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Finding Information in Journal Articles
There are three sections in journal articles that usually provide the most useful information.
Introduction
The introduction is the first section of a journal article. It might have a heading that says Introduction, but it doesn't always. The introduction section discusses past research, what we know about a topic currently, and what we still need to learn. It will introduce what the author(s) will address in the rest of the paper.
Discussion
The discussion section is a few sections down, past methods/methodology and results. This section will summarize what the author(s) found and what those results mean.
Conclusion
Not all articles have a separate conclusion section, but if it does, it will provide a quick summary of what was researched and was the results were.
Please note that all information you use from external sources, even if you summarize or paraphrase into your own words, needs to be cited. This includes an in-text citation in your paper and a full citation in a list at the end of your paper. Using information from outside sources without citing it is plagiarism and can result in negative consequences.
Integrating Quotes Into Your Paper
Try to use direct quotations sparingly, focusing instead on paraphrasing or summarizing. This demonstrates your understanding of the topic and reflects a more sophisticated approach to academic writing.
Quote: "We found that levels of resilience shared a negative association with perceived stress."
Source: "Preventing Stress Among Undergraduate Learners: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Emotion Regulation," page 5
Introduce all quotes with a signal phrase or reporting verb. You should never start a sentence with a quote. For APA, always use the past tense since the research has concluded. For MLA, you may use either present or past tense.
Sample Signal Phrases
- according to
- as stated by
- in the words of
Sample Reporting Verbs
- argue
- conclude
- establish
- suggest
- assert
- claim
- show
- reject
- dispute
In-text citation components are highlighted here, but will not be highlighted in your paper.
MLA Example
Thomas and Zolkoski found that "levels of resilience shared a negative association with perceived stress" (5).
APA Example
Thomas and Zolkoski (2020) found that "levels of resilience shared a negative association with perceived stress" (p. 5).
Integrating Summaries/Paraphrasing Into Your Paper
Quote: "We found that levels of resilience shared a negative association with perceived stress."
Summary: Higher levels of resilience were linked to lower perceived stress.
Source: "Preventing Stress Among Undergraduate Learners: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Emotion Regulation," page 5
In-text citation components are highlighted here, but will not be highlighted in your paper. Page numbers are not required for paraphrasing but can be added if you wish. These examples include the page number.
MLA Examples
Higher levels of resilience were linked to lower perceived stress (Thomas and Zolkoski 5).
Thomas and Zolkoski concluded that higher levels of resilience were linked to lower perceived stress (5).
APA Examples
Higher levels of resilience were linked to lower perceived stress (Thomas & Zolkoski, 2020, p. 5).
Thomas and Zolkoski (2020) concluded that higher levels of resilience were linked to lower perceived stress (p. 5).
Citing in APA
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (call number BF76.7.P83 2020) is the official guide to APA style, which is most frequently used in education, social sciences, and health fields. The Library has multiple copies of this book, both available to check out and for in-library-use.
- APA Citation Guide [Tyree Library]Guide created by the Tyree Library with information on formatting, example citations, and tutorials.
- APA Style BlogThe official blog, answering and clarifying questions about APA.
Download an APA paper template for Word
References
- Center the word References, in bold, as the first line.
- List all references in alphabetical order by the first word of the reference.
- Format all references with a hanging indent.
- Double space the document.
Reference Rules
- List all authors in the order they are listed on the source you are using, up to 21 authors. View guidelines for more than 21 authors.
- Only use first and/or middle initials.
- If the author is an organization, list the organization's name in normal order.
- Include as much of the date as you have, in (Year, Month Day) format. Do not abbreviate months. If there is no date, use (n.d.).
- Titles of sources should be in sentence case, where only the first words of the title and subtitle are capitalized, along with proper nouns.
- For online sources, include the DOI. If there is no DOI, only include the URL if it will take you to the full text of the source without logging in.
Book/eBook
Template
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (xth ed.). Publisher.
Example
Roberts, G. L. (2022). Mindset matters: Developing mental agility and resilience to thrive in uncertainty. Kogan Page.
Book Chapter
Template
Author of Chapter, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx–xxx). Publisher.
Example
Keltner, B., & Walker, L. (2003). Resilience for those needing health care. In E. H. Grotberg (Ed.), Resilience for today: Gaining strength from adversity (pp. 141–160). Praeger.
Journal Article
Template
Author, A. A., Author B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pages–pages. https://doi.org/XXXXXXXXXXX*
*If there is no DOI, only include the URL if it goes to the full text of the article without needing to log in.
