Q. If an article from a library database doesn't have page numbers, how do I cite it in MLA or APA?

If the article is from a library database, such as Academic Search Complete, and only provides the full text in HTML format, the specific page numbers will typically not be included.

The bibliographic citation will normally give inclusive page numbers, but you may have trouble properlly quoting it. Here is a sample citation from Time magazine, which only has HTML text in Academic Search Complete:

http://navigator-ship.passhe.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=52793414&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Here are the citations for the sample article:

APA

(American Psychological Assoc.)

References

Kluger, J. (2010). Inside the minds of animals. (Cover story). Time, 176(7), 36-43. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

MLA

(Modern Language Assoc.)

Works Cited

Kluger, Jeffrey. "Inside The Minds of Animals. (Cover story)." Time 176.7 (2010): 36-43. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.