To cite a journal article in Harvard style, give the author, year, article title in single quotation marks, journal title in italics, volume, issue and pages, followed by the DOI or URL.
Harvard is a family of author-date styles, so universities publish their own versions. This guide uses the pattern most widely taught in UK universities and points out where versions commonly differ.
The Harvard Journal Article Pattern
Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. first–last page. Available at: https://doi.org/...
In text: (Surname, Year) or Surname (Year)
Article titles take single quotation marks and usually sentence case. Journal titles are italic and keep their capitals. Check your own university's guide for punctuation details.
The Journal Article Format, Element by Element
| Element | How to write it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Surname, then initials | Adeyemi, F. |
| Year | In round brackets | (2021) |
| Article title | Single quotation marks, followed by a comma | 'Nurse staffing and patient falls', |
| Journal title | Italic, title case | Journal of Clinical Nursing, |
| Volume and issue | Volume, then issue in brackets | 30(7–8), |
| Pages | pp. with a page range | pp. 1123–1134. |
| Online location | Available at: DOI or URL | Available at: https://doi.org/... |
Where an article has an article number instead of page numbers, give the article number in place of pages, for example "Article 104512".
One, Two, Three and More Authors
Author rules are where Harvard versions differ most. The examples below follow a common UK pattern; the article details are invented for illustration.
One author: Adeyemi, F. (2021) 'Nurse staffing and patient falls', Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(7–8), pp. 1123–1134.
Two authors: Adeyemi, F. and Clarke, R. (2021) ...
Three authors: Adeyemi, F., Clarke, R. and Moss, J. (2021) ...
Four or more authors: Adeyemi, F., Clarke, R., Moss, J. and Patel, K. (2021) ... or, in guides that shorten, Adeyemi, F. et al. (2021) ...
| Authors | In-text citation (common pattern) |
|---|---|
| One | (Adeyemi, 2021) |
| Two | (Adeyemi and Clarke, 2021) |
| Three | (Adeyemi, Clarke and Moss, 2021) |
| Four or more | (Adeyemi et al., 2021) |
Some Harvard guides use "et al." from three authors, and some do not italicize it. Harvard uses "and" rather than an ampersand in most versions. Follow your guide and stay consistent.
Online and DOI Articles
Most articles are now read online. Harvard adds the online location at the end of the reference.
With a DOI: Mensah, A. and Liu, Y. (2022) 'Peer feedback in first-year writing', Studies in Higher Education, 47(3), pp. 501–515. Available at: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Online-only journal with a URL: Okonjo, L. (2023) 'Tidal flooding and coastal housing', Coastal Futures, 8(2). Available at: https://www.example.org/article (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
Many Harvard guides leave out the access date when a DOI is given, because a DOI is a permanent link. Others always include it. Use the version your university sets.
If you read a database version with no DOI, most guides tell you to cite the article as a print article, without the database URL.
Articles Published Ahead of Print
Some articles appear online before they are assigned to an issue. Give the year of online publication and the DOI, and leave out volume, issue and pages until they exist. Update the reference if the final version is published before you submit.
Magazine Articles
Magazines follow the journal pattern, but often use dates instead of volume numbers.
Print magazine: Rao, P. (2024) 'The quiet return of night trains', Rail Review, 13 January, pp. 45–46.
Online magazine: Rao, P. (2024) 'The quiet return of night trains', Rail Review, 13 January. Available at: https://www.example.com/night-trains (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
The examples are invented to show the pattern. Use the issue date printed on the magazine or shown on the article page.
Newspaper Articles
Newspaper references include the full date and, for print, the page number.
Print newspaper: Mwangi, J. (2024) 'Ferry fares rise again', Coast Courier, 2 March, p. 7.
Online newspaper: Mwangi, J. (2024) 'Ferry fares rise again', Coast Courier, 2 March. Available at: https://www.example.com/ferry (Accessed: 3 February 2025).
