In-text citations in MLA style follow the general format of author's last name followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. Here is an example: "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
• If the author's name is not given, use the first word (or words) of the title. Follow the same formatting that is used in the works-cited list, such as quotation marks. Here is an example: This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).
• If the source does not have page numbers (for example, some online articles, websites and e-books), only include the author's name for the in-text citation. Do not estimate or make up page numbers.  
• In-text citations point the reader to the works-cited list, which is located at the end of your paper, for more complete bibliographic information.

Repeated Use of Sources

If you use information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. Here is an example:

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17).

  Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

In-Text Citation Formatting and Examples

Format:  (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Hunt 358)

Two Authors

Format:  (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Case and Daristotle 57)

Three or More Authors

Format:   (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Case et al. 57)

Unknown Author

Where you would normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Do not use  initial articles such as "A", "An" or "The". Provide enough words to clarify which sources from your works-cited list that you are referencing. 

Follow the formatting of the title. For example, if the title in the works-cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation, and if the title in the works-cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

Format: (Title Page Number)

Examples : 

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

Multiple Sources

To cite more than one source when you are paraphrasing, separate the in-text citations with a semi-colon.

Format: (Author's Last Name Page Number; Author's Last Name Page Number).

(Smith 42; Bennett 71). 

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

 Note: In MLA style, the sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order.

Works Quoted in Another Source

Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person's work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. (This may be a secondary source.) For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay. The basic rule is that in both your Works-Cited List and in-text citation you will still cite Kirkey. Kirkey will appear in your Works Cited list – NOT Smith. Add the words "qtd. in" to your in-text citation.

Examples of in-text citations:

According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.

Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).

Example of Works Cited List citation:

Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia."   The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.

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Cite a Newspaper in MLA

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications)

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9 th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

The MLA Handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

However, this guide will highlight a few concerns when citing digital sources in MLA style.

Best Practices for Managing Online Sources

Because online information can change or disappear, it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible. Downloading or even printing key documents ensures you have a stable backup. You can also use the Bookmark function in your web browser in order to build an easy-to-access reference for all of your project's sources (though this will not help you if the information is changed or deleted).

It is also wise to keep a record of when you first consult with each online source. MLA uses the phrase, “Accessed” to denote which date you accessed the web page when available or necessary. It is not required to do so, but it is encouraged (especially when there is no copyright date listed on a website).

Important Note on the Use of URLs in MLA

Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. Because web addresses are not static (i.e., they change often) and because documents sometimes appear in multiple places on the web (e.g., on multiple databases), MLA encourages the use of citing containers such as Youtube, JSTOR, Spotify, or Netflix in order to easily access and verify sources. However, MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs.

Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.

Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a “permalink,” which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

Abbreviations Commonly Used with Electronic Sources

If page numbers are not available, use par. or pars. to denote paragraph numbers. Use these in place of the p. or pp. abbreviation. Par. would be used for a single paragraph, while pars. would be used for a span of two or more paragraphs.

Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)

Here are some common features you should try to find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible:

• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available, precede it with "https://doi.org/"), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended, especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Use the following format:

Author. "Title." Title of container (self contained if book) , Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2 nd container’s title , Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Citing an Entire Web Site

When citing an entire website, follow the same format as listed above, but include a compiler name if no single author is available.

Author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), DOI (preferred), otherwise include a URL or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site . Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites . The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory . Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.

Course or Department Websites

Give the instructor name. Then list the title of the course (or the school catalog designation for the course) in italics. Give appropriate department and school names as well, following the course title.

Felluga, Dino. Survey of the Literature of England . Purdue U, Aug. 2006, web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/241/241/Home.html. Accessed 31 May 2007.

English Department . Purdue U, 20 Apr. 2009, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/. Accessed 31 May 2015.

A Page on a Web Site

For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.

Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.”  eHow , www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.

“ Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview. ”   WebMD , 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

Citations for e-books closely resemble those for physical books. Simply indicate that the book in question is an e-book by putting the term "e-book" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. E-book, American Psychological Association, 2007.

If the e-book is formatted for a specific reader device or service, you can indicate this by treating this information the same way you would treat a physical book's edition number. Often, this will mean replacing "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed."

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince , translated by W. K. Marriott, Kindle ed., Library of Alexandria, 2018.

Note:  The MLA considers the term "e-book" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an e-book reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application. These e-books will not have URLs or DOIs. If you are citing book content from an ordinary webpage with a URL, use the "A Page on a Web Site" format above.

An Image (Including a Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph)

Provide the artist's name, the work of art italicized, the date of creation, the institution and city where the work is housed. Follow this initial entry with the name of the Website in italics, and the date of access.

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Museo Nacional del Prado , www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74. Accessed 22 May 2006.

Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine . 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive , www.artchive.com/artchive/K/klee/twittering_machine.jpg.html. Accessed May 2006.

If the work cited is available on the web only, then provide the name of the artist, the title of the work, and then follow the citation format for a website. If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

Adams, Clifton R. “People Relax Beside a Swimming Pool at a Country Estate Near Phoenix, Arizona, 1928.” Found, National Geographic Creative, 2 June 2016, natgeofound.tumblr.com/.

An Article in a Web Magazine

Provide the author name, article name in quotation marks, title of the web magazine in italics, publisher name, publication date, URL, and the date of access.

