Citing and referencing: Journals/Periodicals

A guide to the styles recommended by Monash schools and departments for students and researchers

Scholarly Journals/ Periodicals

Notes:

  • Follow these examples closely for all layout, punctuation, spacing, and capitalising.
  • Reproduce titles as shown on the cited work. If the official title includes an abbreviation, reproduce it in the reference, (e.g. JAMA Pediatrics).
  • There is no need to include the retrieval date.
  • Do not write "p" before the page number.
  • Do not write "vol" before the volume number but italicise the volume number.
  • Include the issue number if it is available, even for journals with continuous pagination (i.e. the page numbers of each issue, follow on from the page numbers of the previous issue).
  • Do not italicise the issue number but put it in parentheses. Leave no space between volume and issue number.
  • If an article provides an article number (or "eLocator"), write the word "Article" and the article number instead of the page range.
  • Diagram of referencing elements.

 

Digital Object Identification (DOI) and URLs;

  • What is a DOI?: A DOI is a unique identifier that provides a persistent link to the location of the content, and it should be provided in the reference where it is available. This alphanumeric string is usually located on the first page with other referencing elements in both print and electronic articles. All DOIs start with a 10 followed by a full stop, but they can also be formatted as a URL. Some examples of DOIs include:
    •  doi:10.1111/jan.12128
    •   https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12128
    •   http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jan.12128

In APA 7th, you are required to format the DOIs as a URL, with "https://doi.org/" before the number e.g. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12128

Tip: Use CrossRef's guest query form to help you to find an article's DOI number.

  • Always include the DOI for works that have a DOI regardless of whether you have accessed the print or electronic version. If an online article has a DOI then you do not need to include a URL.
  • If an online article does not have a DOI, use the following formats as specified:
    • An online article accessed from a website: Include the URL in the reference if the URL is publicly accessible.
    • An online article accessed in an academic research database, such as PsycINFO: Do not include the URL because these articles are considered widely available. Use the print version of the article reference instead.
    • An article from a database that publishes original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database), or works from databases that publish works of limited circulation (such as the ERIC database): Include the name of the database or archive and the URL. If the URL will not resolve for readers, provide the URL of the database home page or login page instead.
  • DOI or URL hyperlinks can be formatted in blue text and underlined (the default setting for Microsoft), or in plain text that is not underlined, but links should be live if the work is to be read or published online. The words "Retrieved from" or "Accessed from" are no longer required before the hyperlink.
  • See the guidelines for how to include DOIs and URLs in references for more information.

 

Journal article with one author 

Format

Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example

Matney, G. T. (2014). Early mathematics fluency with CCSSM. Teaching Children Mathematics, 21(1), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.5951/teacchilmath.21.1.0026

 

Two to 20 authors

When a reference has up to 20 authors, spell out all authors' names in the reference list.

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example

Hadgkiss, E. J., & Renzaho, A. M. (2014). The physical health status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum seekers residing in the community: A systematic review of the literature. Australian Health Review, 38(2), 142–159. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH13113

 

Twenty-one or more authors

When an article has 21 or more authors, type the first 19 authors' names followed by an ellipsis ( . . .) then the last author's name.

Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., . . . Author, Z. Z. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example

Griswold, M. G., Fullman, N., Hawley, C., Arian, N., Zimsen, S. R., Tymeson, H. D., Venkateswaran, V., Tapp, A. D., Forouzanfar, M. H., Salama, J. S., Abate, K. H., Abate, D., Abay, S. M., Abbafati, C., Abdulkader, R. S., Abebe, Z., Aboyans, V., Abrar, M. M., Acharya, P., . . . Gakidou, E. (2018). Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 392(10152), 1015–1035. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31310-2

 

Electronic article with no DOI located in an academic research database

Use the print format of an article reference with no URL.

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page.

Example

Trankle, S. A., & Haw, J. (2009). Predicting Australian health behaviour from health beliefs. Electronic Journal of Applied Psychology, 5(2), 9–17.

 

Electronic article with no DOI located on a website

Include the URL in the reference.

Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page. https://xxxxx

Example

Murphy, A., Malenczak, D., & Ghajar, M. (2019). Identifying challenges and benefits of online education for students with a psychiatric disability. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 32(4), 395–409. https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped/archived-jped/jped-volume-32

 

Electronic article with an article number (and no page numbers)

Write the word "Article" and the article number instead of the page range.

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), Article xxxxxx. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example

Grabenhorst, M., Michalareas, G., Maloney, L. T., & Poeppel, D. (2019). The anticipation of events in time. Nature Communications, 10, Article 5802. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13849-0

 

Other journal article examples

The APA style website has more information about specific journal article examples, including journal articles with missing information, retracted articles and pre-print articles. 

 

Print article with no DOI

Do not include any DOI or URL.

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page–page.

Example

Crowden, A. (2008). Professional boundaries and the ethics of dual and multiple overlapping relationships in psychotherapy. Monash Bioethics Review, 27(4), 10–27.

 

Article from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Even though articles in CDSR are published in a database, they function as part of an online journal. CDSR articles are only accessible in this database, so need to specify a DOI (or URL if a DOI is not provided). Do not italicise the database name if it appears in the text.

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Database name. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example

Winter, J., Hunter, S., Sim, J., & Crome, P. (2011). Hands-on therapy interventions for upper limb motor dysfunction following stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006609.pub2

Format for referencing a journal article

For a detailed view of the requirements of each reference element, click the information button.