MLA Style: Citing Periodicals
- Article article in scholarly journal
- Magazine article
- Newspaper article
- Editorial or letter to editor
- Review (book, film, performance)
Journal Article in a Journal
Print Journal
In-Text Citation
(Bailey 96) (Chivers 31)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, volume number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Range.
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, vol. number, issue number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Range.
Example:
Bailey, Suzanne. "'His Centre is not in the Middle': Reading Browning, Genius, and ADHD." Studies in Browning and His Circle, vol. 27, 2006, pp. 91-110.
Chivers, Sally. "'Move! You're in the Way!' Disability and Age Meet on Screen.” Canadian Journal of Film Studies: Revue Canadienne D'Etudes Cinematographique, vol. 17, no. 1, 2008, pp. 300-43.
Journal Found Online (article may be also available in print)
If the journal is also available in print, it will have a page range.
In-Text Citation
(Jones 98)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, vol. number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Range. Name of Online Database, URL, permalink or doi. Accessed Day Month Year (optional).
Example:
Jones, Steven Swann. "On Analyzing Fairy Tales: 'Little Red Riding Hood' Revisited." Western Folklore, vol. 46, 1987, pp. 97-114. JSTOR, doi: 10.2307/1499927.
Jones, Steven Swann. "On Analyzing Fairy Tales: 'Little Red Riding Hood' Revisited." Western Folklore, vol. 46, 1987, pp. 97-114, documentslide.com/documents/steven-swan-jones-little-red-riding-hood.html.
Notice:
- Identify the database or digital library name if the article is found in an online database, digital library or subscription service such as JSTOR, LexisNexis, ProQuests, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library.
- Include the URL if the article is found online but not in an online database. If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.
Journal Only Available Online
Some scholarly journals only exist in electronic form; they are published on the Web and do not exist in print form. An article in such a journal may not have page numbers.
In-Text Citation
If you do not have page numbers, try not to use any parenthetical citations at all by including the author’s last name in your essay text: “As Buckland argues . . . “
If you choose not to include the author’s last name in your essay text, don’t give paragraph numbers or page numbers from the print preview function in the parenthetical citation:
(Buckland)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, Author’s First Name. "Article Title." Title of Journal, vol. Number, Year of Publication, URL, permalink or doi. Accessed Day, Month, Year (optional – best to give it if not using permalink or doi).
Example:
Buckland, Adelene. ""Pictures in the Fire': The Dickensian Hearth and the Concept of History." Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net, vol. 53, 2009, www.erudit.org/revue/ravon/2009/v/n53/029902ar.html. Accessed 20 October 2016.
If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.
Magazine (Online and Print) Article
Magazine Article Accessed Online with no page numbers
In-Text Citation:
If you do not have page numbers, try not to use any parenthetical citations at all by including the author’s last name in your essay text: “As Campbell argues . . . “
If you choose not to include the author’s last name in your essay text, don’t give paragraph numbers or page numbers from the print preview function in the parenthetical citation:
(Campbell)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi. Accessed Day Month Year.
Example:
Campbell, Meagan. "How a Plan to Sell New Brunswick Caviar Went So Wrong." Maclean's, 25 Oct. 2016, www.macleans.ca/news/how-a-plan-to-sell-new-brunswick-caviar-went-so-wrong. Accessed 2 Nov. 2016.
Notice:
- Date is optional; give it if not using permalink or doi.
- If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.
Article in Print Magazine or Magazine Accessed Online with Page Numbers
In-Text Citation
(Steyn 70) (Johnson 64)
Works Cited
Author's Last Name: First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Day Month Year, pp. Page Range.
Example:
Steyn, Mark. "The People vs. Ex-Generalissimo Blair." Maclean's, 15 Feb. 2010, pp. 70-71.
Print magazine published every month or every two months
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Month Year, pp. Page Range.
Example:
Johnson, Jessica. "Dances with Werewolves." The Walrus, Dec. 2009, pp. 62-65.
Notice:
- Give the month, or the months (Nov.-Dec.) and the year. The names of months can be abbreviated, (except for May, June and July).
Newspaper Article
Article in Newspaper Accessed Online
In-Text Citation
If you do not have page numbers, try not to use any parenthetical citations at all by including the author’s last name in your essay text:
“As Stacey points out . . . “
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi. Accessed Day Month Year (optional – best to give it if not using permalink or doi).
Example:
Stacey, Megan. "Ontario Nurse Charged with Eight Counts of First Degree Murder in Nursing Home Deaths.” National Post, 25 Oct. 2016, http://news.nationalpost.com/news/
canada/former-ontario-nursing-home-worker-focus-of-multi- jurisdictional-death-investigation-company-says. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
Notice:
- Date is optional; give it if not using permalink or doi.
- If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL.
Article in Print Newspaper
In-Text Citation
(Douglas 4)
(El Akkad A5)
("Trent Vegetable Gardens" 6 )
Author Given
Works Cited
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Day Month Year, p. Page or pp. Page Range.
Example:
Douglas, Matt. "Student Centre Construction Brings Changes to Trent’s Parking." Arthur, 22 Aug. 2016, p. 4.
