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Harvard Referencing for Journal Articles | Templates & Examples

Published on 20 May 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 7 November 2022.

In Harvard style, to reference a journal article, you need the author name(s), the year, the article title, the journal name, the volume and issue numbers, and the page range on which the article appears.

If you accessed the article online, add a DOI (digital object identifier) if available.

Scribbr’s free Harvard reference generator can instantly create accurate references for a wide variety of source types:

Harvard Reference Generator

Table of contents

Online-only journal articles, articles with multiple authors, referencing a whole issue of a journal, referencing a preprint journal article, frequently asked questions about referencing journal articles in harvard style.

To reference an online journal article with no print version, always include the DOI if available. No access date is necessary with a DOI. Note that a page range may not be available for online-only articles; in this case, simply leave it out, as in this example.

Online-only article with no DOI

When you need to reference an online-only article which doesn’t have a DOI, use a URL instead – preferably the stable URL often listed with the article. In this case, you do need to include an access date.

Note that if an online article has no DOI but does have a print equivalent, you don’t need to include a URL. The details of the print journal should be enough for the reader to locate the article.

Journal articles often have multiple authors. In both your in-text citations and reference list, list up to three authors in full. Use the first author’s name followed by ‘ et al. ’ when there are four or more.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

When you want to reference an entire issue of a journal instead of an individual article, you list the issue editor(s) in the author position and give the title of the issue (if available) rather than of an individual article.

When you reference an article that’s been accepted for publication but not yet published, the format changes to acknowledge this.

If it’s unknown where or whether the article will be published, omit this information:

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

In Harvard style , when you quote directly from a source that includes page numbers, your in-text citation must include a page number. For example: (Smith, 2014, p. 33).

You can also include page numbers to point the reader towards a passage that you paraphrased . If you refer to the general ideas or findings of the source as a whole, you don’t need to include a page number.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2022, November 07). Harvard Referencing for Journal Articles | Templates & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 6 March 2023, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-journal-article-reference/

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how to harvard reference a article online

how to harvard reference a article online

Harvard Referencing: Journal articles

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Referencing journal articles: Examples

Video transcript, related links within this guide.

Harvard Referencing: journal articles

Harvard Referencing: journal articles from Victoria University Library on Vimeo .

Basic format to reference journal articles

The basics of a Reference List entry for a journal article:

Example: Gray, L 2018, 'Exploring how and why young people use social networking sites',  Educational Psychology in Practice , vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 175-194. 

how to harvard reference a article online

Video Transcript: Harvard: Journal Articles

This introductory video will demonstrate how to reference journal articles using the Victoria University Harvard Style.

A journal article retrieved from a library database can be referenced as though it were a print journal. The essential elements you require to create a journal article reference include: Author or authors including surname and initial. [ Call out: include the second initial if available ]; Year of publication, Title of article. [ Call out: Note: no capital after the colon for the article subtitle ]; Title of journal; A lower case ‘vol.’ followed by the volume number; A lower case ‘no.’ followed by the issue number; A lower case ‘pp.’ followed by the start and end pages of article.

The use of correct punctuation is another important element of Harvard Style. And notice the use of single quotation marks around the article title, and that the title of the journal is in italics.

The Library Search or database record for a journal article should give all the information required to create a reference. Alternatively, you will find the essential information contained in the article itself. Please note that you may need to use both the database entry and the article PDF to get all the necessary pieces of information. [ Call out: Note: you may need to scroll through the PDF to get the page range ].

Taking the key details from the database entry and article, this is the correct reference for this article.

In addition to the reference list entry, you are required to include in-text references in the main body of your work. This is an example of the in text reference when paraphrased and as a direct quote.

All author names are given in the reference list entry. When giving in-text citations for articles with more than three authors, only give the first author’s surname, followed by ‘et al.’ [ Call out: Note: the full stop after ‘et al.’ ]

Remember all in-text references should be listed in full in the reference list at the end of your document, presented alphabetically on a separate page titled “References”.

For further assistance, refer to the VU Harvard Referencing Guide. Contact the Victoria University Library through ‘Ask a Librarian’ chat or email or ask for help at any library service point.

[Video Ends.]

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Write it Right - A guide to Harvard referencing style

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Harvard Referencing

What is referencing?

When preparing a piece of work, there will be instances when you come across other people’s thoughts, ideas & theories that you wish to make reference to within your own work.

Making reference to other people’s work is called CITING.

Listing these references at the end of your piece of work is done in the form of a

REFERENCE LIST and/or BIBLIOGRAPHY.  Most courses only require the use of a reference list which is just the items cited in your work. A bibliography is everything you have consulted.

Different institutions have slight variations on how they employ the Harvard system.  By following this guide you will be following the agreed format for Doncaster College.

Harvard Referencing Pdf Guide

Why do I need to reference?

It is important to acknowledge other people’s ideas, thoughts and theories correctly

· You need to do this to avoid PLAGIARISM

· You need to do this to support reasoned argument in the form of ‘EVIDENCE’

· You need to do this to show BREADTH and DEPTH within your research

Harvard Referencing Tutorial

Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite an online journal article in Harvard

Harvard online journal article citation

To cite an online journal article in a reference entry in Harvard style include the following elements:

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an online journal article in Harvard style:

Author(s) of the online journal article . ( Year of publication ) ' Title of the online journal article ', Title of the journal , Volume number ( Issue number ), pp. Page numbers . doi .