Examples
DiFonte, M. C., Schick, M. R., & Spillane, N. S. (2024). Perceived stress and resilience among college students: The roles of self-compassion and anxiety symptomatology. Journal of American College Health, 72(1), 128–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.2024211
Sukup, L., & Clayton, R. (2021). Examining the effects of resilience on stress and academic performance in business undergraduate college students. College Student Journal, 55(3), 293–304.
Magazine Article
Template
Author, A. A.* (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume(Issue).
*If an article is unsigned, begin with the title of the article and move the date after the title.
Examples
Filipovic, J. (2023). The resilience gap. Atlantic Monthly, 332(2), 9–12.
Resilience tied to a longer life. (2025, January). Harvard Health Letter, 50(3), 8.
Newspaper Article
Template
Author, A. A.* (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Title, pages–pages OR http://xxxxx.
*If an article is unsigned, begin with the title of the article and move the date after the title.
Example
Building children’s emotional resilience amid uncertainty. (2021, January 14). New York Amsterdam News, 112(2), 23.
Zimmerman, E. (2020, June 18). What makes some people more resilient than others. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/health/resilience-relationships-trauma.html
Online Video
Template
Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Website. http://xxxxx
Examples
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2015, April 22). InBrief: The science of resilience [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r8hj72bfGo
Hone, L. (2019, August). The three secrets of resilient people [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_hone_the_three_secrets_of_resilient_people
Podcast
Template
Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. XX) [Audio podcast episode]. In Title of podcast. Production Company. http://xxxxx
Example
Kaufman, S. B. (Host). (2021, October 21). George Bonanno: The new science of resilience [Audio podcast episode]. In The Psychology Podcast. iHeart. https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/george-bonanno-the-new-science-of-resilience/
Infographic
Template
Author. (Year). Title of infographic [Infographic]. Website. http://xxxxx
Example
Thomas Talks. (2020). Emotional resilience [Infographic]. Thomas. https://www.thomas.co/sites/default/files/thomas-files/inline-images/Emotional-resilience-infographic_0.png
Webpage
Template
Author, A. A.* (Year, Month Day**). Title of page. Website. http://xxxxx
*If no person is listed, use the organization as the author; if the same as the website, don't repeat in the website element.
**If no date is listed, use n.d. for 'no date.'
Examples
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Emotional wellness toolkit. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit
Scott, E. (2020, April 28). Why emotional resilience is a trait you can develop. VeryWell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/emotional-resilience-is-a-trait-you-can-develop-3145235
Report
Template
Author, A. A.* (Year). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Website. http://xxxxx
*If no person is listed, use the organization as the author; if the same as the website, don't repeat in the website element.
Example
Business in the Community. (2011). Emotional resilience and productivity of the working age population. https://www.bitc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/bitc-wellbeing-report-emotional-resilience-productivity-workingagepopulation-revisedMarch20.pdf
Components of an APA In-Text Citation
Author last name + Year + page number
General Rules
- For three or more authors, type the first author's last name and then the abbreviation et al.
- Author and date must never be separated.
- Page numbers are only required for direct quotes but can be included for paraphrases at your discretion.
- Use the printed page numbers on the actual PDF. If there are no page numbers, you can describe a location ("Introduction" section).
- Use the abbreviation p. for one page and pp. for multiple pages.
- The period for the sentence always goes after the parenthetical citation, outside the parentheses.
In-text components are highlighted here but you will not highlight them in your paper.
Narrative Citations
Introduce the author(s) in your prose. For two authors, spell out the word and. Be sure to adjust the verb based on if it is one author or multiple authors. The page number, if being included, is at the end. This is the preferred way to introduce quotes.
Thomas and Zolkoski (2020) linked higher levels of emotional resilience to lower perceived stress levels, but caution that these findings "were measured solely using self-report instruments" (p. 6).
Parenthetical Citations
Include all three components, separated by commas, within parentheses at the end of the sentence. Link two authors with an ampersand (&). You can combine multiple citations with semi-colons; alphabetize them.
Multiple studies discuss how emotional resilience is linked to lower stress levels (Notebard et al., 2024; Thomas & Zolkoski, 2020).
Citing Sources with No Personal Author/Date
If you have an organization listed as the author in your reference, include that organization, listed in full the first time, capitalizing each word. If you'd like to introduce an acronym, define that in square brackets in the first in-text citation. You may then use that acronym for subsequent in-text citations. If you have n.d. as the date, use that for the date component.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.)
In the rare instance where your reference begins with the title (usually for unsigned magazine or newspaper articles), use the first few words of the title in quotation marks.
