DOI Numbers for Journal Articles
Some electronic content like journal articles are assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). The DOI provides a stable way to see a description of the article. If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as a URL beginning with https://doi.org/ followed immediately by the DOI number.
In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows:
January = Jan.
February = Feb.
March = Mar.
April = Apr.
May = May
June = June
July = July
August = Aug.
September = Sept.
October = Oct.
November = Nov.
December = Dec.
Spell out months fully in the body of your paper.
Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.
A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.
Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle
Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:
Articles may also come from newspapers or magazines.
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, https://doi.org/DOI number.
| Works Cited List Example |
Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging Markets Finance & Trade, vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155. Business Source Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Guillen 1146) |
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database, https://doi.org/DOI number.
Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format.
| Works Cited List Example |
Salafia, Elizabeth Blodgett, and Jessica Lemer. "Associations Between Multiple Types of Stress and Disordered Eating Among Girls and Boys in Middle School." Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 21, no. 1, 2012, pp.148-57. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-011-9458-z. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Salafia and Lemer 149) |
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database.
| Works Cited List Example |
Leichty, Toni. "Yes I Worry About My Weight... But for the Most Part I'm Content with My Body: Older Women's Body Dissatisfaction Alongside Contentment." Journal of Women & Aging, vol. 24, no. 1, 2012, pp. 70-88. Academic Search Complete. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Leichty 71) |
Note: While MLA 9th edition recommends including URLs, Columbia College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database.
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database.
Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format.
| Works Cited List Example |
Larr, Allison S., and Matthew Neidell. "Pollution and Climate Change." The Future of Children, vol. 26, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 93-113. Academic Search Complete. Note: Give as complete a date of publication as given. Because the season for the journal, "Spring" is given, this is included as part of the date. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Larr and Neidell 96) |
Note: While MLA 9th edition recommends including URLs, Columbia College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database.
Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article or Book Chapter." Moodle, uploaded by Instructor Name, upload date [if known], moodle.columbiacollege.bc.ca/.
Note: Use this format only for files that you download directly from Moodle. If the reading is shared on Moodle via a link, do not include Moodle as a container. Cite the reading according to the format for the type of source it is (eg a journal article from a library database, a news article from a website, etc). Also see the note below about instructors' preferences for how course materials are cited.
| Works Cited List Example |
Slinn, Sara. "Broader-Based and Sectoral Bargaining in Collective-Bargaining Law Reform: A Historical Review." Moodle, uploaded by Stephanie Saikal, 3 Feb. 2021, moodle.columbiacollege.bc.ca/. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Author and page number if [if available]) (Slinn 25) |
The MLA Style Center has guidance based on the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook on citing online handouts and readings, including the difference between a reading that is uploaded to a course versus one that is shared via a link. The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook notes that instructors may wish students to practice citing course materials according to the original publication information, as training for citing materials found while doing research (xxii-xiii). Students should follow the requirements of their assignment and seek clarification from their instructor when necessary.
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.
| Works Cited List Example |
Elson, Peter. "A Comparative Analysis of Nonprofit Policy Network Governance in Canada." Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, vol. 6, no. 2, 2015, pp. 42-64, anserj.ca/anser/ index.php/cjnser/article/view/201/127. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016. Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Elson 44) |
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number if Given, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.
Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format.
| Works Cited List Example |
Sadig, Husam, and Ahmed Banany. "The Impact of Non-Response Weighting: Empirical Evidence From Modelling Residential Mobility." Journal of Social Research & Policy, vol. 5, no. 1, July 2014, pp. 91-99, www.jsrp.ro/site/jrspone/content/JSRP_Vol5_Iss1_Sadig. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016. Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. Both month and year were provided for this journal. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number) (Sadig and Banany 91) |
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.
| Works Cited List Example |
Kushkova, Anna. "At the Center of the Table." Russian Studies in History, vol. 50, no.1, 2011, pp. 44-96. Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Kushkova 79) |
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Name of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.
Note: Only the first author's name appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. The second author's name appears in "First Name Last Name" format.
| Works Cited List Example |
Ki, Eyun-Jung, and Linda Childers Hon. "A Measure of Relationship Cultivation Strategies." Journal of Public Relations Research, vol. 21, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-24. Note: Give as complete a date as is provided. In this example only the year was given. |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Ki and Hon 12) |