In-text citations for peer-reviewed journal articles follow your style rules: APA uses author–year, MLA uses author–page, and Chicago uses name–year.
When your source is a peer-reviewed journal article, the in-text citation relies on three things: the author name that appears on the paper, a locator that points readers to the spot you used, and a style rule set. Peer review signals quality control at the journal stage, yet it doesn’t change how the brief citation looks inside your writing. What changes is the pattern your style asks for on the line where you cite.
Quick Start: Core Pieces In Every In-Text Citation
Across common styles, in-text entries share a simple spine. You identify the author or group author, add the year or page number as your style expects, and place punctuation in the right place so the sentence reads cleanly. Quotes need a locator; paraphrases often do, too, since a precise trail helps readers. If a work lists many authors, styles set short forms that keep your prose readable.
| Style | Pattern | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Author, Year; add page for quotes | (Nguyen, 2022, p. 14) • Nguyen (2022) |
| MLA 9 | Author + page; no year | (Nguyen 14) • Nguyen 14 |
| Chicago Author-Date 17 | Author Year, page | (Nguyen 2022, 14) • Nguyen (2022, 14) |
If you need a quick reference for rules and samples, the official pages for APA in-text citations and the MLA in-text overview walk through the basics with live examples.
Cite Peer-Reviewed Articles In Text: Style-By-Style Steps
APA 7: Author–Year With Locators For Quotes
APA fits the sciences and social sciences, so you’ll see the year early to show how current the study is. Use the author’s surname and the year each time you cite, switching between narrative and parenthetical form to keep your prose varied.
Paraphrase
Parenthetical: Researchers found higher adherence in the morning (Nguyen, 2022). Narrative: Nguyen (2022) reported higher adherence in the morning.
Quotation
Add a page or paragraph marker: (Nguyen, 2022, p. 14) or Nguyen (2022, p. 14). For ranges, write pp. 14–16. For web-only PDFs without pages, use a paragraph number, “para. 4,” or a section heading when available.
Two Authors
Use an ampersand in parenthetical form and “and” in narrative form: (Nguyen & Patel, 2022); Nguyen and Patel (2022).
Three Or More Authors
Shorten to the first author plus “et al.” from the first mention: (Nguyen et al., 2022); Nguyen et al. (2022).
Group Or Organization As Author
Spell out the full name the first time if helpful, and use the standard short form in later mentions: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023); later (WHO, 2023).
Same Author, Same Year
Distinguish with letters that match the reference list order: (Nguyen, 2022a) and (Nguyen, 2022b). Keep the letters consistent everywhere.
MLA 9: Author–Page, No Year
Humanities writing favors page-based reading. MLA keeps the citation light by using the author’s surname and page. No comma appears between name and number, and you skip “p.” or “pp.” inside the parentheses.
Paraphrase
Parenthetical: Recent work links rhythm to recall (Nguyen 214). Narrative: Nguyen writes that rhythm supports recall (214).
Quotation
Place the period after the closing parenthesis: “Memory rides on rhythm” (Nguyen 214). When you cite multiple pages, write (Nguyen 214–16). If a work lacks page numbers, omit them in the citation and rely on the author’s name plus context in your sentence.
Two Authors
(Nguyen and Patel 98). In narrative form: Nguyen and Patel argue that timing matters (98).
Three Or More Authors
Use the first author’s name and “et al.”: (Nguyen et al. 44). The same short form applies in your prose.
Group Or Organization As Author
(World Health Organization 6). If the group name is long, you can shorten it in your sentence and place only the page in parentheses.
Multiple Works By The Same Author
Add a short title to steer readers to the right entry: (Nguyen, “Timing” 45) versus (Nguyen, “Spacing” 12). Use title words as they appear on your works-cited list.
Chicago Author-Date 17: Name–Year With Pages
Chicago’s author-date system blends parts of both worlds. You include the author’s surname, the year, and a page when needed. The comma before the page keeps scanning easy.
Paraphrase
(Nguyen 2022) or Nguyen (2022). For a specific part, write (Nguyen 2022, 14).
Two Authors
(Nguyen and Patel 2022) or Nguyen and Patel (2022). For three or more authors, shorten to “et al.” inside the text: (Nguyen et al. 2022, 14).
Group Or Organization As Author
(World Health Organization 2023, 6). Keep the group spelling as printed on the article.
Same Author And Year
Add letters tied to the reference list order: (Nguyen 2022a, 14); (Nguyen 2022b).
What “Peer-Reviewed” Changes And What Stays The Same
Peer review means experts screened the paper before publication, but the short citation in your text does not display that label. You cite it like any journal article in your style. The peer-review status does matter in your source selection and in the reference entry, where the journal name, volume, issue, year, and DOI live. Inside the sentence, your reader mainly needs who wrote it and where to land in the source.
Handling Common Scenarios Without Breaking Flow
Quoting A Line From A PDF Without Pages
APA: use a paragraph number if visible, such as (Nguyen, 2022, para. 7). MLA: drop the number and keep the author; consider a concise signal in your sentence. Chicago: (Nguyen 2022, para. 7) when a clear paragraph count exists.
Multiple Articles At Once
APA lets you gather them with semicolons: (Nguyen, 2022; Patel, 2021). MLA lists by author with spaces: (Nguyen 22; Patel 19). Chicago mirrors APA: (Nguyen 2022, 22; Patel 2021, 19). Sort them so the reading feels smooth and the author names don’t clump in a confusing way.
