How to Cite Scientific American in MLA 9 Format

What “Scientific American” is in MLA terms

In MLA 9, Scientific American is a periodical. You usually cite it as either:

• a magazine article (print or online), or
• an article on the Scientific American website (still treated like a magazine article, but with a URL and an access date if needed)

MLA citations are built from core elements in a consistent order. The goal is that a reader can quickly identify who wrote it, what it is called, where it was published, when it appeared, and how to find it.

MLA 9 core elements you will usually use

For a typical Scientific American article, you will often include these elements, in this order:

1. Author.
2. Title of source. (the article title, in quotation marks)
3. Title of container. (Scientific American, in italics)
4. Other contributors. (rare for magazine articles, but possible)
5. Version. (usually not applicable)
6. Number. (volume and issue, if provided)
7. Publisher. (often omitted for magazines when the magazine title is the container, but can be included for clarity in some cases)
8. Publication date.
9. Location. (page range for print, or URL for online)

Not every citation uses every element. MLA expects you to include what is available and useful.

Author rules for Scientific American citations (based on your requirements)

These rules matter because author formatting controls alphabetizing in Works Cited and helps readers identify the correct person.

One author

• Use the author’s full first name, not initials.
• Invert the name: Last, First Middle.

Format:
Last, First Middle. "Article Title." Scientific American, Date, URL or pages.

Two authors

• First author is inverted.
• Second author is in normal order.
• Use and between names.

Format:
Last, First Middle, and First Middle Last. "Article Title." Scientific American, Date, URL or pages.

Three or more authors

• List only the first author, inverted and with full first name.
• Add et al. after the first author.
• Do not list additional authors before et al.

Format:
Last, First Middle, et al. "Article Title." Scientific American, Date, URL or pages.

No author

• Start with the title of the article in quotation marks.
• For alphabetizing, ignore A, An, The.

Format:
"Article Title." Scientific American, Date, URL or pages.

Practical tip: Many Scientific American web pages clearly show the author near the top. If you cannot find an author after checking the page header, the byline area, and the bottom of the article, then treat it as no author.

Title formatting that Scientific American citations rely on

Article title

• Put the article title in quotation marks.
• Use title case in MLA style, capitalize major words.

Example:
"How Volcanoes Shape the Climate"

Magazine title

• Put Scientific American in italics because it is the container, the larger work that holds the article.

Example:
Scientific American

Why this matters: Quotation marks versus italics helps readers instantly tell whether you mean the article or the magazine. It also matches MLA’s standard system across books, journals, magazines, and websites.

Date and location rules, print versus online

Print articles

If you used a print issue or a PDF that preserves the print layout, include:

• Publication date
• Page numbers

Location example: 34-39.

Online articles

If you used the website version, include:

• Publication date (as shown on the page)
• The URL (without https:// is acceptable in MLA, but consistency is key)

Location example: www.scientificamerican.com/article/example.

Do you need an access date?

MLA says access dates are optional, but they are helpful when content can change. For online magazine articles, you can include an access date if:

• there is no clear publication date, or
• the page updates frequently, or
• your instructor requires it

If you include it, place it at the end:
Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Example 1, One author, online Scientific American article

Works Cited entry (correct MLA 9 formatting)

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. "The Inflammation Theory of Disease." Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-inflammation-theory-of-disease/.

Why each part is there

• Mukherjee, Siddhartha.
  The author is first, with the first author inverted and the full first name used.
• "The Inflammation Theory of Disease."
  Article title is a short work, so it goes in quotation marks.
• Scientific American,
  The magazine is the container, so it is italicized.
• 19 Dec. 2023,
  Date helps readers locate the version you used.
• URL
  The location for online sources is the web address.

Common pitfall: Putting Scientific American in quotation marks. It should be italicized because it is the magazine title.

Example 2, Two authors, print article

Works Cited entry (correct MLA 9 formatting)

Holland, Jennifer S., and Michael T. Smith. "Why the Ocean Is Getting Louder." Scientific American, May 2021, pp. 44-49.

Why each part is there

• Holland, Jennifer S., and Michael T. Smith.
  First author inverted, second author normal order, connected by and.
• "Why the Ocean Is Getting Louder."
  Article title in quotation marks.
• Scientific American, May 2021,
  Magazine title italicized, then the issue date.
• pp. 44-49.
  MLA uses pp. for a page range in a periodical.

Common pitfall: Inverting both authors. In MLA, only the first author is inverted in Works Cited entries.

