How to Cite a Journal Article

📄 Why Journal Article Citations Matter

Academic journal articles are the backbone of scholarly research. They contain peer-reviewed, original research and expert analysis. Proper citation of journal articles demonstrates academic rigor, allows readers to trace your sources, and gives credit to the researchers whose work you reference.

🔗 What is a DOI?

DOI = Digital Object Identifier
A DOI is a unique, permanent identifier for academic articles and other digital content. Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" that never changes, even if the article's web address does.

Example DOI format:

10.1234/example.2024.56789

Always starts with "10." followed by numbers and sometimes letters

🔍 Where to Find a DOI:

✓ First page of the article (near author names or footer)
✓ Article's webpage on the journal website
✓ Database record (PubMed, JSTOR, etc.)
✓ Look for "DOI:", "doi:", or "https://doi.org/"

💡 Pro Tip: Use CiteForge's DOI lookup! Paste a DOI and we'll automatically fetch all article details from the Crossref database, including authors, title, journal, and publication date.

📝 Information You'll Need

✅ Essential Information

Author(s) full names
Publication year
Article title
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number (if available)
Page range
DOI (strongly recommended)

📚 Understanding Journal Info

Volume: Usually represents a year of publication

Issue: A specific edition within that volume (like a magazine issue)

Article number: Some online journals use this instead of page numbers

Example: Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 234-256

📘 APA 7 Format

Basic Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx

Examples

1. Journal Article with DOI

Johnson, M. K., & Smith, R. L. (2023). The effects of mindfulness on academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(4), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000789

In-text: (Johnson & Smith, 2023)

2. Three or More Authors

Brown, A., Davis, C., Martinez, E., & Wilson, T. (2024). Climate change and coral reef adaptation. Marine Biology, 171(2), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-12345

In-text: (Brown et al., 2024)

3. Article Without DOI (Print Journal)

Chen, L. (2022). Historical perspectives on education reform. History of Education Quarterly, 62(3), 345-378.

In-text: (Chen, 2022)

4. Online Article from Database (No DOI)

Thompson, K. (2023). Social media influence on mental health. Psychology Today, 56(1), 12-28. https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/social-media

In-text: (Thompson, 2023)

5. Advance Online Publication

Garcia, R. (2024). Neural networks and machine learning. Cognitive Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13456

In-text: (Garcia, 2024)

📌 APA Key Rules for Journal Articles

✓ Use sentence case for article titles (only first word capitalized)
✓ Italicize journal name AND volume number
✓ Include DOI whenever available (no "Retrieved from" needed)
✓ For 3+ authors, use "et al." in in-text citations (but list all in reference list)
✓ Issue number in parentheses (not italicized)
✓ Format DOI as URL: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx

📗 MLA 9 Format

Basic Format

Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. page-page. DOI or URL.

Examples

1. Journal Article with DOI

Johnson, Michael K., and Rachel L. Smith. "The Effects of Mindfulness on Academic Performance." Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 115, no. 4, 2023, pp. 234-56, doi:10.1037/edu0000789.

In-text: (Johnson and Smith)

2. Three or More Authors

Brown, Amy, et al. "Climate Change and Coral Reef Adaptation." Marine Biology, vol. 171, no. 2, 2024, pp. 45-67, doi:10.1007/s00227-024-12345.

In-text: (Brown et al.)

3. Article Without DOI (Print Journal)

Chen, Linda. "Historical Perspectives on Education Reform." History of Education Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 3, 2022, pp. 345-78.

In-text: (Chen)

4. Online Article from Database

Thompson, Karen. "Social Media Influence on Mental Health." Psychology Today, vol. 56, no. 1, 2023, pp. 12-28, www.psychologytoday.com/articles/social-media.

In-text: (Thompson)

5. Journal Article from JSTOR

Williams, Sarah. "Victorian Literature and Social Change." Victorian Studies, vol. 48, no. 2, 2021, pp. 189-215. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/12345678.

In-text: (Williams)

📌 MLA Key Rules for Journal Articles

✓ Use title case (capitalize all major words in article title)
✓ Put article title in quotation marks, italicize journal name
✓ Abbreviate all months except May, June, July
✓ Use "doi:" prefix (lowercase) before DOI number
✓ For 3+ authors, list first author then "et al."
✓ If from database, include database name before URL

📙 Chicago Style

Notes-Bibliography Format

Footnote/Endnote:

¹ First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Year): page-page, https://doi.org/xx.xxxx.

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Year): page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx.

Examples

1. Journal Article with DOI

Footnote (first reference):

¹ Michael K. Johnson and Rachel L. Smith, "The Effects of Mindfulness on Academic Performance," Journal of Educational Psychology 115, no. 4 (2023): 234-56, https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000789.

Shortened footnote (subsequent):

² Johnson and Smith, "Effects of Mindfulness," 240.

Bibliography:

Johnson, Michael K., and Rachel L. Smith. "The Effects of Mindfulness on Academic Performance." Journal of Educational Psychology 115, no. 4 (2023): 234-56. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000789.

2. Three or More Authors

Footnote:

³ Amy Brown et al., "Climate Change and Coral Reef Adaptation," Marine Biology 171, no. 2 (2024): 45-67, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-12345.

Bibliography (list all authors):

Brown, Amy, Carlos Davis, Elena Martinez, and Thomas Wilson. "Climate Change and Coral Reef Adaptation." Marine Biology 171, no. 2 (2024): 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-12345.

3. Article Without DOI

Footnote:

⁴ Linda Chen, "Historical Perspectives on Education Reform," History of Education Quarterly 62, no. 3 (2022): 345-78.

Bibliography:

Chen, Linda. "Historical Perspectives on Education Reform." History of Education Quarterly 62, no. 3 (2022): 345-78.

📌 Chicago Key Rules for Journal Articles

✓ Use title case for article titles
✓ Put article title in quotation marks, italicize journal name
✓ No comma between journal name and volume number
✓ Issue number preceded by "no."
✓ Year in parentheses
✓ Footnotes may use "et al." for 4+ authors, but list all in bibliography

🔧 Special Cases & Solutions

🔢 No Issue Number

Some journals only have volume numbers. Simply omit the issue number:
Journal of Research, 45, 234-256.

📱 Article Numbers vs. Page Numbers

Some online journals use article numbers instead of pages:
Nature Communications, 12, Article 5678.

🌐 Articles from Academic Databases

Prefer DOI over database URL! If article has DOI, use it. If no DOI, include database name (MLA) or URL if freely accessible.

📰 Magazine vs. Journal

Peer-reviewed journal: Use volume/issue/pages format
Popular magazine: Use full date (January 2024) instead of volume/issue
If unsure, check if it's peer-reviewed or has volume numbers

🔓 Open Access Journals

Cite open access articles the same way as traditional journals. Still include DOI if available.

📊 Quick Comparison

Element	APA 7	MLA 9	Chicago
Article Title	Sentence case	Title Case in quotes	Title Case in quotes
Journal Name	Italicized	Italicized	Italicized
Volume/Issue	115(4)	vol. 115, no. 4	115, no. 4
DOI Format	https://doi.org/...	doi:...	https://doi.org/...
Page Numbers	234-256	pp. 234-56	234-56

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Disclaimer: These examples provide general guidance. Always verify citations against official style manuals (APA Publication Manual, MLA Handbook, Chicago Manual of Style) and follow your instructor's specific requirements. Citations provided as-is.