How to Cite a Journal Article? MLA, APA, & Chicago Examples

Journal article citations are typically used in science and social sciences but aren’t just limited to them. The purpose of these references is to inform readers that you have carried out deep research on the given topic and don’t shy away from backing your arguments with credible sources. However, you may wonder how to cite a journal article.

When citing the journal article, the exact format will vary depending on the style you choose in APA, Chicago, and MLA. To help you in this regard, we are going to discuss how to cite a journal article along with the different available styles. Continue reading!

Basic Elements of Journal Article Citation in MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

Whether you opt for MLA, Chicago, or APA style, some basic elements remain the same in all of them, such as:

• Author: The author name of the article generally refers to the person or organization who created the main source work.
• Journal Title: It’s the name of the academic or scholarly journal where the article was published, often italicized in most citation styles. Some popular journal names include Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Nature Communications, Biometrics, International Journal of Medical Sciences, and Journal of the American Statistical Association.
• Article Title: As the name highlights, it’s the title of the referenced article. It’s usually placed in quotation marks and styled according to the citation format.
• Date: This refers to the publication year, sometimes the exact month or date, which tells readers whether the source or journal article being cited is recent or old.
• URL and DOI: The URL is the web address, and DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is also part of the citation, which makes it easy for readers to locate the source or journal article.

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA?

APA is one of the many popular citation styles for journal articles, videos, and even lectures. The 7th edition of this style was introduced in 2019 and provides you with clear instructions on creating accurate references. For instance, now you don’t have to mention the publisher’s location and can add the surnames of around 20 authors instead of 7 in the reference entry.

Here’s a brief overview of how to cite a journal article in APA:

Cite an Online Journal Article in APA

The internet is filled with thousands of journal articles on different topics, whether it’s about microbial enzymes or biosensing systems. Therefore, when citing an online journal article, you should follow proper citation guidelines to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness. The format for this is given as follows:

Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL

Example

Osman, Y. (2024). Advances in microbial biotechnology for industrial applications. Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials, 14(390). https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/advances-in-microbial-biotechnology-for-industrial-applications-131205.html 

In-Text Citation: (Osman, 2024)

Cite a Journal Article Having Three or More Authors in APA

If the journal article you are going to cite has three or more authors, then you should only write the name of the first author in the in-text citation, and for the remaining, you have to write “et al.” Here’s the format for this:

Last name, Initials., Last name, Initials., Last name, Initials., & Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL

Example

Zhao, X., Zhang, Y., Li, J., & Wang, L. (2023). Advances in microbiome research and its application in medicine. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 72(4), 1023–1035. DOI or URL

In-Text Citation: (Zhao et al., 2023)

Cite a Special Issue Journal Article in APA

The special issue journal article refers to a series of articles that are focused on only one topic, which also falls under the scope of the journal.

In this, the subject expert leads the research and serves as a Guest editor. If you are going to cite a special issue journal article, you should follow this format:

Last name, Initials. (Ed. or Eds.). (Year). Title of issue [Special issue]. Journal Name, Volume(Issue).

Example

Brown, L. M. (Ed.). (2023). Innovations in renewable energy technologies [Special issue]. Journal of Environmental Science, 45(3).

How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA?

MLA or Modern Language Association style is another way to cite journal articles in your content. You can follow the citation guidelines provided in the MLA Handbook Edition 9 to refer to different sources.

Cite an Online Journal Article in MLA

If you want to cite a journal article that you accessed online in any prestigious journal or in PDF, here’s the format for that:

Author(s). “Title of the Article.” Journal Name, vol. Volume number, no. Issue number, Year, pp. Page range. DOI or URL.

Example

Smith, Alice. “The Impact of Urbanization on Local Wildlife.” Environmental Studies Journal, vol. 22, no. 1, Mar. 2022, pp. 55–72. URL or DOI

In-Text Citation: (Smith, 2022)

Cite a Journal Article Having Three or More Authors in MLA

In APA, when you cite three or more authors, you write “et al.” after writing the last name of one author. However, in MLA, you can write the last names of more than one author along with the date of publication of the journal article. The format is given as:

Author’s Last name, First name, and Author’s First name and Last name. “Article Title.” Journal Name, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Month Year, Page range. DOI or URL.

Example

Smith, Alice and Joe Robert “Exploring Climate Change Effects on Coastal Ecosystems.” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 30, no. 4, Apr. 2024, pp. 123–138. URL or DOI.

