How to reference a journal article in your dissertation UK

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Steven George

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Journal articles form the backbone of dissertation research. You've probably read dozens. But citing them correctly requires precision. The good news: journal article citations follow clear patterns. Once you understand the structure, referencing becomes systematic.

Different referencing systems format journal articles slightly differently. But all require the same core information: authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, and publication date. Some add DOI. Some specify access method. The centrals remain constant.

#### Harvard Journal Article Format

Format: Author surname, initials. (Year) 'Title of article', Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. page range. doi: DOI.

Example: Smith, J., Johnson, P., and Williams, R. (2023) 'The impact of early intervention', Journal of Health Research, 45(3), pp. 234-245. doi: 10.1109/12.345678.

Notice the structure. Author names appear surname first for the first author, then initials. Single quotes enclose the article title. Italics mark the journal title. Volume and issue in parentheses. Page numbers abbreviated "pp." Page range uses a hyphen or en dash. DOI appears last if available.

If there's no DOI, the citation ends with the page range. Format: Smith, J., Johnson, P., and Williams, R. (2023) 'The impact of early intervention', Journal of Health Research, 45(3), pp. 234-245.

The quality of your argument in each chapter of the dissertation depends on how carefully you have thought through the logical connections between your evidence, your interpretation of that evidence, and the conclusions you draw.

#### APA Journal Article Format

Format: Author Surname, First Initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/DOI

Drafting your chapters in a sequence that makes sense to you, rather than necessarily in the order they will appear in the final document, can help maintain momentum and prevent you from getting stuck on difficult sections.

Your research contributes to a conversation that extends beyond your dissertation, and keeping that broader perspective in mind helps you write with the kind of purpose and direction that examiners find compelling.

Example: Smith, J., Johnson, P., & Williams, R. (2023). The impact of early intervention. Journal of Health Research, 45(3), 234-245. https://doi.org/10.1109/12.345678

APA differs in several ways. Article titles use sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalised). No quotation marks around titles. Journal titles appear in italics with title case capitalisation. The DOI format includes the full "https://doi.org/" prefix. Notice the ampersand (&) instead of "and" between author names.

#### MHRA Journal Article Format

Footnote format: Author Surname, Initials, 'Title of Article', Title of Journal, Volume (Year), page number.

Bibliography format: Author Surname, First Name. 'Title of Article'. Title of Journal, Volume (Year), page range.

Example footnote: Smith, J., 'The impact of early intervention', Journal of Health Research, 45 (2023), p. 234.

Example bibliography: Smith, John. 'The impact of early intervention'. Journal of Health Research, 45 (2023), 234-245.

MHRA's footnote includes a specific page number where you found your cited idea. The bibliography includes the full page range. This distinction serves different purposes.

#### Handling Multiple Authors in Journal Articles

Two authors: Both appear in all citations. Smith and Johnson (2023).

Three to five authors: All appear in the first citation. Subsequent citations use "et al." (Smith et al., 2023).

Six or more authors: Use "et al." from the start (Smith et al., 2023).

Different systems handle multiple authors slightly differently. Harvard lists multiple authors with "and" or an ampersand depending on context. APA uses ampersands between all authors. Check your specific system. The key principle: consistency throughout your dissertation.

#### When Articles Have DOI Numbers

Always include the DOI when available. DOIs are permanent identifiers. URLs to journal articles change. DOIs persist. They also help readers locate articles easily through CrossRef databases.

Format the DOI as your system requires. Harvard and APA both require the full DOI path. Some systems prefer just the number without the "https://doi.org/" prefix. Check your institution's guidance.

#### Online-Only Journals

Journals published exclusively online still cite as printed journals. Include volume and issue if available. If pagination doesn't apply (some online journals use article numbers instead), include the article number: Smith, J. (2023) 'Title', Journal Name, Volume, Article number. https://doi.org/DOI

Some online journals don't assign issue numbers. Citation becomes: Smith, J. (2023) 'Title', Journal Name, Volume, article number. https://doi.org/DOI

The data you collect during your research should be organised and stored in a way that makes it easy to retrieve, analyse, and reference when you need it, because poor data management creates unnecessary problems during the writing stage.

