Harvard style

This guide is based on the 13th edition of Cite them right (2025) and outlines the key principles of the Harvard referencing style.

For comprehensive guidance, consult the full manual: Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2025) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. 13th edn. Bloomsbury Academic.

Please note: Referencing requirements may vary between schools and individual modules. To ensure you are following the correct style, consult your module tutor(s) or school office.

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In-text citations

Harvard Style uses an author–date system for in-text citations. This means that whenever you refer to a source in your writing, you include the author’s last name and the year of publication, either within the sentence or in brackets.

These citations appear directly in the body of your writing and indicate the source of your information, ideas, or quotations.

Each in-text citation should correspond to a full reference entry in the reference list at the end of your work, allowing readers to locate the original source.

How to cite sources in text

The format of an in-text citation depends on several factors, including:

• Whether you are summarising, paraphrasing, or quoting directly
• Whether the author's name is included in your sentence
• The number of authors
• Whether the author is an organisation
• If any publication information is missing (e.g. no date or no named author)
• If you are citing multiple sources at once
• Whether you are referencing a secondary source (i.e. one cited within another)

The sections below explain how to format in-text citations accurately in these different cases, with examples.

Standard in-text citation

If the author is not mentioned within the sentence, include both the author's surname and the year of publication in brackets.

Format: (Author, Year)

Example: Research into degrowth has provoked urgent and difficult questions (Hickel, 2021).

Citations can be placed within or at the end of a sentence. When the citation comes at the end, place the full stop (or other end punctuation) after the closing bracket.

Narrative citation

If the author's name appears as part of the sentence (known as a narrative citation), include only the year of publication—and a page number, if required—in brackets immediately after the author’s name:

Example:

When to include page numbers

Include page numbers when:

• quoting directly from a source
• paraphrasing a specific passage or section of a source

You do not need to include a page number when summarising the overall argument or content of a source—for example, summarising the contents of an entire article or chapter.

Example:

If the author's name appears in the sentence, place the page number after the year of publication.

Example:

Note: If the source does not have page numbers (e.g. a video, presentation, tables or some eBooks), provide an alternative locator such as a timestamp, slide number, table number or chapter no./percentage.

Example:

Multiple authors

Two authors: Include both names, using ‘and’ in between.

Example:

Three authors: Include all three names, using a comma after the first and ‘and’ after the second.

Examples:

Four or more authors: Cite only the first author, followed by et al. in italics (meaning ‘and others’).

Example:

Group or organisational authors

Some sources list an organisation or group as the author, rather than naming individuals. If individual authors are provided, use those. If not, list the organisation or group as the author.

Abbreviating Organisation Names

If the organisation’s name is long, you can shorten it in later citations by using an abbreviation.

• In narrative citations, write out the full name the first time and include the abbreviation in the citation.
• If the first citation appears in brackets, place the abbreviation in square brackets after the full name.
• For all later citations, you may use just the abbreviation.

Examples:

First citation:

Later citations:

Unknown authors

If no author is given, use the title (in italics) in place of the author's name.

Example:

In your reference list, use the source’s title in place of the author’s name. The rest of the reference should follow the usual style for the type of source you are citing.

Example:

Only cite the work as ‘Anonymous’ if it is credited as such.

Example:

No date

Whenever possible, include the publication year in your citation. If no date is available, use the phrase ‘no date’ in place of the year.

Example:

Follow the same guidance for your reference list.

Example:

Secondary citations (citing a source quoted in another)

In some cases, you may want to refer to a source that is quoted or mentioned in the work you are reading. Whenever possible it is strongly encouraged to locate, read and cite the original source. This is considered good academic practice.

However, if that is not feasible, cite the original author while acknowledging the source you consulted, using ‘cited in’ or ‘quoted in’, depending on whether the author of the secondary source is directly quoting or summarising from the original source.

Examples:

Note: Only the secondary source (Kreindler, in this example) should appear in your reference list, as you did not read the primary source (Adorno, in this example).

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Quotations

When to quote or paraphrase

The Cite them right referencing guide (Pears and Shields, 2025, pp. 22-23) makes it clear that paraphrasing an author’s ideas is generally preferable to the repeated use of direct quotations from their text, which can disrupt the flow of your writing.