No author: Riverside Herald (2024) 'City adds late-night bus routes', 8 January, p. 12.
For unsigned articles, Harvard guides usually start with the newspaper title in place of the author, and cite it in text as (Riverside Herald, 2024).
Harvard in-Text Citations for Articles
Every reference needs at least one in-text citation, and every in-text citation needs a reference. Use the author's surname and the year, adding a page number for quotations.
Parenthetical: Staffing levels affect fall rates (Adeyemi, 2021).
Narrative: Adeyemi (2021) links staffing levels to fall rates.
Quotation: Falls were "most frequent during handover periods" (Adeyemi, 2021, p. 1128).
Several sources: (Adeyemi, 2021; Mensah and Liu, 2022)
Same author, same year: (Adeyemi, 2021a, 2021b)
Many Harvard guides write page numbers as "p." or "pp."; a few use a colon, such as (Adeyemi, 2021: 1128). Choose your university's form.
Harvard Versus APA for Articles
Harvard and APA 7 are both author-date styles, so they are easy to confuse. The table shows the differences that most often trip students up.
| Feature | Harvard (common UK form) | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Year | (2021) with no full stop after | (2021). with a full stop |
| Article title | In single quotation marks | Plain text, no quotation marks |
| Volume | Plain text | Italic |
| Pages | pp. 1123–1134 | 1123–1134 (no pp.) |
| DOI | Available at: https://doi.org/... | https://doi.org/... on its own |
| Two authors in text | (Adeyemi and Clarke, 2021) | (Adeyemi & Clarke, 2021) |
| Three or more in text | Varies by guide | (Adeyemi et al., 2021) |
Common Harvard Article Citation Mistakes
| Mistake | Correct approach |
|---|---|
| Journal title in quotation marks | Italicize the journal title; quotation marks go on the article title |
| Missing issue number | Add it in brackets after the volume when the journal uses issues |
| Full first names | Use initials only: Adeyemi, F. |
| Database URL in the reference | Use the DOI, or cite as a print article |
| Mixing "and" and "&" | Use one form throughout, usually "and" |
| Year in a different place from the guide | Put it straight after the authors, in brackets |
Most of these come from copying references out of databases or other papers without adjusting them. Each source formats references in its own house style, so always rebuild the entry to match your guide.
Reference List Layout
Harvard reference lists are usually headed "Reference list" or "References", ordered alphabetically by surname and laid out without numbers or bullet points. Many universities ask for a hanging indent and consistent line spacing; check your handbook for the exact layout.
A bibliography, where required, also lists works you read but did not cite. Most Harvard assignments ask only for a reference list.
Using a Citation Generator for Harvard
A generator saves time on long reference lists. Our free citation generator builds Harvard references with auto-fill from a DOI or URL, with no sign-up and no limits.
Always check the output. Database metadata can miss issue numbers, mis-capitalize titles or list authors in the wrong order, and no generator knows your university's exact Harvard variant.
- Compare author names and initials with the article itself.
- Check volume, issue and page range.
- Confirm the DOI opens the correct article.
- Adjust punctuation to your university's guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Article title', Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp. pages. Add "Available at:" and the DOI or URL for online articles.
Yes, most Harvard guides put article titles in single quotation marks and italicize the journal title.
Most UK guides use it in text for four or more authors; some use it for three or more. Follow your university's guide.
If you give a URL, usually yes. With a DOI, many guides leave it out. Check your guide.
Alphabetically by the first author's surname. Works by the same author are ordered by year, earliest first.
Most Harvard guides use "and" both in the text and in the reference list.
Leave pages out, or give the article number if there is one. For quotations, use a paragraph or section reference if your guide allows it.
No. Universities publish their own versions. The core author-date pattern is the same, but punctuation and details vary.
Cite the work you actually read. In text, write (Original author, Year, cited in Author you read, Year), and list only the work you read in the reference list.
Most Harvard guides use sentence case for article titles, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns, while journal titles keep their normal capitals.