Where do I find all of the information I need to cite an article? (2024)

Different article types are cited in slightly different ways. So, first determine what kind of article you're citing: is it from a magazine, newspaper or peer-reviewed journal? (Not sure how to tell? Click here for tips.)

Next, visit the style guide that you'll be using, and see which pieces of information should be included in your article's citation (author, date, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, doi), and in what order.

Then, find the pieces of information in the article's full text. Each periodical will format its articles a bit differently, but here are some tips on where to look:

• Author's name: Usually toward the top of the first page (beneath the article title). Sometimes at the end of the article.
  
• Publication date: Usually on the first page. Look near the article title or at the bottom of the first page.
  
• Article title: Always on the first page, toward the top.
  
• Periodical title: May appear at the top or bottom of the first page. Sometimes repeated at the bottom of subsequent pages (with volume, issue and page numbers).
  
• Volume and issue numbers: In peer-reviewed articles, usually listed right after the periodical title.
  
• Page numbers: The page range for the entire article is often listed right after the volume and issue numbers. If not, find the first page number, then scroll to the end of the article to find the last page number. Page numbers may be in the top corners (right or left), but can also be found at the bottom of each page.
  
• DOI: May be at the top or bottom of the first page.

See an example journal article below (click to view larger):

See also:

• How can I use a library database to generate a citation?

• Are there any good citation management tools that I can use?

• How can I create a permalink to an article or book from our databases?