Harvard Referencing Style: In-Text Citations and Reference List Guide
Key takeaways
- Harvard is an author–date style: (Smith 2021) or (Smith, 2021), depending on your university's version.
- There's no single official Harvard guide. Always follow your institution's version, such as Cite Them Right.
- The reference list is titled Reference list or References and is alphabetized by author surname.
In-text citations
- One author: (Taylor 2020) or Taylor (2020) states…
- Two authors: (Taylor and Brown 2020)
- Three or more authors: (Taylor et al. 2020)
- Direct quote: (Taylor 2020, p. 45)
- No date: (Taylor n.d.)
Reference list formats (Cite Them Right style)
Book: Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher. Example: Kotler, P. and Keller, K.L. (2016) Marketing management. 15th edn. Harlow: Pearson.
Journal article: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. pages. Available at: DOI or URL.
Website: Organisation or Author (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
Harvard vs. APA
| Harvard | APA 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| In-text | (Smith 2021) | (Smith, 2021) |
| Article titles | 'Single quotation marks' | No quotation marks |
| Access dates for websites | Usually required | Only for content that changes |
| Official manual | No (institution versions) | Yes |
Other citation styles
Using a different style? See our guides to APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, ASA format for sociology papers and how to cite a website in any style.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a comma in Harvard in-text citations?
It depends on your institution's version. Cite Them Right uses no comma: (Smith 2021).
Do I need page numbers in Harvard?
Yes, for direct quotes. They're also recommended when you paraphrase a specific passage.
Is Harvard the same as APA?
No. Both use author–date citations, but punctuation and reference formats differ.
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