Examples of referencing using Harvard style:
Journals
Journals are excellent sources of research, as they are usually a professional, published piece of work that focuses on a specialised area of expertise. They are often peer-reviewed, however you should confirm this before using the source.
In-text citations
When citing journal articles in-text, the author’s surname and the year of publication must be included.
General Rules:
- If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, only the year is placed in brackets.
- If the author’s name is not mentioned in the sentence, the citation is placed in brackets at the end of the sentence.
- If there are two authors, both names are used, joined by an ampersand (&).
- If there are three or more authors, list all names only in the first citation, then use et al. for subsequent citations.
Single Author
- Author mentioned in the sentence:
Smith (2020) found that animal enrichment improves welfare in captive species.
- Author not mentioned in the sentence:
Animal enrichment has been shown to improve welfare in captive species (Smith 2020).
Two Authors
- Authors mentioned in the sentence:
Jones and Taylor (2019) reported that early socialisation reduces behavioural issues in dogs.
- Authors not mentioned in the sentence:
Early socialisation reduces behavioural issues in dogs (Jones & Taylor 2019).
Five Authors
First Citation (List all authors):
- Authors mentioned in the sentence:
Brown, Green, White, Black and Grey (2021) demonstrated that proper handling techniques improve recovery rates in shelter animals.
- Authors not mentioned in the sentence:
Proper handling techniques improve recovery rates in shelter animals (Brown, Green, White, Black & Grey 2021).
Subsequent Citations (Use et al.):
- Authors mentioned in the sentence:
Brown et al. (2021) further supported the idea that proper handling reduces stress in newly admitted shelter animals.
- Authors not mentioned in the sentence:
Proper handling reduces stress in newly admitted shelter animals (Brown et al. 2021).
Summary Table
Number of Authors | First Citation (In Sentence) | First Citation (End of Sentence) | Subsequent Citation (In Sentence) | Subsequent Citation (End of Sentence) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 Author | Smith (2020) found that… | … (Smith 2020). | Smith (2020) confirmed that… | … (Smith 2020). |
2 Authors | Jones and Taylor (2019) noted that… | … (Jones & Taylor 2019). | Jones and Taylor (2019) further found… | … (Jones & Taylor 2019). |
3+ Authors | Brown, Green, White, Black and Grey (2021) observed that… | … (Brown, Green, White, Black & Grey 2021). | Brown et al. (2021) confirmed that… | … (Brown et al. 2021). |
Reference list
When citing journal articles in a Harvard reference list, follow these specific formatting rules:
Key Rules for Formatting Journal Articles in Harvard Style
✅ Author(s) surname first, followed by initials (no first names).
✅ Year of publication in brackets (no full stop after the year).
✅ Article title in single quotation marks, sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
✅ Journal title in italics and title case (capitalize all major words).
✅ Volume and issue number in the format: vol. X, no. Y.
✅ Page range included (e.g., pp. 100-115).
✅ DOI or URL included for online articles (if available).
Example Reference List for Journal Articles (Harvard Style)
Brown, R, Green, L, White, P, Black, S & Grey, T 2021, ‘The effects of handling techniques on shelter animal stress levels’, Journal of Animal Welfare Studies, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 45-60.
Jones, B & Taylor, K 2019, ‘Early socialisation and its impact on canine behaviour’, Veterinary Behaviour Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 12-25.
Smith, J 2020, ‘The role of enrichment in captive animal welfare’, Animal Behaviour Research Journal, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 100-115.
Additional Notes on Journal Articles in Harvard Style
- For journal articles with multiple authors, list all authors up to 20 in the first reference.
- For 21 or more authors, list the first 19 authors, then use et al.
- If the journal is available online, include a DOI or viewed date & URL if there is no DOI.
Example for an Online Journal Article:
Taylor, R & Green, L 2020, ‘Pain management in rabbits: A review of current practices’, Journal of Animal Care Research, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 45-60, doi:10.xxxx/abc.12345.
OR (if no DOI is available):
White, J 2022, ‘Canine physiotherapy and rehabilitation’, Journal of Veterinary Science, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 35-48, viewed 15 January 2024, https://www.journalvet.com/canine-physio.