Cite the journal name as it appeared on the article at the time of publication, then apply your style guide's rule for historical journal names to decide whether to add the later name. The publication-time name identifies the source as it was issued; the current name is a separate fact you can record for the reader.
- Open the article record and confirm the publication-time journal name. Check the article's own title page, first page, or the journal field in the deposited metadata for that DOI. A DOI lookup through the Crossref REST API returns the metadata deposited for that DOI, which gives you the recorded journal title to compare against the article itself.
- Establish whether a name change occurred and when. Compare the publication-time name with the journal's current name. Record the change only if you can point to the source that shows it; a mismatch between an article page and a database entry is unresolved until you check the article and the journal's own record.
- Apply your target style guide's rule for historical journal names. Style guides differ on whether to use the name at publication, the current name, or both. Citing Medicine provides structured rules and examples for citing journal articles, so use its journal-article examples when NLM style governs your reference list. If the journal you are submitting to sets its own reference style, follow that journal's instructions, as ICMJE advises authors to follow journal reference style.
- Verify the reference against the original source. ICMJE advises authors to verify references against original sources and to cite direct sources where possible. Confirm the volume, issue, pages, and year against the article itself, not only against a secondary listing.
- Write the citation with the publication-time name and any later name your style requires. Keep the publication-time name in the journal position, and add the later name only in the form your style guide specifies.
The result is a citation whose journal field matches the article as published, with any name-change note placed where your style guide puts it.