It has been emphasised that good referencing is an important academic skill ( , 2015).
Information from (2015) emphasises that good referencing is an important academic skill.
You use secondary referencing when you want to refer to a source that is mentioned or quoted in the work you are reading. To do this, you add the phrase ‘quoted in’ or ‘cited in’ (depending on whether the author of the secondary source is directly quoting or summarising from the primary source) to your intext citation, along with the details of the source that you are reading.
West (2007, quoted in Birch, 2017, p. 17) state that… You would then include full references to Birch and The Open University in your reference list as these are the sources that you have read. There is no change to the structure of the full reference for these sources. |
You should include page numbers in your citation if you are quoting directly from or using ideas from a specific page or set of pages. Add the abbreviation p. (or pp. if more than one page) before the page number(s).
Harris (2015, p. 5) argues that… In the drying process "polyphenol oxidizing reactions" form new flavour compounds (Toker 2020, pp. 585–586)... |
Add a lower case letter to the date in the in-text citation and in the matching full reference to distinguish between the sources. : Snow is formed in part because the temperature drops enough that rain freezes (The Open University, 2022a), however the freezing temperature of water is often below 0°C under certain conditions (The Open University, 2022b).
The Open University (2022a) '1.2 What are clouds?'. . Available at: (Accessed: 22 November 2022). The Open University (2022b) '1.3.1 Snow and ice'. . Available at: (Accessed: 22 November 2022). Note: this only applies when you are using multiple different sources with the same author and year – if you are referring to the same source more than once then you do not need to add a letter to the date. The citation will be the same each time and you only need to include the source once in your reference list. |
Example with one author:
Almeroth-Williams, T. (2019) City of Beasts: How Animals Shaped Georgian London . Manchester: Manchester University Press.
RSPCA (2024) Caring for cats and kittens . Available at: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats (Accessed: 1 August 2024).
Example with two or three authors:
Grayling, A. and Ball, B. (2024) ' Philosophy is crucial in the age of AI', The Conversation , 1 August. Available at: https://theconversation.com/philosophy-is-crucial-in-the-age-of-ai-235907 (Accessed: 1 August 2024).
Chu, M., Leonard, P. and Stevenson, F. (2012) ' Growing the Base for Citizen Science: Recruiting and Engaging Participants', in J.L. Dickinson and R. Bonney (eds.) Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research . Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 69-81.
Example with four or more authors:
Young, H.D. et al. (2015) Sears and Zemansky's university physics . San Francisco, CA: Addison-Wesley.
Note: You can choose one or other method to reference four or more authors (unless your School requires you to name all authors in your reference list) and your approach should be consistent.
(Includes written online module activities, audio-visual material such as online tutorials, recordings or videos).
When referencing material from module websites, the date of publication is the year you started studying the module.
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication/presentation) 'Title of item'. Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).
OR, if there is no named author:
The Open University (Year of publication/presentation) 'Title of item'. Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).
Rietdorf, K. and Bootman, M. (2022) 'Topic 3: Rare diseases'. S290: Investigating human health and disease . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1967195 (Accessed: 24 January 2023).
The Open University (2022) ‘3.1 The purposes of childhood and youth research’. EK313: Issues in research with children and young people . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1949633§ion=1.3 (Accessed: 24 January 2023).
You can also use this template to reference videos and audio that are hosted on your module website:
The Open University (2022) ‘Video 2.7 An example of a Frith-Happé animation’. SK298: Brain, mind and mental health . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=2013014§ion=4.9.6 (Accessed: 22 November 2022).
The Open University (2022) ‘Audio 2 Interview with Richard Sorabji (Part 2)’. A113: Revolutions . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1960941§ion=5.6 (Accessed: 22 November 2022).
Note: if a complete journal article has been uploaded to a module website, or if you have seen an article referred to on the website and then accessed the original version, reference the original journal article, and do not mention the module materials. If only an extract from an article is included in your module materials that you want to reference, you should use secondary referencing, with the module materials as the 'cited in' source, as described above.
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of message', Title of discussion board , in Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).
Fitzpatrick, M. (2022) ‘A215 - presentation of TMAs', Tutor group discussion & Workbook activities , in A215: Creative writing . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/discuss.php?d=4209566 (Accessed: 24 January 2022).
Note: When an ebook looks like a printed book, with publication details and pagination, reference as a printed book.
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title . Edition if later than first. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.
For ebooks that do not contain print publication details
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title of book . Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).
Bell, J. (2014) Doing your research project . Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Adams, D. (1979) The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy . Available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-ebooks (Accessed: 23 June 2021).
Note: Books that have an editor, or editors, where each chapter is written by a different author or authors.
Surname of chapter author, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of chapter or section', in Initial. Surname of book editor (ed.) Title of book . Place of publication: publisher, Page reference.
