How to write reference of Articles
Writing a reference for an article requires following a specific format based on the citation style you are using, such as APA, MLA, or Harvard. Here is a general guide on how to write a reference for an article:
1. Gather the necessary information: Collect all the relevant details about the article you are referencing, including the author(s), title, publication date, journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, and URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if applicable.
2. APA style reference:
- Start with the author's last name and initials, followed by a comma and then the author's initials (if available).
- Provide the publication year in parentheses, followed by a period.
- Include the article title, using sentence case and capitalizing only the first word of the title and any proper nouns. Place a period after the title.
- Write the journal title in italics and title case (capitalize all significant words). It should be followed by a comma.
- Include the volume number in italics, followed by the issue number (if applicable), both in parentheses and without italics. Add a comma after this information.
- Write the page range where the article appears, preceded by the abbreviation "pp." for multiple pages. End with a period.
- If the article has a DOI, include it at the end of the reference beginning with "https://doi.org/" and followed by the DOI number (without "doi:") or URL. Add a period at the end.
Example (APA style):
Brown, J. D., & Johnson, A. B. (2021). The impact of exercise on mental health. Journal of Health Psychology, 15(2), 256-264. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx-xxxx
3. MLA style reference:
- Begin with the author's last name, followed by a comma and then the first name.
- Provide the article title in quotation marks, using sentence case and capitalizing all significant words. Place a period inside the closing quotation mark.
- Write the journal title in italics and title case (capitalize all significant words). It should be followed by a comma.
- Include the volume and issue number, separated by a comma and followed by a comma.
- Write the publication year in parentheses, followed by a colon.
- Provide the page range where the article appears, preceded by the abbreviation "pp."
Example (MLA style):
Brown, John D., and Johnson, Alice B. "The Impact of Exercise on Mental Health." Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 15, no. 2, 2021, pp. 256-264.
4. Harvard style reference:
- Start with the author's last name, followed by a comma and then the initials.
- Provide the publication year in parentheses, followed by a period.
- Write the article title in sentence case and capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns. It should be followed by a period.
- Include the journal title in italics and title case (capitalize all significant words), followed by a comma.
- Write the volume number in italics, followed by the issue number (in parentheses and without italics). Add a comma after this information.
- Write the page range where the article appears.
Example (Harvard style):
Brown, J. D., & Johnson, A. B. (2021). The impact of exercise on mental health. Journal of Health Psychology, 15(2), 256-264.
Remember to adapt the reference format and style based on the specific requirements of the citation style you are using.