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Harvard - Cite Them Right - Journals

Free Harvard Journal Citation Generator

Generate accurate Harvard referencing journal citations with full DOI support. Search by DOI, title, or author for instant bibliography entries.

How to cite a journal article in Harvard

1

Search for the journal article

Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.

2

Check the Harvard formatting fields

Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.

3

Copy the formatted result

Get the complete Harvard citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.

Harvard Journal Citation Format

Print Journal:

Surname, Initial(s). (Year) 'Article title', Journal Name, volume(issue), pp. pages.

Online Journal with DOI:

Surname, Initial(s). (Year) 'Article title', Journal Name, volume(issue), pp. pages. doi:xxxxx.

Harvard Journal Citation Examples

Journal Article (Print)

Smith, J.D. and Johnson, M.R. (2024) 'Machine learning in healthcare diagnostics', Nature Medicine, 29(4), pp. 123-145.

In-text: (Smith and Johnson, 2024)

Journal Article with DOI

Williams, A.B. (2024) 'Climate change impacts on agriculture', Environmental Science, 45(2), pp. 78-95. doi:10.1234/example.

In-text: (Williams, 2024)

Online Journal Article

Thompson, L. (2024) 'Cognitive development in children', Psychology Today, 52(3), pp. 201-220. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5678/example (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

In-text: (Thompson, 2024)

Journal Article with Multiple Authors

Garcia, R., Lee, S., Chen, W. and Brown, T. (2024) 'Advances in renewable energy', Energy Research, 18(1), pp. 34-56.

In-text: (Garcia et al., 2024)

Examples formatted in Harvard style

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a journal article in Harvard style?

Include author, year, article title in single quotes, journal name in italics, volume, issue in brackets, and page numbers. Example: Smith, J.D. (2024) 'Machine learning advances', Nature Medicine, 29(4), pp. 123-145.

Should I include the DOI in Harvard citations?

Yes, include the DOI when available. Format it as "doi:" followed by the number, or as a full URL. Example: doi:10.1038/example or Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/example.

How do I format volume and issue numbers in Harvard?

Volume number comes first without any label, followed by issue number in parentheses. Example: 29(4) means volume 29, issue 4.

How do I cite a journal article from a database in Harvard?

If accessed through a database, include the database name. Example: Smith, J. (2024) 'Article title', Journal Name, 15(2), pp. 45-67. ProQuest [Online]. (Accessed: 15 January 2024).

How do I cite multiple authors in Harvard journal citations?

List all authors with "and" before the last. For 4+ authors, use the first author followed by "et al." Example: Smith, J., Johnson, M. and Williams, A. (2024) or Smith, J. et al. (2024).

Harvard Formatting Rules for Journal Articles

Harvard journal citations use: Author (Year) "Article title", Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. Available at: DOI or URL. The journal title is italicized. Article titles go in single quotes in some Harvard variants. Include the DOI as a full URL when available.

Harvard is similar to APA in using author-date, but Harvard typically puts the article title in quotes, uses "Available at:" before URLs, and some variants use single rather than double quotes.

Common Formatting Mistake

Wrong: Smith, J., 2024. Title of the article. Journal Name, 12(3), 45-67.
Correct: Smith, J. (2024) "Title of the article", Journal Name, 12(3), pp. 45–67.

Harvard places the year in parentheses (not after a comma), article title in quotes, and uses "pp." before page numbers with an en-dash.

Common mistakes in Harvard journal article citations

Review the most frequent formatting mistakes before submitting your assignment.

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Cite Other Source Types in Harvard

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