("Building Children’s," 2021)
Indent the entire annotation under the reference 0.5" inch. This means the first line of your annotation will be the same indentation as the second line of your reference.
In Word
- Turn on the Ruler under the View tab.
- On the line under the reference, where you want the annotation to begin, click and drag the downward facing triangle to join the bottom upward facing triangle.
In Google Docs
- Under View, turn on Show Ruler.
- On the line under the reference, where you want the annotation to begin, click and drag the square to join the bottom facing triangle.
Sample Reference and Annotation
Tamez-Robledo, N. (2024, November 7). For teens online, conspiracy theories are commonplace. Media literacy is not. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-11-07-for-teens-online-conspiracy-theories-are-commonplace-media-literacy-is-not
This is a webpage from EdSurge, an educational journalism initiative affiliated with the International Society for Technology in Education. The author is an educational reporter for the site. This page explores the prevalence of conspiracy theories on social media and the challenges teens face in distinguishing credible information. Drawing on a study conducted by the News Literacy Project, the article reveals that while 80 percent of teens encounter conspiracy content online, many lack the media literacy skills needed to evaluate information critically. The article highlights that students who receive media literacy instruction perform better at identifying misinformation and are more likely to fact-check information online. This source is highly relevant for understanding the importance of media literacy education and offers valuable insights into how improved instructional practices can help young people navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
Citing in MLA
The MLA Handbook (call number LB2369 .M52 2021) is the official guide to MLA style, which is most frequently used in literature, humanities, and some history fields. The Library has multiple copies of this book, both available to check out and for in-library-use. You may also access the MLA Handbook Plus online, which contains the full text of the MLA Handbook, plus other resources.
- MLA Citation Guide [Tyree Library]Guide created by the Tyree Library with information on formatting, example citations, and tutorials.
- The MLA Style CenterThe official website for MLA style, with more examples, guidelines, and a place to ask questions.
Download an MLA paper template for Word
Works Cited List
- Center the phrase Works Cited on the first line.
- List all citations in alphabetical order by the first word of the citation.
- Format all citations with a hanging indent.
- Double space the document.
Citation Rules
- For citations with more than two authors, list the first author and then the phrase et al., which means 'and all the rest'
- Remove the https:// from all URLs except for DOI URLs.
- Format dates in Day Month Year format. Abbreviate all months except May, June, and July.
- Omit any components you do not have or cannot identify, such as dates, editions, etc.
Book
Template
Author. Title of Book. xth ed., Publisher, Date.
Example
Roberts, Gemma Leigh. Mindset Matters: Developing Mental Agility and Resilience to Thrive in Uncertainty. Kogan Page, 2022.
eBook
Template
Author. Title of Book. xth ed., Publisher, Date. Database/Website, URL.
Example
Ruderman, Marian N., et al. Resilience That Works: Eight Practices for Leadership and Life. Center for Creative Leadership, 2022. Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sfcollege-ebooks/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=6939096.
Video Tutorial (skip to timestamp 3:25)
Book Chapter
Template
Author of Chapter. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editors, Edition, Volume, Publisher, Date, pp. X-X.
Example
Keltner, Bette, and Leslie Walker. "Resilience for Those Needing Health Care." Resilience for Today: Gaining Strength from Adversity, edited by Edith H. Grotberg, Praeger, 2003, pp. 141–160.
Journal Article
Template
Author. "Title of Article." Journal Title, vol. X, no. X, Date, pp. X-X. Database, https://doi.org/XXXXXXX OR URL.*
*DOI is always preferred; keep the https:// on DOI URLs.
Examples
DiFonte, Maria C., et al. "Perceived Stress and Resilience Among College Students: The Roles of Self-Compassion and Anxiety Symptomatology." Journal of American College Health, vol. 72, no. 1, 2024, pp. 128–134. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.2024211.
Sukup, Leslie, and Russell Clayton. "Examining the Effects of Resilience on Stress and Academic Performance in Business Undergraduate College Students." College Student Journal, vol. 55, no. 3, 2021, 293–304. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=a9h&AN=152645030&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=sfcc.
Magazine Article
Template
Author.* "Title of Article." Title of Magazine, Full Date. Database Name, URL.
*If an article is unsigned, begin with the title of the article.
Examples
Filipovic, Jill. “The Resilience Gap.” Atlantic Monthly, vol. 332, no. 2, Sept. 2023, pp. 9–12. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=a9h&AN=169863480&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
"Resilience Tied to a Longer Life." Harvard Health Letter, vol. 50, no. 3, Jan. 2025, p. 8. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=a9h&AN=181821931&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=sfcc.
