By: Arthur Hall
Submitted: 2010-10-12 06:55:12 | Word Count: 740
Students who have worked with MLA citation before understand the basics of the MLA citation. With those thoughts in mind, students sometimes don't understand why citing periodicals seems more difficult. Many times, though, the most important thing to keep in mind is that each citation found in the Works Cited page is designed to give readers all the information they need to find the original document if necessary.
Just giving an author's name or title of the publication isn't always enough. Not only should the essay writer want to give his readers enough information to find the original source, he should also make it as easy as possible. And that's where MLA citation comes in. With all periodicals, writers not only give the name of the author(s), the title of the article and title of the publication, but they also give other information that is meant to make finding the original source simple for their readers.
Basics of MLA Citations
There are things the writer should keep in mind when citing in MLA format. First of all, the author(s) comes first in the citation. If the article has no author, then the article title comes first.
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Citing Journal Articles in MLA Format
Much academic writing will involve the use of journals. Most journals are highly respected in academia, so it behooves a student to use journals before relying on other periodicals. That doesn't mean that there isn't good information to be found in newspapers or magazines, but journals are often looked upon as credible without any question.
Citing a journal article in print begins with the author, followed by the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue numbers of that particular issue, the year it was published, the page range on which the article is found, and the medium (in this instance, print). Some journals only have volume numbers. A basic journal citation will look like this:
Schur, Richard L. “Locating ‘Paradise’ in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Toni Morrison and Critical Race Theory.” Contemporary Literature 45.2 (2004): 276-99. Print.
Citing journal articles found on the internet, whether simply as a website or through a database, uses much of this same information but is slightly different.
Citing Newspaper Articles in MLA Format
Just like a journal article, the newspaper citation begins with the author name, followed by the article title and newspaper title. Next in the citation is the date of publication, followed by the page and medium. Newspaper formats may vary slightly, though, so there are some variations. A basic citation will look like this:
May, Daniel. "Lawsuit Focuses on Overlooked Study." Copper Gulch Tribune 24 Sept. 2010. A1. Print.
If this article extended beyond the first page and was continued on a non-consecutive page, the page number would be cited this way: A1+. The same is true for magazines. Furthermore, if the newspaper is divided into numbered sections instead of letter sections, the page number would would instead be cited like this: sec. 2: 1.
Just like journal articles, if a newspaper article is located on the internet, the citation uses much of this same information but again is slightly different.
Citing Magazine Articles in MLA Format
Just like journal and newspaper articles, the magazine citation begins with the author name, followed by the article title and magazine title. The citation then includes the date of publication, the page range, and the medium. If the magazine is published monthly, weekly, or any other variation, the date citation reflects that (Sept. 2010 for monthly; 25 Sept. 2010 for weekly; and so on). A basic citation looks like this:
Booker, Simeon. “My JET Years – 1953-2006.” Jet 13 Nov. 2006: 32+. Print.
Magazine articles found online are also cited with much of this same information but have more information to let readers know how to also find them online.
Citing Periodicals Involves Precision with Information
Many students must always use a guide when citing periodical information in their Works Cited page, and there is nothing wrong with that. Citing books might seem straightforward, but periodicals sometimes seem more difficult. Each type of periodical involves using a slightly different format, which can make the process confusing. However, it makes it easier when the student understands that she is giving her readers this information for a good reason: her readers will thank her when they try to find the original source, because the writer will have included all information necessary for locating it.
