How to Use Harvard Referencing

Start with a thorough audit of your research materials. For every book, article, or website you cite, you must record specific details. For a standard book, you need the author's surname and initials, the year of publication, the full title, the edition (if not the first), the city of publication, and the publisher. If you are using an online journal, you also need the DOI or the URL and the date you accessed the material. Organize this data in a spreadsheet or citation manager early to avoid searching for sources right before your deadline.

Write a citation every time you paraphrase an idea or use a direct quote. Place the citation as close to the relevant information as possible, usually before the final period of the sentence. The standard format is the author's surname followed by a comma and the year of publication. If you are quoting directly, you must add a page number. If you mention the author's name naturally in your sentence (a signal phrase), only place the year in parentheses immediately after their name.

Construct a reference list on a new page at the end of your essay. Title the page 'References' and align it to the center or left as per your university's specific style guide. List every source in alphabetical order by the author's surname. Unlike the in-text citation, the reference list provides the full details needed for a reader to locate the source. Use a hanging indent for each entry, where the first line is flush left and subsequent lines are indented. Ensure you use consistent punctuation, typically using periods to separate the main elements of the reference.