Bernstein, Mark. “ 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web. ”   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites , 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009.

An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal

For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a DOI if available, otherwise provide a URL or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal

MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

Article in an Online Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print

Cite articles in online scholarly journals that also appear in print as you would a scholarly journal in print, including the page range of the article . Provide the URL and the date of access.

Wheelis, Mark. “ Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. ”   Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 6, no. 6, 2000, pp. 595-600, wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/6/00-0607_article. Accessed 8 Feb. 2009.

An Article from an Online Database (or Other Electronic Subscription Service)

Cite online databases (e.g. LexisNexis, ProQuest, JSTOR, ScienceDirect) and other subscription services as containers. Thus, provide the title of the database italicized before the DOI or URL. If a DOI is not provided, use the URL instead. Provide the date of access if you wish.

Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “ Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates. ”   Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library , https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20155. Accessed 26 May 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.

E-mail (including E-mail Interviews)

Give the author of the message, followed by the subject line in quotation marks. State to whom the message was sent with the phrase, “Received by” and the recipient’s name. Include the date the message was sent. Use standard capitalization.

Kunka, Andrew. “ Re: Modernist Literature. ”  Received by John Watts, 15 Nov. 2000.

Neyhart, David. “ Re: Online Tutoring. ” Received by Joe Barbato, 1 Dec. 2016.

A Listserv, Discussion Group, or Blog Posting

Cite web postings as you would a standard web entry. Provide the author of the work, the title of the posting in quotation marks, the web site name in italics, the publisher, and the posting date. Follow with the date of access. Include screen names as author names when author name is not known. If both names are known, place the author’s name in brackets.

Author or compiler name (if available). “Posting Title.” Name of Site , Version number (if available), Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), URL. Date of access.

Salmar1515 [Sal Hernandez]. “Re: Best Strategy: Fenced Pastures vs. Max Number of Rooms?” BoardGameGeek , 29 Sept. 2008, boardgamegeek.com/thread/343929/best-strategy-fenced-pastures-vs-max-number-rooms. Accessed 5 Apr. 2009.

Begin with the user's Twitter handle in place of the author’s name. Next, place the tweet in its entirety in quotations, inserting a period after the tweet within the quotations. Include the date and time of posting, using the reader's time zone; separate the date and time with a comma and end with a period. Include the date accessed if you deem necessary.

@tombrokaw. “ SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign. ”   Twitter, 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m., twitter.com/tombrokaw/status/160996868971704320.

@PurdueWLab. “ Spring break is around the corner, and all our locations will be open next week. ”   Twitter , 5 Mar. 2012, 12:58 p.m., twitter.com/PurdueWLab/status/176728308736737282.

A YouTube Video

Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title.

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube , uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

A Comment on a Website or Article

List the username as the author. Use the phrase, Comment on, before the title. Use quotation marks around the article title. Name the publisher, date, time (listed on near the comment), and the URL.

Not Omniscient Enough. Comment on “ Flight Attendant Tells Passenger to ‘Shut Up’ After Argument Over Pasta. ”  ABC News, 9 Jun 2016, 4:00 p.m., abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendant-tells-passenger-shut-argument-pasta/story?id=39704050.

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How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on April 16, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on March 5, 2024.

An MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article contains the author(s); article title; journal name; volume and issue; month and year; page range; and a DOI if accessed online. In the in-text citation, include the author’s last name and the page number.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to create accurate MLA citations for journal articles.

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Table of contents

Citing an online journal article, articles with multiple authors, articles in special issue journals, frequently asked questions about mla style.

When citing an online journal article, first look for a DOI , as this is more stable and less likely to change than a URL. A DOI should be formatted as a full link beginning with “https://”, even if not listed as such on the page with the article.

If there is no DOI, you can add a URL instead. If the article is in PDF form, you can optionally note this in your reference .

Citing an article in a database

For sources that you accessed via a database, include the database name along with the DOI or permanent URL.

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In MLA style, up to two authors are included in citations. List them in the order they appear in the source, separated by commas, and don’t invert the second author’s name.

If an article has three or more authors, include only the first author’s name, followed by  “ et al. ”

Special issue journals focus on a specific theme, are written by a specific group of authors, or are compiled from a special event.

In these cases, include the special issue name, the phrase “special issue of,” and the journal’s regular name. If the special issue lists editors or other contributors, their names should also be included.

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

If a source has two authors, name both authors in your MLA in-text citation and Works Cited entry. If there are three or more authors, name only the first author, followed by et al.

In MLA style citations , format a DOI as a link, including “https://doi.org/” at the start and then the unique numerical code of the article.

DOIs are used mainly when citing journal articles in MLA .

Some source types, such as books and journal articles , may contain footnotes (or endnotes) with additional information. The following rules apply when citing information from a note in an MLA in-text citation :

• To cite information from a single numbered note, write “n” after the page number, and then write the note number, e.g. (Smith 105n2)
• To cite information from multiple numbered notes, write “nn” and include a range, e.g. (Smith 77nn1–2)
• To cite information from an unnumbered note, write “un” after the page number, with a space in between, e.g. (Jones 250 un)

You must include an MLA in-text citation every time you quote or paraphrase from a source (e.g. a book , movie , website , or article ).

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Gahan, C. (2024, March 05). How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/journal-citation/

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