How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a journal article
Citing a journal article means recording its author, title, journal name, volume, issue, page range, year and — where present — its DOI.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Locate the article’s front matter
Find the author list, article title and the journal name, usually at the top of the first page or on the article’s landing page.
2.Record volume, issue and pages
Note the volume number, the issue number (if given) and the first and last page of the article. These appear in the citation as volume(issue), pages.
3.Find the DOI
Look for the Digital Object Identifier, usually printed as "https://doi.org/10...." near the title or in the article record. Prefer the DOI over a database URL because it is stable.
4.Note the year of publication
Take the publication year from the issue details. For APA this goes in parentheses after the author; for MLA and Chicago it appears later in the entry.
5.Assemble the reference and DOI
Arrange the elements in your style’s order and append the DOI as a full https://doi.org/ link with no full stop after it in APA.
APA 7th edition
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx — Worked example: Smith, J. (2021). Patterns of citation behaviour. Journal of Information Studies, 14(3), 215–230. https://doi.org/10.1000/jis.2021.0142 In-text: (Smith, 2021). The journal title and volume number are italicised; the article title is in sentence case and not italicised.
MLA 9th edition
Format: Author. "Title of Article." Journal Title, vol. X, no. Y, Year, pp. xx–xx. DOI. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. "Patterns of Citation Behaviour." Journal of Information Studies, vol. 14, no. 3, 2021, pp. 215–30, https://doi.org/10.1000/jis.2021.0142. In-text: (Smith 220). The article title is in quotation marks and the journal title is italicised.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Smith, Jane. "Patterns of Citation Behaviour." Journal of Information Studies 14, no. 3 (2021): 215–30. https://doi.org/10.1000/jis.2021.0142. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, "Patterns of Citation Behaviour," Journal of Information Studies 14, no. 3 (2021): 220, https://doi.org/10.1000/jis.2021.0142. — Shortened note: 2. Smith, "Patterns," 222.
Common questions
FAQ
How do I format the DOI?+
All three styles now present the DOI as a full clickable link in the form https://doi.org/10.xxxx/yyyy. APA and MLA place it at the end of the entry; Chicago places it at the end of both the note and the bibliography entry. Do not add the label "DOI:" before the link in APA.
What if there is no DOI?+
For an article read online without a DOI, give a stable URL instead (APA and MLA). For an article from a subscription database without a DOI, APA omits the database URL and ends after the page range; MLA may name the database and give its URL or permalink.
Do I include the issue number?+
Include it whenever the journal provides one. APA gives it in parentheses immediately after the volume — 14(3); MLA writes "no. 3"; Chicago writes "no. 3". If the journal genuinely has no issue number, omit that element.
Going deeper