Franklin, A.W. (2012) 'Management of the problem', in S.M. Smith (ed.) The maltreatment of children . Lancaster: MTP, pp. 83–95.
Note: When referencing a chapter of an edited book, your in-text citation should give the author(s) of the chapter.
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference.
If accessed online:
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference. Available at: DOI or URL (if required) (Accessed: date).
Shirazi, T. (2010) 'Successful teaching placements in secondary schools: achieving QTS practical handbooks', European Journal of Teacher Education , 33(3), pp. 323–326.
Shirazi, T. (2010) 'Successful teaching placements in secondary schools: achieving QTS practical handbooks', European Journal of Teacher Education , 33(3), pp. 323–326. Available at: https://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/log... (Accessed: 27 January 2023).
Barke, M. and Mowl, G. (2016) 'Málaga – a failed resort of the early twentieth century?', Journal of Tourism History , 2(3), pp. 187–212. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182X.2010.523145
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference.
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference if available. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Mansell, W. and Bloom, A. (2012) ‘£10,000 carrot to tempt physics experts’, The Guardian , 20 June, p. 5.
Roberts, D. and Ackerman, S. (2013) 'US draft resolution allows Obama 90 days for military action against Syria', The Guardian , 4 September. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/04/syria-strikes-draft-resolut... (Accessed: 9 September 2015).
Surname, Initial. (Year that the site was published/last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Organisation (Year that the page was last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Robinson, J. (2007) Social variation across the UK . Available at: https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/social-variation... (Accessed: 21 November 2021).
The British Psychological Society (2018) Code of Ethics and Conduct . Available at: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/bps-code-ethics-and-conduct (Accessed: 22 March 2019).
Note: Cite Them Right Online offers guidance for referencing webpages that do not include authors' names and dates. However, be extra vigilant about the suitability of such webpages.
Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of photograph . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Kitton, J. (2013) Golden sunset . Available at: https://www.jameskittophotography.co.uk/photo_8692150.html (Accessed: 21 November 2021).
stanitsa_dance (2021) Cossack dance ensemble . Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/COI_slphWJ_/ (Accessed: 13 June 2023).
Note: If no title can be found then replace it with a short description.
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Reference : Name of person posting video (Year video posted) Title of film or programme. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year).
Example : APintTurtle (2008) Zig & Zag - Christmas crises. Available at: http://youtu.be/yCv4iyPqZKQ (Accessed 12 December 2014).
In-Text-Citation :
Still unsure what in-text citation and referencing mean? Check here .
Still unsure why you need to reference all this information? Check here .
YouT ube Video
A reference to a YouTube video will generally require the following components:
In-text citation
Black holes are invisible, and therefore the only way to study them is to observe their effect on nearby matter (National Geographic, 2018). |
Full reference for the Reference List / Bibliography
National Geographic (2018) . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOEDG3j1bjs (Accessed: 24 May 2019). |
Audiovisual Material
Film / movie
TV programme
PowerPoint presentation
YouTube video
Although most of YouTube seems to be videos of cats doing stupid things , you may occasionally come across something that you want to cite in an essay. As such, in this blogpost, we’re looking at how to cite a YouTube video in Harvard referencing.
Since a YouTube video does not have an author in the conventional sense, you can instead cite the title and the year it was uploaded:
The presence of the word ‘male’ in ‘female’ is actually a coincidence ( Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t , 2016).
It’s more unusual to quote a YouTube video directly, but when you can do this by giving a timestamp for the part of the video you are quoting:
According to Arika Okrent in Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t (2016, 00:00:10), ‘there’s no “male” in “female”’.
For example, the citation above shows that the quote is taken from ten seconds into the video. The reader would then be able to look up the video, skip to the cited section, and find the quoted material.
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Any YouTube video cited in your work should also be added to the reference list at the end of your document. The format here is as follows:
Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].
For the video cited above, for instance, the correct reference would be:
Words That Seem Related, But Aren’t (2016) YouTube video, added by Arika Okrent [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_3PNlkaKs [Accessed 8 November 2016].
Although many universities use ‘Harvard referencing’ , there’s not one universally accepted version of this system. As such, you should check your style guide to confirm the format preferred by your university
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Published October 17, 2020. Updated August 15, 2021.
If you need to cite a YouTube video in Harvard referencing style, this guide covers all the basics. These guidelines also apply to other online video sharing platforms like Vimeo and dailymotion. Because Harvard style can vary, this guide uses the 11th edition of Cite them right by Richard Pears and Graham Shields for standardization purposes. This guide is not affiliated with the text in any way. Also, if you’re citing sources, the Chegg Writing Harvard referencing generator is a helpful resource.
