If you’ve started writing papers at a university, you’ve probably been told that you need to “cite your sources.” One of the most common ways to do this, used around the world, is called Harvard style. At first, it might seem like just another boring set of rules to memorize.
But let’s think of it differently. Imagine you’re building something cool. Every time you use an idea or a fact from someone else, you’re using one of their "building blocks." Harvard referencing is simply how you put a quick, clear label on each block that says, “This part came from Smith in 2024.” It’s an honest and organized way to show your teacher how you built your arguments.
The good news is that Harvard style is very logical and easy to learn. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know with simple explanations and clear examples.
What Is Harvard Style? (And Why Is It So Popular?)
Harvard is an "author-date" citation style. This simply means that you mention the author's last name and the year their work was published right inside your sentence. It’s that simple!
It’s one of the most popular referencing styles in the world, especially in the UK and Australia, and is used across many different subjects, from the humanities to the social sciences and business.
A Quick Note: Unlike other styles like APA or AMA, there isn’t one single, official rulebook for Harvard. Some universities have their own small variations. The style shown in this guide is the most common and widely accepted version, but always check if your school has its own specific style guide!
Using Harvard style correctly is important because it:
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Helps you avoid plagiarism while incorporating research in your writing.
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Allows your reader to easily see where your information is from, which makes your work more credible.
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Shows that you are a careful and professional academic writer.
The Two Key Parts of Harvard Referencing
Like other author-date systems, Harvard has two parts that work together:
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In-Text Citations: These are the brief (Author, Year) notes you put in the body of your text.
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The Reference List: This is the alphabetized list at the end of your paper that gives the full details of all your sources.
Let's break down how to create each part.
Part 1: In-Text Citations in Harvard Style
This is what you'll be doing as you write your paper. The goal is to point to your source without interrupting the flow of your writing too much.
The Basic Format: (Author’s Last Name Year)
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When you summarize or paraphrase an idea:
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Example: Recent studies show that regular exercise can improve mental health (Smith 2024).
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When you mention the author’s name in your sentence: You only need to put the year in parentheses right after their name.
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Example: According to Smith (2024), regular exercise can improve mental health.
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When you use a direct quote: You MUST include the page number where you found the quote. Use ‘p.’ for a single page and ‘pp.’ for a page range.
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Example: It was found that ‘students who exercised three times a week reported lower stress levels’ (Smith 2024, p. 45).
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How to Handle Multiple Authors:
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Two or Three Authors: List all their last names.
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Example: (Smith and Jones 2023).
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Example: (Smith, Jones and White 2022).
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Four or More Authors: List the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” which is a Latin phrase meaning “and others.”
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Example: (Smith et al. 2021).
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Part 2: How to Build Your Harvard Reference List
This is the list that comes at the very end of your paper, under the title "Reference List" or "References." It must be alphabetized by the author's last name. Every source you cited in your text must be included here with full details.
Here are the templates for the most common types of sources.
Example 1: Citing a Book
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Template: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of publication) Title of book in italics. Edition (if it's not the first). Place of publication: Publisher.
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Real Example: Smith, J. (2024) The Principles of Modern Geography. 2nd edn. London: Academic Press.
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Key Tips: Notice the edition is written as "2nd edn." and not "Second Edition."
Example 2: Citing a Journal Article
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Template: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of publication) 'Title of article in single quotation marks', Name of Journal in Italics, Volume(Issue), pp. Page range.
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Real Example: Jones, A. (2023) 'The impact of social media on political discourse', Journal of Communication, 73(4), pp. 205-215.
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Key Tips: The article title goes in single quotes, while the journal title is in italics. "pp." stands for "pages."
Example 3: Citing a Website
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Template: Author or Organisation. (Year of publication or last update) Title of web page in italics. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
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Real Example: World Health Organization. (2023) Mental health action plan. Available at: https://www.who.int/mental-health (Accessed: 30 June 2025).
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Key Tips: The "Accessed" date is very important because webpages can be changed or taken down.
Example 4: Citing a Chapter in an Edited Book
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Template: Author of Chapter's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of publication) 'Title of chapter', in Editor's Initial(s). Last Name (ed.) or (eds.), Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher, pp. Page range of chapter.
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Real Example: Knight, S. (2019) 'The future of robotics', in J. Davis (ed.), Technology Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 90-105.
Important Harvard Quirks to Remember
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Handling "et al.": In your in-text citation, you use "et al." for 4 or more authors. However, in your final Reference List, you should write out the names of all the authors.
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No Author? If a source has no author, cite it using its title in your text. For example: (The Future of AI 2022). In the Reference List, you would list it alphabetically by the first main word of the title.
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No Date? If you absolutely cannot find a publication date, you can use the abbreviation "(n.d.)" which stands for "no date."
Getting these small details right is important because many teachers believe that why citation errors lower your grade and how to avoid them.
You've Got This!
Learning Harvard referencing is like learning the rules of a new game. It might seem tricky at first, but once you play a few rounds, it becomes second nature. The author-date system is clean, simple, and very reader-friendly.
The most important things to remember are to be consistent and to always check your university's specific style guide if they have one. Bookmark this page, practice with your sources, and you'll be referencing like a pro in no time!