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MLA 9th

MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th edition is an author-page number referencing style requiring an in-text citation within the text of your document and a related entry in a works cited at the end of your document.

Magazine - works cited

Article title: The article title is in quotation marks and in title case (capitalise the first letter of each major word).

Magazine title: The Magazine Title is in italics, and title case.

Date: For the date of publication, include the year, month, day or season if available.

Page numbers: For only one page, use p. 23. For a range of pages, use pp. 35-40. Do not repeat numbering e.g. 125-128, would be pp. 125-8.

For more information on works cited format and style, see General information - basics of referencing.

Format (Electronic) With DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

Author. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, https://doi.org/xxx.

Format (Electronic) Without a DOI 

Author. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, URL.

Format (Print)

Author. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Examples

Gallagher, Anne. "Twenty-Five Years of Language Policies and Initiatives in Ireland: 1995-2020." TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, vol. 28, Dec. 2021, pp. 6-55. https://doi.org/10.35903/teanga.v28i.1891.

Jones, Peter. "Ancient and Modern: When Language Gets Polluted." The Spectator, 19 Sept. 2020, p. 14. ProQuest, proquest.com/magazines/ancient-modern-when-language-gets-polluted/docview/2443354224/se-2.

Miller, Elizabeth. "Elevated Risk." Audubon, Winter 2024, pp. 20-7.

Pringle, Heather. "New Visions of the Vikings." National Geographic, Mar. 2017, pp. 30-51.

p>Reverse the order of the first author's name. Place a comma preceding an ‘and’ before the second author's name.

Format (electronic) with a DOI (digital object identifier)

Author One, and Author Two. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, https://doi.org/xxx.

Format (electronic) without a DOI

Author One, and Author Two. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, URL.

Format (print)

Author One, and Author Two. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Examples

Devlin, Anne Marie, and Sarah Marnane. “‘Oh My God, You Look Gorgeous’. Polite But Inappropriate? A Gendered Exploration of Compliment Perceptions Among Young Irish Adults.” TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, vol. 28, Dec. 2021, pp. 223-46, https://doi.org/10.35903/teanga.v28i.693.

Mairn, Chad, and Shelbey Rosengarten. “The Modern Prometheus: How AI is Pushing the Limits of Human Knowledge.” Computers in Libraries, vol. 43, no. 4, May 2023, pp. 9-13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=163439690&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Paul, Daniel, and Gemma Collier. "NZ Honey Bees Under New Threat." New Zealand Beekeeper, vol. 17, no. 10, Nov. 2009, pp. 3-4.

Include only the first author's name, followed by ‘et al.’

Format (electronic) with a DOI (digital object identifier)

Author One, et al. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, https://doi.org/xxx.

Format (electronic) without a DOI

Author One, et al. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, URL.

Format (print)

Author One, et al. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Example

Barnes, Emily, et al. “Driving Motivation in Irish Language Learning: An Analysis of Variation in Post-Primary Pupil Attitudes to Irish in the Growing Up in Ireland Study.” TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, vol. 31, Nov. 2024, pp. 181-205. https://doi.org/10.35903/teanga.v31i.7542.

Watene, Ken, et al. "Beekeeping by the Moon." New Zealand Beekeeper, Spring 2024, p. 18.

Note: Group could be an organisation, association, government department, study group, etc.

Format (electronic) with a DOI (digital object identifier)

Name of organisation."Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, https://doi.org/xxx.

Format (electronic) without a DOI

Name of organisation. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, URL.

Format (print)

Author. "Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Examples

Education Gazette Editors. "Navigating Te Ao Maori in the Digital Universe." Aotearoa New Zealand Education Gazette, vol. 98, no. 20, 2019. gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/navigating-te-ao-maori-in-the-digital-universe/.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Zealand. "Helping Build Healthier Communities in the Pacific." Spasifik, no. 51, July/Aug. 2012, pp. 28-30. 

If the author is unknown, place the title in the author position followed by the Title of publication.

Format (electronic) without a DOI

"Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers. Name of database, URL.

