Any student preparing for university-level writing will likely need to master Harvard referencing. This citation style is regularly used in academic institutions. It is an essential way to present your sources clearly and professionally.
Referencing isn't simply about avoiding plagiarism, though. You need it to build credibility. Every time you cite your sources correctly, you show that your work is supported by research while also giving credit to the original authors.
Whether you cite a book, a journal article, or an online resource, using the correct citation format will improve your grades and academic writing. Let's see everything you need to know about the Harvard referencing style, including formatting, examples, structuring a reference list, and using in-text citations.
What is Harvard Referencing?
Harvard referencing is a citation style for crediting the sources of information and ideas in your writing.
This is an author-date system, which means you reference the author's surname and the year of publication within the body of the text and provide full details of courses in a reference list at the end of your writing.
This system is very popular within the humanities and social sciences, but it's used globally. The main advantage is that readers can quickly see where your ideas come from, check your sources, and explore further if they want.
Harvard referencing can be used for print books, journals, online articles, and many other sources.
You'll put your reference in brackets within your text, including two or three core pieces of information:
- Author's surname
- Year of publication
- Page number (if quoting directly)
For example: (Smith, 2020, p.45)
Harvard style uses italics for titles of longer works like books or journals. For shorter ones like chapters or articles, you'll use quotation marks.
Any great academic writing will use referencing.
The Core Elements of a Harvard Citation
You'll need the key information for your source before you start using the Harvard referencing style.
Whether your source
is a book, article, or website, much of the information will be the same for your in-text citation and full reference list at the end.
1. Author(s)
The surname and initial of the author or authors must be included. For works with multiple authors, you'll need to adjust the format.
2. Year of Publication
Always include the year the work was published. If the date is unavailable, use “n.d.” (no date) in its place.
3. Title
The title of the source must be included in your reference. The title should appear in italics for books, journals, and standalone works. For chapters or articles, use quotation marks.
4. Publication Details
This includes the place of publication (often a city like London), the name of the publisher, and the edition if applicable (e.g., 2nd ed.).
5. Page Numbers
You must include the page number if you're directly quoting from a text. This appears in square brackets or brackets after the citation, depending on the formatting style used by your institution.
If the source you're citing doesn't include page numbers, which is common with websites or PDFs, use a paragraph number, section title, or write n.p. (no page) instead.
6. Access Details for Online Sources
Include the full URL (starting with www) and the date accessed if referencing an online source. This helps readers locate the source even if it changes or gets moved. Some sources may also provide a DOI, preferable to a URL.
Referencing a Book
Books are among the most commonly cited sources in academic writing and coursework. Harvard style referencing has a specific format for referencing books and requires key details like the author's surname, initial, year of publication, title (in italics), edition, publisher, and place of publication.
Reference list example:
Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of Book. Edition (if applicable). Place of Publication: Publisher.
In-text citation:
(Surname, Year, p. Page Number)
For example:
Reference list:
Holt, D.H. (1997). Management Principles and Practices. Sydney: Prentice-Hall.
In-text: (Holt, 1997, p. 4)
Multiple Books by the Same Author
If you have to reference more than one book by the same author, list them in chronological order. If two were published in the same year, you must add a letter to distinguish them, like 2021a and 2021b.
Edited Books and Chapters
If you're referencing an edited book, you need to include the chapter author and editor, as well as the page numbers for the chapter.
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Chapter title. In: Editor’s Surname, Initial. (ed.) Book Title. Place: Publisher, pp. x–y.
Multiple Authors
You'll have to change things slightly to reference books with multiple authors.
- 2–3 Authors: List all surnames and initials.
- 4+ Authors: Use the first author's surname followed by et al. in-text, but list all names in the reference list.
❌ Missing accessed date for online sources
❌ Forgetting to italicise book or journal titles
❌ Using a URL when a DOI is available
❌ Incorrect use of brackets or punctuation in citations
Referencing Articles and Journals
When you cite a journal article, magazine, or newspaper, Harvard style won't change much from referencing a book.
However, you should know that online sources and academic journals provide a DOI or are accessed through a library.
