MLA Style: Citing Periodicals - Academic Skills

Article article in scholarly journal
1. Print and Online Journal
2. Online Only Journal
Magazine article
Newspaper article
Editorial or letter to editor
Review (book, film, performance)

Sample reference entry in MLA formatted with a hanging indent.

Journal Article in a Journal

Available in Print and Online

Works Cited

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, volume number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Range. Name of Online Database, URL, permalink or doi.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, vol. number, issue number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Range. Name of Online Database, URL, permalink or doi.

Example:

Bailey, Suzanne. "'His Centre is not in the Middle': Reading Browning, Genius, and ADHD." Studies in Browning and His Circle, vol. 27, 2006, pp. 91-110. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/45285408.

Chivers, Sally. "'Move! You're in the Way!' Disability and Age Meet on Screen.” Canadian Journal of Film Studies: Revue Canadienne D'Etudes Cinematographique, vol. 17, no. 1, 2008, pp. 300-43. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24408418.

Jones, Steven Swann. "On Analyzing Fairy Tales: 'Little Red Riding Hood' Revisited." Western Folklore, vol. 46, 1987, pp. 97-114. JSTOR, doi: 10.2307/1499927.

Notice:

If you accessed the source in print, end the citation at the page range.
Identify the database or digital library name if the article is found in an online database, digital library or subscription service such as JSTOR, LexisNexis, ProQuests, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library.
Include the URL if the article is found online but not in an online database. If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.

Notice:

If you download the article as a PDF, indicate this version following the URL.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.

Magazine Article

Online Magazine Article

In-Text Citation:

If you do not have page numbers, try not to use any parenthetical citations at all by including the author’s last name in your essay text: “As Campbell argues . . . “

If you choose not to include the author’s last name in your essay text, don’t give paragraph numbers or page numbers from the print preview function in the parenthetical citation:

(Campbell)

Works Cited

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

Campbell, Meagan. "How a Plan to Sell New Brunswick Caviar Went So Wrong." Maclean's, 25 Oct. 2016, www.macleans.ca/news/how-a-plan-to-sell-new-brunswick-caviar-went-so-wro...

Johnson, Jessica. "Dances with Werewolves." The Walrus, Dec. 2009, pp. 62-65, https://thewalrus.ca/dances-with-werewolves/

Notice:

You may choose to include an access date if the website maybe changed or updated.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.
Some magazines are published monthly; give the month, or the months (Nov.-Dec.) and the year. The names of months can be abbreviated, (except for May, June and July).

Article with Page Numbers (Print)

In-Text Citation

(Steyn 70)

Works Cited

Author's Last Name: First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Day Month Year, pp. Page Range.

Example:

Steyn, Mark. "The People vs. Ex-Generalissimo Blair." Maclean's, 15 Feb. 2010, pp. 70-71.

Newspaper Article

Online News Article - Authored

In-Text Citation

If you do not have page numbers, try not to use any parenthetical citations at all by including the author’s last name in your essay text:

“As Stacey points out . . . “

Works Cited

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

Marchand, Laura. "Game over? New language law puts Quebec's video game industry at risk, insiders say." CBC News, 28 Jun 2022, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-96-quebec-video-game-indust...

Notice:

You may choose to include an access date if the website maybe changed or updated.
Date is optional; give it if not using permalink or doi.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.

Online News Article - News Agency/Service

In-Text Citation

When there is no individual author for reference, use the title - or a shortened version - in your sentence or as a parenthetical citation:

As reported in the Toronto Star, ...("Airbnb makes global party ban").

Works Cited

"Article Title." Title of News Site, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

"Airbnb makes global party ban permanent, saying it works." Toronto Star, 28 Jun 2022, https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/06/28/airbnb-makes-global-party-ba...

Notice:

Use the name as it appears on the masthead, excluding introductory articles such :"A" "An" and "The": for example Globe and Mail, not The Globe and Mail .
If an article has no author given, as in the last example, begin the works cited entry with the article title. Include "A" "An" and "The" but ignore them when putting in alphabetical order.
Use the article title in the in-text citation in place of the author's last name. Give the full title if it is short, but you may shorten longer ones. Make sure the short form starts with the same word that starts the works cited list entry, excluding "A" "An" or "The."

