If you searched for “how to in text citation an article”, you need to know how to give credit to an article you have read while you are writing an essay, report or research paper. An in-text citation is the short reference you place inside your own sentences, usually in brackets or as part of the sentence itself, that points the reader to the full details of the source in your reference list or bibliography. Done well, it shows exactly which ideas came from another writer, protects you from plagiarism, and lets your reader find the original article in seconds. Done badly, it can cost marks even when the rest of your writing is excellent.
The tricky part is that there is no single universal format. The exact punctuation, order of names and need for page numbers all depend on the citation style your teacher, university or publisher requires. The three styles used most often are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) and Chicago. Each handles articles slightly differently, and each has rules for awkward cases such as articles with no author, no date or many authors. This guide walks through all three, with worked examples you can copy and adapt, so that you can cite an article correctly whatever style you are asked to use.
Before you start, gather four pieces of information about the article: the author or authors, the year of publication, the title of the article, and where it was published, including the journal name, volume and page numbers for print articles, or the website name and web address for online articles. If any of these are missing, do not invent them; each style has a fallback rule, covered below. Keep the full reference ready too, because an in-text citation is only half of the job: it must match an entry in your reference list.
What “how to in text citation an article” Means in Practice
In practice, learning how to cite an article in text means learning two patterns and then applying small variations. The first pattern is the parenthetical citation, where the author’s name and year (and sometimes a page number) sit inside brackets at the end of the sentence, for example: (Smith, 2021, p. 45). The second pattern is the narrative citation, where the author’s name appears as part of your sentence and only the year and page number go in brackets, for example: Smith (2021) argues that the trend continued “well beyond the study period” (p. 45). Both patterns carry the same information; the choice between them is a matter of sentence flow and style.
A useful rule of thumb is to use a narrative citation when you want to emphasise who said something, and a parenthetical citation when the finding matters more than the person who reported it. Varying the two keeps your writing readable and avoids the repetitive “Smith (2021) says… Jones (2020) says…” rhythm that weakens many student essays. Whichever pattern you use, the in-text citation must correspond exactly to a full entry in your reference list, with matching spelling and year, or your reader will not be able to trace the source.
Paraphrasing Versus Quoting
When you restate an author’s idea in your own words, you are paraphrasing, and you need an author and year but not usually a page number in APA style (although including one is encouraged for long sources). When you reproduce the author’s exact words, you are quoting, and you must include a page number or paragraph number so the reader can locate the words. Short quotations of fewer than 40 words in APA, or fewer than four lines in MLA, run inside your sentence with quotation marks. Longer quotations are set out as block quotations, indented from the margin, without quotation marks. Never present a quotation without a citation, and never change words inside a quotation without marking the change with square brackets.
How to In Text Citation an Article in APA Style
APA style, now in its seventh edition, is the default in psychology, education, nursing and many social sciences. For an article with one author, the parenthetical form is (Author, Year) and the narrative form is Author (Year). Add a page number for direct quotations: (Author, Year, p. 12). For two authors, name both every time: (Smith & Jones, 2021) or Smith and Jones (2021). Note the ampersand inside brackets and the word “and” in narrative text; this small distinction is one of the most commonly marked errors in student work.
For three or more authors, APA uses “et al.” from the very first citation: (Smith et al., 2021). This is a simplification introduced in the seventh edition; older guides that require all names on first use are out of date. For an article with no author, use the first few words of the title in quotation marks, for example (“Climate Patterns Shift,” 2022). For an article with no date, use “n.d.” in place of the year: (Smith, n.d.). For an online article without page numbers, use a paragraph number (para. 4) or a section heading for a quotation.
APA Worked Examples
Consider an article by Lee (2023) titled “Urban Cycling and Public Health” published in a health journal. A paraphrase would read: Cycling infrastructure was linked to measurable health gains across all age groups (Lee, 2023). A narrative version reads: Lee (2023) found that cycling infrastructure was linked to measurable health gains across all age groups. A direct quotation reads: “The health gains were visible within a single year of the new lanes opening” (Lee, 2023, p. 118). Each version cites the same source; only the emphasis and punctuation change. If you need more detail on APA variations, our guide to in-text citations with multiple authors covers the multi-author rules in depth.
How to In Text Citation an Article in MLA Style
MLA style, used widely in literature, languages and the humanities, works differently: it uses the author’s surname and a page number, with no year and no comma, for example (Smith 45). The year is omitted because the full publication details live in the Works Cited list, and the page number is the locator the reader needs. In narrative form, the name appears in the sentence and only the page number goes in brackets: Smith notes that the trend continued “well beyond the study period” (45).
