Cite an Online Journal Article in Harvard

Correctly citing an online journal article in Harvard style is a way of upholding academic honesty and ensuring that sources are credited where credit is due. This guide discusses how to cite an online journal article in Harvard referencing style in a clear and step-by-step format following the conventions of today.

Explanation of Each Element

  • Author Surname and Initial(s): Begin with the surname of the first author, then their initial(s) (no space between the initial(s)). For three or more authors, use et al. in italics after the first author.
  • Year of Publication: Place the year the article was published in round brackets.
  • Article Title: Set the article title in single quotation marks, in sentence case. Capitalise the first word and any proper nouns.
  • Journal Title: Use the full journal title in italics. Capitalise the first letter of each major word, but not small linking words such as and, of, the, for.
  • Volume and Issue: After the journal title, indicate the volume number followed by the issue number in round brackets.
  • Page Numbers: Mention the page range, then pp.
  • DOI or URL: Mention the DOI at the end of the citation, not hyperlinked, if present. Where no DOI exists, give the full URL (hyperlinked), and then the access date in round brackets.

Citation Examples

Example with DOI

Citation
Hinson, L. et al. (2023) ‘Youth unemployment and digital inequality: A global review of emerging challenges’, Journal of Social Policy, 52(2), pp. 274–295. doi: 10.1017/S0047279422000712.
Structure
Author Surname, Author Initial. et al. (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. page numbers. doi: DOI.

Example with URL and Access Date

Citation
Sarwar, M.A. and Matusitz, J. (2022) ‘Digital divide in rural communities: A study of broadband access in small towns’, Information Technology and People, 35(4), pp. 1231–1250. Available at: https://www.eme.com/insight/doi/10.1108-0254 (Accessed: 5 June 2025).
Structure
Author Surname, Author Initial. and Author Surname, Author Initial. (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. page numbers. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Example Without DOI (URL and Access Date)

Citation
Wang, F. et al. (2021) ‘Machine learning in educational assessment: A review of applications and ethics’, Computers and Education Open, 2, pp. 1041. Available at: https://www.sciencedir.com/science/art/S135 (Accessed: 5 June 2025).
Structure
Author Surname, Author Initial. et al. (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal, Volume, pp. page number. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Use Italics Appropriately: Use italics on the title of the journal and et al. only. Don’t italicise other components of the article title, author names, etc. This conforms to Harvard formatting and makes the title of the journal stand out from other components of the citation.

Use Sentence Case for Article Titles: Use sentence case for article titles, where only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Do not use title case, where most words are capitalized. This formatting convention helps to make a clear distinction between journal and article titles.

Include DOI When Available: Always use a DOI if one is assigned to the article. A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a stable and permanent identifier and therefore the preferred citation for digital material. The DOI should not be hyperlinked and is to be included at the end of the citation.

Include Access Dates as well as URLs: If the article does not contain a DOI and a URL is provided instead, an access date needs to be included. This shows when the source was last accessed, useful in the event that the content is altered or deleted. Use the following format: (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Use “pp.” Before Page Numbers: The pp. prefix must be inserted before the page range to indicate that the numbers refer to pages. This allows the citation to be identifiable from other numerals included in the citation, such as issue or volume numbers, and allows for clarity of referencing.

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Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)

Tomas Elliott is an assistant Professor of English at Northeastern University London. His research specialisms include the history of theatre and film, European modernism, world literature, film adaptation, transmedia studies and citation practices. He read English and French Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, before completing a PhD in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn how to cite in Harvard