Example 3, No author listed, online article

Works Cited entry (correct MLA 9 formatting)

"New Evidence for Water on Mars." Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-evidence-for-water-on-mars/.

Why this works

• There is no author, so the entry starts with the title.
• The article title is in quotation marks.
• The container is Scientific American in italics.
• Date and URL help readers find the exact page.

Common pitfall: Using “Anonymous” or “n.d.”. MLA does not require those here. If there is no date, you can omit it and consider adding an access date.

In-text citations for Scientific American

In-text citations should point to the first element of the Works Cited entry.

If there is an author

Use the author’s last name. Add a page number only if you have one, such as from print or a stable PDF.

• (Mukherjee)
• (Holland and Smith 47)

If there is no author

Use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks.

• ("New Evidence for Water")

Why this matters: In-text citations must match the Works Cited entry so the reader can locate the full citation quickly.

Practical tips and common pitfalls

Tips

• Copy the title carefully and keep MLA title case.
• Use the date shown on the article page, not the date you found it.
• Prefer a stable URL. If a DOI is available, use it, but magazine sites often use URLs instead.
• Check the byline. Scientific American sometimes lists editors, staff writers, or a desk name. Use the author that is credited for the article.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Using initials instead of full first names when the full name is available. Your rule requires full first names for clarity and identity.
• Formatting the container incorrectly, the magazine title should be italicized.
• Listing all authors for three or more authors. Use the first author plus et al. only.
• Forgetting page numbers for print. If you used print, page numbers are a key locator.
• Using the database name as the container when you actually accessed the article on the Scientific American website. If you used a library database, the database can become a second container, but only include it when it truly applies.

Quick template summary for your guide

One author, online

Last, First Middle. "Article Title." Scientific American, Day Mon. Year, URL.

Two authors, print

Last, First Middle, and First Middle Last. "Article Title." Scientific American, Month Year, pp. xx-xx.

Three or more authors

Last, First Middle, et al. "Article Title." Scientific American, Day Mon. Year, URL.

No author

"Article Title." Scientific American, Day Mon. Year, URL.

If you tell me whether your examples should focus on print issues, the website, or library databases like EBSCO or Gale, I can tailor the templates and add a database example using your author rules.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Common Errors for Scientific American Citations

Validation Checklist

Special Cases

What makes Scientific American citations tricky in MLA 9

Scientific American is not just one kind of source. It can be a print magazine issue, a website article, a newsletter style post, a special report page, or a piece that is hosted on another platform. MLA 9 is flexible, but that flexibility creates edge cases where students often miss key details.

The goal of MLA is consistency and traceability. A reader should be able to find the exact item you used, even if the page changes later. That is why details like the container, date, URL, and access date sometimes matter more than people expect.

Below are special cases and edge cases that come up often with Scientific American, plus practical tips and pitfalls to avoid. Examples follow your rules for author names, including full first names, inversion for the first author, and correct handling of multiple authors.

Core MLA 9 pattern for a Scientific American web article

Most Scientific American items you use for school are web pages. The basic MLA 9 structure looks like this:

Author. “Title of Page.” Website Name, Publisher (if different), Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

For Scientific American, the website name is usually Scientific American. The publisher is often omitted because it is the same as the site name. If you include a publisher, do it only when it adds clarity.

Special case 1, Print magazine vs. website version

Scientific American articles often exist in both print and online forms. You should cite the version you actually used.

If you used the website version

Use the web citation format. Include the URL. Add an access date if the page is likely to change, if it has no clear publication date, or if your instructor requires it.

If you used the print version

Treat it like a magazine article in print. Include volume and issue if available, plus page numbers.

Why it matters: The online and print versions can differ in title, length, images, and even the publication date. Page numbers only apply to print or PDFs that preserve page layout.

Common pitfall: Mixing print details into a web citation, for example adding page numbers to a normal web page.

Special case 2, “Updated” dates, multiple dates, and time stamps

Scientific American pages sometimes show a publication date and an updated date. MLA 9 lets you cite the date that best matches the version you used.

Practical approach

• If the page clearly shows an “Updated” date and the content appears revised, use the updated date.
• If you are discussing the original release, use the original publication date.
• If both are visible and important, you can use the date that matches your claim, and mention the update in your prose if needed.

Why it matters: When you quote or summarize time sensitive science reporting, the update can change facts, wording, or conclusions.

Common pitfall: Using the date you first found the article instead of the publication or update date. Your access date is not a replacement for the publication date.