#### Accessing Articles Behind Paywalls

Your institution provides access to most major journals through library subscriptions. You're accessing through institutional authentication, not paying personally. Your citation remains the same. You needn't note "accessed via institutional login" unless your supervisor requests it.

If you can't access an article through your institution, you might request it from the author directly. Most researchers respond to reasonable requests. When you've obtained an article this way, your citation remains unchanged. The access method doesn't affect the citation.

#### Journal Article Special Cases

Articles with no author: Use the journal title as author. Journal of Health Research (2023) 'Title of article', Journal of Health Research, 45(3), pp. 234-245.

Early online publication: Some journals publish articles online before assigning them to print issues. If an article is published online but not yet in print, include the online publication date and DOI. Page numbers may not exist yet. Your citation captures what's available: Smith, J. (2023) 'Title', Journal of Health Research, https://doi.org/DOI (accessed 15 March 2024).

Retracted articles: If an article has been retracted, note this. Your citation might add "[retracted]" after the title. Your supervisor will clarify if you encounter retractions. Citing retracted articles requires explanation unless you're discussing the retraction itself.

#### Building Your Reference List

The language of your dissertation should be precise enough to convey your meaning without ambiguity but accessible enough that a reader with general knowledge of your field can follow your argument without difficulty.

All journal articles cited appear in your reference list. Alphabetically organised (for Harvard and APA). By citation order (for OSCOLA, MHRA, IEEE). Each entry follows the same format. Consistency throughout matters enormously.

Check each reference against your source. Verify author names, article titles, volume numbers, and page ranges. A single misplaced comma or wrong digit undermines your work's credibility. Manual checking prevents errors that software might miss.

#### Integration with Your Dissertation

Dissertation Homework supports students referencing journal articles correctly. Your research rests on journal sources. They deserve precise citations. Your supervisor will scrutinise them. Getting them right from the start prevents revision work later.

Universities like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Manchester, and Durham University all expect precise journal article citations. Your institution provides resources. Ask your library for help. Subject librarians answer these questions constantly.

FAQ

Q1: Do I need to include the DOI if I've the page numbers?

Yes, include both. DOI and page numbers serve different purposes. Page numbers indicate where the article appears in that particular journal issue. DOI provides a permanent identifier that works across platforms. Both together make your citation maximally useful. DOIs help readers access articles that have moved online or changed URLs. Pages help readers locate specific passages within articles. Neither one makes the other redundant.

Q2: How do I cite a journal article I found through a database like EBSCOhost?

Your choice of research methods should be guided by the nature of your research questions rather than by personal preference, because the most appropriate method is the one that best addresses what you want to find out.

Cite the article as it appears in the journal. The database is merely your access method. Your citation doesn't note EBSCOhost. You cite the original journal. The only database mention appears if the article is exclusively available through that database (rare for journal articles). Most journal articles you'll find in databases have standard journal citations. Dissertation Homework recommends ignoring the database and citing the article itself.

Q3: What if an article I need to cite shows different page numbers in different formats?

Use the page numbers from the version you consulted. If you read the article in print, use print page numbers. If you accessed it via PDF, use those page numbers. If they differ, note the discrepancy: "pp. 234-245 (online version: article number 789)." This transparency helps readers locate your source. For most modern articles, the PDF version shows both original page numbers and online identifiers. Use the original page numbers as primary.

Q4: How do I cite a journal article that's part of a special issue?

Your research methods should be described in enough detail to allow another researcher to understand your approach and evaluate whether your procedures were appropriate for the questions you set out to answer in your study.

Include the special issue information if prominent. Format: Author, (Year) 'Article Title', Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. pages, Special Issue: [name of issue]. Some journals emphasise special issues prominently. Others don't. If the special issue is central to understanding the article, include it. If it's merely organisational grouping, omit it. Your supervisor can clarify if you're uncertain.

Q5: Should I include the journal's location (the publisher's city) in my journal article citations?

No. Journal citations don't require publisher location. Books require publisher location and name. Journal articles require volume, issue, and page numbers. The two citation types serve different purposes. Article citations are more compact. They don't include publisher information because journals have consistent publishing arrangements. Publishers and publication locations don't change within a journal volume. So,, including them would be redundant.