How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA 9th Edition Format
If you need to know how to cite a journal article MLA 9th Edition, this guide gives clear, step-by-step instructions and examples. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in humanities—especially literature, language studies, and some cultural studies—and the 9th edition refines rules for works cited, DOIs, and electronic sources.
Introduction — What this format is and who uses it
MLA 9th Edition is the most recent major update to MLA style. It keeps MLA’s core principles—author-page in-text citations and a Works Cited list—while clarifying how to handle digital identifiers (DOIs), containers, and multiple contributors.
Students, scholars, and instructors in literature, language arts, and related humanities fields most commonly use MLA. If your instructor asks for MLA, follow these rules exactly to ensure consistent, professional citations.
General Rules — Key formatting rules
- Use a readable font (e.g., 12-pt Times New Roman) and double-space your document throughout, including the Works Cited list.
- Use author-page in-text citations: include the author's last name and the page number(s) with no comma, e.g.,
(Smith 23). - Title the reference list "Works Cited" and center it; do not bold or underline the title.
- Apply a hanging indent for each Works Cited entry (0.5 inch) and alphabetize entries by the author’s last name.
- For DOIs, use the DOI as a URL (preferably in the form
https://doi.org/10.xxxx). For other online sources include a stable URL. - Omit publisher locations and remove words like "Print" or "Web" as MLA no longer requires medium labels.
How to Cite by Source Type
Below are step-by-step formats and examples for common source types. Use the code blocks for exact punctuation and order when creating your Works Cited entries.
1. Journal article (print)
Format: Author(s). "Article Title." Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page range.
Smith, John A. "Narrative Time in Contemporary Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 66, no. 2, 2020, pp. 145-163.
2. Journal article (online with DOI)
Format: Author(s). "Article Title." Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
Smith, John A. "Narrative Time in Contemporary Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 66, no. 2, 2020, pp. 145-163. https://doi.org/10.1353/mfs.2020.0007
Actionable tip: Always prefer the DOI when available and present it as a full URL.
3. Journal article (online without DOI)
Format: Author(s). "Article Title." Journal Title, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page range. Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year (optional if no publication date).
Garcia, Maria L. "Urban Soundscapes and Memory." Sound Studies Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 22-40. Sound Studies Online, www.soundstudies.org/articles/urban-soundscapes. Accessed 7 Sept. 2022.
4. Book
Format: Author(s). Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Adams, Rachel. Contemporary Poetics. University Press, 2018.
5. Chapter or essay in an edited collection
Format: Author(s) of chapter. "Chapter Title." Title of Book, edited by Editor(s), Publisher, Year, pp. page range.
Lee, Angela. "Translation and Identity." Translating Worlds, edited by H. R. Patel and S. Kim, Global Press, 2021, pp. 88-110.
6. Interview (published or personal)
Format (published): Interviewee. "Title (if any)." Interview by Interviewer, Publication/Container, date, URL if online.
Diaz, Roberto. "On Craft and Recovery." Interview by L. Johnson, Literary Review, 15 Jul. 2021, www.litreview.org/diaz-interview.
Format (personal/unpublished): Last Name, First Name. Personal interview. Day Month Year.
Nguyen, Mai. Personal interview. 3 Mar. 2022.
In-Text Citations — Rules and examples
MLA uses brief parenthetical citations keyed to your Works Cited list. The basic format is (Author page).
- One author:
(Smith 150). - Two authors:
(Smith and Johnson 45). - Three or more authors: use the first author’s last name followed by
et al.—(Smith et al. 212). - No author: use a shortened title in quotation marks or italics:
("Urban Soundscapes" 27)or(Modern Fiction 52). - No page numbers (common with websites): include the author or title only:
(Garcia)or("Urban Soundscapes").
Placement: Put the parenthetical citation after the quotation or paraphrase and before the sentence period: "Quote" (Smith 23). For block quotes (more than four lines), start on a new line and place the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation.
Reference List — Formatting rules and example
Label your list "Works Cited" and center the label. Use double-spacing and a hanging indent for subsequent lines in each entry. Alphabetize entries by the first element (usually the author's last name).
Example Works Cited with a journal article, book, and website:
Works Cited
Garcia, Maria L. "Urban Soundscapes and Memory." Sound Studies Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 22-40. Sound Studies Online, www.soundstudies.org/articles/urban-soundscapes. Accessed 7 Sept. 2022.
Smith, John A. "Narrative Time in Contemporary Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 66, no. 2, 2020, pp. 145-163. https://doi.org/10.1353/mfs.2020.0007.
Adams, Rachel. Contemporary Poetics. University Press, 2018.
Actionable checklist for your Works Cited:
- Center the title "Works Cited".
- Double-space the entire list.
- Use a hanging indent for each entry.
- Alphabetize entries by author’s last name; if none, alphabetize by title (ignore A, An, The).
- Provide DOIs or stable URLs for online material. Include access dates only when necessary.
Common Mistakes — Errors to avoid
1. Leaving out the DOI or using an incomplete URL
Error: Omitting a DOI or pasting a broken link reduces the source's retrievability. Fix: Always include the DOI in the form https://doi.org/10.xxxx or a stable URL.
2. Incorrect author formatting
Error: Reversing names or missing "et al." for works with three or more authors. Fix: Use "Last, First" for the first author, then list additional authors as "First Last" or apply "et al." for three or more in-text citations and in Works Cited list per MLA guidance.
3. Mixing MLA with other styles
Error: Using APA- or Chicago-style elements (e.g., year-first in reference, or excessive use of italics). Fix: Follow MLA order: Author. "Title." Container, vol., no., year, pages. DOI/URL.
4. Wrong punctuation or capitalization in titles
Error: Using sentence-style capitalization instead of title case for article titles, or misplacing periods and commas. Fix: Capitalize major words in titles and follow MLA punctuation exactly—commas after containers, periods at the end of entries.
Practical Tools and Next Steps
To speed citation creation, use Rephrasely’s free citation generator at https://rephrasely.com/citation. It produces MLA 9 entries you can paste into your Works Cited and adjust if needed.
For writing and checking your work, Rephrasely also offers tools like the plagiarism checker (/plagiarism-checker), AI Writer/Composer (/composer), and an AI detector (/ai-detector). These can help you ensure originality and polish before submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include access dates for online journal articles?
Only include an access date if the source lacks a publication date or if the content is likely to change. If a DOI is present, you generally do not need an access date. If you add one, format it as "Accessed Day Month Year."
How do I cite an article with multiple authors in MLA 9th Edition?
In-text: For two authors use both last names (e.g., (Smith and Johnson 45)). For three or more authors use (Smith et al. 212). Works Cited: List up to two authors in full; for three or more list the first author followed by et al..
Can I use a citation generator for MLA 9 citations?
Yes—use Rephrasely’s free citation generator (https://rephrasely.com/citation) for quick, accurate entries. Always double-check the output against your instructor’s requirements and MLA 9 guidelines for minor formatting details.