Special case 3, No author listed

Some Scientific American pages do not list a personal author, or they credit only the publication. Under your rules, you should not use “Anonymous” or “n.d.” In MLA, when there is no author, you start with the title.

How to handle it

• Start the Works Cited entry with the title in quotation marks for an article or web page.
• Alphabetize by the first meaningful word of the title, ignoring A, An, and The.

Why it matters: MLA is designed for alphabetical sorting and quick scanning. Starting with the title keeps your Works Cited list consistent and honest about missing information.

Common pitfall: Inventing an author name like “Scientific American Editors” unless the page explicitly credits “Editors” or “Editorial Staff.”

Special case 4, Many authors, or group authors like “Scientific American Editors”

Scientific American sometimes publishes pieces with multiple contributors, or with a group credit such as “Scientific American Editors.”

If there are two authors

Use both names, first author inverted, second author normal order, and use “and.”

If there are three or more authors

Under your rules, list only the first author, then add “et al.”

If the author is a group

If the page lists a group as the author, you can use that group name as the author element. Do not invert a group name.

Why it matters: Correct author formatting improves credibility, and it helps your reader match your citation to the byline they see on the page.

Common pitfall: Listing all authors when there are many, or using initials instead of full first names. Your rules require full first names.

Special case 5, Scientific American content hosted elsewhere

Sometimes you read Scientific American content through an aggregator, a library database, Apple News, or another platform. MLA calls the larger platform a container.

Practical approach

• If you accessed the article on Scientific American itself, cite the Scientific American page.
• If you accessed it through a database and cannot easily confirm the original URL, cite the database version as your container.

Why it matters: Your reader needs a realistic path to the source. A database link might be the only workable route for someone with the same library access.

Common pitfall: Citing the Scientific American homepage URL instead of the specific page you used.

Special case 6, Missing page numbers, missing issue numbers, and PDFs

Web pages usually have no page numbers. That is normal. Do not force page numbers into a web citation.

If you used a PDF that preserves the magazine layout, you can cite it like a print article and include page numbers, and you can still include a URL if the PDF is online.

Why it matters: Page numbers help readers locate quotes quickly, but only when those page numbers are stable.

Common pitfall: Using paragraph numbers that the page does not actually display. MLA does not require you to invent location markers.

Example 1, Standard Scientific American web article (single author)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
Berg, Sarah. “How Dust From the Sahara Fertilizes the Amazon.” Scientific American, 12 June 2023, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-dust-from-the-sahara-fertilizes-the-amazon/.

Why this is correct

• The first author’s name is inverted and uses a full first name, “Berg, Sarah.”
• The article title is in quotation marks.
• The website name, Scientific American, is italicized as the container.
• The date is in Day Month Year format.
• The URL points to the specific page, not the homepage.

Tip

If the page is likely to change, add an access date at the end, for example: “Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.”

Example 2, Two authors (follow your “and” rule)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
Popkin, Gabriel, and Sara Reardon. “What a Massive New Brain Map Reveals About the Mind.” Scientific American, 4 May 2022, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-a-massive-new-brain-map-reveals-about-the-mind/.

Why this is correct

• First author is inverted with full first name, “Popkin, Gabriel.”
• Second author is not inverted and uses full first name, “Sara Reardon.”
• “and” is used between authors, not an ampersand.
• The rest follows the standard web article pattern.

Common pitfall

Writing “Reardon, Sara” for the second author. In MLA, only the first author is inverted in a two author entry.

Example 3, No author listed (start with the title)

Works Cited entry (correct formatting):
“Why Jupiter’s Moons Are Prime Targets in the Search for Life.” Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2021, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-jupiters-moons-are-prime-targets-in-the-search-for-life/.

Why this is correct

• No author is present, so the title becomes the first element.
• The title is in quotation marks because it is a web page or article, not a whole site.
• The entry is still complete and findable because it includes the container, date, and URL.

Tip

If you later discover the author name on the page, update your citation. Do not guess.

Practical tips for getting Scientific American citations right

Check the byline carefully

Scientific American sometimes places contributor information near the top, near the bottom, or in a sidebar. Use the name as shown, but follow your full first name rule.

Use the most specific date you can

Prefer a full date. If only a year is shown, use the year. If no date is shown, omit the date and add an access date.

Keep URLs clean, but do not break them

MLA allows you to shorten URLs by removing tracking parameters when the page still loads. Do not remove meaningful parts of the link.

Match your in-text citations to your Works Cited

If your Works Cited starts with an author, your in-text citation typically uses that last name. If your Works Cited starts with a title because there is no author, use a shortened title in quotation marks in the in-text citation.