Used properly, paraphrasing also allows you to demonstrate your own understanding of the ideas in the original source.

However, direct quotations are appropriate when:

• Reproducing a precise definition
• Highlighting a particularly memorable or well-phrased point
• Responding to the exact wording used by the original author

Formatting Quotations

How you format a quotation depends on its length.

Short quotations (up to two or three lines)

• Incorporate the quote into your sentence and enclose it in single quotation marks
• Include the author’s name, year of publication, and page number
• Place the citation either after the quote or after the author's name in a narrative citation
• Add punctuation after the closing bracket

Examples:

Long quotations (more than three lines)

For quotations of more than three lines:

• Start the quotation as a new paragraph
• Indent the entire block from the main text (use the Tab key)
• Do not use quotation marks
• Place the citation after the final punctuation mark

For a narrative citation, include the citation after the author or authors’ name(s):

Example:

Making changes to quotations

Wherever possible, you should quote exactly from the source you are using. If you need to modify the quoted text (e.g. to shorten or clarify the text) you must ensure that you retain the author’s original meaning. Do not omit or insert words to fit the quotation to your opinion.

Omitting part of a quotation

If you omit any word(s) from the quoted text, indicate this using three dots … called an ellipsis.

Example:

Inserting your own, or different, words into a quotation

Put any inserted words inside square brackets [ ].

Example:

Emphasising part of a quotation

Put the words you want to emphasise in italics and state that you have added the emphasis.

Example:

Quoting material in languages other than English

When quoting directly, always use the source’s original language. Cite the original author and use quotation marks (or indent for longer quotes, as above).

Example:

If necessary, add a translation in square brackets after the original quote, indicating that you have translated the text.

Example:

Alternatively, you could paraphrase the original source in an English translation. You should not present this as a quotation, and you must acknowledge the original source.

Example:

In-text citation:

Reference:

If quoting from a translated work, see the guidance for Translated books.

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Reference list

The reference list appears at the end of your document and includes full details of every source you have cited. Its purpose is to provide enough information for your reader to locate these sources.

Follow these key rules when formatting your reference list:

• Start on a new page, with the title References in bold at the top
• List entries in alphabetical order by the first author's surname
• Invert authors' names: list the surname first, followed by initials (e.g. Dickinson, J.)
• Use the title of the work in place of the author when no author is provided.
• Use the URL for web pages where no author or title is apparent.
• List all authors when source has up to three authors, separated by commas, with an ‘and’ before the final name.
• Use et al. after the first name if the source has four or more authors, unless your school requires referencing of all named authors, then list all named authors in your reference entry.

Capitalisation in reference entries:

Harvard uses two main styles of capitalisation:

• Sentence case: Capitalise only the first word of the title or subtitle and any proper nouns. This is used for most titles of works (e.g. books, articles, webpages) in the reference list.
• Title case: Capitalise all major words, the first word of a title or subtitle, and the first word after punctuation. This is used for the names of periodicals (e.g. journals, magazines and newspapers) in the reference list.

See the reference entry examples below to see how each item is capitalised.

Example Reference List:

References

How you format each reference depends on the type of source (e.g. book, journal article, website). The sections below provide specific guidance and examples for referencing different types of materials.

Note: Harvard style uses a reference list, not a bibliography. A reference list includes only the sources you have cited directly in your writing. A bibliography may include additional background reading. Some modules may ask for a full bibliography—check your module guidance or ask your tutor.

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Books

If the entire book is written by the same author(s), reference the whole book using the format below.

If the book has different authors for each chapter, reference the individual chapter you used instead. See the Book Chapters section for guidance on how to do this.

General format

Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of book in italics. Publisher.

Example

Walsh, A.W. (2012) The treatment of children. Collins Books.

Variations

Use the following formats and examples depending on the type of book.

Books with two or three authors

Example – book with two authors:

Reiss, M.J. and White, J. (2013) An aims-based curriculum: the significance of human flourishing for schools. IOE Press.

