To cite a peer-reviewed journal article in MLA, list author, article title, journal, volume, issue, year, pages, and DOI or stable URL.
MLA makes citations predictable once you know the pattern. This guide walks you through clear steps, shows sample entries, and flags small details that often cause point losses.
What Counts As Peer-Reviewed In MLA
In MLA, you don’t label an entry as “peer-reviewed.” You cite the journal article normally. What matters is recording the core facts in the right order. The MLA core elements supply that order: author, title, container, contributors, version, number, publisher, date, and location.
When your source is a scholarly journal, the container is the journal, the number is the volume and issue, and the location is usually a page range or a DOI link. If you pulled the article from a database, the database becomes a second container after the DOI or URL.
Core Elements For Journal Articles
| Element | How It Looks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Last, First M., and First Last | Invert first author; use “and” for two; “et al.” for three or more. |
| Article Title | “Title of Article.” | Use quotation marks; capitalize headline-style. |
| Journal Title | Journal Name | Italicize the journal. |
| Volume & Issue | vol. 12, no. 3, | Abbreviations are required. |
| Year | 2024, | Include month if the journal uses one. |
| Pages | pp. 145–162, | Use an en dash for ranges; omit if article numbers replace pages. |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx | Use the https://doi.org/ prefix. |
| URL | https://… | Use only if no DOI; drop http://www when you can. |
| Database | JSTOR | Second container after the DOI or URL when relevant. |
| Access Date | Accessed 2 Aug. 2025. | Optional; helpful when content changes. |
Citing Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles In MLA: Quick Patterns
Here’s a simple way to build a works-cited entry for a journal article and the matching in-text citation.
Step-By-Step: Works Cited Entry
- Start with the author. Invert the first author’s name; follow with other authors in normal order.
- Add the article title in quotation marks, ending with a period inside the quotes.
- Give the journal title in italics, then volume and issue: “vol. x, no. y,”.
- Add the year. If the journal uses months, include the month before the year.
- Add page range with “pp.” If the journal uses article numbers, skip pages.
- Finish with a DOI link. If no DOI, add a stable URL. A database name can appear after that as a second container.
Step-By-Step: In-Text Citations
MLA uses the author–page system. Place the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses right after the borrowed material. Two authors use both names joined by “and.” Three or more use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” Page-less web articles omit the number or use a labeled locator when the journal provides one. See the in-text basics for quick illustrations.
Common Scenarios
Print Article With Page Range
Works Cited: Patel, Rina, and Omar Lewis. “Cold-Chain Risks In Vaccine Delivery.” Global Health Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 2, 2023, pp. 77–95.
In-text: (Patel and Lewis 84)
Online Article With DOI
Works Cited: Nguyen, Lan. “Soil Carbon And Dryland Farming.” Agroecology Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, 2024, pp. 1–19. https://doi.org/10.5555/arc.2024.00001.
In-text: (Nguyen 6)
Online Article With Article Number
Some journals use article numbers instead of pages. MLA allows the DOI alone to serve as the location when that happens.
Works Cited: Mendez, Sofia, et al. “Nanofiber Filters For Indoor Air.” Materials Today Advances, vol. 15, 2023, article e12345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mta.2023.e12345.
In-text: (Mendez et al.)
Advance Online Publication Or Forthcoming
Cite the version you used. If the article lists a DOI but no pages yet, include the DOI and omit pages.
Works Cited: Okeke, Ada. “Urban Heat Maps From Open Data.” City Analytics, advance online publication, 2025. https://doi.org/10.9999/city.2025.47.
In-text: (Okeke)
Article From A Database
When a DOI is missing, add the stable URL and then the database as a second container.
Works Cited: Chen, Mira. “Microplastics In Estuaries.” Coastal Science, vol. 11, no. 4, 2022, pp. 233–258. www.jstor.org/stable/5555555. JSTOR.
In-text: (Chen 241)
Group Author Or Organization
Use the organization’s name as the author.
Works Cited: World Food Programme. “Market Shocks And Household Diets.” Food Security Review, vol. 7, no. 3, 2024, pp. 101–129. https://doi.org/10.7777/fsr.2024.003.
In-text: (World Food Programme 112)
Formatting Details That Save Points
- Italicize journal titles; keep article titles in quotation marks.
- Use the abbreviations vol., no., and pp.
- Place periods and commas exactly as shown in the pattern.
- Use an en dash in page ranges (Windows: Alt+0150; Mac: Option+Hyphen).
- Capitalize major words in titles; lower-case short prepositions and articles.
- Prefer a DOI over a URL. MLA recommends the DOI as a stable link.
Template You Can Copy
Works Cited: Standard Journal Article
Author Last, First M., and First M. Last. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. x, no. y, Year, pp. xx–yy. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx.
