What Information Do You Need?
Before you start formatting, gather these details from the article. They appear on the article's title page, abstract page, or in the database record:
- Author(s): last name and first/middle initials or full first name
- Article title: the full title and subtitle
- Journal name: the full name (or NLM abbreviation for AMA/Vancouver)
- Year of publication
- Volume and issue number
- Page range: first page to last page (or article number for online-only)
- DOI: digital object identifier — check the article page or PubMed/CrossRef
A DOI is preferred over a URL because DOIs are permanent — a URL can change or break, but a DOI always resolves to the correct article. Find a DOI at doi.org or on the journal's article page.
No DOI? Search the article title at doi.org/search — CrossRef can often locate a DOI even if it is not displayed on the journal's page. If there is genuinely no DOI, include the URL of the journal's homepage (not a database-specific URL that may expire).
APA 7th Edition
APA is the most common citation style in psychology, education, and many health and social sciences. It uses an author-date in-text citation and a References list at the end.
In-text
(Chen et al., 2023, p. 1234)
Reference list — standard
Chen, J. K., Patel, R. M., & Torres, L. D. (2023). Deep learning approaches for structural fault detection in civil infrastructure. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 70(4), 1234–1245. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012
Online ahead of print (no volume/issue yet)
Wang, Y., & Li, M. Z. (2023). CRISPR-based diagnostics for rapid pathogen identification. Nature Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02658-4
21 or more authors
Smith, J. A., Jones, B. R., Lee, C. K., Brown, A., Patel, D., ... Wilson, E. F. (2023). Nationwide trends in drug-resistant infections. Annals of Internal Medicine, 176(5), 601–610. https://doi.org/10.7326/M22-2345
IEEE
IEEE is the standard for engineering, computer science, electronics, and most physical sciences. It uses numbered superscript citations and a numbered reference list.
In-text
[1] or as shown in [1]–[3]
Reference list
[1] J. K. Chen, R. M. Patel, and L. D. Torres, "Deep learning approaches for structural fault detection in civil infrastructure," IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron., vol. 70, no. 4, pp. 1234–1245, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012.
[2] Y. Wang and M. Z. Li, "CRISPR-based diagnostics for rapid pathogen identification," Nat. Med., Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02658-4.
IEEE journal abbreviations: IEEE has its own list of official journal abbreviations — different from NLM abbreviations. Use the IEEE abbreviation list or check the journal's IEEE page. "IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics" → "IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron."
Harvard
Harvard style uses (Author, Year) in-text citations. Note that unlike APA, Harvard has no single governing body — the format varies by institution. This is the most widely used version.
In-text
(Chen, Patel and Torres, 2023, p. 1234)
Reference list
Chen, J.K., Patel, R.M. and Torres, L.D. (2023) 'Deep learning approaches for structural fault detection in civil infrastructure', IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 70(4), pp. 1234–1245. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012 (Accessed: 10 January 2024).
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Vancouver
Vancouver is used in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences. Like IEEE, it uses numbered superscript citations ordered by first appearance.
In-text
as demonstrated by Chen et al.¹
Reference list
1. Chen JK, Patel RM, Torres LD. Deep learning approaches for structural fault detection in civil infrastructure. IEEE Trans Ind Electron. 2023;70(4):1234-45. doi: 10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012.
AMA (11th Edition)
AMA is similar to Vancouver but uses the AMA's own formatting rules. Used in medicine, public health, and dentistry.
In-text
¹ (superscript, placed after punctuation)
Reference list
1. Chen JK, Patel RM, Torres LD. Deep learning approaches for structural fault detection in civil infrastructure. IEEE Trans Ind Electron. 2023;70(4):1234-1245. doi:10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012
Chicago Author-Date
In-text
(Chen, Patel, and Torres 2023, 1234)
Reference list
Chen, Jun K., Raj M. Patel, and Luis D. Torres. 2023. "Deep Learning Approaches for Structural Fault Detection in Civil Infrastructure." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 70 (4): 1234–1245. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012.
MLA 9th Edition
In-text
(Chen et al. 1234)
Works Cited
Chen, Jun K., et al. "Deep Learning Approaches for Structural Fault Detection in Civil Infrastructure." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 70, no. 4, Apr. 2023, pp. 1234–45. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2022.3195012.
Side-by-Side Quick Reference
| Style | In-Text | Author Format | Year Position | Title case |
|---|
| APA 7th | (Author et al., Year) | Last, I. I. | After author | Sentence case |
| IEEE | [1] | I. Last | End of entry | Sentence case |
| Harvard | (Author, Year) | Last, I. | After author | Sentence case |
| Vancouver | ¹ | Last IN | After journal info | Sentence case |
| AMA | ¹ | Last IN | Year;Vol | Sentence case |
| Chicago AD | (Author Year) | Last, First | After author | Title case |
| MLA 9th | (Author page) | Last, First | After issue info | Title case |
Special Cases
Preprints (arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv)
Preprints are research papers that have not yet been peer-reviewed. Cite them with the preprint server name and the word "preprint" where you would normally put the journal name.
APA example
Chen, J. K., & Patel, R. M. (2023). Deep learning for fault detection [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2301.12345
Retracted articles
If an article has been retracted and you still need to cite it (to discuss the retraction itself), note the retraction in your reference:
APA
Smith, J. A. (2020). Vaccine hesitancy predictors. Lancet, 395(10223), 456–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30000-0 (Retracted)
Common Mistakes When Citing Journal Articles
- Citing the database (JSTOR, PubMed) instead of the journal: the journal is the source — PubMed is just where you found it
- Using the URL from your library proxy: use the DOI or the journal's direct URL, not a proxy URL that only works on your campus network
- Omitting the issue number: always include both volume and issue — vol. 70, no. 4, not just vol. 70
- Wrong title case: APA and Vancouver use sentence case for article titles; Chicago and MLA use title case
- Not abbreviating journal names for AMA/Vancouver: use the official NLM abbreviation, not the full name
- Using a URL instead of a DOI when a DOI exists: always prefer the DOI — it is more stable and more precise
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the DOI for an article?
Check the article page on the journal's website — the DOI is usually in the top section. You can also search at doi.org, paste the article title at CrossRef (crossref.org), or look in PubMed's record for the article. If you imported the citation into Zotero or Mendeley, the DOI is usually auto-populated.
What if the article has no page numbers (online-only)?
Many online-only journals use article numbers instead of page ranges — e.g., e0234567 in PLOS ONE. Use the article number in place of page numbers. In APA: PLOS ONE, 18(3), Article e0234567. In IEEE: Art. no. e0234567. In Vancouver/AMA: just include the article number where pages would go.
How many authors should I list before using "et al."?
It depends on the style: APA lists up to 20 authors (21st onward replaced by "..."); IEEE, Vancouver, and AMA list the first 3 or 6 then "et al."; MLA lists the first author then "et al." for 3+. See the specific style guide for the exact cutoff.
The article was published online ahead of print — how do I cite it?
Cite it as an advance online publication. In APA, add "Advance online publication." before the DOI. In IEEE, include the DOI but note there may be no volume/issue yet — use "Early Access" if the database shows it. Once the full issue is published, update the citation with the volume, issue, and page numbers.