Example – book with three authors:

Christensen, J., Molander, A. and Holst, C. (2023) Expertise, policy-making and democracy: leave it to the experts? Taylor & Francis.

Books with four or more authors

Example – book with four or more authors:

OR, if your school requires referencing of all named authors:

eBooks

If the eBook is presented like a print version (providing publication details and page numbers), reference it as a print book (see Books Chapters). If it lacks print details (e.g. no page numbers or publisher), include a DOI or URL, plus an access date.

Example – eBook with a DOI:

Example – eBook without a DOI:

Books that are not the first edition

If the book is not the first edition, include the edition number after the title using the abbreviation edn.

Example – 7th edition of a book:

Books with named editors

If the book lists the editor’s name(s) on the cover, indicate this by using (ed.) for one editor or (eds) for multiple editors.

Example – book with editor(s):

Note: Edited books often have chapters written by different authors. If this is the case, reference the specific chapters, not the edited book as a whole.

Translated books

Reference the translation you have read, not the original work, using the following format:

Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of translated publication) Title of book. Translated from the [original language] by Translator Initial(s). Surname(s). Publisher.

Example:

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Book Chapters

If a book has different authors for each chapter, reference the specific chapter you used — not the book as a whole.

General format

Chapter Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of chapter’, in Editor Initial(s). Surname (ed. or eds), Title of book in italics. Edition number. Publisher, page range of chapter.

Example:

Note: As with books, only include the edition number if it’s not the first edition.

Variations

eBook chapters

If the eBook chapter has page numbers and is set out like a printed book, omit the online details. If the eBook chapter has no page numbers, then add the DOI or URL and date accessed information.

Example – eBook chapter set out like a printed book, with page numbers:

Example – eBook chapter without page numbers or set out differently to print book:

Chapter from a book with four or more editors

If the book your chapter is from has four or more editors, then use et al. after the first editor.

Example – chapter from book with four or more editors:

Reference works

Use this format for chapters or entries in encyclopedias, dictionaries, or similar reference works when an individual author is credited.

Example – entry from a reference work:

If no individual author is listed, start with the title of the entry instead. Editor and page numbers can be omitted if not available. Include the URL and access date if consulted online.

Example – entry from a dictionary with no author:

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Journal Articles

General format

Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal in italics, Volume number(Issue), page range. Available at: DOI

Example

Variations

Use the following formats and examples depending on the type of journal article.

Journal articles without a DOI

If a journal article does not have a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), follow the guidance below based on how you accessed it:

• If the article was found in print, do not include a DOI or URL.

Example:

• If the article was found online but does not have a DOI, include the direct URL and an access date.

Example:

Journal articles with an article number (no page numbers)

If the article uses an article number (or eLocator) instead of page numbers, write ‘article’ and give the article number.

Example:

Systematic reviews from the Cochrane Database

Cochrane reviews follow the journal article format with two changes:

• Use Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews as the journal title.
• Include the article number (starting with CD) instead of page numbers.

Example:

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Theses and Dissertations

General format

Author Surname, Initials. (Year submitted) Title of dissertation/thesis in italics. Degree statement. Degree-awarding body.

Example – published thesis

Variations

Unpublished thesis or dissertation

If the work is unpublished (usually in print or held in a university archive), specify this in the degree statement.

Example:

Thesis or dissertation accessed online

If accessed online, include the DOI or URL and date accessed.

Example:

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Newspapers and Magazines

General format

Author Surname, Initials. (Year of publication) ‘Title of Article’, Title of Newspaper in italics, (Edition if required) Day Month, page range. If accessed online: Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Examples:

Variations

Newspaper with unknown author

When no author is given for a newspaper article, use the newspaper title in its place.

Example:

Monthly publications

If the article is from a monthly publication, include the month instead of a specific day.

Example:

General format

Author Surname, Initials. (Year of publication) ‘Title of Article’, Title of Magazine in italics, Volume number (Issue information, i.e. part number, month or season), page range (if available). If accessed online: Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).

Examples:

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Websites

When referring to a source found on the internet, you must first identify what you are referring to – use the webpage/website reference format only when the source does not fit another category (e.g., blog post, journal article, conference proceeding).

