Harvard Journal Article Citations
Learn to cite journal articles using the Harvard referencing system across all academic disciplines and research fields.
Harvard Journal Article Format
Harvard style uses an author-date citation system for journal articles. The reference list should include all essential publication details in a specific order.
Standard Format:
Author, A.A. (Year) 'Title of article', Journal Name, vol. X, no. Y, pp. XX-XX.
Academic Research Examples
Single Author - Empirical Study:
Thompson, M.K. (2023) 'The impact of remote learning on student engagement in higher education', Educational Psychology, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 234-251.
In-text citation: Recent studies indicate significant changes in engagement patterns (Thompson 2023).
Multiple Authors - Collaborative Research:
Rodriguez, C.A., Williams, J.M. and Chen, L. (2023) 'Sustainable urban development: integrating environmental and social factors', Urban Studies, vol. 60, no. 8, pp. 1456-1472.
In-text citation: Integrated approaches show promising results (Rodriguez, Williams and Chen 2023).
Four or More Authors:
Kumar, S., Anderson, P.J., Foster, E.L., Brown, K.D., Davis, M.R. and Wilson, A.S. (2023) 'Climate change adaptation strategies in coastal communities: a global perspective', Environmental Management, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 567-589.
In-text citation: Global strategies vary significantly by region (Kumar et al. 2023).
Specialized Publications
Review Article:
Garcia, M.I. (2023) 'Artificial intelligence in education: a systematic review of current applications and future possibilities', Computers & Education, vol. 185, pp. 104-118.
Research Note:
Taylor, R.A. (2023) 'Methodological considerations in cross-cultural research: a research note', International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 178-184.
Editorial:
Peterson, J.L. (2023) 'The future of peer review in academic publishing' [Editorial], Academic Publishing Today, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 5-7.
Online and Digital Publications
Online Journal with DOI:
O'Connor, D.R., Smith, L.E. and Johnson, K.M. (2023) 'Digital transformation in higher education: challenges and opportunities', Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 789-806. DOI: 10.1080/01234567.2023.1987654
Open Access Article:
Martinez, A.L., Davis, R.J. and Wilson, S.K. (2023) 'Social media influence on political participation among young adults', Political Communication, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 312-329. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2023.2176543 (Accessed: 15 March 2023).
Early Online Publication:
Foster, B.K. (2023) 'Innovation in renewable energy technologies: current trends and future directions', Energy Policy [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113456 (Accessed: 28 February 2023).
Discipline-Specific Examples
Science and Technology:
Zhang, W., Liu, X. and Kumar, A. (2023) 'Advances in quantum computing: implications for cryptography and data security', Nature Technology, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 456-468.
Business and Economics:
Harrison, P.T., Brown, K.L. and White, J.D. (2023) 'Cryptocurrency adoption in emerging markets: economic implications and regulatory challenges', Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 54, no. 7, pp. 1234-1251.
Humanities:
Anderson, C.R. (2023) 'Digital humanities and literary analysis: new methodologies for understanding historical texts', Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 289-305.
Harvard Style Guidelines
Author Name Format:
Use the author's surname followed by initials. For multiple authors, list all names in the reference, but use "et al." in in-text citations for four or more authors.
Journal Title Formatting:
Italicize journal titles and use title case. Include volume and issue numbers as shown in the examples above.
Page Numbers:
Include complete page ranges using "pp." prefix. For single pages, use "p." For articles without traditional page numbers, include article numbers or DOI.
Quality Assessment:
When selecting journal articles, prioritize:
- Peer-reviewed journals with established reputations
- Recent publications (within 5-10 years, depending on field)
- Articles with clear methodology and transparent reporting
- Research that addresses current debates or developments
- Studies with appropriate sample sizes and statistical power
Online Access:
For online sources, include DOI when available. If no DOI exists, include the URL and access date. Ensure links are functional and lead to permanent sources.
Version Control:
For articles that may have multiple versions (preprints, early online, final published), cite the version you actually used and specify this in your reference.