Frequently Asked Questions:
Examples (Magazine Article From a Library Database):
Examples (Magazine Article in Print):
More Examples:
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Not sure whether your article is from a magazine? Look for these characteristics:
Popular magazines:
Trade magazines:
Articles may also come from journals and newspapers.
Author
It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.
If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.
Date
The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.
If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.
Access Date
Date of access is now optional in MLA 8th edition. If no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.
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.
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers. Name of Database.
Weinstein, Becca. "Trying Before Buying." Psychology Today, vol. 45, no. 3, May-June 2012, pp. 46-47. CINAHL Complete.
(Author's Last Name Page Number)
(Weinstein 46)
Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, Lower Canada 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." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers. 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.
Jefferson, David J., and Temma Ehrenfeld. "The Divorce Generation Grows Up." Newsweek, vol. 151, no. 16, 21 Apr. 2008, p. 46. MAS Ultra.
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)
(Jefferson and Ehrenfeld 46)
Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, Lower Canada 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.
"Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers. Name of Database.
Note: If the author is unknown, begin the citation with the title of the article.
"Convenience Store Shopping Behavior: Packaged Beverages." Convenience Store News, vol. 36, no. 15, 18 Dec. 2000, p. 113. Business Source Complete.
("First Word or Words of the Title" Page Number)
("Convenience Store Shopping" 113)
Note: This magazine article doesn't list an author, so the first word or words of the title are included in the in-text citation in quotation marks.
Note: While MLA 8th edition recommends including URLs, Lower Canada 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. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers.
Campbell, Meagan. "'One Snap, One Frame': A Life in Pictures." Maclean's, vol. 129, no. 26, 04 July 2016, pp. 47-51.
(Author's Last Name Page Number)
(Campbell 49)
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers.
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.
Ainsworth-Vincze, Cameron, and Josh Dehass. "Where Do I Belong?" Maclean's, vol. 123, no. 45, 22 Nov. 2010, pp. 58-59.
(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)
(Ainsworth-Vincze and Dehass 58)
"Title of Article: Subtitle if Any." Title of Magazine, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. Page Numbers.
"When Eating Breakfast, Make it a Big One." Maclean's, vol. 121, no. 26/27, 7 July 2008, p. 63.
("First Word or Words of the Title" Page Number)
("When Eating Breakfast" 63)
Note: This magazine article doesn't list an author, so the first word or words of the title are included in the in-text citation in quotation marks.
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle if Any."Title of Magazine, Date of publication, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.
Cosh, Kolby. "Tiny Human Brains Threaten Giant Dinosaur Bones in Alberta." Maclean's, 25 July 2012, www.macleans.ca/news/canada/a-blight-at-the-museum. Accessed 13 June 2016.
(Author's Last Name)
(Cosh)
Note: If the magazine article has two authors, follow the same author format as shown in the sections on Magazine Article From a Library Database - Two Authors or Magazine Article in Print - Two Authors (i.e. Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name)
(Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)
Example: (Case and Daristotle 57)
(Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)
Example: (Case et al. 57)
If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name followed by a comma et al.
Example: Smith, James, et al.
MLA Handbook by Teaching and learning MLA style is about to get easier. For nearly seventy years, the Modern Language Association has helped student writers choose trustworthy sources and use them to support their own ideas. Now, the authority on writing and research presents the clearest approach to MLA style yet with the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. The ninth edition works as both a textbook and a reference guide. Focusing on source evaluation, it features a wealth of visual examples and updated advice on punctuation and grammar, footnotes and endnotes, annotated bibliographies, and paper formatting. An all-in-one resource that makes MLA style easier to learn and use, the MLA Handbook includes: Expanded, in-depth guidance on creating works-cited-list entries using the MLA template of core elements that explains what each core element is, where to find it in various sources, and how to style it. A new, easy-to-follow explanation of in-text citations. A new chapter containing recommendations for using inclusive language. A new appendix with hundreds of sample works-cited-list entries by publication format, including books, databases, websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more. Updated guidelines on avoiding plagiarism. Although there are numerous websites, apps, reference works, and cheat sheets that claim to help with MLA style, there's only one truly authoritative resource to help your students on their paths to becoming better writers. The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook is the most comprehensive guide the MLA has ever produced, with an all-inclusive approach to writing, research, documentation, and formatting.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.
