To cite a peer-reviewed journal article in MLA, list author, article title, journal, volume(issue), year, pages, and DOI or URL in that order.
Citing A Peer-Reviewed Journal Article In MLA: The Core Steps
MLA keeps things consistent by using a small set of core elements in a fixed order. Once you know the order, you can build a clean works-cited entry for any peer-reviewed article, whether you read it in print, on a journal website, or through a library database.
| Element | Where You See It | How It Appears In MLA |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Byline on the article PDF or landing page | Last name, First name. |
| Article Title | Top of the article | “Title in Quotation Marks.” |
| Journal Title | Journal masthead or header | Journal Title, |
| Volume | Near the journal title (vol.) | vol. 00, |
| Issue | Near the volume (no.) | no. 0, |
| Year | Publication info on the page | 2024, |
| Page Range | PDF footer or abstract page | pp. 101–119. |
| DOI | Landing page or PDF first page | https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxx |
| URL | Journal page link | Use full URL when no DOI is available |
| Database | Library interface (e.g., JSTOR) | Database Name, URL or DOI |
For quick checks on format choices like DOI vs. URL, see the MLA Style Center. For full patterns and more examples of periodicals, the Purdue OWL periodicals guide stays handy.
Build The Works-Cited Entry
Use the core elements in order, with commas where shown below. End the entry with a period unless the final element already has one. Here are trim models you can adapt.
Print Journal Article
Author Last, First. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Online Journal Article With DOI
Author Last, First. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx.
Article From A Library Database
Author Last, First. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. Database Name, URL or DOI.
Do The In-Text Citation
MLA uses an author–page style in the body of your writing. Place the citation at the end of the sentence before the period, unless the author name already appears in the sentence. Match what you cite in text to the first word on the works-cited entry.
One Author
(Lopez 117) or Lopez notes the trend (117).
Two Authors
(Lopez and Rao 117).
Three Or More Authors
(Lopez et al. 117).
No Page Numbers
Use only the name: (Lopez). If the journal uses article numbers, you can cite that label.
Follow A Fast, Reliable Workflow
Step 1: Capture Source Details
Open the article PDF and its landing page. Copy the author name as shown. Grab the exact article title, the journal title, volume, issue, year, and the page range. If a DOI appears, copy the full link beginning with https://doi.org/. If there’s no DOI, keep the stable URL.
Step 2: Assemble The Entry
Put the pieces in order: author, title, journal, volume, issue, year, pages, then DOI or URL or database. Keep the journal title in italics and the article title in quotation marks. Use en dashes for page spans.
Step 3: Check Punctuation And Spacing
Place a comma after the journal title, volume, and issue. Use a comma after the year when pages follow. If the entry ends with a DOI or URL, add no period.
Step 4: Add The Matched In-Text Citation
Use the surname that begins your works-cited entry. Attach the page number if the article shows one. If you quote more than once from the same article in a paragraph and you name the author in the sentence, you can trim a repeated parenthesis to the page number alone.
See It Done: Concise Examples
Peer-Reviewed Article With DOI
Khan, Aisha, and Luis Ortega. “Carbon Budgets And Urban Air.” City Climate, vol. 12, no. 3, 2023, pp. 201–229. https://doi.org/10.5550/cc.2023.1203.
In-text: (Khan and Ortega 208).
Article In A Database (No DOI)
Rowe, Daniel. “Learning Curves In Surgical Teams.” Health Practice, vol. 18, no. 2, 2022, pp. 55–77. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/xxxxxx.
In-text: (Rowe 70).
Single Author In Print
Mendez, Carla. “Soil Moisture And Crop Yield.” Agro Research, vol. 9, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1–19.
In-text: (Mendez 4).
Formatting Choices That Keep Entries Clean
DOI Beats URL
Prefer the DOI when available, and present it as a clickable link with the https://doi.org/ prefix. That link remains stable even when the journal changes platforms.
Journal Title In Italics
Only the journal title is italicized. The article title stays in quotation marks. Capitalize principal words in both titles.