Works Cited: Article Without DOI
Author Last, First. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. x, no. y, Year, pp. xx–yy. URL. Database Name.
In-Text: Quick Rules
- One author: (Lopez 58)
- Two authors: (Lopez and Grant 58)
- Three or more: (Lopez et al. 58)
- No pages: (Lopez) or add a labeled locator the journal supplies.
- Same author, different works: add a short title: (Lopez, “Solar Storage” 58).
Edge Cases And How To Write Them
Season Or Month In The Date
Many journals date issues by month or season. Place the month before the year, or the season alone, and keep a trailing comma before the pages: Mar. 2024, pp. 12–36; Spring 2023, pp. 5–26.
Special Issue Or Supplement
Citing an article from a labeled special issue? Keep the normal pattern for the article. After the journal title, add a brief label such as “special issue,” then the volume, issue, year, and pages. If you are citing the entire issue, list the editor as an other contributor.
Translated Articles
When an article lists a translator, add “translated by Name” after the article title or as an other contributor before volume and issue. Keep the rest of the pattern the same.
Multiple Articles By The Same Author
Repeat the author’s name in each works-cited entry. In your prose, add a short title to the in-text citation to steer readers to the right entry: (Lopez, “Rooftop Arrays” 14) and (Lopez, “Rural Storage” 22).
Mini Walkthrough: From PDF To Citation
Open the PDF and collect the title, author, journal, volume, issue, year, pages, and DOI. Then plug those fields into the template.
Sample entry: Singh, Amara. “Battery Swapping For Delivery Fleets.” Energy Logistics, vol. 6, no. 2, 2025, pp. 31–58. https://doi.org/10.4242/el.2025.62.4.
Polish And Layout
Use a hanging indent and double spacing on the Works Cited page. Sort entries alphabetically. Keep commas, periods, and spacing consistent.
Quick Lookup Table
| Scenario | Works Cited Entry (Shortened) | In-Text |
|---|---|---|
| Print, two authors | Patel and Lewis. “Cold-Chain Risks.” Global Health Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 2, 2023, pp. 77–95. | (Patel and Lewis 84) |
| Online, DOI | Nguyen. “Soil Carbon.” Agroecology Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5555/arc.2024.00001. | (Nguyen 6) |
| No pages, article number | Mendez et al. “Nanofiber Filters.” Materials Today Advances, vol. 15, 2023, article e12345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mta.2023.e12345. | (Mendez et al.) |
| Advance online | Okeke. “Urban Heat Maps.” City Analytics, advance online publication, 2025. https://doi.org/10.9999/city.2025.47. | (Okeke) |
| Database, no DOI | Chen. “Microplastics In Estuaries.” Coastal Science, vol. 11, no. 4, 2022, pp. 233–258. www.jstor.org/stable/5555555. JSTOR. | (Chen 241) |
| Group author | World Food Programme. “Market Shocks.” Food Security Review, vol. 7, no. 3, 2024, pp. 101–129. https://doi.org/10.7777/fsr.2024.003. | (World Food Programme 112) |
Frequent Errors And Easy Fixes
Missing DOI Or URL
Add a DOI link when the journal supplies one. If none exists, use a stable URL. The DOI link belongs at the end of the entry and starts with https://doi.org/
DOI Vs URL: Which To Use
Pick the DOI when the journal supplies one and format it as a live link that begins with https://doi.org/. If no DOI exists, add a stable URL that leads directly to the article. Trim long tracking strings from the end of links. Permalinks from library databases are fine when they resolve without sign-in barriers. Place the DOI or URL after the page range and end the entry with a period.
Wrong Capitalization In Titles
Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and the final word. Lower-case articles, short prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions unless they start the title or subtitle.
Page Ranges And Article Numbers
Use “pp.” before page ranges. If the journal gives only an article number, keep the number with a label like “article e12345” or rely on the DOI alone.
Long Author Lists
List the first author followed by “et al.” in the entry and the citation when there are three or more authors.
Why These Patterns Match MLA
The structure above mirrors MLA’s template of core elements for works-cited entries on the MLA Style Center. The author–page system for in-text citations comes from the Purdue OWL overview. If your journal uses article numbers, MLA guidance on article numbers confirms that a DOI can stand in for the location when pages are absent.
Final Checks Before You Submit
- Match every in-text citation to a works-cited entry with the same lead word.
- Keep hanging indents and double spacing on the Works Cited page.
- Use one font and one size across the document unless your instructor asks otherwise.
- Proofread punctuation and spacing around vol., no., pp., and years.
- Scan the whole list: author order, title casing, italics, and DOI format.
- Check every DOI link opens without paywall errors, redirects, or broken pages.