Creating MLA Style Citations for Articles Found in Databases   Tags: citation, databases, mla_citation  

In this guide you will find information on how to create citations for articles found in databases. Many TCL databases will help you to create MLA-style citations, and through the LRC you can access additional citation tools like NoodleTools (see the Citation Resources section of this guide for more information). Unfortunately, computer-generated citations occasionally contain errors. It is important that you know how to find citation information for database articles so that you can create an error-free Works Cited page.

Note: Always check with your instructor about the citation guidelines for your assignments. Instructors may have preferences for what information should be included in citations. For instance, the examples in this guide follow current MLA guidelines and do not include URLS (web addresses), but your instructor may ask that you include URLs in your citations.

This is the basic form you should use when creating a Works Cited page entry for a periodical article from a database:

Author name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Journal or Magazine Volume.Issue

      (Year): Pages. Database name. Publication Medium (Web.) Access date.

Note: If page numbers are not continuous, give the first page number followed by a plus sign; if pagination is not known, use “n. pag.”

Example:

Escaleras, Monica P., and Charles A. Register. “Mitigating Natural Disasters Through

      Collective Action: The Effectiveness of Tsunami Early Warnings.” Southern

      Economic Journal 74.4 (2008): 1017-1034.  Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Aug. 2009.

Note: This is probably the most common type of source you will cite. However, many databases include articles from sources other than periodicals. See the Points of View Reference Center tab for an example of how to cite an article reprinted from a book rather than a periodical.

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