Article in Print Newspaper

In-Text Citation

(Douglas 4)

Author Given

Works Cited

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Day Month Year, p. Page or pp. Page Range.

Example:

Douglas, Matt. "Student Centre Construction Brings Changes to Trent’s Parking." Arthur, 22 Aug. 2016, p. 4.

Editorial or Letter to the Editor

Cite as you would any article in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical. Include "Editorial" or "Letter" to identify the type of work it is. The following examples have all been taken from newspapers.

Editorial

In-Text Citation

("Ontario’s Sickening Mistreatment") – in this example there is no page number as the editorial is from a newspaper accessed online.

(Cosh) – in this example there is no page number as the editorial is from a newspaper accessed online.

Works Cited

If editorial is unsigned, begin with the headline instead and then add description.

"Editorial Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

"Ontario’s Sickening Mistreatment of Adam Capay." Editorial. Globe and Mail, 24 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/ontarios-sickening-mistreatme...

If editorial is signed, begin with author's or letter writer’s name.

Author's or Letter Writer’s Last Name, First Name. "Editorial or Letter Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

Cosh, Colby. "The Muskrat Falls Fiasco: Maybe you’d Be Protesting, Too.” Editorial. National Post, 24 Oct. 2016, news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/the-wolf-of-muskrat-falls.

Notice:

You may choose to include an access date if the website maybe changed or updated.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL. For the URL, https:// is not necessary.

Letter to the Editor

In-Text Citation

(Hardill 3)

Works Cited

Letter (or Email) Writer's Last Name, First Name. “Editorial or Letter Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, p. Page.

Example:

Hardill, Kathy. "RE: Community Butcher Shop." Letter. Arthur, 10 Oct. 2016, p. 3.

Review (Book, Film, Performance)

For all reviews, include the reviewer, then the title of the review if there is one, followed by “Review of” and the name of the work being reviewed (book, play, film, opera, ballet, concert). For a review of a performance, add relevant information about the performance, for example, venue, at your discretion. Finally, include publication information of the periodical in which the review appears.

Book Review

In-Text Citation

(Bethune 65)

Works Cited

Reviewer's Last Name, First Name. "Review Title (if there is one)." Review of Title of Book Being Reviewed, by Book Author's First and Last Name. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, URL, permalink or doi.

Example:

Bethune, Brian. "Geology Professor Salomon Kroonenberg Explains “’Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur’.” Review of Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur: Mythology and Geology of the Underworld, by Salomon Kroonenberg. Maclean's, 14 June 2014, www.macleans.ca/culture/books/why-hell-stinks-of-sulfur-mythology-and-ge...

Notice:

The reviewer's name is followed by the title of the review. If the review has no title, the author's name is simply followed by "Review of" and the title of the reviewed book in italics.
You may choose to include an access date if the website maybe changed or updated.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL. For the URL, https:// is not necessary.

Film Review

In-Text Citation

(Taylor) - in this example there is no page number as the film review is from a newspaper accessed online.

Works Cited

Reviewer's Name, Last Name First. "Review Title." Review of Title of Film Being Reviewed, directed by Film Director's Name. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, URL, permalink or doi.

Example:

Taylor, Kate. "Terrence Malick’s Voyage of Time a Lyrical Account of Earth’s Evolution.” Review of Voyage of Time, directed by Terrence Malick. The Globe and Mail, 21 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/terrence-malicks-voyage-o....

Performance Review

In-Text Citation

(Harris) - in this example there is no page number as the film review is from a newspaper accessed online.

Works Cited

For a review of a performance, add relevant information about the performance, for example, venue, at your discretion.

Reviewer's Last Name, First Name. "Review Title." Review of Title of Performance or Name of Performer Being Reviewed, by Director/Company, Venue and Location. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi.

Example:

Harris, Robert. "Sondra Radvanovsky Gives Blissful Performance in COC’s Production of Norma." Review of Norma, by the Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre, Toronto. The Globe and Mail, 17 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/sondra-radvanovsky-gives-blissful-performance-in-cocs-production-of-norma/article32291338/.