Format (print)

"Title of article." Title of publication, vol. volume, no. issue, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Examples

"Reservoir Running Low." New Scientist, vol. 266, no. 3542, 17 May 2025, p. 7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(25)00765-1.

"A Little Old, a Little New." Dance Magazine, vol. 98, no. 10, Dec. 2024, p. 20. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A823662092/AONE?u=learn&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=17fec89d.

"Wheezy Kids: Asthma and Children." Kiwi Parent, no. 268, Oct./Nov. 2015, pp. 36-8. 

Magazine - in-text citations

Parenthetical citation: When you use another person’s ideas or words in your text, include the author’s name and page number/s in brackets, generally at the end of the sentence, e.g. ... education is a key factor (Wall 25).

Citation in prose: When you use the author’s name as part of a sentence (generally at the beginning of a sentence), include the page number in brackets at the end of the sentence, e.g. Thomas Jones discussed the appropriateness of using wet towelling ... (2).

Parenthetical citation

Although Ireland is multilingual, with many citizens using and learning multiple languages, it is often seen and acts as an English-only nation (Gallagher 10).

Citation in prose

Gallagher proclaims the key challenge is to create a language policy that acknowledges and promotes this linguistic diversity (10). Another is whether the Irish education system can produce graduates suited to a modern 21st-century nation (11).

Parenthetical citation

Use the word 'and' between two authors.

AI is rapidly evolving from a science-fiction idea into a real-world technology, where machines can carry out tasks typically done by humans (Mairn and Rosengarten 10). Machine learning requires developer configuration and human feedback for improved reliability (10).

Citation in prose

Cite both authors in full (first name surname (last name)) the first time.

Chad Mairn and Shelbey Rosengarten indicate that many people fear the rapid development of AI and its potential consequences (13). 

If using the same reference again, only cite the surnames (last names).

Mairn and Rosengarten state that society should be careful to prevent generative AI from becoming harmful. (13).

Parenthetical citation

Cite only the surname of the first author followed by ‘et al.’

Sixty to seventy percent of the population supports preserving or reviving the Irish language (Barnes et al. 182).

Citation in prose

Cite the first author in full (first name surname (last name)) followed by 'and others' or 'and colleagues' to acknowledge the other authors the first time.

Emily Barnes and colleagues discuss how attitude and motivation are strongly connected to language success (181).

If using the same reference again, only cite the surname (last name) and others/and colleagues.

Barnes and others state that interest and difficulty are just two factors that impact motivation (182). 

Note: A group could be an organisation, association, government department, study group, etc.

Use the name of the group as it appears in your works cited. However, the group name can be abbreviated if you use the author a lot. The first time, cite the full name with the abbreviation. Subsequently, only use the abbreviation. If the reader could be confused by the abbreviation use the full group name each time.

When using the group name in a parenthetical citation, shorten the name to the shortest noun phrase, e.g. the "National Academy of Sciences" would be shortened to "National Academy."

Parenthetical citation

... the game's role-playing feature allowed players to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and ideas associated with it (Education Gazette Editors). 

Citation in prose

The Education Gazette Editors talk about the school collaboratively designing learning experiences with students through the use of games.

Subsequently, if you cite the name of the group a lot, then use a shortened form.

The Education Gazette say incorporating the language is a positive move, but it's not the ultimate goal (10).

For the title of the article with no author, use Title Case and quotation marks. For a long title, use only the first few words.

Parenthetical citation

The driest start to spring in the UK in 69 years has led to a decline in reservoir water levels, including at Woodhead Reservoir in Derbyshire ("Reservoir Running Low" 7).

Citation in prose

The article "Reservoir Running Low" states that the UK's driest spring in 69 years has lowered reservoir levels, including at Woodhead Reservoir (7).

In the works cited

Use title case (capitalise the first letter of each major word) and quotation marks around the article title.    

Example

"Reservoir Running Low." New Scientist, vol. 266, no. 3542, 17 May 2025, p. 7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(25)00765-1.