Academic Journals
These are common sources in university writing and often the most credible. For print journals:
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of Article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp. page range.
Example: Brown, L. (2019). Cultural perceptions in urban education. Journal of Education Studies, 42(3), pp. 215–230.
If accessed online with a DOI:
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of Article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp. x–y. https://doi.org/xxxxx
If no DOI is available, use the URL and include the accessed date:
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of Article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp. x–y. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
Newspaper Articles
- Format (Print): Surname, Initial. (Year). Article Title. Newspaper Name, p. page number.
- Format (Online): Surname, Initial. (Year). Article Title. Newspaper Name [online]. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
Magazine Articles
Magazines follow the same pattern but include the volume number and issue date.
- Format (Print): Surname, Initial. (Year). Article Title. Magazine Name, Volume, pp. x–y.
- Format (Online): Surname, Initial. (Year, Month Day). Article Title. Magazine Name [online]. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
Referencing articles correctly helps provide a strong foundation for your paper and ensures your work meets university standards.
Referencing Online Sources
Since almost everything can be found online, citing a reputable online source like a website, blog, social media post, or video follows a clear format for Harvard referencing.
Websites
Websites are common sources, but they often lack some typical publication details. Still, you must include the author or organisation, year, title, URL, and accessed date.
- Format: Author/Organisation. (Year). Title of Page. [online]. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
[online] — for digital-only sources
[Accessed 14 April 2025] — for retrieval dates
[Unpublished] — for lectures, personal notes, or internal documents
Social Media
Social media can be cited if relevant and academic in tone. Include the author’s name, date, title or description of the post, and the platform.
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Post description. [Platform]. Day Month Year. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
YouTube and Videos
Videos can be valuable sources in essays, especially when discussing multimedia or current topics.
- Format: Username. (Year). Video Title. . Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
Online materials are now a standard part of student research. If you're unsure how to evaluate digital sources, review our advice on how to sound smarter with your word choices, as it'll help you write with clarity and precision across formats.
Referencing Other Source Types
You mightn't get all your sources from books or articles. If you need to cite less common materials like conference papers, government publications, university documents, or something from a library archive, there's a Harvard referencing guideline for each.
Conference Papers
When referencing papers presented at academic conferences, you must include the author, year, title of the paper, the name of the conference, and its location.
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of paper. Paper presented at: Conference Name, Location, Day Month.
- Example: Chen, M. (2023). Climate justice in policy. Paper presented at: Global Policy Forum, London, 12 March.
University Materials and Lecture Notes
If you need to reference a lecture or university-provided handout, include the author (often the lecturer), the year, the title, and details of the institution.
- Format: Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of lecture/document. Module Code – Institution Name. [Unpublished].
- Example: Williams, R. (2024). Introduction to Political Theory. POL101 – University of Oxford. [Unpublished].
Government or Institutional Reports
For official reports, institutional publications, or white papers, use this format:
- Format: Organisation. (Year). Title of report. Place of publication: Publisher.
- Example: Department of Health. (2020). UK Mental Health Strategy. London: HM Government.
Library Collections and Archives
If you're using primary sources from a library or archive, give as much information as possible, including the collection title, reference number, and location.
- Format: Archive Name. (Year). Title or Description. [Archive reference number]. Place: Archive.
- Example: British Library. (1912). Letter from Churchill to Asquith. [BL/CHU/1912]. London: British Library Archives.
Building Your Reference List
Finally, you must compile the complete reference list for your paper, essay, or work. You'll bring all your sources together in your text using the Harvard reference style and proper grammar and punctuation.
General Rules
- Alphabetical order by author's surname
- Use italics for the titles of books, journals, and standalone works
- Maintain a hanging indent if submitting digitally
- Ensure consistent punctuation, capitalisation, and brackets use
- Do not number entries
- Include the full URL or DOI and the accessed date for online sources
Formatting Tips
- List entries with multiple authors using the same format as in your citations
- Repeat the author’s name for each entry. Don’t use a dash or line
- If citing multiple works from the same author, list them in chronological order
- For same-year publications by the same author, label as 2023a, 2023b, etc.
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