What Is Article Number in Journal?

This section concerns the article number and what it refers to in a journal.

Have you ever faced a journal reference with an “article number” and wondered what it meant?

Sometimes, the familiar page numbers often guide us in print publications, and online journals sometimes use a different system.

This guide gives you a key to cracking the case and unearthing the missing article number.

You can count on this guidance as an assistance to accurate referencing. So, if you are eager to enhance your referencing to another level using the article number, stay here.

Where can you find article numbers in online journals?

First, let’s see what is article number in the journal.

Usually, the journals allocate page numbers to each article in an issue. I hope you have read our blog’s “What Is Volume and Issue Number of Journal” section for a better understanding.

Nevertheless, many online journals now use article numbers instead. Regardless of its virtual location, it can be counted as a unique identifier for each article. Now, it is time to locate the article number in the journals.

How To Find Article Number in Journal?

Identifying and locating the article number can vary depending on the specific journal. It is displayed alongside the article title, volume, and issue number.

To ease your job, you can look for terms like “Article,” “Art>,” or simply a numeral following the other identifiers.

Here are some typical locations where the article number might be displayed there:

1. On the article’s title page or first page.
2. In the journal’s table of contents.
3. Within the online platform’s interface.

Now you know where the article number is, so we can use it to change our referencing methods.

Let’s learn about citing an article with the article number.

How do you reference an article with the article number in APA style?

Journal referencing with article numbers in APA style slightly differs from referencing one with page numbers. There are some factors to put in your reference in this style, and you need to follow an order.

Referencing an article with an article number? Here is how to do it:

1. Author(s): To begin, you have to list the name of the author(s) in the same format as usual. You must write the last name followed by initials for first and then middle names.
2. Year of publication: Add the year of publication in parentheses after the authors’ name.
3. Title of the article: It is time to write the title in italics.
4. Journal title: After the article’s title, the italicized title of the journal should be added.
5. Volume number: Remember to italicize the volume number and place it after the journal title when listing a journal reference. Be sure to follow it with a period and enclose it in parentheses.
6. Issue number: Include the issue number in parentheses after the volume number, and separate them using a comma.
7. Article number: Include the word “Article” followed by the “Article Number.” Do not write the word “Article” in italics.
8. DOI (optional): If your article has a DOI, add it after the article number.

If you follow all these steps, your citation will be something like this (example):

Smith, J. A., & Brown, K. L. (2023). Exploring the impact of social media on academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(3), Article 723.

Difference Between Article Number & Page Number

Some students might be confused about differentiating the article and page numbers, so we clarified this.

Both article numbers and page numbers help to find information within a journal, but they serve different purposes, and they are used in different situations.

Ø Article Number

• Article Number is an exclusive identifier given to an individual article within a journal that does not necessarily need its location.
• It is used mainly in online journals.

Ø Page Number

• The Page Number is a specific number assigned to each page within an issue of a journal.
• It is mainly used in print journals.

Now, What Are the Key Differences?

• Scope: Article numbers identify the whole article, but page numbers show specific pages in an article.
• Uniqueness: Each article has a unique number, while page numbers might be shared in an issue.
• Consistency: Page number formats tend to be more consistent within a single journal; however, the article number formats can vary across journals.

You can now find an article number, so let’s wrap it up.

Read More: How do you cite a journal article with no volume or issue number?

Conclusion

You now have the expertise to confidently navigate even the most complex reference lists, knowing what article number is in a journal.

As you learned in this section, the article numbers serve as a map, directing you to the study you require.

If you need further assistance in the “What is article number in a journal?” topic and there are still some vague points, comment in the section below.