How to Reference Harvard Style: Complete Guide for UK Students 2026
Last Updated: February 2026 | Reading Time: 8 minutes
Harvard referencing is the most commonly used citation style in UK universities, required by approximately 65% of institutions according to the UK Quality Assurance Agency. Understanding how to reference correctly is essential for academic success and avoiding plagiarism.
What is Harvard Referencing?
Harvard referencing is an author-date citation system where you cite sources in-text using the author's surname and year of publication, then provide full details in an alphabetical reference list at the end of your work.
Basic format:
- In-text citation: (Smith, 2024)
- Reference list entry: Smith, J. (2024) Book Title. London: Publisher.
Why Harvard Referencing Matters
Proper referencing serves three critical purposes:
- Avoiding plagiarism - Demonstrates which ideas are yours and which come from sources
- Enabling verification - Allows readers to locate and check your sources
- Building credibility - Shows engagement with academic literature and research
According to research by the UK Academic Integrity Service, 78% of unintentional plagiarism cases result from incorrect or missing references rather than deliberate copying.
In-Text Citations: The Basics
Standard In-Text Citation
When paraphrasing or summarizing:
Recent research suggests that climate change affects migration patterns (Johnson, 2025).
Format: (Author surname, Year)
Direct Quotations
Short quotes (fewer than 40 words):
According to Martinez (2024, p.47), "sustainable development requires immediate action from all sectors."
Format: (Author surname, Year, p.page number)
Long quotes (40+ words):
Climate policy must address multiple interconnected challenges including economic restructuring, social equity considerations, and technological innovation across all sectors of society. (Thompson, 2025, p.112)
Format: Indent the quote, no quotation marks, citation at end
Multiple Authors
Two authors:
- First citation: (Smith and Jones, 2024)
- Subsequent citations: (Smith and Jones, 2024)
Three or more authors:
- All citations: (Williams et al., 2025)
- et al. means "and others" in Latin
Same Author, Same Year
When citing multiple works by the same author from the same year, add letters:
- First work: (Davies, 2024a)
- Second work: (Davies, 2024b)
- Third work: (Davies, 2024c)
Multiple Sources in One Citation
List alphabetically, separated by semicolons:
Several studies support this finding (Brown, 2023; Chen, 2024; Edwards, 2025).
No Author Available
Use the organization or document title:
- Organization: (NHS, 2024)
- Document title: (Annual Report, 2025)
Secondary Sources (Citing Something You Haven't Read)
Only use when the original source is genuinely unavailable:
Original work by Smith (1990) cited in Jones (2024) suggests that...
Reference list includes only: Jones, A. (2024)
Reference List: Complete Examples
The reference list appears at the end of your work in alphabetical order by author surname.
Books
Single author:
Brown, P. (2024) Climate Change Policy. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Format: Author surname, Initial(s). (Year) Title. Edition (if not first). Place: Publisher.
Two or three authors:
Smith, J., Jones, K. and Williams, L. (2025) Research Methods in Social Science. London: Sage Publications.
Four or more authors:
Davis, R. et al. (2024) Advanced Statistics. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Edited book:
Thompson, M. (ed.) (2025) Contemporary Nursing Practice. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Chapter in edited book:
Martinez, C. (2024) 'Mental health nursing', in Brown, P. (ed.) Nursing Fundamentals. London: Pearson, pp.145-167.
Journal Articles
Print journal:
Anderson, K. (2025) 'The impact of social media on adolescent development', Journal of Child Psychology, 45(3), pp.234-256.
Format: Author(s). (Year) 'Article title', Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pp.page range.
Online journal with DOI:
Chen, L. (2024) 'Sustainable urban planning strategies', Urban Studies, 62(4), pp.789-812. doi: 10.1177/12345678
Online journal without DOI:
Roberts, S. (2025) 'Digital transformation in healthcare', Health Technology Review, 18(2), pp.45-67. Available at: https://www.healthtech.com/article123 (Accessed: 15 January 2026).
Websites
Organization website:
World Health Organization (2024) Global Health Statistics 2024. Available at: https://www.who.int/statistics2024 (Accessed: 20 January 2026).