When referring to a webpage/website:

• If no individual author is listed, look for a group or organisational author (often found on the About, Contact, or copyright page).
• Provide the year the website/webpage was published or last updated. If not obvious at the top, this can often be found at the bottom of the webpage. If no publication date is available, use no date.
• As material on the internet can be removed or changed, you should also note the date when you accessed/viewed the information.

General format

Author Surname, Initial(s). / Organisation Name. (Year of publication/last update). Title of website or webpage in italics. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example – whole website

Variations

Specific webpage within website

Examples:

Webpages with a group or organisational author

If an organisation/group is responsible for the content, use the organisation/group name as the author.

Example:

Webpages with no date

If no publication date is available, use (no date) in place of the date.

Example:

Webpages with no authors or titles

If no author or title can be identified, you should use the webpage’s URL in place of an author’s name, even in your in-text citation. For example ‘A site of dubious information (http://www.unknownauthority.com, 2025) …’.

Example:

Note: If a webpage has no author or title, it is unlikely to be suitable for academic work.

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Reports

General format

Author surname, initial(s). (Year) Title of report in italics. Publisher. If accessed online: Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).

Example

Variations

Reports with a group author

Use the organisation or government body as the author if no individuals are named.

Examples:

Reports with a reference/report number:

If the report includes a reference or report number, place it immediately after the title.

Example:

Financial reports from online databases:

Refer to financial reports from online databases (e.g. Orbis) in the same way as other reports.

Example:

Financial reports from terminal-based databases:

As these databases are not available through the internet, give the name of the database instead of an URL.

Example:

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Datasets

Use this format for referencing government, academic, and research datasets. These may be found in online repositories (e.g., Figshare, UK Data Service), databases, or on official organisational websites.

General format

Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of dataset’. Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

Variations

Datasets with group authors

If no individual authors are named, use the name of the organisation or group as the author.

Example:

 

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Images

Photographs / Images

General format

Photographer / Creator Surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title of photograph/image in italics [Medium]. Publisher.

Example:

Variations

Images available online

For images viewed online, give the URL and an access date at the end of your reference. If found on social media, list the platform (e.g. Instagram, Facebook) in place of the medium.

Example – Photograph from a museum/gallery/image database:

Example – Photograph from a social media site:

Images with no named creator

If an image does not list the photographer or creator, start with the title of image instead.

Example – Online image with no creator:

Works of art

Works of art in original media

Artist Surname, Initial(s). (Year of production) Title of work in italics [Medium]. Location of the work (Viewed: date)

Example:

Works of art viewed online

When referencing works of art viewed online, list the URL and date accessed as the location element of your reference.

Example:

Illustration, figure or diagram in a book/article

When citing a visual element (e.g. illustration, figure, diagram, or table) from a book or article:

• Reference the source it appears in — not the visual itself.
• In your in-text citation, include the page number and the label used in the source (e.g. fig., table, illus., diagram).

Examples – In-text citation:

Example – Reference list:

Artificial intelligence (AI) generated images

AI-generated content found online

If you did not produce the image, but located it online, use the citation order for an online image, but list the AI company/platform as the author:

Name of AI company/platform (Year of publication) Title of work in italics [Medium]. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

AI-generated content created by your prompts

If the content is available to your reader through a shareable URL, use this citation format:

Name of AI company/platform (Year of production) AI-generated image by [AI Company] with prompt ‘The prompt you used to create the image’, Date Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

If you’re including the AI-generated image in your work, add a caption with a figure number and a citation that lists the AI company and the year it was produced. This should correspond to a full entry in your reference list.

Example:

Figure 1 AI image created by Hotpot AI (2025).

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Video

Films

Films viewed via streaming services

Title in italics (Year of distribution) Directed by Director Initial(s). Surname. Available at: Name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Example:

Films on DVD/Blu-ray/video cassette

Title (Year of distribution) Directed by Director Initial(s). Surname. [Medium] Distribution Company.

