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MLA Citation Style, 8th Edition

This guide will provide rules and examples for using MLA citation style.

Scholarly Article in a Database - with DOI

For scholarly articles accessed electronically in a database, provide the print information and then list the database and the DOI (digital object identifier) if the article has one or the URL. 

DOI Example:

Walshe, Rory A. and Charlotte Eloise Stancioff. "Small Island Perspectives on Climate Change." Island Studies Journal, vol. 13, no. 1, May 2018, pp. 13-24. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.24043/isj.56.

 

Scholarly Article in a Database - without DOI

If the article in the database does not have a DOI, use a URL.

For URLs from a database, be sure to copy the stable URL or "permalink" as those do not change and will remain active. Databases normally have a way to access those links -- and they are different-- from the links in your browser.

URL Example:

Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol.30, no. 3, 2007, pp. 70-94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.uwf.edu/stable/30053134.

Note: When including a URL, omit the http:// and https://

Scholarly Article from a Website

When citing an article from a website, include the URL (without the http://) and the date you accessed it, in case the link becomes broken in the future.

Example:

Wilner, Arlene. "Confronting Resistance: Sonny's Blues and Mine." Pedagogy, vol. 2, no. 2, 1 Spring 2002, pp. 173-96, read.dukeupress.edu/pedagogy/article/2/2/173/29255/Confronting-Resistance-Sonny-s-Blues-and-Mine. Accessed 5 July 2018.

Scholarly Article in a Print Journal

Format:

A print article is formatted the same as an online article from a database minus the database and URL.

Example:

Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol.30, no.3, 2007, pp. 70-94.