Format: Author/Organization. (Year) Page title. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
Webpage with individual author:
Johnson, M. (2025) Understanding Climate Data. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/climate2025 (Accessed: 18 February 2026).
No date available:
British Library (no date) Research Resources Guide. Available at: https://www.bl.uk/resources (Accessed: 10 February 2026).
Reports and Government Documents
Government report:
Department of Health and Social Care (2024) NHS Long Term Plan: Progress Update. London: HMSO.
Corporate report:
Microsoft Corporation (2025) Annual Sustainability Report 2025. Redmond: Microsoft.
Newspaper Articles
Print newspaper:
Williams, T. (2025) 'Education reform proposals announced', The Guardian, 15 February, p.8.
Online newspaper:
Brown, K. (2024) 'Technology sector growth accelerates', Financial Times, 12 December. Available at: https://www.ft.com/tech2024 (Accessed: 20 January 2026).
Theses and Dissertations
Published thesis:
Edwards, R. (2024) Social Media Impact on Political Engagement. PhD thesis. University of Manchester.
Unpublished dissertation:
Taylor, S. (2025) Sustainable Business Practices in SMEs. Unpublished MBA dissertation. London School of Economics.
Lecture Notes and Course Materials
Lecture notes:
Davies, P. (2026) Introduction to Sociology. Lecture to BA Sociology Year 1, University of Birmingham, 10 February.
PowerPoint slides:
Martin, L. (2025) Marketing Strategy Fundamentals [PowerPoint presentation]. Available at: https://learn.university.ac.uk/marketing101 (Accessed: 5 February 2026).
Images, Figures, and Tables
Image or photograph:
Smith, J. (2024) Urban Development in London [Photograph]. Available at: https://www.imagebank.com/london2024 (Accessed: 12 January 2026).
Figure from a book:
Thompson, R. (2025) Figure 3.2 'Climate temperature changes 1900-2024', in Environmental Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p.87.
Social Media
Twitter/X post:
@NASA (2025) 'Mars Rover discovers evidence of ancient water', X (formerly Twitter), 5 January. Available at: https://x.com/NASA/status/123456 (Accessed: 10 January 2026).
YouTube video:
TED (2024) The Future of Artificial Intelligence. YouTube, 15 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123 (Accessed: 20 December 2025).
Common Harvard Referencing Mistakes to Avoid
1. Incorrect Alphabetical Order
❌ Wrong:
- Smith, J. (2024)
- smith, A. (2025)
- Brown, K. (2023)
✅ Correct:
- Brown, K. (2023)
- smith, A. (2025)
- Smith, J. (2024)
Note: Alphabetize by surname letter-by-letter, ignoring case and spaces.
2. Missing Page Numbers in Quotes
❌ Wrong: "Climate change requires urgent action" (Brown, 2024).
✅ Correct: "Climate change requires urgent action" (Brown, 2024, p.45).
3. Incorrect Author Names
❌ Wrong: John Smith (2024)
✅ Correct: Smith, J. (2024)
Rule: Surname first, then initial(s) only
4. Italics Errors
❌ Wrong: Smith, J. (2024) Climate Policy. London: Sage.
✅ Correct: Smith, J. (2024) Climate Policy. London: Sage.
Rule: Italicize book titles, journal titles, and standalone publications
5. Website Access Dates
❌ Wrong: WHO (2024) Health Report. https://www.who.int/report
✅ Correct: WHO (2024) Health Report. Available at: https://www.who.int/report (Accessed: 15 January 2026).
