USING THE HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM
Harvard principles relate to the information you provide, in this order:
• Creator/author
• Year of publication
• Title of information
• Tracing information
Remember to keep this bibliographic information for all sources you
look at.
The Key Point about Harvard…
Is to realise that it aims to help
another researcher find the sources
you used. The guidelines presented
here will not cover all eventualities
but should give you a sense of how
to help someone else find what you
have found.
It is important to be consistent throughout your work with regard to layout, typeface, punctuation and format.
Why reference?
Referencing is a skill you will need to master. The written assignments you produce will need to follow the
formal conventions used in academic contexts when referring to books, articles and other sources of information.
Use of these referencing conventions ensures that your work avoids plagiarism (see below).
Just as important, however, is your ability to make use of the conventions as a guide to further reading. Writers
include references so that you, the reader, can investigate the same sources of information they used. Frequently,
that first book or article you consulted only relates loosely to your chosen topic, but its references may point the
way towards other sources that are much more helpful.
Plagiarism
On the cover sheet for each piece of written work, you are asked to affirm, by signing your name, that it
is entirely your own work. If you use any kind of material (information, ideas, particular words or phrases)
from a published source you must clearly indicate the source from which the material comes. Otherwise
you are plagiarising - in effect you are stealing someone else’s work. Plagiarism is not permitted under
any circumstances and is subject to severe penalties when detected.
References within the text
When the Harvard system is used, acknowledgement of the work of others appears within the text; it
includes paraphrasing as well as making direct quotations. (N.B. Footnotes do not need to be used with
this system; however, your tutor may allow you to use them to expand or qualify points in the text.) You
need to note the author’s surname, followed by the year of publication and, for a direct quotation, the
page number e.g. (Bloggs 2006: 12).
Where you are citing from more than one work published by an author in one year you add a lower
case letter after the year e.g. (Bloggs 2006a).
Where there are two authors, give the surnames of both authors e.g. (Bloggs and Smith 2006).
Where there are three or more authors, give the surname of the first followed by et al e.g. (Bloggs et al
2006).
There are several ways in which these references can be made; there are some examples below. (The
full details of sources are given in the list of references at the end; see the next section.)
Quotation
If you take a passage, a sentence, a phrase, or even a distinctive word from a book, article, or other
source you must put the borrowed material in single quotation marks (with double quotation marks for
a quote within a quote). Quotations and their introductory clauses need to be grammatically complete.
If something is left out of the original quotation then three dots should be used to show the omission. If
you add words, these should be in square brackets.
e.g.
He lists twenty-four names of people who had ‘felt hitherto strange and unfamiliar desire to have images
formed by light spontaneously fix themselves’ from as early as 1782 (Batchen 1990: 9).
e.g.
It is hard to disagree with Slee’s statement that ‘schooling has always produced exclusion’ (2001: 113).
e.g.
Teaching at this level was seen ‘as a student-centred activity in which students are not only
responsible for their own learning process but also are in control of the content of their learning’
(Samuelowicz and Bain 1992: 98).
A longer quotation (more than two lines) should be indented on both left and right and single spaced in
a separate paragraph.
e.g.
They also comment on the functions of literacy:
‘Participating in literacy at any level … can improve quality of life, increase social interactions
and relatedness, and improve communication in additional functional contexts.’ (Kaderavek
and Rabidoux 2004:242)
Paraphrase
If you paraphrase or summarise information or ideas from a book, article, or other source you must take
great care to put the information into your own words, and you must, again, clearly indicate the source
from which the information came.
e.g.
Biographies of Rossetti tend to differentiate the successive stages of his career by associating each of
them with a particular woman in his life (Prettejohn 1997).
e.g.
Evans and Saint-Aubin (2005) show how pictures totally capture the attention of very young children
being read to by their parents.
e.g.
In a further article (Johnson 2004a) it is argued that...
e.g.
In this article (Nicholls et al 2000) the view is taken that...
e.g.
Harris (1991) showed in his research that...
e.g.
