How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 06/12/2024

Citing a magazine article in MLA format involves a specific structure to ensure clarity and uniformity. Whether the article is in print, from a website, or accessed through a library database, following the MLA guidelines is essential. This article will detail the process for each type of magazine article citation in MLA format.

MAGAZINE ARTICLE IN PRINT

When citing a magazine article in print, the following format should be used:

• Author: Begin the citation with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, and then the first name.
• Title of Article: The title of the article should be enclosed in quotation marks, with the subtitle (if any) separated by a colon.
• Title of Magazine: The title of the magazine should be italicized.
• Volume & Issue Number: The volume number is preceded by “vol.” and the issue number by “no.”
• Date of Publication: Provide the full date of publication in the format of day, month, and year.
• Page Numbers: Use “pp.” to indicate the page range of the article.

MAGAZINE ARTICLE FROM A WEBSITE

For a magazine article accessed from a website, the format changes slightly.

• Author: Start the citation with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, then the first name.
• Title of Article: Enclose the title of the article in quotation marks, with any subtitle separated by a colon.
• Title of Magazine: Italicize the title of the magazine.
• Date of Publication: Provide the full date of publication in the format of day, month, and year.
• URL: Conclude the citation with the full URL of the article.

MAGAZINE ARTICLE FROM A LIBRARY DATABASE

When citing a magazine article accessed through a library database, the format is as follows:

• Author: Start the citation with the author’s surname, followed by a comma, and then their first name.
• Title of Article: Enclose the article’s title in quotation marks, with any subtitle separated by a colon.
• Title of Magazine: Italicize the magazine’s title.
• Volume & Issue Number: Use “vol.” before the volume number and “no.” before the issue number.
• Date of Publication: Provide the full date of publication in day, month, year format.
• Page Numbers: Use “pp.” to denote the page range of the article.
• Name of Database: Finally, include the name of the database from which the article was accessed in italics.

Capitalize Properly: Ensure that all major words in the article’s title and subtitle are capitalized. This includes nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions.  Include Full Names for Multiple Authors: If the article has two authors, list them in the order they appear in the magazine, separated by “and.” For three or more authors, list the first author followed by “et al.”  Use a Hanging Indent: Ensure that the second and subsequent lines of your citation are indented half an inch from the left margin. This is known as a hanging indent. This helps in distinguishing where each citation starts and ends, especially in a works cited page with multiple entries.