How to Cite Articles in Periodicals in MLA
Periodical MLA citation is all about magazines, journals, and newspapers. Pay attention to this – if you include the month of publication, make sure to abbreviate it (e.g., Jan., Feb., or Mar.)
The general format of citations will look like this:
Author. Title. Title of Container (Journal), Volume and/or Number, Publisher, Date, Location (Page Numbers).
In our citation examples, we use the following color coding:
- Red – Author
- Blue – Title of book/article/charter/webpage
- Pink – Date
- Green – Title of journal
- Black – Volume/issue
- Sienna – Pages
- Peach – Additional information about the source (i.e. its type, specific features etc.)
Magazine
Semuels, Alana. “Stop Looking for Your Forever Home.” Time, 21 Mar. 2024, pp. 12-14.
Scholarly Journal (Paginated by Issue)
Fischer, Thomas, and Sim B. Sitkin. “Leadership Styles: A Comprehensive Assessment and
Way Forward.” Academy of Management Annals, vol. 17, no. 1, 2023, pp. 331-372.
If there is no author at all, format your source this way:
“Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” International Journal of Research, vol. 5, no. 1, 2022, pp. 1-9.
Daily Newspaper
Waters, Christopher. “Artificial Intelligence Hasn’t Perfected Winemaking Yet.” The Globe
and Mail [Toronto], 20 Mar. 2024, p. 2.
Do you need to cite some well-known newspapers such as The Guardian or The New York Times?
Good for you – no brackets should be used in that case.
Editorial in Newspaper
Editorial is cited as any article in a periodical, but it is necessary to state that the author is the Editorial Board.
Editorial Board. “Coronavirus in America.” The New York Times, 5 Apr. 2020, p. 8.
Letter to the Editor
Skverer, Silvina. “Coronavirus in America.” Letter. The New York Times, 5 Apr. 2020, p. 8
Don’t forget to include the word “Letter”. It’s really important to specify what you are citing.
Book or Film Review
When it comes to a book review, you should remember to include: 1) the reviewer and their work and 2) the original work that is reviewed.
Enwright, Catherine. “David Jones’s Medieval Voices.” Review of Poet of the Medieval
Modern, by Francesca Brooks. Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 47, no. 1, 2023, pp. 165-168.