No Author Given
Works Cited
"Article Title." Newspaper Title, Day Month Year, p. Page or pp. Page Range.
Example:
"Trent Vegetable Gardens: Growing Something Good." Arthur, 22 Aug. 2016, p. 6.
Notice:
- Use the name as it appears on the masthead, excluding introductory articles such :"A" "An" and "The": for example Globe and Mail, not The Globe and Mail .
- If an article has no author given, as in the last example, begin the works cited entry with the article title. Include "A" "An" and "The" but ignore them when putting in alphabetical order.
- Use the article title in the in-text citation in place of the author's last name. Give the full title if it is short, but you may shorten longer ones. Make sure the short form starts with the same word that starts the works cited list entry, excluding "A" "An" or "The."
Editorial or Letter to the Editor
Cite as you would any article in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical. Include "Editorial" or "Letter" to identify the type of work it is. The following examples have all been taken from newspapers.
Editorial
In-Text Citation
("Ontario’s Sickening Mistreatment") – in this example there is no page number as the editorial is from a newspaper accessed online.
(Cosh) – in this example there is no page number as the editorial is from a newspaper accessed online.
Works Cited
If editorial is unsigned, begin with the headline instead and then add description.
"Editorial Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi. Accessed Day Month Year
Example:
"Ontario’s Sickening Mistreatment of Adam Capay." Editorial. Globe and Mail, 24 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/ontarios-sickening-mistreatme.... Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
If editorial is signed, begin with author's or letter writer’s name.
Author's or Letter Writer’s Last Name, First Name. "Editorial or Letter Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL, permalink, or doi. Accessed Day Month Year
Example:
Cosh, Colby. "The Muskrat Falls Fiasco: Maybe you’d Be Protesting, Too.” Editorial. National Post, 24 Oct. 2016, news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/the-wolf-of-muskrat-falls. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
Notice:
- Date is optional; give it if not using permalink or doi.
- If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL. For the URL, https:// is not necessary.
Letter to the Editor
In-Text Citation
(Hardill 3)
Works Cited
Letter (or Email) Writer's Last Name, First Name. “Editorial or Letter Headline." Description. Newspaper, Day Month Year, p. Page.
Example:
Hardill, Kathy. "RE: Community Butcher Shop." Letter. Arthur, 10 Oct. 2016, p. 3.
Review (Book, Film, Performance)
For all reviews, include the reviewer, then the title of the review if there is one, followed by “Review of” and the name of the work being reviewed (book, play, film, opera, ballet, concert). For a review of a performance, add relevant information about the performance, for example, venue, at your discretion. Finally, include publication information of the periodical in which the review appears.
Book Review
In-Text Citation
(Bethune 65)
Works Cited
Reviewer's Last Name, First Name. "Review Title (if there is one)." Review of Title of Book Being Reviewed, by Book Author's First and Last Name. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, p. Page. (or comma if followed by the URL, permalink or doi.) Accessed Day Month Year.
Example:
Bethune, Brian. "Geology Professor Salomon Kroonenberg Explains “’Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur’.” Review of Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur: Mythology and Geology of the Underworld, by Salomon Kroonenberg. Maclean's, 14 June 2014, www.macleans.ca/culture/books/why-hell-stinks-of-sulfur-mythology-and-ge.... Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
Notice:
- Date is optional; give it if not using permalink or doi.
- If your source offers a stable URL or permalink, use that. If a doi is available, use that over a URL or a stable URL. For the URL, https:// is not necessary.
- The reviewer's name is followed by the title of the review. If the review has no title, the author's name is simply followed by "Review of" and the title of the reviewed book in italics.
Film Review
In-Text Citation
(Taylor) - in this example there is no page number as the film review is from a newspaper accessed online.
Works Cited
Reviewer's Name, Last Name First. "Review Title." Review of Title of Film Being Reviewed, directed by Film Director's Name. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, p. Page. (or comma if followed by the URL, permalink or doi.) Accessed Day Month Year.
Example:
Taylor, Kate. "Terrence Malick’s Voyage of Time a Lyrical Account of Earth’s Evolution.” Review of Voyage of Time, directed by Terrence Malick. The Globe and Mail, 21 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/terrence-malicks-voyage-o.... Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
Performance Review
In-Text Citation
(Harris) - in this example there is no page number as the film review is from a newspaper accessed online.
Works Cited
For a review of a performance, add relevant information about the performance, for example, venue, at your discretion.
Reviewer's Last Name, First Name. "Review Title." Review of Title of Performance or Name of Performer Being Reviewed, by Director/Company, Venue and Location. Publication in which Review Appears, Day Month Year, Page. (or comma if followed by the URL, permalink, or doi. Accessed Day Month Year (optional – best to give it if not using permalink or doi).
Example:
Harris, Robert. "Sondra Radvanovsky Gives Blissful Performance in COC’s Production of Norma." Review of Norma, by the Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre, Toronto. The Globe and Mail, 17 Oct. 2016, www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/sondra-radvanovsky-gives-blissful-performance-in-cocs-production-of-norma/article32291338/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.