How to Cite a Journal Article in Harvard Referencing

This guide explains how to format a journal article citation in Harvard Referencing. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a journal article in Harvard Referencing:

Template

Author, A.A. and Author, B.B. (Year) 'Title of article', Journal Name, volume(issue), pp. page range. doi:xxxxx.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Patel and Kim, 2023, p. 120)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Patel, R. and Kim, S. (2023) 'The role of metacognition in self-regulated learning: a meta-analysis', Educational Psychology Review, 35(2), pp. 112--138. doi:10.1007/s10648-023-09812-5.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
List the authors
Write each author's surname followed by their initial(s). Separate multiple authors with 'and'. For four or more authors, list the first author followed by 'et al.'
2
Add the year
Place the year of publication in parentheses after the author name(s), followed by a space.
3
Write the article title
Enclose the article title in single quotation marks. Use sentence case (capitalise only the first word and proper nouns). End with a comma inside the closing quotation mark.
4
Add the journal name
Italicise the journal name using title case. Follow with a comma.
5
Include volume, issue, and page numbers
Write the volume number followed by the issue number in parentheses. Add a comma, then 'pp.' and the page range.
6
Add the DOI
Include the DOI prefixed with 'doi:' (no space after the colon). End with a full stop.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using double quotation marks instead of single quotation marks around the article title.
Forgetting to include 'pp.' before the page range.
Not capitalising only the first word (and proper nouns) in the article title.
Omitting the doi when one is available.
Using an ampersand (&) instead of 'and' between author names (Harvard uses 'and').

Frequently Asked Questions

How many authors do I list in a Harvard reference?

List up to three authors by name. For four or more authors, give the first author's name followed by 'et al.' in both the in-text citation and the reference list.

Do I use single or double quotation marks for article titles in Harvard?

Harvard style uses single quotation marks around article titles. Double quotation marks are reserved for quotes within the title.

How do I format the in-text citation for two authors?

Use both surnames connected by 'and': (Patel and Kim, 2023). For three or more authors, use the first surname followed by 'et al.': (Patel et al., 2023).

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your journal article:

Author(s)
Year of publication
Article title
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number
Page range
DOI or URL

Generate citations automatically with CiteDash

Stop formatting citations by hand. CiteDash automatically generates accurate Harvard Referencing citations for all your sources while you research and write.

Start Free Trial More Harvard Referencing Guides

Step-by-Step Guide

List the authors

Write each author's surname followed by their initial(s). Separate multiple authors with 'and'. For four or more authors, list the first author followed by 'et al.'

Add the year

Place the year of publication in parentheses after the author name(s), followed by a space.

Write the article title

Enclose the article title in single quotation marks. Use sentence case (capitalise only the first word and proper nouns). End with a comma inside the closing quotation mark.

Add the journal name

Italicise the journal name using title case. Follow with a comma.

Include volume, issue, and page numbers

Write the volume number followed by the issue number in parentheses. Add a comma, then 'pp.' and the page range.

Add the DOI

Include the DOI prefixed with 'doi:' (no space after the colon). End with a full stop.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using double quotation marks instead of single quotation marks around the article title.

Forgetting to include 'pp.' before the page range.

Not capitalising only the first word (and proper nouns) in the article title.

Omitting the doi when one is available.

Using an ampersand (&) instead of 'and' between author names (Harvard uses 'and').