To reference a YouTube video in Harvard style, you’ll need the following information:
Name of the organization or person who uploaded the video
Year the video was posted
Title of the video
Date the video was uploaded (if available)
URL or name of video platform
Access date
For YouTube and other similar videos, it is important to use the information linked to the video so that your reader can find the exact video you are citing. If it is clear that someone else created the video, still use the name of the person or organization responsible for uploading it. This means that if you are citing a video posted by a university of someone giving a talk, use the name of the university, not the person giving the talk. The name of the uploader is crucial for correctly identifying the video.
Additionally, if your video is behind a paywall or has restricted access, Harvard recommends using the name of the sharing platform. This recommendation can also be applied to any reference for online video sharing platforms, though it is preferable to provide your reader with the exact link if possible.
Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing plagiarism checker and citation generator .
In-text reference template and example:
(Peter Draws, 2020)
(Video creator OR Channel name, Year published)
If you need to reference a specific part of the YouTube video or quote it, you’ll add a time code to your in-text reference, formatted as minutes:seconds . Here’s how that looks:
After he prepared the wood panels, he started doodling on them (Peter Draws, 2020, 01:32).
Full reference template and example:
Video Creator OR YouTube Channel Name (Year Published) Video title. Day Month published. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month year).
Peter Draws (2020) Can we just draw on wood panels instead of paper? 8 September. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ifox125W_g (Accessed: 29 September 2020).
Alternatively, you could also cite the video as follows:
Peter Draws (2020) Can we just draw on wood panels instead of paper? 8 September. Available at: YouTube (Accessed: 29 September 2020).
If you are referencing a video embedded on a different page, you’ll include the same information. You can use the URL from the webpage on which you found the video, or the URL for the original video. You’ll likely need to click through to the original video to find the information you need to properly reference it.
In-text reference example:
The website landing page for Sow the Land gives a video tour of their homestead (Sow the Land, 2019).
Full reference using the website the video was found on:
Sow the Land (2019) 1.5 acre homestead tour!! (homesteading family) . 31 July. Available at: https://sowtheland.com/ (Accessed: 29 September 2020).
Full reference for the video as it is on YouTube:
Sow the Land (2019) 1.5 acre homestead tour!! (homesteading family) . 31 July. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFrYhkkkwHI&feature=youtu.be (Accessed: 29 September 2020).
For more style basics, read this Harvard referencing in-text citations guide and this article on formatting Harvard referencing style papers .
Pears, R. and Shields G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . 11th rev. edn. London: Red Globe Press.
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Chegg Writing » Harvard Referencing Generator » How to reference a YouTube video in Harvard referencing style
All you need to know about citations
To cite a YouTube video in a reference entry in Harvard style include the following elements:
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a YouTube video in Harvard style:
Owner of video ( Year of upload ) Title of the video . Date uploaded , Available at: URL (Accessed: Date of access ).
Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Harvard style guidelines in action:
A YouTube video by a science channel
AsapSCIENCE . ( 2017 ) How To Learn Faster . 28 September . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9SptdjpJBQ ( Accessed: 27 November 2019 ).
A video on Vimeo by an individual filmmaker
Boyson, O. ( 2016 ) The Future of Cities . 12 December . Available at: https://vimeo.com/ ( Accessed: 27 November 2019 ).
This citation style guide is based on the Cite Them Right (10 th edition) Harvard referencing guide.
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Published on March 17, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.
To cite a video from YouTube or another video sharing site, you need an in-text citation with a corresponding reference listing the uploader, the publication date, the video title, and the URL.
The format varies depending on the citation style you use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago style .
Use the interactive example generator below to explore the APA and MLA formats or use Scribbr’s Citation Generator .
Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes
Citing a video in mla style, citing a video in apa style, citing a video in chicago style, where to find the information for a youtube citation, frequently asked questions about citations.
An MLA Works Cited entry for an online video begins with the name of the video’s author (the person who created it). The uploader is listed later, after the name of the site. The video title appears in quotation marks, the site name in italics.
In the in-text citation, list the author’s last name and the timestamp of the relevant part of the video.
MLA format | Author’s last name, First name. “Video Title.” , uploaded by Uploader, Day Month Year, URL. |
---|---|
Liu, Jessica. “Primary vs. Secondary Sources: The Differences Explained | Scribbr.” , uploaded by Scribbr, 16 Feb. 2021, https://youtu.be/CPQ95B95bWE. | |
(Liu 1:15) |
When the person who created the video (the author) is the same person who uploaded it, MLA recommends starting the Works Cited entry with the title so as not to repeat the name in both the author and the uploader position.
This means that the in-text citation for a video like this begins with the title, shortened if it is a long title.
MLA format | “Video Title.” , uploaded by Uploader, Day Month Year, URL. |
---|---|
“The Odd Number Problem.” , uploaded by Vsauce, 29 July 2020, https://youtu.be/U6VBV4QUMu0. | |
(“Odd Number Problem” 10:35) |
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
In an APA Style reference entry for a video , the person or organization that uploaded the video is always listed in the author position, even if they didn’t create the video. The video title appears in italics, followed by “Video” in square brackets.