For two authors, MLA uses “and”: (Smith and Jones 45). For three or more authors, MLA uses “et al.”: (Smith et al. 45). For an article with no author, use a shortened title in quotation marks: (“Climate Patterns” 12). For an online article with no page numbers, give just the author’s name: (Smith). If the online article numbers its paragraphs, you may add that number, but MLA does not require it. Note also that MLA does not use “p.” before the page number inside the citation, whereas APA does; mixing the two conventions is a frequent source of lost marks.
How to In Text Citation an Article in Chicago Style
Chicago style offers two systems, and your institution will specify one. The notes and bibliography system, common in history and the arts, uses footnotes or endnotes rather than in-text brackets: a superscript number in the text points to a note at the foot of the page giving the author, article title, journal, volume and page. The first note is complete; later notes are shortened to author, shortened title and page. The author-date system, common in the sciences and social sciences, resembles APA: (Smith 2021, 45), with no comma after the name and a page number after the year, separated by a comma.
The key to Chicago is consistency. Do not mix footnotes with author-date citations in the same paper, and do not switch between full and shortened notes at random. If your department allows either system, choose the one you find easier and apply it throughout, including in your bibliography, where Chicago lists entries alphabetically by author surname with specific punctuation that differs from both APA and MLA.
Citation Styles Compared
The table below summarises the three styles side by side for the most common situations, so you can check your format at a glance.
| Situation | APA (7th ed.) | MLA (9th ed.) | Chicago author-date |
|---|---|---|---|
| One author, paraphrase | (Smith, 2021) | (Smith 45) | (Smith 2021) |
| One author, quotation | (Smith, 2021, p. 45) | (Smith 45) | (Smith 2021, 45) |
| Two authors | (Smith & Jones, 2021) | (Smith and Jones 45) | (Smith and Jones 2021, 45) |
| Three or more authors | (Smith et al., 2021) | (Smith et al. 45) | (Smith et al. 2021, 45) |
| No author | (“Shortened Title,” 2021) | (“Shortened Title” 45) | (“Shortened Title” 2021, 45) |
| No date | (Smith, n.d.) | (Smith) | (Smith n.d.) |
Common Citation Mistakes to Avoid
The most damaging mistake is a mismatch between the in-text citation and the reference list: a name spelled one way in the text and another way in the list, or a year that differs by one digit. Readers and markers treat this as a broken citation, because the source cannot be traced. The second most common mistake is citing a source you have not read, usually by copying a citation from another paper. This is second-hand citation; if you must do it, the honest form is to name both sources, for example (Smith, as cited in Jones, 2021) in APA, and to list only Jones in your references.
Other frequent errors include placing the citation after the full stop instead of before it, which in APA and MLA leaves the sentence technically uncited; forgetting page numbers for quotations; and over-citing, where every sentence carries a bracket even when several consecutive sentences draw on the same source. A single citation at the end of a paragraph that clearly draws on one source is usually enough, provided the paragraph does not introduce new claims from elsewhere. For general writing advice, see our writing guide with tips from a published author, which covers structure and clarity alongside referencing.
Online Articles and Missing Information
Online articles often lack page numbers, and sometimes lack a named author or a clear date. Use the fallbacks in the table above rather than guessing. For a web article with a corporate author, such as a health agency or a newspaper, use the organisation’s name as the author. For a very long online article, a section heading can replace a page number for quotations in APA: (Smith, 2021, “Findings” section). Always record the web address and the date you accessed the article in your notes, even if your style does not require the access date in the citation itself, so that you can relocate the source later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an in-text citation for every sentence?
No. Cite each distinct idea or quotation, and cite again when you switch sources. A paragraph built on a single source needs a citation when the source’s ideas first appear and again for any quotation, but not necessarily after every sentence.
What if the article has more than twenty authors?
In APA, in-text citations still use the first author’s name plus “et al.” The reference list entry names the first nineteen authors, then an ellipsis, then the final author. MLA and Chicago have their own list rules, but the in-text form remains “et al.” in both.
Can I cite an article I found quoted in another paper?
Only as a second-hand citation, and only when the original is genuinely unavailable. Wherever possible, find and read the original article yourself; second-hand citations weaken your argument and risk passing on errors.
Does the in-text citation go inside or outside the full stop?
Inside: the citation comes before the full stop in APA, MLA and Chicago author-date styles, because it belongs to the sentence it supports. The exception is a block quotation, where the citation follows the final full stop.
Conclusion
Learning how to cite an article in text comes down to knowing your style, naming the author correctly, and giving the reader a locator they can actually use, whether that is a year, a page number or both. Start by confirming which style your institution requires, then use the patterns in this guide: parenthetical or narrative form, “et al.” for three or more authors, a shortened title when there is no author, and “n.d.” when there is no date. Check every in-text citation against your reference list before you submit, and your referencing will do what it is meant to do: show your sources clearly, support your argument, and let any reader follow your research back to the original article.