Citing A Study Mentioned Inside Another Study
Track down the original whenever you can. If you must rely on a secondary mention, APA allows “as cited in” plus the secondary source. MLA and Chicago prefer you to signal the context in your sentence and cite the source you actually read. Keep this move rare.
Articles With Many Authors And A Consortium
APA and Chicago cut long author lists to the first surname plus “et al.” right in the text. MLA does the same. In your sentence, you can still mention the consortium name for clarity, then tuck the short form in parentheses.
When The Author Name Is Already In Your Sentence
Leave the name out of the parentheses and keep only the year and page as the style demands. That keeps your prose clean and avoids stutter. Samples: APA — Nguyen (2022, p. 9); MLA — Nguyen 9; Chicago — Nguyen (2022, 9).
Quote Or Paraphrase: Pick The Right Locator
Quotes need precise landing spots. Paraphrases benefit from them, too, since readers can check context fast. If the journal article uses e-locators such as “Article e12345,” you still cite by the rules above; the locator details live in the reference list, not in the in-text line. When a figure or table drove your point, add the page that holds it.
| Task | APA / Chicago | MLA |
|---|---|---|
| Period Placement | After the closing parenthesis | After the closing parenthesis |
| Quote Locator | Use p. or pp. with numbers | Number only, no p. or pp. |
| Author In Sentence | Move only year/page to parentheses | Move only page to parentheses |
House Style Tricks That Keep Readers With You
Mix narrative and parenthetical forms so your paragraphs don’t feel cramped. Lead with the study when the name carries weight, and use the parenthetical form when the study supports a clause that already flows. Keep abbreviations simple. If you shorten a long group name, set the short form once and stick with it. Keep your commas and spaces tight: APA and Chicago use a comma before a page; MLA does not.
Edge Cases And Clean Fixes
Online First Or Early View Articles
If a paper is posted ahead of print, cite in text the same way you would once the issue drops. The early-view note appears in the reference list. Your in-text lines still carry author and year (APA, Chicago) or author and page when available (MLA).
Translated Articles
In text, keep the author of the article. Translation notes sit in the reference list. If you quote translated wording from the article, you can add a short note in your sentence to keep readers oriented.
Long Organization Names
On first use, write the full name and the abbreviation in brackets in APA; Chicago allows a similar move in running text. In later citations, use the short form only. MLA often handles this by naming the group in the sentence and placing only the page in parentheses when that looks cleaner.
Walkthrough: From Sentence To Citation
APA Flow
Sentence first: Sleep regularity improved adherence in trial sites across three regions. Add a parenthetical if the study supports the whole claim: (Nguyen et al., 2022). If you want the author foregrounded, shift to narrative: Nguyen et al. (2022) found the effect across sites. Quote a key line with a locator when wording matters: “Adherence rose after week two” (Nguyen et al., 2022, p. 311).
MLA Flow
Sentence first: Sleep regularity improved adherence in trial sites across three regions (Nguyen et al. 311). Foreground the voice by naming the author in your prose: Nguyen et al. report a late-phase rise in adherence (311). Leave out the year. Keep punctuation simple, with the period after the closing parenthesis.
Chicago Author-Date Flow
Parenthetical for a broad claim: (Nguyen et al. 2022, 311). Narrative when the author’s name helps rhythm: Nguyen et al. (2022, 311) show a late-phase rise. When several studies support one clause, stack them with semicolons and keep each entry tidy: (Nguyen 2022, 311; Patel 2021, 77).
Quality Checks Before You Hit Publish
Read each paragraph and ask: did I cite at the point of use? If you mention the author name in the sentence, trim it from the parentheses. Match every in-text line to a complete entry in your reference list or works-cited list. If two items share the same author and year in APA or Chicago, tag letters in both places. Scan punctuation: period after the closing parenthesis, not before. If your article quoted a single page and then summarized across a range, give each part the right locator so a reader can land on both spots.
FAQ-Style Checks Without The Bullets
Do I show “peer-reviewed” in the in-text line? No. That label belongs in how you choose sources and in the journal details on your full entry, not inside your sentence.
Do I repeat the year every time in APA? Yes in parenthetical form. In narrative form, keep the year on first mention inside a paragraph; repeat it if you cite a different source in between.
What if the article has a DOI only? That sits in the reference or works-cited entry. Your in-text line stays short.
Practice Templates You Can Copy
APA paraphrase: (Author, Year). APA quote: (Author, Year, p. X). Two authors: (Author & Author, Year). Three or more: (Author et al., Year). Group author: (Group Name, Year). Same author, same year: (Author, Yeara); (Author, Yearb).
MLA paraphrase: (Author X). MLA quote: (Author X). Two authors: (Author and Author X). Three or more: (Author et al. X). Group author: (Group Name X). Same author, multiple works: (Author, Short Title X).
Chicago author-date paraphrase: (Author Year). Quote: (Author Year, X). Two authors: (Author and Author Year). Three or more: (Author et al. Year, X). Group author: (Group Name Year, X). Same author, same year: (Author 2022a, X); (Author 2022b).
Keep Your Reader In The Loop
Blend citations with signal phrases so the voice of your paper stays strong. Let your sentence carry the idea, and let the parenthetical do the pointing. When your sources are peer-reviewed, your readers will feel the lift in trust; your job is to make the trail easy to follow with tight, consistent in-text lines that match the list at the end.