This finding has been confirmed by other researchers in the United States (Smart 2001; Billings and
Brown 2004).
Secondary Citation
Sometimes you need to cite the ideas of an author that were referred to in someone else’s writing,
though, where possible, you should try to read the original source. You must show that you used the
secondary source.
e.g.
Learmouth (1999 cited in Short 2005) acknowledges that it is impossible to...
In the reference list you need only include the secondary source – in this case Short (2005).
Textual References
These are also called in-text references or citations. When you use another's ideas you should
immediately acknowledge your sources. Always give the surname of the author and the date of
publication. If you are referring to the general theme of a book or journal article page numbers
are unnecessary (but page numbers of books and journals should still be given in the reference
list at the end). Where you are directly quoting an author (e.g. using “” marks) or referring to
figures or data, page numbers may be included. Examples follow.
• Carlson (1981) obtained results which...
• A recent study (Carlson 1990) ...
• Soil layers below the well tip contribute relatively little water (Kozeny 1988, p. 223).
• Kozeny (1988, p. 223) found soil layers below the well tip contributed little.
Note: tables, diagrams, graphs and figures
should be referenced if they are based
on another’s work. The reference would
normally be given after the title of the
diagram or table. These references for
diagrams etc. must also be included in
the reference list.
Fig. 1: An Interesting Shape (Smith 1990). When volumes, sections or equations are needed – often for technical or legal reasons.
• (Jessor 1989, vol. 2, p. 23)
• (Jessor 1989, vol. 2, p. 23; vol. 3, pp. 20-41)
• (Jessor 1989, sec. 2)
• (Jessor 1989, eq. 3)
Two or three authors
• (Jones & Hackett 1991)
• Jones and Hackett (1991) theorised that...
• (Boyd, Smith & Eberle 1985)
• Boyd, Smith and Eberle (1985) found...
Note: The ampersand (&) is used when the authors' names are in brackets.
More than three authors
Use the first author only followed by 'et al.' For example, a work by Carter, Morton, Duncan-Kemp
and Redding becomes:
• Carter et al. (1989) discussed library search methods.
Note: Names of all the authors must be given in the list of references.
Multiple citations of the same author
Arrange in chronological order, and use suffixes to distinguish works published in the same year.
• Brown (1980, 1983a, 1983b) theorised ...
• Brown (1983a, p. 21; 1983b, p. 85) theorised ...
Direct Quotations
Brief quotations (about 30 words or less) can be included in text. Use single quotations marks.
•
•
Stewart (1982, p. 6) said: 'Engineers are vital to the survival of the planet'.
'Engineers are vital to the survival of the planet' (Stewart 1982, p. 6).
Lengthy quotations are given in separate paragraphs which are indented from both left and right
margins. No quotation marks are used. Citations are as above.
Two authors, same surname
Initials are included to distinguish.
• The theory was propounded by A.E. Smith (1981), but has been refuted since (Smith, B.R. 1985).
More than one work cited
• (Larsen 1971; Haddon 1969).
Editors
• (ed. Kaufmann 1974)
• ... edited by Kaufmann (1974)
Newspapers
If authors are given use the principles already stated. If there is no author:
• (Weekend Guardian 24-25 Jan. 1987, p.19)
Internet Sources
• Either: Quote URL address of the page containing the cited information in the text.
E.g.: Student satisfaction with canteen food is increasing (www.salford.ac.uk/catering.htm)
• Or: Quote the author as above – this is generally more helpful.
E.g.: Student satisfaction with canteen food is increasing (Smith 1999)
The internet URL would be given in the reference list in both cases – see next pages for advice on
this.
Personal communications
Initials are included.
• (Ayers, R.N. 1991, pers. comm., 2 July).
• M.K. Larsen (1983, pers. comm., 1 May) said...
Note: Personal communications are not included in the list of references at the end.
Unpublished Works
• (Crowley, unpub.)
• Crowley (unpub.) argues that...
