Harvard Format and Referencing Guide Made Simple

Post author By Evans
Post date May 27, 2024
6 Comments on Harvard Format and Referencing Guide Made Simple

The Harvard format, also known as the Harvard referencing style, is a system for citing sources in academic writing. It is characterized by using author-date in-text citations and a comprehensive reference list at the end of the document. This system ensures that readers can easily locate the sources referenced within the text. This guide is developed in line with the book Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2016) Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide. 10th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Table of Contents

General Principles of Formatting

The following guidelines should be followed when using the Harvard format:

Arial 12 pt. font (unless the instructions require a different font)
1” (2.54 cm) margins from all sides (This applies to APA, MLA, and Chicago Style)
Alphabetical order of sources at the end of a document according to the author’s surname or title (if no author). If you have cited more than one item by the same author, they should be listed chronologically (earliest first) and by letter (1996a 1996b) if more than one item has been published in the same year.
No indentation is required on the reference list on a Harvard-formatted paper.

Sentence case capitalization for book/article/chapter titles
Single quotation marks in the reference list

Title Page

On the title page of a Harvard-styled paper, the following guidelines should be followed:

Your title should be inserted in the upper half of the first page.

You should not use more than 12 words for your title

Use upper and lower case (avoid abbreviations and redundant words).

The title page should be double-spaced.

Insert the author’s name below the title.

Insert the educational institution below the author’s name.
In the header of the Harvard-style paper, you must include your surname and the page number, just like in MLA format.

Headings

As a rule, two types of subheadings are used when formatting a paper at Harvard:

Level 1 – Centered, Capitalized, Not Bold, Not Italicized

Level 2 – Flush Left, Italicized, Capitalized, Not Bold

Reference List Rules

The Harvard reference list is inserted at the end of your paper; any source that you use needs to be included in the reference page and cited in the text.

Do not forget to invert authors’ names, such as last name and initials. Example: Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M..
The reference list is always alphabetized by the first word in the reference entry (from A to Z).
When alphabetizing titles or group names as authors, go by the first significant word (disregard a, an, the)
In the titles of your sources (except journal, magazine, and database titles), use sentence case capitalization.
Italicization is applied to titles of books and periodical journals.
Single quotation marks are used for the titles of articles and book chapters.

Reference in Harvard Referencing Style

Books Referencing

General book format

Harvard referencing style of books follows the following general format.

Last Name, Initials. (Publication Date) Title of book. City: Publisher.

Single author

Sebold, A. (2002) The Lovely Bones. London: Hachette.

Two or three authors

Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M. (2006) New literacies: everyday practices and classroom learning. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Four or more authors

Evans, J. et al. (2003) Equal subjects, unequal rights: indigenous peoples in British settler societies. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Note:

List only the first author, while others are represented by “et al.”

Corporate Author

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand (2016) AASB 128 investments in associates and joint ventures. Sydney: Pearson Education.

Unknown author

The Oxford dictionary of abbreviations (1998) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Multiple works by the same author

King, S. (2008) The Shining. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

King, S. (2010) Insomnia. London: Hachette.

Note:

On the Reference list, works by the same author are arranged by year of publication, with the earliest work first.

Multiple works published in the same year by the same author

King, S. (2008a) The shining. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

King, S. (2008b) The stand. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Note:

Both in the in-text citations and on the Reference list, works published in the same year by the same author should be distinguished by adding an alphabetical designator to the publication date.

Different editions

Feldman, R. (2011) Understanding psychology. 10th edn. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Note:

When using any edition of the book other than the first one, use the publication date of that particular edition and make sure to add the edition number to the entry on the Reference list.

Author with an editor

Howells, W. D. (1968) Their wedding journey. Edited by John K. Reeves. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Note:

Write editor(s) full first name(s) followed by last name.

Editor with no author

Baker, R. (ed.) (1986) The Norton Book of Light Verse. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

Note:

Use either (ed.) for one editor or (eds.) for two or more.

Translated book

Homer (1997) The Odyssey. Translated by R. Fagles. Introduction and notes by B. Knox. London: Penguin Books.

Note:

Make sure to mention all contributors, such as translators, editors, co-authors, or illustrators

if mentioned on the book’s cover page.

Multi-volume book

Ersoy, A., Górny, M. and Kechriotis, V. (2010) Discourses of Collective Identity in Central and

Southeast Europe 1770–1945: Texts and Commentaries (3 vols.). Budapest: Central European University Press.

If you cite a separate volume, use the following format:

Ersoy, A., Górny, M. and Kechriotis, V. (2010) Discourses of Collective Identity in Central and Southeast Europe 1770–1945: Texts and Commentaries. Part 1: Modernism: The Creation of Nation-States. Budapest: Central European University Press.

Collected works

Jung, C.G. (1989–1995) Gesammelte werke (24 vols). Olten: Walter Verlag.

Chapter in an edited book

Johnson, J.L. and Repta, R. (2012) ‘Sex and gender: beyond the binaries’, in Oliffe, J.L. and Greaves, L.J. (eds.) Designing and conducting gender, sex, and health research. Los Angeles: SAGE Publishing, pp. 17–37.

Note:

Use either (ed.) for one editor or (eds.) for two or more.
Remember to include chapter page numbers at the end of the entry.

E-book

Marr, A. (2012) A history of the world. Available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-ebooks (Downloaded: 22 June 2018).

Book found online

Salinger, J.D. (1951) Catcher in the rye. Available at:

09&FileName=Catcher%20In%20The%20Rye.pdf (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Sacred Texts Referencing

The Bible

When citing the bible in the Harvard referencing style, the following format is followed:

Book of the Bible. (Year) Title of the Bible, Edition (if applicable). Publisher.

Example:

Matthew 5: 3–12, Holy Bible. New International Edition.

Note:

Mention the Book of the Bible first (not in italics), then chapter: verse, ‘Holy Bible.” (not in Italics) and the version of the Bible you have read.
Do not include the place of publication or publisher.

The Torah

Torah. Shernot 3: 14.

Note:

Mention “Torah.” first (not in italics), then the book, followed by the chapter: verse.

The Qur’an

Qur’an 20: 24 (2010) Translated by Abdel Haleem, M.A.S. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Note:

Mention “Qur’an” first (not in italics), then Surah or chapter: verse, year of publication, translator, and place of publication: publisher.

Articles in Periodicals Referencing

Journal article

The format that the Harvard referencing style follows when citing a journal article is as follows:

Author(s) Last Name, First Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of the article’, Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Examples:

Smith, J. (2020) ‘The impact of social media on mental health’, Journal of Psychology, 12(3), pp. 45-67.

Breslau, J. and Engel, C. (2016) ‘Information and communication technologies in behavioral health: a literature review with recommendations for the airforce’, RAND Health Quarterly, 5(4), pp. 17-18.

Note:

If a journal has no issue, it should be omitted.
If an article is printed on one page, “p.” should be used instead of “pp.”
If there is a colon in the title of an article, do not capitalize the subtitle.
Capitalize all the words except conjunctions and articles only in the journal-titles.

Journal article (no author)

‘Perioperative blood salvage’ (2006) Vox Sanguinis, 91(2), pp. 185-192.

Online journal article with doi

Williams, J. (2000) ‘Tools for achieving sustainable housing strategies in rural Gloucestershire’, Planning Practice & Research, 15(3), pp.155–174. doi: 10.1080/02697450020000131

Online journal article without doi

Springborn, M. (2015) ‘Accounting for behavioral responses during a flu epidemic using home television viewing’, BMC Infectious Diseases, 15(21). Available at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/15/21 (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Magazine article in print

Biello, D. (2011) ‘Coal fires burning bright,’ Scientific American, 304(March), p. 14.

Note:

Enter month(s) in brackets in the issue number field.

Online magazine article

Rosner, H. (2018) ‘Palm oil is unavoidable. Can it be sustainable?’, National Geographic, (December). Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/12/palm-oil-products[1]borneo-africa-south-america-environment-impact/ (Accessed: 4 December 2018).

Newspaper article in print

O’Sallivan, J. (2016) ‘Sanders, Clinton fight on credentials’, The Boston Globe, 4 February, p. 3.

Note:

Make sure that you add a full publication date (year, day, and month) with no shortenings. Do not forget that it should be separated by the article and newspaper titles.
Capitalize all words except conjunctions and articles only for the name of a newspaper.

Newspaper article without author

The Independent (2014) ‘Google Doodle honors Emmeline Pankhurst,’ 15 July, p.1.

Note:

When no author is given, the title of the newspaper becomes the author.

Online newspaper/magazine article

Baker, P. and Stolberg, S.G. (2018) ‘Bush’s coffin arrives at the capitol, where the former President will lie in state’, The New York Times: Politics, 3 December. Available at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/politics/trump-george-bush-capitol.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage (Accessed: 4 December 2018).

Note:

When referencing a section of a newspaper where page numbers may be the same as in the main part of the paper or absent, mention the section (e.g., Newspaper: Section).

Conferences Referencing

Full conference proceedings

Gretzel, U., Law, R. and Fuchs, M. (eds.) (2010) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism. Lugano, Switzerland, 10-12 February. Vienna: Springer.

Paper from a published conference proceedings

Tran, C.K., Tseng, C.D. and Lee, T.F. (2016) ‘Improving the face recognition accuracy under varying illumination conditions for local binary patterns and local ternary patterns based on Weber-Face and singular value decomposition’, 3rd International Conference on Green Technology and Sustainable Development (GTSD) conference proceedings. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 24-25 November. Danvers: Conference Publishing Services, pp. 5-9.

Note:

Make sure to include the location and date of the conference, followed by the place of publication and publisher.
If an article is printed on one page, “p.” should be used instead of “pp.”

Paper from conference proceedings available online

Mendes, L. and Romão, T. (2011) ‘Children as teachers’, Proceedings of the 8th international conference on advances in computer entertainment technology, Lisbon, Portugal, 8–11 November. doi: 10.1145/2071423.2071438

Dissertations/Theses Referencing

Dissertation/thesis in print

Smith, W.B. (2012) Data structures and principles of programming. PhD thesis. University of Calgary.

Note:

Make sure to include the degree statement and degree awarding body (for example, “PhD thesis. the University of Calgary.”)

Online dissertation/thesis

Deines, T. (2007) Global warming coverage in the media: trends in a Mexico City newspaper. PhD Thesis. Kansas State University. Available at: http://krex.k[1]state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/497/TinaDeines2007.pdf?sequence=4 (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

If the thesis is available online, provide a current link and fill in the date that you last accessed the document.

Web Sources Referencing in Harvard Referencing Style

Document on World Wide Web

When citing a document on a website in Harvard referencing style, you should include the author’s name, the year of publication, the title of the document, and the URL where the document is available along with the date you accessed it.

Example:

Folkman, J. (2013) Top 9 leadership behaviors that drive employee commitment. Available at: http://zengerfolkman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ZFA-9-Behaviors.pdf (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

Be sure not to use quotation marks for the title of a page but make it italicized.

Document on World Wide Web (no author)

Seven steps for effective leadership development (2012) Available at: http://www.oracle.com/us/media1/steps-effective-leadership-dev-1657106.pdf (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Web page with neither author nor title

https://www.brookes.ac.uk (2014) (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Web page with neither author, title, nor date

https://www.brookes.ac.uk (no date) (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Image on World Wide Web

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (2016) Available at: https://fthmb.tqn.com/oYE4xPDfBJJLBn8LcdE[1]6rz6Gng=/768×0/filters:no_upscale () /about/hierarchy-of-needs-56a791433df78cf772972cac.png (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Blog

Witt, D. (2017) ‘When facing pressure, don’t just try to survive: learn to thrive’. Weblog, 25 January. (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

Be sure to add the entire date when the blog post was published.

Facebook

Tynemouth outdoor pool (2012) [Facebook] 29 August. Available at: http://www.facebook.com/ (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Twitter

Fry, S. (2012) [Twitter] 13 January. Available at: http://twitter.com/stephenfry (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Computer programs

TechSmith Corporation (2012) Camtasia Studio (Version 3) [Computer program]. Available at: http://techsmith.com/download.html (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Films and video recordings

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) Directed by Michael Moore [Film]. Santa Monica, Calif: Lions Gate Films.

Note:

Add either [Film] or video record medium in square brackets (for example, [DVD], [Blu-ray])

YouTube videos

Leponline (2008) Ask the experts – plastering a wall. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wpcellxCU (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Television programs

The Apprentice (2012) BBC One Television, 23 June.

‘Asylum of the Daleks’ (2012) Doctor Who, Series 33, episode 1. BBC One Television, 1 September.

Note:

If an episode is cited, enter the title first in single quotes.

Grand Designs (2011) Channel 4 Television, 28 September. Available at: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs/episode-guide/series-7/episode-30 (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

If you cite a TV program available online, make sure to provide a link and state the date of access.

Newspaper interview

Riley, B. (2008) ‘The life of Riley’. Interview with Bridget Riley. Interview by Jonathan Jones for The Guardian, 5 July.

Television interview

Blair, A. (2003). Interview with A. Blair. Interview by Jeremy Paxman for Newsnight, BBC Two

Television, 2 February.

Interview published on the internet

Obama, B. (2008). Interviewed by Terry Moran for ABC News, 19 March. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Vote2008/Story?id=4480133 (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Press releases/announcements

Google Inc. (2012) Google Maps heads north … way north [Press release]. 23 August. Available at: http://www.google.com/intl/en/press (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Learning Environment Referencing

Lectures and course materials

When referencing lecture notes and course resources in the Harvard style, it is important to include key details such as the lecturer’s name, year, the title of the lecture or resource, course title, institution, and URL (if available online).

The following is an example of how lecture notes and course materials can be cited in the Harvard referencing style:

Stellar, V. (2016) ‘Introduction to Java Week 5 Lecture’. MIT6_092IAP10: Access control, class scope, packages, Java API. Available at: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and[1]computer-science/6-092-introduction-to-programming-in-java-january-iap-2010/download[1]course-materials/ (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

Module code and title are to be separated by a colon and written in Italics.

PowerPoint presentations

‘Module 1: The Accounting’ (2012) [PowerPoint presentation]. ACC5203. Available at:

http://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Note:

Add [PowerPoint presentation] as a supplement after the title
If there is no author, put the title in the first place.

Messages from course discussion boards

Thomas, D. (2008) ‘Word count and referencing style’. Frequently Asked Questions discussion board, in PHYS 2011: Housing Studies. Available at: http://duo.dur.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 14 October 2012).

Lectures/seminars/webinars/PowerPoint presentations/videoconferences

Brown, T. (2012) Contemporary furniture [Lecture to BSc Design Year 4], DE816: Design for

Industry. Northumbria University. 21 April.

Electronic discussion groups and bulletin boards

Peters, W.R. (2013) International finance questions, British Business School Librarians Group discussion Iist, 11 March. Available email: lisbusiness@jiscmail.com.

Note:

Mention “Available email: email address”.

Entire discussion groups or bulletin boards

Photography news Iist (2013). Available email: pnl@btinfo.net. (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Governmental Sources Referencing

Acts and statutes

When citing acts and statutes in Harvard referencing style, you should include the title of the act, the year it was enacted, the chapter number, the location where it is available (usually a website), and the date you accessed it. Here’s a guideline based on the provided example:

Example:

Health and Social Care (Control of Data Processing) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016), c. 12. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/12/contents (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Legal material papers

Harvard referencing style provides a guideline on how to cite legal materials. The following is an example of how to cite a legal paper on Harvard referencing style.

Example:

Parliament. House of Commons (2000) Compensating victims of violent crime, Session 1999-2000. (HC 1999-2000 472). London: The Stationery Office.

Law Commission reports and consultation papers.

Law Commission (2017) 13th Programme of Law Reform. (Law Com No 377, HC 640). London: The Stationery Office.

Departmental publications

Ministry of Justice (2011) Sentencing statistics quarterly brief: July to September 2010, England and Wales (Provisional data). Available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218041/sentencing-statistics-brief-july-sept-2010 .pdf (Accessed: 24 November 2018).

Legal reports (cases)

‘R v K (M) (R v Gega, MK v R)’ (2018) EWCA Crim 667. BAILII [Online]. Available at:

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2018/667.html (Accessed: 7 December 2018).

In-Text Citations in Harvard Referencing Style

In Harvard referencing style, in-text citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication. If you are directly quoting or referring to a specific part of the source, include the page number as well. Here are some general guidelines and examples for in-text citations

One author/editor

A book with one author is in-texted as follows in Harvard referencing style:

Direct quote: A personal tone is established on the very first page: “In my junior high yearbook, I had a quote from a Spanish poet” (Sebold, 2002, p. 5).

Paraphrasing: The narrator reveals a lot of personal details throughout the story (Sebold, 2002).

Note: use page numbers only when summarizing an idea from a particular page.

Two or three authors/editors

A book with two or three authors is in-texted as follows in Harvard referencing style:

Direct quote: Lankshear, Smith, and Knobel (2006, p. 17) argue that “The cultural and critical facets of knowledge integral to being literate are considerable.”

Paraphrasing: Literacy encompasses many aspects of knowledge (Lankshear, Smith and Knobel,2006, p. 17).

Four or more authors/editors

Direct quote: Evans et al. (2003, p. 137) state that the Australian colonists aimed “to eliminate the political rights of Aborigines” in the late 19th century.

Paraphrasing: Between 1870 and 1890, many efforts have been made to constrict the rights of the indigenous populations (Evans et al., 2003, p. 137).

Corporate author

Direct quote: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand (2016, p. 18) claims that “the relief in AASB 128 should apply to the ultimate Australian entity”.

Paraphrasing: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand (2016, p. 18) explains the use of the relief in AASB 128.

A source with no author/editor

Direct quote: The Oxford dictionary of abbreviations (1998, p. ix) explains that in the pronunciation guide, “Unstressed syllables are not preceded by stress marks”.

Paraphrasing: It is common for unstressed syllables not to be preceded by stress marks (The Oxford Dictionary of abbreviations, 1998, p. ix).

Multiple sources

Paraphrasing: In both works, the author uses remote locations to emphasize the feeling of helplessness (King, 2008; King, 2010).

Same year/same author

Paraphrasing: In both works, the author uses remote locations to emphasize the feeling of helplessness (King, 2008a; King, 2008b).

Same work, different editions

Paraphrasing: Despite the structural similarities between the two editions, there are still some differences in the topics covered (Feldman, 2008; 2011).

A source quoted in another work

Direct quote: “Green’s study (1999) (cited in Farmer, 2003, p. 13), unlike many of its predecessors, explores the “macro-logics of power” without sacrificing ethnographic depth.”

Note: you can either use a direct quote from the later work that quotes the earlier source or use a

paraphrase to summarize the original idea from the primary source that is addressed in the secondary source. Both cases require you to acknowledge the use of secondary sources in the work you are using for reference.

The Bible

Either direct quote or paraphrasing: (Matthew 5: 3–12)

The Torah

Either direct quote or paraphrasing: (Shernot 3: 14)

The Qur’an

Either direct quote or paraphrasing: (Qur’an 20: 24)

Journal article

Direct quote: “Despite the lack of solid research evidence to date, ICTs hold promise in addressing the challenges of mental health care” (Breslau and Engel, 2016, p. 17).

Paraphrasing: Breslau and Engel (2016, p. 17) state that, in the future, ICTs could be used to diagnose and treat patients with mental dysfunctions and illnesses.

Journal article (no author)

Direct quote: The DUP leader states that the upcoming Assembly election “should not be seen as a referendum on her handling of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme” (‘Assembly election: most important vote since 1998’, 2017, para. 2).

Newspaper article without author

Paraphrasing: The Independent (2014) states that …

Web page

Direct quote: “The key sign of central diabetes insipidus is extreme thirst and excessive urination” (WebMD, 2016, para. 3).

Paraphrasing: It is a common misconception that the disease called central diabetes insipidus is related to diabetes and is caused by metabolic dysfunction (WebMD, 2016, para. 1).

Video or film

Direct quote: “The front lines of the invasion moved west to the nations of the Ohio Valley: The Lenape, Shawnee, Miami, and others” (500 nations, 1995).

Lecture

Direct quote: As stated by Stellar (2016, p. 13), the classification of public and public class “applies to any field or method.”

Paraphrasing: The main reason for the importance of imposing access control is the need to protect the private information of students and staff (Stellar, 2016, p, 16).

Government publication

Direct quote: A recent review of the cooperation practices used in PFRAs and the local universities revealed that “about half of the research users indicated that they obtained a high or very high level of value from the collaboration” (Department of Education, Science and Training, 2004, p. 4).

Paraphrasing: The review outlines the opportunities to enhance the cooperation between PFRAs and the universities (Department of Education, Science and Training, 2004)

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