What is the citation format for journal articles?

Journal article citations follow standardized conventions to document scholarly sources, enabling readers to locate the original work and acknowledge intellectual contributions. These formats vary depending on the specific style guide mandated. Key citation styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver. APA emphasizes author-date for in-text citations and requires DOIs or URLs for online journals. MLA prefers author-page in-text citations and uses a simple 'Works Cited' list. Chicago offers both notes-bibliography and author-date systems. All styles mandate including core elements: authors, publication year, article title, journal title (italicized), volume/issue, and page numbers. Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are now crucial for persistent linking to electronic articles. Always adhere strictly to the required style guide and ensure completeness of bibliographic details. To implement, identify the required style guide first. Locate the article's full bibliographic information. Structure each citation entry precisely according to the style's rules for author order, punctuation, italics, date placement, and inclusion of DOIs or URLs. Maintain alphabetical order in the reference list. Reference management software like Zotero or EndNote significantly streamlines accurate formatting and ensures overall consistency within the manuscript.