Introducing Harvard Referencing
The Harvard referencing style is one of the five most used styles in academic writing.
What is Harvard Referencing?
Harvard referencing, also known as the author-date system or Parenthetical Referencing, is a method of referencing sources in academic writing and is widely used in the social sciences, business, and humanities.
The system was developed by the Harvard University Library and is now used by universities and institutions worldwide.
Using the Harvard referencing style means that you will include the author's name and the date of publication within the text of your writing, and include full details of the source in the Reference List at the end of your document.
Why use Harvard Referencing?
The purpose of referencing is to give credit to the original sources of information you have used in your work and to enable readers to locate those sources for themselves.
It is important to use Harvard referencing correctly to avoid plagiarism and to provide accurate information about the sources you have used in your assignment.
Using a standardised referencing system like Harvard ensures consistency in your citations and references, which makes it easier for readers to follow your arguments and understand the sources you have used.
Harvard referencing is widely used in academic writing, so using this system demonstrates that you are familiar with academic conventions and can follow them appropriately.
Overall, Harvard referencing is an effective way to give credit to sources, provide readers with access to information, maintain consistency, and demonstrate familiarity with academic conventions.
How to use Harvard Referencing
Harvard referencing requires you to include in-text citations within the body of your work and a reference list at the end of your document.
In-text citations in the Harvard referencing style typically include the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses. For example, (Smith, 2008) or (Jones and Smith, 2010).
The reference list at the end of the document provides detailed information about each source, including the author's name, the title of the work, the year of publication, the publisher, and any relevant page numbers.
The format for the reference list will depend on the type of source being cited, such as a book, journal article, or website.
To Cite and Reference a Book in Harvard Referencing Style:
If you were to include a summary from a book in your essay the Harvard in-text citation might look like this example:
Clear (2018) advocates for making small changes each day that are enjoyable and achievable, over time the impact of these changes will compound to deliver accumulated results.
If you were to paraphrase from a book in your assignment the Harvard in-text citation might look like this example:
Introducing a small change that you enjoy, can achieve and that can be repeated daily will accumulate to deliver compound results (Clear, 2018).
In the Reference List, the corresponding Harvard reference for the book might look like this example:
Clear, J. (2018) Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Random House Business.
Using Citations in Harvard Referencing:
When you mention an idea or information from a source within the body of your work, include the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2008) or (Jones and Smith, 2010).
If there are more than two authors, include all the authors' names in the citation the first time the reference is used. For subsequent references, use "et al." after the first author's name, e.g., (Jones et al., 2010).
There are some additional guidelines for in-text citations:
If you’re referencing an author’s name in the text’s body, you’ll put the years next to them in brackets. Example: According to Mitchell (2018)
If you’re referencing the same author and year more than once, use the letters a or b to distinguish them. Example: (Mitchell, 2017a)
When referencing someone else’s work, refer to the page number in the original work
When referencing someone’s work without mentioning their name, you’ll have to add the name and the year in brackets following the statement. Example: Jones, 1998.
If you’re citing multiple works in one instance, you’ll have to write them inside brackets in chronological order. Example: (Mitchell, 2013; Jones, 2018).
If you’re citing two authors with the same surname, add the initial next to the surname, so the reader can distinguish between them.
If you can’t find the date for your referenced book or work, write ‘no date’ after the author’s surname.
In Harvard styling, you can only list up to three author names in-text. If the work you’re referencing has more authors, write the first author’s surname, then write ‘et al.’
Creating a Harvard Reference List:
At the end of your document, provide a reference list that includes all the sources you have cited in your work.
The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.
For books, the reference list should include the author's name, year of publication, the title of the book, edition number (if applicable), place of publication, and publisher's name.
For journal articles, the reference list should include the author's name, year of publication, the title of the article, the title of the journal, volume and issue number (if applicable), and page numbers.
How is Harvard Referencing Different from Other Styles?
The main difference between the Harvard referencing style and other styles is that Harvard uses an author-date format.
When citing something, you mention the author’s name plus the date of publication. Some other styles use a numerical system instead, like the Vancouver style.
For Help Referencing in Harvard Style
If you want more information on formatting your referencing in the Harvard Style of Referencing check out the Harvard Referencing Crib Sheet page.
