Posted: August 31st, 2022

The Harvard Referencing Style

The Harvard Referencing Style
The Harvard referencing style is a popular citation format that employs the author-date method for citation. Unlike other citation styles, there is no single definitive version of Harvard style. Therefore, you might encounter various variations in features, including punctuations, capitalizations, and italicization, when using this style.
In-text Citation
Wherever you quote or borrow an idea from the work of another writer, you must acknowledge their sources. In-text citations allow you to recognize the intellectual work of another writer within the body of your paper after quoting or borrowing information from a source. The Harvard referencing style uses the author-date system to make the citations. These are just short references, and the reader can follow the full reference on the reference list at the end of the document. In-text citations contain the author(s) surname and year of publication. When making direct requires, you are required to insert the page number from where you borrowed the information.
Example:
(Smith, 2010, P. 123) or Smith (2010, p. 123) states that “…”
When listing multiple authors, state all the surnames of the authors, followed by the year of publication as follows:
(Mitchell, Coyne and Thomson, 2010, p. 137)
When dealing with more than three authors, state the surname of the first author followed by ‘et al.”
(Smith et al., 2013, p. 176)
If the name of the author is not known, use the title of the source in italics.
Reference Lists
The reference list is located on the last page of the work and displays all the sources used in the paper. The reference lists allow readers to access original materials used by the writer. The format for each entry should follow the format:
The last name, first initial, (year of publication), Title, City of publication, Publisher, page(s)
Citing a book should follow the format given above.
Example:
Fitzgerald, F. (2004). The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner.
When using multiple authors, the format is quite similar.
Example:
Mitchell, J.A., and Thomson, M. (2017) A guide to citation.3rd edn. London: London Publishing.
How to cite a journal or article in Harvard style
When using a journal or an article as the source of information, the format should look like this:
Author name, (year) Title of article, Title, volume, page number.
Example:
Mitchell, J.A. ‘How citation changed the research world,’ The Mendeley, 62(9), p70-81.
The reference list should be on a separate page after the end of the document. The entries should be double spaced and arranged alphabetically by author, or by the title where the author is not given.