Examples:

For films that have been reissued, keep the year of distribution in round brackets, but note the film has been reissued and add the year of reissue at the end:

TV Series and Programmes

Programmes on Streaming Services

Title of Programme in italics (Year of release) series number. Production company. Available at: name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Example:

Episode on Streaming Services

‘Title of episode’ (Year of release) Title of series, series number, episode number. Production company. Available at: name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Example:

Live Broadcast TV Programmes

Title of Programme (Year of broadcast) Name of channel, day month, time of broadcast.

Example:

Live Broadcast TV Episodes

‘Title of episode’ (Year of broadcast) Title of series in italics, series number, episode number. Name of channel, day month, time of broadcast.

Example:

Live Broadcast TV Series

Title of series (Year of broadcast range) [TV series]. Name of channel.

Example:

Online video sharing platforms (including YouTube)

General format

Person posting video Surname, Initial(s)./Name of organisation posting video (Year posted) Title of video in italics. Day month posted. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Examples:

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Sound

Music streaming services

Whole album

Artist Suname, Initial(s)./Band Name (Year of release) Title of album in italics. Available at: Name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Example:

Track from an album

Artist Suname, Initial(s)./Band Name (Year of release) ‘Title of track’, Title of album in italics. Available at: Name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Example:

Recordings on CD, audio cassettes or vinyl

Whole album

Artist Surname, Initial(s)/Band Name (Year of release) Title of album in italics [Format]. Distribution company.

Example:

Track from an album

Artist Surname, Initial(s)/Band Name (Year of release) ‘Title of track’, Title of album in italics [Format]. Distribution company.

Example:

Classical music recordings

General format

Composer Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication) Title of composition in italics [Format]. Additional notes if required e.g., orchestra/performer; soloist; conductor. Distribution Company.

Example:

Note: For classical recordings accessed via music streaming services, drop the [Format] and replace the Distribution company with Available at: Name of streaming service (Accessed: date).

Musical scores

General format

Composer or Librettist Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication) Title of publication in italics [Medium]. Notes (if required). Publisher.

Examples:

Radio

General format

Title of programme in italics (Year of transmission) Radio channel, day month, time of transmission. If heard online: Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Examples:

Podcasts

General format

Creator or Presenter Surname Initial(s). (Year posted) Title of podcast in italics [Podcast]. Day month posted. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

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Social Media

Social media posts

When citing social media posts, list the author as the person or organisation that made the post. If not available, use their username or handle.
Always reproduce the post exactly as it appears, in the original language, including any hashtags and emojis.

General format

Author of post Surname, Initial(s)./Organisation name/Username (Year posted) ‘Title or description of post’ [Name of platform] Day month posted. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

Whole social media sites

General format

Author (if available, if not use title) (Year site was last updated) Title of site in italics (not needed if same as Author) [Name of platform] Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

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International legal sources

United Nations resolutions

General format

Organisation (Year) Title in italics. Resolution no. Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).

General Assembly

For General Assembly resolutions, place A/RES/ before the resolution number.

Example:

Security Council

For Security Council resolutions, place S/RES/ before the resolution number.

Silva Gusmão

International treaties, conventions and accords

You can find details of treaties in the United Nations Treaty Series.

General format

Title of treaty in italics (Year) Treaty number. Publication title in italics, Volume, page numbers. If accessed online Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

European Union (EU) directives, decisions and regulations

Start the reference with the type of legislation (e.g. Council Directive/Regulation), followed by its ID number, then ‘on’ and the title, all enclosed in single quotation marks.

For in-text citations, give the type of legislation and number in single quote marks in your writing, then the year in brackets.

Example:

General format

‘Legislation type Number on Legislation Title’ (Year) Official Journal series issue in italics, page numbers. If accessed online Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Examples:

General format

‘Case name’ (Year) Case number; European Case Law Identifier. Publication title in italics, Section, page numbers.

Example:

General Format

‘Case name’ (Year) International Court of Justice cases in italics. Publication type and date (if available). Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Example:

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Other items and sources

This guide covers the most common types of sources you’ll need to reference. For guidance on how to reference any other items, see Section G of Cite them right; the essential referencing guide:

Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2025) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. 13th edn. Bloomsbury Academic.