Do I italicize the journal name in MLA?

Yes. The journal name must be italicized and written in title case. Journal of Child Psychology

How do I format volume and issue numbers in MLA?

MLA requires the labels “vol.” and “no.” instead of parentheses. Include both when available. Journal of Child Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3

How do I cite a journal article with three or more authors?

List only the first author followed by “et al.” This applies to both the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation. Lopez, Maria, et al.

How do I cite a journal article with no author in MLA?

Begin the entry with the article title in quotation marks, followed by the journal information. In-text citations also use the title, shortened if necessary.

Do I include the DOI or URL in an MLA journal citation?

Yes. MLA requires a DOI or a stable URL at the end of the entry. Use the DOI when available, formatted as a standard URL. https://doi.org/10.xxxx

Should I include the database name for a journal article?

Yes, MLA requires the database name if you accessed the article through a research database such as JSTOR or ProQuest. JSTOR

Do I need an access date for journal articles?

Access dates are optional and generally omitted unless the source is time-sensitive or likely to change.

How do I cite a journal article that appears online ahead of print?

If volume, issue, or page numbers are not assigned yet, omit them and include the DOI or URL. “Article Title.”Journal Name, https://doi.org/xxxx

What is the correct in-text citation format for MLA journal articles?

MLA uses the author–page system. Include the author’s last name and the page number. If there are no page numbers, use only the author’s last name. (Smith 24)

How do I cite a journal article with an organization as the author?

List the organization’s full name in the author position and repeat the same name in the in-text citation.

How do I cite a journal article with no page numbers?

If the article provides no page numbers, omit the page element entirely. In-text citations include only the author’s last name.

MLA Journal Citation

Generate MLA citations from DOIs, titles, or URLs

Journal article

Example result

Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature, 171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0

Complete · All key fields present

MLA 9th

Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature, vol. 171, no. 4356, 1953, pp. 737–738. DOI: 10.1038/171737a0.

Complete · All key fields present

MLA 9th

Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. 1953. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature 171 (4356): 737–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.

Complete · All key fields present

MLA Format for Journal Articles
9th Edition

Author(s). “Title of the Article.” Journal Name, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. page range. DOI or URL.

Author

List authors in the order shown in the article.
Format each name as: Last name, First name.
For two authors, use and between the names.
For three or more authors, list only the first author followed by et al.

Title of the Article

Place the title in quotation marks.
Use title case.
Do not italicize the article title.

Journal Name

Write the journal name in italics and title case.
Capitalize major words.

Volume and Issue

Precede the volume number with vol.
Precede the issue number with no.
Use the format: vol. 12, no. 3

Year

Use the publication year.
Place a comma after the year.

Page Range

Use pp. before the page span. Example: pp. 45–67.
If the article appears on a single page, use p. instead of pp.

DOI or URL

Use the DOI when available and format it as a full URL beginning with https://doi.org
If no DOI is provided, include a stable URL.
MLA does not require a retrieval date unless the content is designed to change.

MLA Journal Examples

One author

Use title case for the article title, place it in quotation marks, and italicize the journal name.

Example:

 Ribner, Andrew D. “Executive Function Facilitates Learning from Math Instruction in Kindergarten: Evidence from the ECLS-K.” Learning and Instruction, vol. 65, Feb. 2020, p. 101251, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.101251.

Two authors

List both authors. Use and before the second author. Follow the same journal formatting rules.

Example:

 Siau, Keng, and Min Ling. “Mobile Collaboration Support for Virtual Teams.” Journal of Database Management, vol. 28, no. 3, Jul. 2017, pp. 48–69, https://doi.org/10.4018/jdm.2017070103.

Three+ authors

List only the first author followed by et al.

Example:

 Pettersen, Eric F., et al. “UCSF Chimera—A Visualization System for Exploratory Research and Analysis.” Journal of Computational Chemistry, vol. 25, no. 13, Jul. 2004, pp. 1605–12, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.20084.

No author

Begin the entry with the article title.

Example:

 “Global Trends in Urban Mobility.” Urban Planning Review, vol. 15, no. 4, 2022, pp. 112–135, https://www.urbanplanningreview.org/articles/2022/12/global-trends-in-urban-mobility.

With DOI

MLA recommends using the DOI when available and presenting it as a URL.

Example:

 Hollett, Ross, et al. “Evidence That Digital Game Players Neglect Age Classification Systems When Deciding Which Games to Play.” PLOS ONE, vol. 17, no. 2, Feb. 2022, p. e0263560, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263560.

Without DOI (URL only)

Use a stable URL when no DOI is provided.

Example:

 Olsen, Greg. “Youth Motivation and Extracurricular Participation.” Education and Society Journal, vol. 39, no. 2, 2020, pp. 74–89. https://www.educationsocietyjournal.org/issue39/olsen.

In-Text Citations

MLA uses an author–page system for in-text citations. An in-text citation briefly identifies the source and connects it to the corresponding entry in the Works Cited list.

Basic citation styles

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Place the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses.

Online communities influence reading behavior (Morrison 42).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Include the author’s name in the sentence. Place only the page number in parentheses.

Morrison explains that online communities influence reading behavior (42).

Two Authors

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use both authors’ last names joined with and.

Climate awareness continues to rise (Smith and Kumar 58).

Author mentioned in the sentence

State both authors’ names in the sentence. Add the page number at the end.

