We all have seen that magazine content appear in essays, reports, and even dissertations. Some titles publish science features, others focus on art, news, or culture. Whatever the focus, clean Harvard Referencing Style keeps your work credible and helps you avoid plagiarism. The guide below shows the formats, with simple examples.
Harvard treats magazines like other periodicals, but there are small differences between print, online, and items with a DOI. The sections that follow set out the in-text citation rules and the matching reference list entries. Each template can be adapted to fit your department’s house style.
Quick Rules (At a Glance)
Keep in-text citations short: surname and year. Quoting directly or citing a precise spot? Add p. # (or pp. #–#). In the reference list, give author, year, ‘article title’, magazine title, day month, pages. For online articles, finish with “viewed Day Month Year” and the link.
In-text: (Author Year) or (Author Year, p. # / pp. #–#)
Reference list (print): Author Surname, Initial(s) Year, ‘Article title’, Magazine Title, Day Month, p. # / pp. #–#.
Reference list (online): Author Surname, Initial(s) Year, ‘Article title’, Magazine Title, Day Month, p. # / pp. #–#, viewed Day Month Year, <URL>.
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Print Magazines
Print entries are simple. Note the author(s), year, article title, magazine title, the day and month of publication, and the page numbers. Mark one page with p., a range with pp. Write the article title in sentence case, unless your local guide asks otherwise.
In-text
(Rick & Erlandson 2009) or (Rick & Erlandson 2009, pp. 952–953)
Reference list
Rick, T C & Erlandson, J M 2009, ‘Coastal exploitation’, Science, 21 August, pp. 952–953.
Notes
- Use an ampersand (&) between two authors in the in-text citation only if your guide allows it, many Harvard variants use “and.”
- For three or more authors, use the first author’s surname followed by et al. in-text.
Online / Electronic Magazines
For online and electronic sources, add the viewed date and the URL. If page numbers are visible, include them. If not, omit pages and cite by section heading in-text for direct quotes.
In-text
(Kuttner 2003) or (Kuttner 2003, p. 26)
Reference list
Kuttner, R 2003, ‘The great American pension-fund robbery’, Business Week, 8 September, pp. 24–26, viewed 20 January 2012, http://www.businessweek.com/.
Tips
- Prefer the article’s canonical URL over the magazine home page if available.
- Avoid a full stop after the closing angle bracket.
When a DOI Is Present
Some periodicals publish content with a DOI (more common in journals than magazines). If a DOI appears, use the journal-style pattern your Harvard guide sets, ending with the https://doi.org/ link. This is stable and preferred over a standard URL.
In-text
(Cotter 2004) or (Cotter 2004, pp. 195–200)
Reference list (DOI format)
Cotter, J F 2004, ‘The inshape in escape’, Victorian Poetry, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 150–200, https://doi.org/10.1353/vp/2004.0038.
Good to know
- If your item truly is a magazine but still has a DOI, follow your department’s rule: many ask you to use the journal template whenever a DOI is supplied.
- Older styles show “doi:10.xxxx”; most guides now prefer the https://doi.org/ form.
In-Text Citations: Fast Checks
Keep in-text entries short. Use (Author Year) for general mention; add page or paragraph numbers for quotes. When there are three or more authors, cite (FirstAuthor et al. Year). Match each in-text reference to a reference list entry.
Examples
General: (Kotter 2006)
Specific page: (Kotter 2006, p. 3)
Three or more authors: (Gabriel et al. 2010)
What To Look Out For
- Magazine title not in italics – always italicise periodical titles.
- Wrong date – use the day and month shown on the article, not a site copyright year.
- Missing viewed date for online pieces – include viewed Day Month Year.
- Punctuating URLs – do not place a full stop after <URL>.
- Title case drift – keep article titles in single quotes and usually sentence case.
Quick Reference Table
| Source Type | In-Text Citation | Reference List Template |
|---|---|---|
| Print magazine article | (Author Year) or (Author Year, pp. #–#) | Author Surname, Initial(s) Year, ‘Article title’, Magazine Title, Day Month, p. # / pp. #–#. |
| Online magazine article | (Author Year) or (Author Year, p. #) | Author Surname, Initial(s) Year, ‘Article title’, Magazine Title, Day Month, p. # / pp. #–#, viewed Day Month Year, <URL>. |
| Article with DOI | (Author Year) | Author Surname, Initial(s) Year, ‘Article title’, Periodical Title, vol. #, no. #, pp. #–#, https://doi.org/xxxxx |
Worked Examples (Clean Formatting)
Print Kotter, J 2006, ‘The power of stories’, Forbes, 12 April, pp. 22–24.
Online
Kuttner, R 2003, ‘The great American pension-fund robbery’, Business Week, 8 September, pp. 24–26, viewed 20 January 2012, http://www.businessweek.com/.
DOI
Cotter, J F 2004, ‘The inshape in escape’, Victorian Poetry, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 150–200, https://doi.org/10.1353/vp/2004.0038.
Note: Examples are illustrative. Follow your university’s preferred Harvard variant for punctuation and spacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cite a magazine article in Harvard style: Author(s) Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Article title. Magazine Name, volume number(issue number), page range. URL (if online).
Only if the magazine uses numbered issues. Most magazines rely on day and month; journals use volume/issue more often.
Omit pages. For quotes, point to a section heading or use para. # if visible.
Follow your university’s Harvard guide. Many prefer viewed Day Month Year, some allow Accessed.
Cite the article page whenever possible. Use the home page only when the article URL is unstable or instructed by your guide.
List all authors in the reference list (if space allows). In-text, use FirstAuthor et al. Year.
