How to Cite Journal Articles in a Paper

Correctly citing sources is one of the most important aspects of writing a good term paper. Properly formatted citations make a piece of writing seem professional, and make it easier for a professor to refer back to the original source of your information. Both MLA and APA Format set guidelines for the correct citation of articles that appear in a journal.

Instructions

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format

1. List the last name of the article author, followed by a comma. Then list the author's first initial, followed by a period.

2. Write the year of publication in parentheses. Follow this information with a period.

3. List the title of the article, followed by a period. Only capitalize the first letter of the article title.

4. List the title of the journal in italics, followed by a comma, followed by the volume number. The volume number should also appear in italics. List the issue number in parentheses directly after the volume number, followed by a comma. The issue number should not be italicized. The correct format for this information is as follows:

   The American Journal of Paper Citation, 11(4),

5. List the page numbers on which the article appears, followed by a period. This information should appear as follows:

   345-367.

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA Format

1. List the last name of the author, followed by a comma. Then list the author's first name, followed by a period.

2. Write down the title of the article, followed by a period. Make sure that this information is enclosed in quotation marks.

3. List the title of the journal in italics.

4. List the volume number, followed by a period, followed by the issue number. Then list the year in parentheses, followed by a colon. This information should appear as follows:

   11.3 (2010):

5. List the page numbers, followed by a period. This information should appear as follows:

   14-21.

6. List the medium of publication, followed by a period. When citing a journal article, this information should appear as follows:

   Print.

References

• Purdue OWL: APA Reference List
• Purdue OWL: MLA Reference List