Numbers And Dates
Use vol. and no. for volume and issue. Give the year in four digits. Some journals list a month or season; you can keep it after the year if it appears in the source.
Long Author Lists
List the first author and follow with et al. in the works-cited entry when there are three or more. Do the same in text.
Edge Cases At A Glance
| Scenario | Works-Cited Pattern | In-Text Model |
|---|---|---|
| Three+ authors | First Author Last, First, et al. “Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. DOI. | (First Author et al. 12) |
| No page numbers | Omit pp.; keep other elements; end with DOI or URL. | (Author) |
| Article number | Use the article ID after the year instead of pages. | (Author A12) |
| Advance online | Add “Advance online publication” if the journal labels it. | (Author 5) |
| Translated article | Add “Translated by Name” after the title if shown. | (Author 66) |
| Group author | Organization Name. “Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. DOI. | (Organization 4) |
Common Errors That Cost Clarity
Mixing Title Styles
Keep the article title in quotation marks and the journal title in italics. If you flip them, readers struggle to parse the entry.
Cutting Off The DOI
Do not drop the https://doi.org/ part. That prefix turns the DOI into a working link.
Stray Periods After URLs
When an entry ends with a DOI or URL, leave off the period. Ending punctuation can break the link.
Wrong Author Order
Use Last, First for the first author only. For the second and later authors, use natural order: First Last.
Quick Checklist Before You Submit
- Author names match the byline exactly.
- Article title uses quotation marks.
- Journal title is italicized and spelled correctly.
- Volume, issue, year, and pages appear in the right order.
- DOI link starts with
https://doi.org/. - In-text citations match the works-cited surnames.
- Hanging indent is set on the works-cited page.
Copy-Ready Templates You Can Adapt
One Author, DOI
Last, First. “Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx.
Two Authors, Database
Last, First, and First Last. “Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. Database, URL.
Three Or More Authors
Last, First, et al. “Title.” Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx. DOI.
Make Your Entry Readable
Good citations guide readers with zero fuss. They use the same order every time, they include a stable link, and they match what appears in the body of your writing. When the pattern stays steady, your works-cited list looks tidy and your in-text cues are easy to follow. Proofread names and titles twice carefully.
Find Each Element Fast On Any Journal Page
On The PDF
The first page of a peer-reviewed article usually carries every field you need. Check the header or footer for the journal, volume, issue, year, and pages. Scan the right or left margin for the DOI. The byline and article title appear at the top; copy them exactly, keeping accents and hyphens.
On The HTML Landing Page
Publishers often show the DOI near the abstract or the citation tools. If the page lists an article number instead of pages, keep that label in your entry and in your in-text citation when you point to a specific spot.
Inside A Library Database
Databases repeat the journal data but sometimes shorten titles. If a database record drops diacritics or shows all caps, check the PDF for the accurate form. When the database provides a stable link labeled permalink, use that if the DOI is missing.
Title Style And Quotation Marks
MLA uses headline-style capitalization for titles. Capitalize the first and last words and all principal words, including those after a colon. Keep short prepositions and articles in lower case unless they start or end the title. Put the article title in quotation marks and keep punctuation inside the closing quote.
Punctuation And Spacing That People Often Miss
Comma After The Journal Title
Add a comma after the italicized journal name. Follow with volume and issue. Use a comma after the year if a page range or article number follows.
No Commas Inside The Parenthesis
In the body of your writing, the author name and page number sit together with no comma. Write (Lee 48), not (Lee, 48).
Handling Names And Suffixes
Keep particles, hyphens, and suffixes as shown on the article. Write van der Waals under V, not W. For suffixes, use a comma: Smith, John, Jr. For two authors, join names with and. For three or more, shorten to the first author followed by et al.
Layout Tips For The Works-Cited Page
Place the works-cited page on a new page. Double-space the entries and use a hanging indent of half an inch. Alphabetize by the first author’s surname. If two entries start with the same author, sort by title. Keep margins steady and use a readable font from your style guide.