How to Cite a Journal Article in Bluebook (legal)
In Bluebook a journal article is a law review style citation: author, the article title in italics, the volume, the abbreviated journal name, the first page and any pinpoint page, and the year in parentheses. Non-legal articles follow the same author, title, volume, journal, page, year order.
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How to cite a journal article in Bluebook step by step
- Author. Give the author full name as printed, in normal order, since Bluebook does not invert author names.
- Italicize the title. Set the article title in italics, capitalized in the journal style.
- Volume and journal. Put the volume number before the abbreviated journal name, using Bluebook table abbreviations.
- Page and pinpoint. Give the first page of the article, then the pinpoint page you are relying on after a comma.
- Year. Close with the year of publication in parentheses.
Bluebook journal article citation format
Bluebook orders a law review article as author, italicized title, volume, abbreviated journal, first page with pinpoint, and year in parentheses. The worked example shows the abbreviation and pinpoint placement.
Common journal article citation variations
How do I pinpoint a specific page in a Bluebook article citation?
After the first page of the article, add a comma and the exact page you cite, so 100, 112 means the article starts at 100 and you rely on page 112.
How do I abbreviate the journal name in Bluebook?
Use the abbreviations in the Bluebook tables for periodicals and institutions, since the journal name is almost always shortened rather than spelled out.
How do I cite a student-written note in a law review in Bluebook?
Begin with the designation such as Note or Comment in place of an author when the piece is unsigned, then give the title, volume, journal, page, and year.
How do I cite a journal article with a DOI or URL in Bluebook?
Bluebook prefers the print citation. Add a URL only when the source is online-only or hard to find in print, appended after the citation.
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Journal Article citation FAQ
Does Bluebook invert the author name for an article?
No. Bluebook gives the author name in ordinary order, unlike Chicago or APA, which invert the surname.
Is the article title italicized in Bluebook?
Yes. In law review style the article title is italicized and the journal name is abbreviated in roman.