No date or approximate date
• Donovan (n.d.) revealed ...
• Harris (c. 1751) said...
Anonymous
• On Travelling to London (1683) reveals this to be false.
• This was not so in seventeenth-century England (On Travelling to London 1683)
Note: Do not use 'Anonymous' or 'Anon'.
No personal author, sponsored by corporate body
• (CSIRO 1982)
• A publication of the Institution of Engineers, London (1988) is..
Note: Well known abbreviations such as CSIRO may be used in textual references, but should be
spelt out in an alphabetical list of abbreviations. Abbreviations used in textual references should
correspond with those in the list of references.
Database
• Manchester Architecture Database, Stanton Library,
• AGRIS (database), United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation,
Secondary source of idea
• Johns (1980, p.10, cited in Holesworthy 1985, p.19)
The Bible
• Psalm 23:6-8
Motion pictures, videos and television
• Strictly Ballroom (motion picture) 1992
• Understanding the GNP (video recording) 1982
• Television productions are identified as video recordings: What Are We Going to Do With the
Money (video recording) 8 August 1982, BBC Television
List of References
At the end of your assignment, place a list of references cited in the text. Arrange this in alphabetical
order of author's surnames, and chronologically for each author where more than one work by that
author is cited. The author's surname is placed first, followed by initials or first name, and then the
year of publication is given in brackets e.g. “(1984)”. If the list contains more than one item published
by the same author in the same year add lower case letters immediately after the year to distinguish
them. For example "(1983a)". The title of the journal or book is given in italics when word-processed
or underlined when this is not possible.
So for books:
Surname, Initial. (Year), Title, Publisher, Publishing Company’s Nearest Headquarters (e.g. London).
For Journals:
Surname, Initial. (Year), Title of Paper, Journal, volume and number, page numbers. The details about
the volume etc. can be given fully (e.g. vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 10-18.) or abbreviated to give just numbers
(e.g. 1 (3), 10-18.)
It is helpful, but not required, to make the volume bold to distinguish it from the journal name.
See the following examples for more details and for how to list other sources:
Type Of Item
Journal article
4 authors
Journal article
Example
Gibberd, R., Snow, P.T., Rice, P.G. & Patel, N.B. (1991), 'Nuclear power at what price?'
The Bulletin, 113 (4), 51-5.
Jones, B.E. & Jones, S.R. (1987), 'Powerful questions,' Journal of Power Engineering, vol.
1, no. 3, pp. 10-18.
Cole, G.H.A. (1991), Thermal Power Cycles, Edward Arnold, London.
Book
1 author
Book
Douglas, M. & Watson, C. (1984), Networking, Macmillan, London.
2 authors
Edition of Book
Morton, J.S. (1984), Wind Power: An Overview, 2nd edn, Newcastle University Press,
2+ editions of book Melbourne
Article cited in a
book
2 books in 1 year
by same author
Government pub.
no author
Book
anonymous
Editor
Oppenheim, P.L. (1981), 'Power politics', Journal of Power Engineering, 1 (3), 19-26,
quoted in Strong, K. (1985), Advances in Power Engineering, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p.
70.
King, P. (1984a), Power in Australia, UQP, St. Lucia,
(1984b), Solar Power, Macmillan, Melbourne.
Department of Energy, (1980), Projections of Energy Needs, HMSO, London.
The Eliciting of Frank Answers, (1955), Engineering Publications, Florida.
Long, P.E. (ed.) (1991), A Collection of Current Viewson Nuclear Safety, Penguin,
Harmondsworth.
Chapter in an edited North, D. (1980), 'Energy use at home', in Energy Conservation, eds S. Scott & N. Peel,
book
Academic Press, London.
Newspaper article Popham, B. (1987), 'Saving the future', Weekend Guardian Magazine, 7-8 Feb., p.10.
Newspaper article Perth Daily News, 24 Jan. 1987, p.10.
no author
Conference paper Trump, A. (1986), 'Power play', Proceedings of the Third Annual Conference,
International Society of Power Engineers, Houston, Texas, pp. 40-51.
