How to Quote an Article in an Essay

To quote an article in an essay, introduce the source, put the borrowed words in quotation marks, and follow them with an in-text citation naming the author and the location. In MLA that is a page number, like (Tolentino 44); in APA it is the year and page, like (Tolentino, 2019, p. 44). If the article is online and has no page numbers, you point to a paragraph or section instead. The full source goes on your Works Cited or References page. Below are the exact patterns for a journal article and a news article in both styles.

Introduce the quote before you drop it in

A quotation should never appear as its own sentence with no lead-in. Attach it to your own words with a signal phrase that names the author or the source.

As Tolentino argues, social platforms reward “a slow, self-eroding performance of the self” (44).

The signal phrase does two things: it tells the reader who is speaking, and it lets you keep the parenthetical short because the name is already in the sentence. More options for the lead-in are in how to introduce a quote.

Quote a journal article in MLA 9

In text, MLA gives the author’s last name and the page number, with no comma between them. If the author is named in your sentence, the parenthetical holds only the page.

The study found that “attention is not a fixed resource” (Kim and Ruiz 512).

The Works Cited entry lists the author, the article title in quotation marks, the journal in italics, the volume and issue, the year, the page range, and the database or DOI:

• Kim, Soo, and Marta Ruiz. “Attention and Task Switching.” Journal of Cognitive Science, vol. 18, no. 3, 2021, pp. 508–24. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1000/jcs.2021.183.

Quote a journal article in APA 7

APA adds the year and uses “p.” for one page or “pp.” for a range. Author and year can run in the sentence or sit in the parentheses; a direct quote always needs the page.

Kim and Ruiz (2021) reported that “attention is not a fixed resource” (p. 512).

The reference entry italicizes the journal name and volume, keeps the article title in sentence case, and ends with the DOI:

• Kim, S., & Ruiz, M. (2021). Attention and task switching. Journal of Cognitive Science, 18(3), 508–524. https://doi.org/10.1000/jcs.2021.183

Quote a news or magazine article

News articles often have no volume or issue and, online, no page numbers. MLA Works Cited:

• Chen, Amy. “Cities Rethink the Morning Commute.” The New York Times, 3 Feb. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/commute.html.

APA reference:

• Chen, A. (2023, February 3). Cities rethink the morning commute. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/commute.html

When there is no page number

For a web article with no pages, MLA gives just the author in the parenthetical, since MLA does not invent a number: (Chen). APA points to a paragraph or a section heading in place of the page: (Chen, 2023, para. 4). Both approaches are covered in how to cite a quote and when you need a page number. The mechanics specific to article citations are in how to quote an article.

Where the citation sits in the sentence

Close the quotation marks, add the parenthetical, then place the period after the closing parenthesis: …a fixed resource” (Kim and Ruiz 512). The period goes outside the parenthesis, not inside the quotation. For block quotes, which start on a new line without quotation marks, the period comes before the parenthetical instead. The full walkthrough for weaving any source into an essay is in how to quote someone in an essay.

FAQ

How do I quote an article with no author?

Use a shortened version of the article’s title in place of the author. In MLA, put the shortened title in quotation marks in the parenthetical: (“Cities Rethink” ). In APA, use the title and year: (“Cities Rethink,” 2023).

Do I need a page number for an online article?

Only if the article has stable page numbers, as many PDF versions do. If it does not, MLA gives just the author and APA gives a paragraph number or section heading. A direct quote still needs some locator when one exists.

How much of an article can I quote?

Quote only what you will actually discuss, usually a phrase or a sentence. If you find yourself quoting several sentences, paraphrase most of it and quote the one line that has to appear in the author’s exact words.

Where does the period go after the quote?

After the closing parenthesis of the in-text citation, not inside the quotation marks: …resource” (p. 512). The one exception is a block quote, where the period comes before the parenthetical.