CiteFast › How to cite › a journal article
How to cite a journal article
A journal article citation adds the journal name, volume, issue and page range, and — if the article has one — the DOI. With the DOI alone, the generator can pull every other detail from Crossref.
Examples in each style
Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature, 171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0
Parenthetical: (Watson & Crick, 1953)
Narrative: Watson and Crick (1953)
Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature, vol. 171, no. 4356, 25 Apr. 1953, pp. 737–38, https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.
Parenthetical: (Watson and Crick 45)
Watson, James D., and Francis H. C. Crick. “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid.” Nature 171, no. 4356 (April 25, 1953): 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.
Full note: 1. James D. Watson and Francis H. C. Crick, “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid,” Nature 171, no. 4356 (April 25, 1953): 45, https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.
Short note: 2. Watson and Crick, “Molecular Structure of Nucleic,” 45.
Watson, J.D. and Crick, F.H.C. (1953) ‘Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid’, Nature, 171(4356), pp. 737–738. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0.
Citation: (Watson and Crick, 1953)
Narrative: Watson and Crick (1953)
What to watch out for
- Always use the DOI when there is one, written as https://doi.org/… — it replaces the database URL.
- APA italicises the journal name and the volume number, but not the issue: Nature, 171(4356).
- Use an en dash (–) in page ranges. The generator converts hyphens for you.
- APA 7 lists up to 20 authors in the reference list; MLA switches to “et al.” at three or more.
Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature, 171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0
In-text citation
Formatting runs in your browser. Auto-fill uses Crossref (DOI), Open Library and Google Books (ISBN) and the page’s own metadata (URL). Always check against the source.
Your card drawer
0 / 50Citations you save are filed here — the last 50, kept only in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Questions students ask
Where is the DOI?
Usually on the first page of the article PDF, near the top or bottom, or in the database record. It starts with 10. followed by a slash.
Do I include the database name (JSTOR, EBSCO)?
Not in APA 7 or Harvard. MLA 9 lets you add the database as a second container when there is no DOI. Chicago prefers the DOI, then a stable URL.
What about an article with no volume or issue?
Leave them out. Some online-only journals use an article number instead of pages; put it where the page range would go.