Elsevier Reference Format Generator | ScholarFlow

Generate accurate Elsevier-style references instantly. Free tool for researchers submitting to Cell, Lancet, and all Elsevier journals.

Elsevier journals use a Harvard author-year style for most publications — surname, initials, year, title, journal name, volume, issue, and page range. This generator produces a correctly formatted Elsevier reference you can paste directly into your manuscript or LaTeX document.

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Generate Elsevier Reference

Elsevier Reference Format Example

Kumar, A., Singh, B., Patel, C., 2024. Machine learning in drug discovery. J. Mol. Biol. 45 (3), 123–130.
  • Authors listed as Surname, Initials — multiple authors separated by commas
  • Year comes right after authors
  • Article title in sentence case (only first word capitalised)
  • Journal name in italics
  • Volume, then issue in parentheses, then page range

Frequently Asked Questions

What reference format do Elsevier journals use?

Most Elsevier journals use the Harvard author-year format: Surname, Initials, Year. Article title. Journal Name Vol (Issue), Pages. Some Elsevier journals use numbered Vancouver style — always check the specific journal's guide for authors.

How do I format multiple authors for Elsevier?

List all authors as Surname, Initials, separated by commas. Elsevier Harvard style does not use "et al." in the reference list — list all authors regardless of how many there are.

Can ScholarFlow handle Elsevier reference formatting in LaTeX?

Yes. ScholarFlow uses AI to detect your target journal and automatically formats all references to the correct Elsevier style. It works with .bib files and supports both Harvard and Vancouver formats.

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