How to Properly Cite an Article in APA, MLA or Chicago Style

Citing sources correctly is an essential part of academic writing When you use someone else’s words or ideas in your work, you need to give them credit by including a citation. But with so many different referencing styles, knowing how to cite an article can get confusing.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the key steps for citing an article in the three most common citation styles APA, MLA and Chicago I’ll cover everything from locating the necessary bibliographic details, to formatting your in-text citations and reference list entries correctly

By the end, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to properly cite articles in your next essay or research paper. Let’s get started!

Locating the Bibliographic Details Needed for Your Citation

The first step is gathering all the details about the article you need to craft your citation. Here’s a quick checklist of what you should look for:

• Author’s name(s) – This is usually listed under the title of the article. Note whether there is one author or multiple authors.

• Article title – This will be featured prominently, often in a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure to note any subtitle the article may have too.

• Publication date – Look for the year and month if available.

• Journal name – The article will be published in an academic journal, magazine or newspaper. Note its full title.

• Volume, issue & page numbers – For academic journals, these details will indicate where in the publication run the article appeared.

• DOI or URL – The digital object identifier (DOI) or web address (URL) are needed for articles accessed online.

These details can usually be found on the first page or cover of the article. If you accessed it online, you may find them on the article landing page too.

Now let’s look at how to fit these pieces into APA, MLA and Chicago format.

Citing an Article in APA Format

APA style is commonly used by researchers in psychology, education, business and social sciences. Here are the key rules for citing an article in APA format:

APA In-Text Citations

In-text citations are placed within the body text of your paper. They include the author’s last name and the publication year in parentheses:

Research shows clinical trial participation remains low among racial minorities (Walker, 2019).

If you directly quote the article, also include the page number:

Walker (2019) notes “clinical trial participation has not improved in the last decade, despite increased outreach” (p. 5).

With multiple authors, list up to 20 names in the first in-text citation. In subsequent citations, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”:

(Smith et al., 2019)

APA Reference List Entries

At the end of your paper, you must include a reference list containing full details on every source you cited. Here is the format for journal articles:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Publication Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp. DOI or URL

For example:

Walker, F. (2019). Racial disparities in clinical trial participation. Journal of Medical Ethics, 45(12), pp. 787-792. https://doi.org/10.1542/jme20190399

Key Rules for APA Article Citations:

• Use sentence case for article titles (only capitalize the first word and proper nouns)
• Italicize the journal name
• Include the volume and issue number
• End with the DOI (preferred) or journal homepage URL
• List authors with last name and initials only

Citing an Article in MLA Format

MLA style is commonly used by scholars in English, liberal arts and humanities fields. Here are key guidelines for citing articles in MLA format:

MLA In-Text Citations

When you reference an article in the body of your paper, include the author’s last name and page number(s) in parentheses:

One study found “no significant improvement in minority clinical trial enrollment” despite efforts by medical centers to increase outreach (Walker 5).

With multiple authors, list up to three names, than use “et al.”:

(Smith et al. 15)

MLA Works Cited Entries

In MLA style, all sources are listed together alphabetically on a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. Here is the structure for journal articles:

Author(s) Surname, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Name, Volume, Issue, Publication Year, pages. DOI or URL.

For example:

Walker, Frederick. “Racial Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation.” Journal of Medical Ethics, vol. 45, no. 12, 2019, pp. 787-792. https://doi.org/10.1542/jme20190399.

Key Rules for MLA Article Citations

• Use title case for journal titles (capitalize all major words)
• Enclose article title in quotation marks
• Include volume and issue numbers for academic journals
• End the citation with a DOI, URL or database name
• List authors with full first and last names

Citing an Article in Chicago Style

Chicago style has two possible formats: Notes and bibliography style is preferred by many working in the humanities, while author-date style is more concise and often used by social and physical sciences.

Here are guidelines for citing articles in both Chicago styles:

Chicago Notes and Bibliography In-Text Citations

In notes and bibliography style, sources are cited in footnotes or endnotes. These contain the author’s name, article title, journal name, publication details and page number:

^1^ Frederick Walker, “Racial Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation,” Journal of Medical Ethics 45, no. 12 (2019): 792.

^2^ Walker, “Racial Disparities,” 795.

The first footnote for each source provides full details, and subsequent citations can be shortened.

Chicago Notes and Bibliography Reference List Entries

All sources are listed alphabetically on a bibliography page. The structure for journal articles is:

Author(s) Surname, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Year): pages. DOI or URL.

For example:

Walker, Frederick. “Racial Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation.” Journal of Medical Ethics 45, no. 12 (2019): 787-792. https://doi.org/10.1542/jme20190399.

Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citations

In author-date style, sources are briefly cited in the text:

Low minority clinical trial enrollment persists despite recruitment efforts by medical centers (Walker 2019, 792).

Chicago Author-Date Reference List

The reference list entry structure is similar to notes and bibliography style, but without issue numbers:

Walker, Frederick. 2019. “Racial Disparities in Clinical Trial Participation.” Journal of Medical Ethics 45 (12): 787-792. https://doi.org/10.1542/jme20190399.

Key Rules for Chicago Article Citations

• Use title case journal titles (capitalize all major words)
• Place article title in quotation marks
• Include the DOI or URL at the end of bibliography entries
• Bibliography lists author’s full name, while in-text cites list just surname
• Notes and bibliography style citations are more detailed

Now that we’ve covered the key citation guidelines in APA, MLA and Chicago styles, let’s recap some general tips for accurately citing articles:

6 Best Practices for Flawless Article Citations

1. Check for a DOI: The digital object identifier uniquely identifies the article and links to it online, so include this instead of a URL when possible.

2. Get the journal details right: Pay close attention when noting the journal name, volume and issue to correctly identify the source.

3. Mind the formatting: Italics, punctuation, capitalization, spacing and hanging indents must all follow citation style guidelines.

4. List authors properly: Note whether author names are listed by first and last, or last name and initials. Get the order right too.

5. Add access dates for online articles: For sources read online, include the date you accessed the material.

6. Use a citation generator for automatic accuracy: Tools like Scribbr’s Citation Generator can take care of formatting for you!

With practice and attention to detail, citing articles properly will get easier. Refer back to examples in the definitive style guides whenever you are uncertain. And when in doubt, take advantage of citation generator tools online – they can help ensure your references are formatted perfectly.

Common Questions About Citing Articles

Here are answers to some frequently