In-Text Citation: (Smith and Robert, 2024)

Cite a Special Issue Journal Article in MLA

Special issue journal articles focus on a particular theme that can be anything like a scientific event or historical moment. Here’s how to cite a journal article with a focus on a special issue:

1st Author Last Name, 2nd First Name, and 3rd Author First Name Last Name. “Article Title.” Title of Special Issue, special issue of Journal Name, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, vol. Volume, Month Year, pp. Page range. DOI or URL.

Example

Kenworthy-U’Ren, Amy L. “A Decade of Service-Learning: A Review of the Field Ten Years after JOBE’s Seminal Special Issue.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 81, no. 4, 2008, pp. 811–822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9549-3 

In-Text Citation: (Kenworthy-U’Ren 811)

How to Cite a Journal Article in Chicago Style?

You can also choose Chicago Style for journal article citations depending on your topic and academic preferences. The 18th edition is the most recent version of the Chicago Manual of Style, offering you insights on the correct usage of bibliography entries, footnotes, and author date.

Here’s how to cite a journal article in Chicago Style:

Cite an Online Journal Article in Chicago Style

To cite a journal article that you found online, whether it’s on anthropology or arts and history, you can follow the given format:

Author last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Month Year): Page range. DOI or URL.

Example

Bibliography Entry: Johnson, Emily. “The Role of Urban Gardening in Promoting Mental Health.” Urban Studies Journal 42, no. 3 (Mar. 2024): 101–120. DOI or URL.

Footnote: Emily Johnson, “The Role of Urban Gardening in Promoting Mental Health,” Urban Studies Journal 42, no. 3 (Mar. 2024): 101–120, DOI or URL.

In-Text Citation: (Johnson 2024)

Cite a Journal Article with Two or More Authors in Chicago Style

There are many journal articles with two or more authors. If you are citing such an article in Chicago Style, you can add up to 3 names in the in-text citation. However, if there are four or more authors, you should write three names and then “et al.”

Let’s see how to cite a journal article with multiple authors:

1st Author last name, First name, 2nd Author first name last name, 3rd Author first name last name, and 4th Author first name last name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page range. DOI or URL.

Example

Bibliography Entry: Tian, Yong-Sheng, Yong-Dong Deng Wen-Hui Zhang, Yu-Wang, Jing Xu, Jian-Jie Gao, Bo-Wang, Xiao-Yan Fu, Hong-Juan Han, Zhen-Jun Li, Li-Juan Wang, Ri-He Peng, and Quan-Hong Yao. “Met Engineering of Escherichia coli for Direct Production of Vitamin from D-Glucose.” Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 15 (2022): 86. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-022-02184-0.

Footnote: Yong-Sheng Tian, Yong-Dong Deng, and Wen-Hui Zhang, “Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia coli for Direct Production of Vitamin C from D-Glucose,” Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 15 (2022): 86. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-022-02184-0.

Cite a Special Issue Journal Article in Chicago Style

To cite a special issue journal article in Chicago Style, the following format is used:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): First Page Number of Article-Last Page Number of Article. DOI or URL.

Example

Bibliography Entry: Guillen, Jorge “Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in America” Emerging Markets Finance and Trade 54, no 2 (2018): 1144-1166. DOI

Footnote: Jorge Guillen, “Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in America” Emerging Markets Finance and Trade 54, no 2 (2018): 1144-1166. DOI

In-Text Citation: (Guillen 2018)

Best Tool for Journal Article Citation!

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Here’s a practical example of how to use Arvin to get some APA-style citations on any topic:

If you want to create the same citation in MLA and Chicago, just give Arvin a one-liner prompt; it will do all the work for you.

FAQs

How do you find the DOI of an Article?

You can find the DOI of an article near the publication date when you open it. It’s usually available in “doi.org” or “DOI” on the article, and you can copy it to share it in the citation.

Which Citation Style to Choose for a Journal Article?

The citation style you should choose for a journal article depends on your topic. For social or behavioral sciences, you should use APA, while for humanities, MLA, and Chicago, for historical topics.

How to Write Author Names in Chicago Style?

In Chicago Style, you should write the author’s name as mentioned at the top of the journal article that you are going to cite, not alphabetically.

Conclusion

The whole process of how to cite a journal article becomes easy when you thoroughly understand the different types of reference styles and their usage. Arvin can make the entire citation process a breeze for you!

It features advanced AI capabilities that quickly extract accurate journal article citations relevant to your topic in any style that you mention, whether APA, MLA, or Chicago. Try it today and make your academic tasks hassle-free!