Basic Citation Elements

Every citation, no matter what style, has certain components that need to be present. A journal article citation always includes the information below. Click each one to see how it would be formatted in a citation:

  • Author
  • Title of article
  • Title of the journal
  • Year of publication
  • Volume and issue number
  • Page numbers or Article identification number

Remember: A paraphrase may be your words but your words are describing someone else's idea. That idea is considered intellectual property and it needs to be protected.