Newspaper Article
Template
Author.* "Title of Article." Newspaper Title [City, if needed**], Full Date. Database OR Website, URL.
*If an article is unsigned, begin with the title of the article and move the date after the title.
**Add the city name if it is not included in the newspaper title.
Example
"Building Children’s Emotional Resilience amid Uncertainty." New York Amsterdam News, vol. 112, no. 2, 14 Jan. 2021, p. 23.
Duffield, Grace. "New Canaan; Emotional Intelligence Lessons Teach Resilience, District Says." The Hour [Norwalk, CT], 28 Mar. 2022. NewsBank.
Online Video
Template
Creator*. "Title of Video." Website, uploaded by User, Date, URL.
*Give a user name if you are unable to determine the actual creator of the video.
Examples
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. "InBrief: The Science of Resilience." YouTube, 22 Apr. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r8hj72bfGo.
Hone, Lucy. "The Three Secrets of Resilient People." TED, Aug. 2019, www.ted.com/talks/lucy_hone_the_three_secrets_of_resilient_people.
Podcast
Template
Speaker/Interviewee. "Episode Title." Title of Podcast, hosted by Host, episode X, Publisher, Date, URL.
Example
Bonanno, George. "George Bonanno: The New Science of Resilience." The Psychology Podcast, hosted by Scott Barry Kaufman, iHeart, 21 Oct. 2021, scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/george-bonanno-the-new-science-of-resilience/.
Infographic
Template
Creator. Title of Infographic. Date, Website, URL. Infographic.
Example
Thomas Talks. Emotional Resilience. 2020, Thomas, www.thomas.co/sites/default/files/thomas-files/inline-images/Emotional-resilience-infographic_0.png. Infographic.
Webpage
Template
Author.* "Title of Webpage." Title of Website, Publisher, Date, URL.
*If no person is listed, begin with the title element.
Examples
"Emotional Wellness Toolkit." National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit.
Scott, Elizabeth. "Why Emotional Resilience Is a Trait You Can Develop." VeryWell Mind, DotDash Media, 28 Apr. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/emotional-resilience-is-a-trait-you-can-develop-3145235.
Report
Template
Author of Report.* Title of Report. Publisher, Date, URL. Series if available.
*If no person is listed, begin with the report title.
Example
Emotional Resilience and Productivity of the Working Age Population. Business in the Community, 2011, www.bitc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/bitc-wellbeing-report-emotional-resilience-productivity-workingagepopulation-revisedMarch20.pdf.
Components of an MLA In-Text Citation
Author last name + page number
General Rules
- For three or more authors, type the first author's last name and then the abbreviation et al.
- Page numbers are only required for direct quotes but can be included for paraphrases at your discretion.
- Use the printed page numbers on the actual PDF. If there are no page numbers, omit this.
- The period for the sentence always goes after the parenthetical citation, outside the parentheses.
In-text components are highlighted here but you will not highlight them in your paper.
Narrative Citations
Introduce the author(s) in your prose. For two authors, spell out the word and. Be sure to adjust the verb based on if it is one author or multiple authors. The page number, if being included, is at the end. This is the preferred way to introduce quotes.
Thomas and Zolkoski link higher levels of emotional resilience to lower perceived stress levels, but caution that these findings "were measured solely using self-report instruments" (6).
Parenthetical Citations
Include both components (if using), separated by commas, within parentheses at the end of the sentence. Link two authors with the word and. You can combine multiple citations with semi-colons. You may alphabetize them or order them by importance.
Multiple studies discuss how emotional resilience is linked to lower stress levels (Notebard et al.; Thomas and Zolkoski).
Citing Sources with No Personal Author
If you have an organization listed as the author in your citation, include that organization, listed in full, capitalizing each word.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 6)
If your citation begins with the title, use the first few words of the title in quotation marks or italics, depending on how the title is formatted in your Works Cited list.
("Building Children’s," 2021)
Indent the entire annotation under the citation 1 inch. This means the first line of your annotation will be indented half an inch past the second line of your citation.
In Word
- Turn on the Ruler under the View tab.
- On the line under the citation, where you want the annotation to begin, click and drag the downward facing triangle to join the bottom upward facing triangle.
- Now, grab the little square and drag it to the 1" mark.
- Both arrows and the square should be in line at the 1" mark.
In Google Docs
- Under View, turn on Show Ruler.
- On the line under the reference, where you want the annotation to begin, click and drag the square to join the bottom facing triangle.
- Now click and drag the bottom facing triangle to the 1" mark.
- The arrow and the square should be in line at the 1" mark.
