Cite a magazine article in MLA 9
Magazine articles look like journal articles until the volume and issue trail disappears. In MLA 9 (2021), the issue date usually matters more than scholarly numbering, and the magazine title carries the container role. Treat print page ranges and online URLs as alternate locators, and do not force formal journal fields onto a weekly or monthly publication.
MLA 9 rules for a magazine article
- Author is the article byline, not the magazine's editorial staff.
- Issue date should include month or day where the magazine provides it.
- Article title is plain text or in quotes; magazine title is italicized.
- Use a print page range when available.
- Use the article URL for online-only or unpaginated magazine articles.
- Use the magazine date as Day Mon. Year where available.
Worked example
MLA 9 · magazine articleA real magazine article formatted using the MLA 9 rules above.
Yong, Ed "How the pandemic defeated America." *The Atlantic*, 1 Sep. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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