Cite a Print Journal Article in Harvard

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 05/30/2025

Citing journal articles forms a crucial part of academic writing. The Harvard referencing system provides a consistent way of citing different sources of information, including print journal articles.

This guide demonstrates the citation of journal articles using single, two, three, or over three authors from real-life examples and clear layout rules.

Journal Article in Print – Single Author

For citing a journal article with a single author in print format, the citation must be in the following style.

• The citation begins with the author’s surname, followed by their initial(s) without full first names. This identifies the main contributor of the article.
• Next, the year of publication is included immediately after the author’s name, placed in round brackets. This shows when the article was published.
• The title of the article comes next and must be written in single quotation marks. Use sentence case, meaning only the first word and any proper nouns are capitalized.
• Then, write the title of the journal in italics. Capitalize only the first letter of each main word in the journal title. Do not capitalize linking words such as and, of, for, or the unless they begin the title.
• Finally, add the volume number of the journal, followed by the issue number in round brackets. After that, include the full page range of the article, introduced by pp. to indicate multiple pages.

Journal Article in Print – Two Authors

When there are two authors, both the surname and the initial(s) are provided, and they are separated by “and”. Both the surname and initial(s) of the author must be provided. The rest of the citation is the same as the case of a single author.

Journal Article in Print – Three Authors

For a journal article that has three authors, state all their surnames and initials. Separate the first two names using a comma, then add “and” before the third author. The rest of the citation format does not change.

Journal Article in Print – Four or More Authors

For journals with four or more authors, give only the first author’s surname and initials and et al. (which is “and others”) in italics. The rest of the citation remains in the same format.

Always Use the Original Publication Details (Avoid Reprints or Online Versions): When citing a journal article in print, make sure to use the details from the original printed version. Do not include information such as a DOI, URL, or database name, as these are only relevant to online sources. Ensure the volume, issue, and page numbers come from the actual physical journal. Apply Sentence Case to Article Title, Not Title Case: The article title in Harvard style is in sentence case, with first word and proper nouns capitalized. This is a rule to differentiate the article title from the journal title, which is in title case and italicized. Maintain the Source Punctuation in Article Titles: If the article title is punctuated with marks such as question marks, colon, or dashes, do not remove them. Never remove or add punctuation when placing the title in the citation. This maintains the title as it is, verifiable and accurate. Verify the Author Order and Spelling as in the Original Source: Authors’ list in the order in which they worked should not be altered. Verify the print article to ensure that all the names are spelled correctly and in their right order. A misspelled or misplaced author’s name will lead to citation errors or confusion in identifying the source.