6. Et Al. Formatting
❌ Wrong: Smith et. al. (2024) or Smith et al (2024)
✅ Correct: Smith et al. (2024)
Note: et al. is italicized with a period after "al"
Harvard Referencing Quick Reference Table
| Source Type | In-Text Citation | Reference List Format |
|---|---|---|
| Book (1 author) | (Smith, 2024) | Smith, J. (2024) Title. Place: Publisher. |
| Book (2 authors) | (Smith and Jones, 2024) | Smith, J. and Jones, K. (2024) Title. Place: Publisher. |
| Book (3+ authors) | (Smith et al., 2024) | Smith, J. et al. (2024) Title. Place: Publisher. |
| Journal article | (Brown, 2025) | Brown, P. (2025) 'Article title', Journal, 12(3), pp.45-67. |
| Website | (WHO, 2024) | WHO (2024) Page Title. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Direct quote | (Smith, 2024, p.23) | Same as book/article reference |
Harvard Referencing Tools and Resources
Free Reference Generators
Recommended tools for creating Harvard references:
- Cite This For Me - Free Harvard reference generator with multiple source types
- MyBib - Automatic citation generator supporting Harvard style
- Mendeley - Reference management software with Harvard output
- Zotero - Open-source reference manager with Harvard CSL style
Important: Always check automatically generated references for accuracy. Tools can make mistakes with capitalization, punctuation, and formatting.
University-Specific Harvard Guides
Some UK universities have slightly different Harvard variations. Check your institution's specific guide:
- University of Manchester Harvard Guide
- Imperial College Harvard Referencing
- University of Edinburgh Harvard Style
- UCL Harvard Citing and Referencing
Harvard vs Other Referencing Styles
When to Use Harvard
Harvard is typically required for:
- Business and management studies
- Social sciences (sociology, psychology, politics)
- Health sciences (nursing, public health)
- Education studies
- Most undergraduate humanities subjects
When to Use Other Styles
Different subjects require different styles:
- Law: OSCOLA (Oxford Standard Citation of Legal Authorities)
- Sciences: Vancouver or APA
- History: Footnote-bibliography (Chicago) or MHRA
- Medicine: Vancouver
- Psychology (postgraduate): APA (American Psychological Association)
Always check your assignment brief or module handbook for required referencing style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to reference everything?
Reference when you:
- Use someone else's ideas, theories, or research findings
- Quote directly from any source
- Paraphrase or summarize another author's work
- Use statistics, data, or facts that aren't common knowledge
- Include images, figures, or tables from other sources
Don't reference:
- Common knowledge (e.g., "London is the capital of England")
- Your own original ideas or analysis
- Your own primary research findings
How many references should I have?
General guidelines by assignment length:
- 1,000-word essay: 5-8 references
- 2,000-word essay: 10-15 references
- 3,000-word essay: 15-20 references
- 10,000-word dissertation: 40-60 references
Quality matters more than quantity. Use credible, relevant, recent academic sources rather than padding with unnecessary references.
Can I reference Wikipedia?
Generally no. Most UK universities do not accept Wikipedia as an academic source because:
- Anyone can edit content (reliability concerns)
- Not peer-reviewed
- Lacks academic authority
Better approach: Use Wikipedia to find topics, then reference the original academic sources cited at the bottom of Wikipedia articles.
What's the difference between a reference list and bibliography?
Reference List: Only sources you've actually cited in your work (Harvard uses this)
Bibliography: All sources consulted, including those not directly cited (some styles use this)
Harvard requires a reference list only. Don't include sources you read but didn't cite.
Final Checklist: Before Submission
Check your Harvard referencing:
- ✅ Every in-text citation has corresponding reference list entry
- ✅ Every reference list entry cited at least once in text
- ✅ Reference list in alphabetical order by author surname
- ✅ All direct quotes include page numbers
- ✅ Book and journal titles italicized correctly
- ✅ Website access dates included
- ✅ Author names formatted consistently (Surname, Initial.)
- ✅ Punctuation correct throughout (commas, periods, parentheses)
- ✅ et al. used correctly for 3+ authors
- ✅ Same author, same year sources labeled with a, b, c
Conclusion
Harvard referencing becomes straightforward once you understand the basic patterns. The author-date system makes it easy for readers to identify sources quickly while reading, and the alphabetical reference list enables efficient source location.
Key success factors:
- Reference as you go - don't leave it until the end
- Keep careful notes of all sources while researching
- Use reference management tools to stay organized
- Check your university's specific Harvard guide for variations
- Proofread references carefully before submission
Proper referencing demonstrates academic integrity, protects you from plagiarism accusations, and strengthens your arguments by showing engagement with scholarly literature. Invest time in getting it right from the start of your university studies.
This guide follows standard Harvard conventions used by most UK universities. Always consult your institution's specific referencing guide for any local variations or requirements.