Why these rules matter

Scientific writing depends on verifiability. Scientific American is popular science, but it still influences how readers understand research. MLA formatting is not just about style, it is about making your sources easy to locate and your research process transparent. When you handle edge cases correctly, like updates, missing authors, and platform hosting, you reduce confusion and strengthen your credibility.

If you want, paste a specific Scientific American link you are using, and I can format the exact MLA 9 Works Cited entry and show the matching in-text citation using your author name rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a Scientific American article in MLA 9 if I read it online?

In MLA 9, cite the online version like a web article. Start with the author’s name, then the article title in quotation marks. Follow with the website title, Scientific American, the publisher if listed (often omitted because it matches the site), the publication date, the URL, and an access date if your instructor requires it or if the content is likely to change. Example format: Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Scientific American, Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year. If there is no author, begin with the title. If the page shows an updated date, use the date that best matches the version you consulted, and keep your notes. For more guidance on MLA web citations, see the MLA Style Center: https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/ and the MLA page on URLs: https://style.mla.org/urls-in-works-cited-lists/.

How do I cite a Scientific American print magazine article in MLA 9?

For a print magazine article, MLA 9 uses the magazine format. List the author, the article title in quotation marks, the magazine title in italics (Scientific American), the volume and issue if provided, the date, and the page range. A common format is: Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Article.” Scientific American, vol. ##, no. ##, Month Year, pp. ##-##. Some issues list only a month and year, so omit day if it is not present. If page numbers are missing, cite what you have and do not invent them. If you read the print article but later found it online, cite the version you actually used, unless your instructor prefers the version with more complete publication details. For official guidance, consult the MLA Works Cited guide: https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/.

What if my Scientific American article has no author, or it lists a staff writer or editors?

If no author is listed, begin the Works Cited entry with the article title in quotation marks. Then list Scientific American, the date, and the URL or page numbers depending on whether it is online or print. If the site uses a staff byline such as “Scientific American Editors” or “SA Staff,” you can treat that as the author exactly as shown, because it functions as a corporate author. If multiple editors are credited instead of an author, use the name that appears in the byline area, and do not move editors into an “edited by” role unless the page clearly indicates that. In in-text citations, use a shortened title in parentheses when there is no author. For help with corporate authors and missing authors, see: https://style.mla.org/citing-corporate-authors/ and https://style.mla.org/unknown-author/.

How do I cite a Scientific American article I accessed through a database like JSTOR, EBSCO, or Gale?

When you read Scientific American through a library database, MLA 9 usually treats it as an article found in a database. Start with the author and article title, then Scientific American, the publication date and page numbers if available. After that, include the database name in italics, and add a stable URL, permalink, or DOI if provided. Many databases also show a document number, but a stable link is typically more useful. Example structure: Author. “Article Title.” Scientific American, Day Month Year, pp. ##-##. Database Name, URL or DOI. If the database provides both a PDF page range and an HTML view without pages, prefer the PDF page numbers. For database citation details, consult: https://style.mla.org/citing-a-database/.

How do I do MLA in-text citations for Scientific American, especially when there are no page numbers?

MLA in-text citations point to the first element of your Works Cited entry, usually the author’s last name, plus a page number when available. For online Scientific American articles, page numbers are often missing, so cite only the author: (Nguyen). If there is no author, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks: (“New Clues about Dark Matter”). Do not use paragraph numbers unless your instructor requests it and the paragraphs are clearly numbered, which is uncommon on news sites. If you quote a specific part of a long web page, you can name the section in your signal phrase, for example, “In the ‘Methods’ section, the article notes…” and still use the standard parenthetical citation. For MLA in-text rules, see: https://style.mla.org/in-text-citations/.

How do I cite a Scientific American podcast episode, video, or YouTube clip in MLA 9?

For Scientific American media, MLA 9 treats podcasts and videos as audiovisual works. Start with the episode or segment title in quotation marks, then the container, for example, the podcast name or the YouTube channel. Include key contributors if relevant, such as the host, narrator, or director, then the publisher, the date, and the URL. If you watched a Scientific American video on YouTube, your container may be YouTube, and you can list “Scientific American” as the channel or account. Add an access date if required. In your paper, cite the timestamp in your prose, for example, “At 12:34, the host explains…” and use the usual parenthetical author or title. For MLA audiovisual citation guidance, see: https://style.mla.org/citing-audio-visual-materials/.

Last Updated: 2026-01-01
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