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Harvard style guidelines in action:

An online journal article with two authors and a DOI

Langner, M., and Imbach, R . ( 2000 ) ' The University of Freiburg: A Model for a Bilingual University ', Higher Education in Europe , 25 ( 4 ), pp. 461–468 . https://doi.org/10.1080/03797720120037796 .
Hofman, C. A., and Rick, T. C . ( 2018 ) ' Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems: Tracking Translocations of Wild Plants and Animals ', Journal of Archaeological Research , 26 ( 1 ), pp. 65–115 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10814-017-9105-3 .

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This citation style guide is based on the Cite Them Right (10 th edition) Harvard referencing guide.

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Cite A Journal in Harvard style

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Use the following template or our Harvard Referencing Generator to cite a journal. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator .

Reference list

Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

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Harvard Referencing

Journal articles

Journal - electronic, journal - article numbers, preprint articles, journal - print.

The format of a citation varies with the number of authors of the work, ensure you check the formatting is correct for the number of authors of the resources you are citing.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author, AA year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , vol. no,  issue no, pp. xx-xx, viewed Date Month Year, DOI:xx.xxx/xxxxxx.

Author, AA year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , vol. no,  issue no, pp. xx-xx, viewed Date Month Year, <URL>.

Oxford, RL, Griffiths, C, Longhini, A, Cohen, AD, Macaro, E & Harris, V 2014, 'Experts' personal metaphors and similes about language learning strategies', System , vol. 43, pp. 11-29, viewed 7 July 2014, DOI:10.1016/j.system.2014.01.001.

Reinke, NB, Llewelyn, T & Firth, N 2014, 'Developing discipline-specific study skills for pharmacy students learning anatomy and physiology', International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education , vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 57-66, viewed 12 June 2014, < http://sydney.edu.au/iisme/research/journal.shtml >.

NB: In the Oxford et al. example, the journal does not use issue numbers. If the journal does not have a volume or an issue number, you skip to the next part of the pattern.

In-text citation:

Oxford et al. (2014, p. 12) state that "metaphor may be as old as language."

The use of figurative language can give an insight into the attitudes of professionals towards their profession (Oxford et al. 2014).

Some electronic journals do not have page numbers, but instead use article numbers.

Author, AA Year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , Volume, article no: article number [no pagination],  viewed Date Month Year, DOI: xx.xxx/xxxxxx.

Author, AA Year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , Volume, article no: article number [no pagination],  viewed Date Month Year, <URL>.

Example: Chou, CL, Teherani, A & Masters, D 2014, 'Workplace learning through peer groups in medical school clerkships', Medical Education Online , 19, article no: 25809, viewed 15 Jun 2015, DOI:10.3402/meo.v19.25809.

Chou, CL, Teherani, A & Masters, D 2014, 'Workplace learning through peer groups in medical school clerkships', Medical Education Online., 19, article no: 25809, viewed 15 Jun 2015, <https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/zmeo20/19/1?nav=tocList>.

For articles that have been made available online but not yet published "Advanced online publications"

Author, AA year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , Preprint, viewed Date Month Year, DOI: xx.xxx/xxxxxx. or <URL>.

Jones, P, Smith, A & Rigby, R 2018, ‘Aerobic capacity for athletes’, Journal of Strength and Conditioning, Preprint, viewed 15 June 2018, DOI:10.125894/426579.

In their conclusion, Jones et al. (2018 p. 1) points out ...

Some have argued (Jones et al. 2011, p. 1) that ...

Author, AA year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal , vol. volume number, no. issue number, pp. xx-xx.

Gorringe, S 2011, ' Honouring our strengths: moving forward ', Education in Rural Australia , vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 21-37.

In her conclusion, Gorringe (2011, p. 33) points out ...

Some have argued (Gorringe 2011, p. 33) that ...

Acknowledgement of Country

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COMMENTS

  1. Reference a Website in Harvard Style

    To reference a website in Harvard style, include the name of the author or organization, the year of publication, the title of the page, the URL

  2. Harvard Referencing for Journal Articles

    To reference an online journal article with no print version, always include the DOI if available. No access date is necessary with a DOI. Note

  3. Harvard Referencing: Internet/websites

    Basic format to reference material from the web · Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. · Year. · Title (in italics).

  4. Harvard Referencing: Journal articles

    Basic format to reference journal articles · Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. · Year of publication of the article.

  5. Online newspapers

    Author(s) name, initial(s). (year of publication) Title of article, Title of Newspaper, date, page number(s) [if available]. Available at: web

  6. Harvard Referencing

    Surname, Initials. (Year) Title of article. Title of journal, Vol no (issue no), pp. page nos [Online]. Available from: website

  7. Harvard: how to cite an online journal article [Update 2023]

    How to cite an online journal article in Harvard · Author(s) of the online journal article: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J.) · Year of

  8. Guides: How to reference a Website in Harvard style

    Author Surname, Author Initial. (Year Published). Title. [online] Available at: http://Website URL [Accessed Date Accessed]. Example: Tester

  9. Guides: How to reference a Journal in Harvard style

    Author Surname, Author Initial. (Year Published). Title. Publication Title, [online] Volume number(Issue number), p.Pages Used. Available at: http://

  10. Journal article

    Author, AA year of publication, 'Title of article', Title of Journal, Preprint, viewed Date Month Year, DOI:xx.xxx/xxxxxx. or <URL>. Example:.