Harvard Referencing Guide (UK): In-Text Citations and Reference List
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Holtermann · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read
Harvard is an author–date style widely used in UK universities: (Smith, 2020, p. 15) in text and an alphabetical reference list. Details vary by university.
Key takeaways
- There is no single official Harvard style: every university publishes its own version, so punctuation, “et al.” rules, and access dates differ.
- Many UK universities base their Harvard guide on Cite Them Right; others use their own library guides.
- In-text format: author surname and year, plus page for quotes: (Smith, 2020, p. 15) or Smith (2020, p. 15).
- Reference list: alphabetical by surname, book titles and journal names in italics, article titles often in single quotation marks.
- Online sources usually include “Available at:” with the URL and “(Accessed: day month year)”.
Why there are many “Harvard” styles
Harvard referencing is not owned or published by Harvard University. The name describes a family of author–date systems. Unlike APA or MLA, there is no single official manual, so each institution defines its own variant. Two UK universities can both say “use Harvard” and expect slightly different punctuation, capitalization, or et al. rules.
That is why your department’s referencing guide is decisive here more than for any other style. Check whether it names a specific guide (often Cite Them Right) and follow its examples exactly. Consistency within your paper matters as much as matching the guide.
One rule beats every guide on the internet, including this one: your own university’s or department’s style guide, handbook, or assignment brief always takes precedence. If it differs from what you read here, follow it. You can upload that handbook to Professor Digital, and everything (outline, citations, checks) is tailored to it.
In-text citations
Harvard citations give the author’s surname and the year of publication, with a page number for direct quotes and often for specific paraphrases. Whether a comma separates author and year depends on your university’s variant; the examples below follow the widely used Cite Them Right pattern.
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Smith, 2020) | Smith (2020) |
| With page | (Smith, 2020, p. 15) | Smith (2020, p. 15) |
| Two authors | (Smith and Jones, 2020) | Smith and Jones (2020) |
| Three authors | (Smith, Jones and Patel, 2020) | Smith, Jones and Patel (2020) |
| Four or more authors | (Smith et al., 2020) | Smith et al. (2020) |
| Organization | (Department for Education, 2023) | The Department for Education (2023) |
| No date | (Smith, no date) | Smith (no date) |
| Secondary source | (Piaget, 1952, cited in Smith, 2020) | Piaget (1952, cited in Smith, 2020) |
Reference list examples
The reference list appears at the end under the heading “Reference list” or “References”, in alphabetical order by author surname. Some universities also require a separate “Bibliography” of sources you read but did not cite. The examples below follow the Cite Them Right pattern with invented authors.
| Source type | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Book | Morgan, L. (2019) Learning in the digital age. 2nd edn. London: Publisher Name. |
| Journal article | Nguyen, T. and Patel, R. (2021) ‘Working while studying: stress and grades in undergraduates’, Journal of Higher Education Research, 14(2), pp. 115–132. Available at: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx. |
| Chapter in edited book | Kim, S. (2020) ‘Feedback and motivation’, in Brown, J. (ed.) Assessment in higher education. Manchester: Publisher Name, pp. 45–67. |
| Webpage | Office for Students (2024) Student outcomes data. Available at: https://www.example.org/outcomes (Accessed: 16 October 2026). |
| Report | Department for Education (2023) Title of report. London: Department for Education. |
Harvard vs. APA 7: the key differences
Many students switch between Harvard and APA during their studies, or are unsure which one a module wants. The styles look similar but differ in many small details.
| Feature | Harvard (Cite Them Right pattern) | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| “and” or “&” in brackets | and | & |
| et al. in text | Four or more authors (varies) | Three or more authors |
| Year in reference list | (2020) without period after | (2020). with period |
| Place of publication (books) | Usually included | Omitted |
| Article titles | In single quotation marks | No quotation marks |
| Online sources | “Available at:” + URL + access date | URL or DOI, no access date usually |
| Editions | 2nd edn. | (2nd ed.) |
Direct quotes, paraphrases, and secondary sources
Short quotations go in quotation marks within your sentence; many UK universities use single quotation marks (‘…’), but follow your guide. Longer quotations (often more than two or three lines, or about 40 words) are indented as a separate block without quotation marks.
Paraphrases are cited without quotation marks, but many UK markers expect a page number when you paraphrase a specific passage. For a source you only know through another author, cite the secondary source and list only the source you actually read in your reference list.
Checklist for Harvard referencing
Go through this checklist before submission. Most lost marks in referencing come from inconsistency, not from complicated sources.
- Have you checked which Harvard variant your department uses?
- Does every in-text citation have a matching entry in the reference list?
- Is the reference list alphabetical by surname?
- Are titles italicized consistently (book and journal titles)?
- Do online sources have “Available at:” and an access date if your guide requires it?
- Is your et al. rule applied consistently?
- Is punctuation identical across all entries of the same type?
Frequently asked questions
Is Harvard referencing the same as APA?
No. Both are author–date styles, but they differ in details such as “and” vs. “&”, et al. rules, place of publication, quotation marks around article titles, and access dates.
Which Harvard style should I use?
The one your university or department specifies in its referencing guide. Many UK universities base theirs on Cite Them Right, but always check your own guide.
How do you cite a website in Harvard?
In text: (Author or Organization, Year). Reference list: Author (Year) Title of page. Available at: URL (Accessed: day month year).
When do you use et al. in Harvard?
In the Cite Them Right pattern for four or more authors; some universities use it from three. Follow your institution’s guide.
Do you need page numbers in Harvard referencing?
Always for direct quotes, and many UK markers also expect them when you paraphrase a specific passage.
Sources and further reading
- Pears, R., & Shields, G. (2022). Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide (12th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Your university’s examination regulations and style guide always take precedence.
Related articles
- APA 7th editionAPA 7 uses author–date citations: (Nguyen & Patel, 2021) or Nguyen and Patel (2021). Use “et al.” for three or more authors from the first citation.
- Reference listA reference list contains every source cited in your text; a bibliography may include works you consulted. APA says “References”, MLA “Works Cited”.
- Quote, paraphrase, summarizeQuote when exact wording matters, paraphrase to restate one idea in your own words, summarize to condense main points. All three need a citation.
- Avoiding plagiarismCite every idea, quote, and data point you take from others, paraphrase properly, never reuse graded work without permission, and track your sources.
- MLA formatMLA 9 uses author–page citations like (Morgan 45) and a Works Cited list built from core elements. Papers are double-spaced with a header and no title page.