Database
AGRIS (database), United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, Vendor:
Silverplatter, annual updating.
Motion pictures,
Learning to Live (motion picture) (1964), London, FineFilms Inc., Producer Martin
videos
Freeth.
Remember: you must list your references alphabetically.
LISTING INTERNET REFERENCES: While they are dealt with separately below, internet references
are best integrated into the reference list if you cite the internet page’s author in the text. If you cite the
internet address (the URL) in the text it is best to list the internet sources separately and arrange them
alphabetically by the URL.
Referencing Internet Resources Using the Harvard System
It is just as important to cite Internet resources correctly as it is to reference print materials, since
both are covered by copyright law. There are few published standards for using the Harvard System
when citing internet sources. Some examples adapted from the print-based Harvard system are shown
below. It is most helpful to cite the author of the material if one is available.
Note: An internet page address (e.g. www.salford.ac.uk) is technically called an URL (a Uniform
Resource Locator).
Individual work
example:
Journal Article
example:
Discussion List
Message
example:
Author/editor (Year), Title, [Online], Edition, Publisher (if ascertainable), Place of
Publication, Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
Hitchcock, S., Carr, L.& Hall, W. (1996), A survey of STM online journals 1990-95: The
calm before the storm, [Online], Available from: URL
http://journal.ecs.soton.ac.uk/survey/survey.html, [Accessed 12 June 1996].
Author Year, Article Title, Journal Title, [Online], volume (issue),
location within host, Available from: URL [Accessed Date].
Griffith, A.I. (1995), 'Coordinating Family and School: Mothering for Schooling', Education
Policy Analysis Archives, [Online], vol. 3, no. 1, 49310 bytes, Available from URL:
http://olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa/, [Accessed 12 February 1997].
Author Day Month Year, Subject of message, Discussion List
[Online], Available from: list e-mail address, [Accessed Date].
Wilson, D. 20 November (1995), `Summary of citing Internet sites' , NETTRAIN
Discussion List, [Online], Available from: [email protected]. [22
November 1995]
Personal E-mail
example:
Database
example:
Sender (Sender's E-mail address) Day Month Year, Subject of Message, E-mail to
Recipient (Recipient's E-mail address).
Davis, A. ([email protected]) 10 June (1996), 'Learning to use Web authoring tools' Email to Alison Hunter ([email protected]).
Database name [database], Place of publication,
Publisher (if ascertainable). Name of vendor, updating frequency.
AGRIS [database], New York, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Vendor:
Silverplatter, annual updating.
Note that the main differences between the print format and the electronic format are:
• Specification of the type of medium, in square brackets. It should almost always be [Online]
• Full specification of the URL, which indicates the type of online medium, eg. WWW (rarely ftp or
gopher).
• Specification of the date that the item was accessed, since electronic documents are often
updated.
• An indication of the size of the document, eg. pagination if that is known; labelled part, section,
table etc; or size of the file.
Final General Notes…
Above all, the citation of references is undertaken to allow the reader of your work to check your
sources in an efficient manner. It is not an exact science! You will inevitable come across sources that
are not given as examples above. You may also encounter conflicting advice between guides on the
Harvard System – especially for internet sources. In these situations, ask yourself whether the citation
you make within the text will help the reader find the full reference in your reference list and whether
the details in the reference list will enable the reader to accurately locate your original source where
possible. If the reader can do these things and your referencing conforms to the general principles of
the Harvard System you will do fine.
A more extensive guide is found in: Fisher, D., and Hanstock, T., (1998). Citing References. Oxford:
Blackwells. [...only 99p).
This guide to referencing integrates elements from the guide used by the University of Plymouth Integrated Masters
Programme (Education) and another document produced by Tim Duerden at the University of Salford from the material
available at http://hurricane.lamp.ac.uk/student/ref.htm which is in turn a reworking of material from Bournemouth
University which in turn originated from the University of New South Wales…