The title of the journal is written in full and in italics. Do not use journal abbreviations. The journal title is typed in uppercase and lowercase letters.
When the journal title has a parallel title in two languages, give both if needed (e.g. In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi).
Use Arabic numerals for the volume and issue numbers of the journal. Volume and issue numbers must be indicated if available. Check for complete information in relevant databases.
Journal articles published online are assigned a DOI number (digital object identifier).
A DOI is a unique alphanumeric number assigned to online sources (not only journal articles) to identify it and provide persistent links to its location on the internet.
When a DOI is available for a source, include it in the entry of the reference list. The DOI can usually be found on the first page of the online journal article, or it can be found on the database where the journal is indexed.
Initially DOI numbers were given in a number format that started with doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxx. Since 2017 CrossRef (a registration agency) changed the format of the DOI to the form of a URL which resolves into a working link. Give the DOI in the format found on the source. A DOI is a permanent link, no need for access date.
Note: no full stop after the DOI number
Many online journals don’t have continuous page numbering across all the issues. Each article has an article number (eg. Art. #859) and each article starts with page 1 if it is downloadable in PDF format. In the text reference give the page number of the PDF-version of the article, even if each article starts with p. 1. If the journal is only in HTML format with no page numbers, then the text reference won’t have a page number.
Online journals publish articles on their web page that was provisionally accepted by the editorial team but not yet formally published in a specific issue of the journal. It can be cited as follows:
Note: Check the article’s publication status again before handing in your final assignment / research report and supply the complete reference if available.
It can happen that a journal article is written in a foreign language but has an abstract in English, or that only the abstract of a complete article is available. It is acceptable to use this information, but the reference must give a clear indication that the original source was not used. Reference it as follow:
This example is in French and the title is translated into English, thus the title in brackets:
