How to Cite in Harvard Style: Complete Referencing Guide

This guide will help you understand how to properly cite sources in Harvard format, the author-date referencing style widely used across UK and Australian universities, ensuring that your academic work meets your institution's specific Harvard referencing requirements.

The Official Source

Unlike APA or MLA, Harvard style has no single governing body. The most widely recognized guide is Cite Them Right by Richard Pears and Graham Shields, now in its 12th edition (2022), published by Bloomsbury Academic.

Many universities publish their own Harvard guides based on Cite Them Right. Always check your institution's specific requirements, as formatting details vary between universities.

Fun fact: the Harvard style is not actually used by, or officially associated with, Harvard University anymore. However, it is attributed to a 19th century Harvard anatomy professor, Edward Laurens Mark, who is said to have invented the author-date system when he published a paper that used this standard way of structuring references (Chernin, 1988).

Quick Overview

Harvard is an author-date system with two components:

• In-text citations — author surname and year in parentheses
• Reference list — full source details alphabetized at the end

In-Text Citations

Place the author's surname and year of publication in parentheses. Add page numbers for direct quotes.

One Author

Two Authors

Use "and" between author names.

Three or More Authors

Use the first author followed by "et al."

Direct Quotes

Include page numbers when quoting directly.

No Author

Use the title (or shortened title) in place of the author.

Multiple Works, Same Author, Same Year

Add lowercase letters after the year.

Reference List Basics

Your reference list appears at the end of your work, titled "Reference List" or "References." Entries are alphabetized by author surname with a hanging indent.

Basic Structure

Book

Journal Article

Journal Article (Online with DOI)

Website

Chapter in Edited Book

Key Harvard Conventions

Harvard style varies by institution, but common conventions include:

• Sentence case for titles — only capitalize the first word and proper nouns in book/article titles
• Italics for standalone works — books, journals, and reports are italicized
• Single quotation marks — article and chapter titles use single quotes (UK convention)
• "and" not "&" — use "and" between authors in both citations and references
• "et al." from three authors — some institutions use this from four authors; check your guide
• Edition noted — include "2nd edn." or "3rd edn." after the title

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing styles — Harvard varies between institutions. Pick one guide (preferably your university's) and stick with it.
• Forgetting accessed dates — online sources require an accessed date in Harvard style.
• Inconsistent "et al." usage — some guides use "et al." from three authors, others from four. Be consistent.
• Wrong quotation marks — UK Harvard typically uses single quotes for article titles; some institutions prefer double.
• Missing place of publication — unlike some styles, Harvard often requires the city of publication.

Who Uses Harvard Style?

Harvard is the dominant citation style at UK universities (most disciplines), Australian universities, many European institutions, South African universities, and business and management programs worldwide.

If you're studying in the UK or Australia, Harvard is likely your default unless your course specifies otherwise.

Harvard vs. APA

Harvard and APA are both author-date systems, but they differ in details:

Further Resources

• Cite Them Right Online — subscription-based comprehensive guide
• Your university library website — most have institution-specific Harvard guides
• Imperial College London Harvard Guide — free example guide