Skip to Main Content
site header image

MLA Style

A guide to MLA formatting, in-text citation, and the Works Cited list

Article or Class Handout

Key Elements Magazine Article Review of a Work
Journal Article Newspaper Article Class Handout

Key Elements

  1. Author
  2. "Article title" (in quotes)
  3. Publication title (italicized)
  4. For journals, volume and issue number
  5. Publication date (use year for journals)
  6. Page number (p.) or page numbers (pp.)
  7. From database: Database (italicized), permanent link
  8. From web site: Web site title (italicized) and either:
    • ​​DOI
    • Web site URL (no http) and date accessed


Journal Article (p. 27)

List the article title in quotes after the author. The journal title goes after the article title and is italicized.

Bordia comma Prashant comma and Nicholas DiFonzo period quotation mark Problem Solving in Social Interactions on the Internet colon Rumor as Social Cognition period quotation mark Social Psychology Quarterly comma vol period 67 comma no period 1 comma 2004 comma pp period 33-49 period

From Database (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the database in italics and then the DOI or permanent link to the article.

Beckhard comma Sven period quotation mark From Tuskegee to Togo colon The Problem of Freedom in the Empire of Cotton period quotation mark Journal of American History comma vol period 92 comma no period 2 comma 2005 comma pp period 498-526 period JSTOR comma doi colon 10.2307/3659276 period

Online (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the Web site name in italics, then the DOI. No DOI? Include the Web link to the article and the date you accessed it.

Connaway comma Lynn comma and Heather Wicht period quotation mark What Happened to the E-book Revolution? colon The Gradual Integration of E-books into Academic Libraries period quotation mark Journal of Electronic Publishing comma vol period 10 comma no period 3 comma 2007 period Michigan Libraries Digital Collections comma doi colon 10.3998/3336451.0010.302 period


Magazine Article (p. 27)

List the article title in quotes after the author. The magazine title goes after the article title and is italicized.

Whelan comma Debra Lau period quotation mark Facebook Book Clubs period quotation mark School Library Journal comma 1 June 2009 comma p period 16 period

From Database (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the database in italics and then the DOI or permanent link to the article.

Kirwan comma William E period quotation mark Investing in Student Success period quotation mark Change colon The Magazine of Higher Learning comma vol period 42 comma no period 3 comma May/June 2010 comma pp period 14-16 period Education Full Text (H period W period Wilson) comma search dot ebscohost dot com/login dot aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=504424250&scope=site period

Online (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the Web site name in italics, then the DOI. No DOI? Include the Web link to the article and the date you accessed it.

Gladwell comma Malcolm period quotation mark The Courthouse Ring period quotation mark The New Yorker comma vol period 85 comma no period 24 comma 10 Aug period 2009 comma p period 26 comma www dot newyorker dot com/magazine/2009/08/10/the-courthouse-ring period Accessed 3 Oct period 2016 period


Newspaper Article (p. 27)

List the article title in quotes after the author. The newspaper title goes after the article title and is italicized. If article isn't on consecutive pages, cite the section and page number where the article begins, then put "+" after the page number.

Ahrens comma Frank period quotation mark Washington Post Co period Returns to Profit with Cost Cutting period quotation mark Washington Post comma 1 Aug period 2009 comma pp period A11+ period

No Author (p. 24)

If there is no author, start with the article's title, omitting a, an, or the from the beginning.

Quotation mark Retirement Expert Urges Diversity in 401(k) Options period quotation mark USA Today comma 19 Jan period 2010 comma p period 4B period

From Database (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the database in italics and then the DOI or permanent link to the article.

Will comma George F period quotation mark Tweeting against Terrorism period quotation mark The Denver Post comma 22 Feb period 2015 comma p period 5D period LexisNexis Academic comma www dot lexisnexis dot com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5FCM-45X1-DY2D-H0HX&csi=144565&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true period

Online (p. 48)

After the publication date, include the Web site name in italics, then the DOI. No DOI? Include the Web link to the article and the date you accessed it.

Witt comma Gerald period quotation mark Knox County Schools Reserve Expected To Grow period quotation mark Knoxville News-Sentinel comma 29 Sep period 2016 comma www dot knoxnews dot com/news/local/knox-county-schools-reserve-expected-to-grow-3da854ca-79f2-252c-e053-0100007f25e7-395300581 dot html period Accessed 3 Oct period 2016 period


Review of a Work

Start with the author of the article

Gilbey comma Ryan period quotation mark All in My Head period quotation mark Review of Inside Out comma directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen comma New Statesman comma 24 Jul period 2015 comma www dot newstatesman dot com/culture/2015/07/all-my-head-pixar-s-inside-out-full-intellectual-energy-and-emotional-daring period Accessed 3 Oct period 2016 period


Class Handout

 

 

Online (p. 48)

After the handout title, add the description "Student handout" and the name of the college.

Pellissippi Libraries period quotation mark MLA Citation Guide Formatting period quotation mark Pellissippi State Community College comma 15 Oct period 2016 comma lib dot pstcc dot edu/ld dot php?content_id=25608914 period Accessed 3 Oct period 2016 period class handout period