Smith and Kumar note that climate awareness continues to rise (58).

Three or More Authors

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use the first author’s last name followed by et al.

Social platforms shape digital behavior (Lopez et al. 215).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Mention the first author’s name in the sentence and follow it with et al.

Lopez et al. argue that social platforms shape digital behavior (215).

No Author

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use a shortened title in quotation marks and the page number.

Urban transit patterns vary across regions (“Global Trends in Urban Mobility” 128).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Insert the shortened title in the sentence; place the page number in parentheses.

As “Global Trends in Urban Mobility” shows, urban transit patterns vary across regions (128).

No Page Numbers

Author not mentioned in the sentence

For online-only journal articles without page numbers, cite only the author’s last name.

The results appear consistent across multiple tasks (Mitchell).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Mention the author’s name in the sentence. No page number is needed.

Mitchell reports that the results appear consistent across multiple tasks.

Multiple Works by the Same Author

Author not mentioned in the sentence

Use a shortened title to distinguish the sources.

Early memory formation follows predictable stages (Smith, “Early Memory” 142).

Author mentioned in the sentence

Include the shortened title in the sentence when the author has multiple works.

In “Early Memory,” Smith outlines several developmental stages (142).

Quick Checklist

Authors are listed in the order shown in the article, using MLA name format.Example: Smith, John; Smith, John, and Emily Turner; Smith, John, et al.
Article title appears in quotation marks and uses title case.Example: “Memory Development in Early Childhood.”
Journal title is italicized and written in title case.Example: Journal of Child Psychology
Volume and issue numbers use MLA labels: vol. X, no. Y. Example: vol. 12, no. 3
Year of publication follows the volume and issue.Example: vol. 12, no. 3, 2021,
Page range is included when available (pp. 45–67).Use p. for a single page and pp. for multiple pages.
DOI or URL is included at the end of the entry; DOI is preferred. Example: https://doi.org/10.xxxx
Access dates are omitted unless the content changes frequently. MLA does not require retrieval dates for standard journal articles.
Overall pattern follows MLA 9 style. Author(s). “Article Title.” Journal Name, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. page range. DOI or URL.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mistake 1

Using sentence case for the article title

MLA requires title case and quotation marks for article titles. Every major word is capitalized.

Wrong

✕“memory development in early childhood”

✕“Memory development in early childhood”

Correct

✓ “Memory Development in Early Childhood”

Mistake 2

Italicizing the article title

In MLA, the article title is never italicized. Only the journal title is italicized.

Wrong

✕ “Memory Development in Early Childhood”. Journal of Child Psychology

✕ Memory Development in Early Childhood, Journal of Child Psychology

Correct

✓ “Memory Development in Early Childhood.” Journal of Child Psychology

Mistake 3

Missing MLA labels for volume and issue

MLA requires vol. and no. rather than numeric shorthand or parentheses.

Wrong

✕ Journal of Child Psychology, 12(3)

✕ Journal of Child Psychology, 12:3

Correct

✓Journal of Child Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3

Mistake 4

Placing the year in the wrong position

In MLA, the year comes after the volume and issue, not after the authors.

Wrong

✕Smith, John. “Memory Development in Early Childhood.” 2021, Journal of Child Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3.

Correct

✓ Smith, John. “Memory Development in Early Childhood.” Journal of Child Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 112–135.

Mistake 5

Using commas instead of page labels

MLA requires p. or pp. before page numbers.

Wrong

✕ 112–135

Correct

✓ pp. 112–135

Mistake 6

Omitting the DOI or URL

MLA requires a location at the end of the entry. Use the DOI when available; otherwise include a stable URL.

Wrong

✕ No DOI or URL provided

Correct

✓ https://doi.org/10.xxxxx

✓ https://www.journalwebsite.org/article/2021-12-04

Mistake 7

Adding a retrieval date unnecessarily

MLA does not require a retrieval date for journal articles unless the content changes frequently.

Wrong

✕ Accessed 5 May 2023.

✕ Retrieved 12 July 2022.

Correct

✓ No access date included.

MLA Journal Citation FAQ

MLA uses title case and places the article title in quotation marks. Capitalize all major words and do not italicize the article title.

“Memory Development in Early Childhood”

MLA Format for Journal Articles 9th Edition

MLA Journal Examples

One author

Two authors

Three+ authors

No author

With DOI

Without DOI (URL only)

In-Text Citations

Basic citation styles

Two Authors

Three or More Authors

No Author

No Page Numbers

Multiple Works by the Same Author

Quick Checklist

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Using sentence case for the article title

Italicizing the article title

Missing MLA labels for volume and issue

Placing the year in the wrong position

Using commas instead of page labels

Omitting the DOI or URL

Adding a retrieval date unnecessarily

MLA Journal Citation FAQ

01How do I format a journal article title in MLA?

02Do I italicize the journal name in MLA?

03How do I format volume and issue numbers in MLA?

04How do I cite a journal article with three or more authors?

05How do I cite a journal article with no author in MLA?

06Do I include the DOI or URL in an MLA journal citation?

07Should I include the database name for a journal article?

08Do I need an access date for journal articles?

09How do I cite a journal article that appears online ahead of print?

010What is the correct in-text citation format for MLA journal articles?

011How do I cite a journal article with an organization as the author?

012How do I cite a journal article with no page numbers?

MLA Format for Journal Articles
9th Edition