A timestamp may be used in the in-text citation to show the location of a particular quote .
APA format | Uploader last name, Initials. or Organization Name. (Year, Month Day). [Video]. Website Name. URL |
---|---|
Scribbr. (2021, February 16). [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CPQ95B95bWE | |
(Scribbr, 2021, 1:15) |
Note that if the uploader’s real name is known and is different from the name of their channel, both should be included—the real name first, then the channel name in brackets.
To cite an online video in Chicago style , include a bibliography entry listing full details of the video, and a footnote where you cite it in the text.
The bibliography entry shows the video title in quotation marks, as well as specifying that the source is a video and stating its total length.
The footnote may list a timestamp if it’s necessary to highlight the location of a specific part of the video.
Chicago format | Author Name. “Video Title.” Month Day, Year. Video, Length. URL. |
---|---|
Liu, Jessica. “Primary vs. Secondary Sources: The Differences Explained.” February 16, 2021. Educational video, 4:12. https://youtu.be/CPQ95B95bWE. | |
1. Jessica Liu, “Primary vs. Secondary Sources: The Differences Explained,” February 16, 2021, educational video, 1:01, https://youtu.be/CPQ95B95bWE. 2. Liu, “Primary vs. Secondary Sources,” 1:15. |
Chicago also offers an author-date citation style . An example of how to cite YouTube videos in this style can be found here .
All the key information needed to cite a YouTube video is displayed below the video itself on the site:
If the uploader’s name is not the same as their username, or if you need information about the video’s original creator, this information may be available in the description or in the video itself.
The image below shows where to find the relevant information below the video on YouTube; other video sites tend to follow a similar layout.
The main elements included in a YouTube video citation across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name of the author/uploader, the title of the video, the publication date, and the URL.
The format in which this information appears is different for each style.
All styles also recommend using timestamps as a locator in the in-text citation or Chicago footnote .
In APA , MLA , and Chicago style citations for sources that don’t list a specific author (e.g. many websites ), you can usually list the organization responsible for the source as the author.
If the organization is the same as the website or publisher, you shouldn’t repeat it twice in your reference:
If there’s no appropriate organization to list as author, you will usually have to begin the citation and reference entry with the title of the source instead.
When you want to cite a specific passage in a source without page numbers (e.g. an e-book or website ), all the main citation styles recommend using an alternate locator in your in-text citation . You might use a heading or chapter number, e.g. (Smith, 2016, ch. 1)
In APA Style , you can count the paragraph numbers in a text to identify a location by paragraph number. MLA and Chicago recommend that you only use paragraph numbers if they’re explicitly marked in the text.
For audiovisual sources (e.g. videos ), all styles recommend using a timestamp to show a specific point in the video when relevant.
Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.
Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.
The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a YouTube Video | MLA, APA & Chicago. Scribbr. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/cite-a-video/
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Reference examples, video (recorded eg on dvd or videocassette).
Reference this using the same format as Film .
Screen name or username. Year. Title. [Online]. [Date Accessed]. Available from: URL
Common Craft. 2008. Twitter in plain English. [Online]. [Accessed 19 August 2019]. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o
Author and date.
When the author name is not mentioned in the text, the citation consists of the author’s name and the year of publication in brackets.
It was emphasised that citations in the text should be consistent (Jones, 2017).
If you have already named the author in the text, only the publication year needs to be mentioned in brackets.
Jones (2017) emphasised that citations in the text should be consistent.
If a source has three or more authors, the name of the first author should be given, followed by the phrase "et al."
It was emphasised that citations in a text should be consistent (Jones et al., 2017).
Jones et al. (2017) emphasised that citations in a text should be consistent.
Leeds Harvard does not use ibid to refer to previously cited items. If you are citing the same item twice in a row (i.e. you do not cite any other items in the text between the two citations) you must write the full citation again.
The key principle of referencing is that the reader should understand which information came from another source and which is your own idea, so you should provide citations as often as is necessary to make this clear. If you feel that you are citing the same source too many times in one paragraph, you could change the way that you are writing:
Example: Jones et al. (2017) emphasised that citations in a text should be consistent and argued that referencing is a key part of academic integrity. Furthermore, having a broad range of references in a text is an indicator of the breadth of a scholar's reading and research (Jones et al., 2017). They also suggested that…
If the item is produced by an organisation, treat the organisation as a "corporate author". This means you can use the name of the organisation instead of that of an individual author. This includes government departments, universities or companies. Cite the corporate author in the text the same way as you would an individual author.
According to a recent report, flu jabs are as important as travel vaccines (Department of Health, 2017).
When you're referencing with Leeds Harvard you may come across issues with missing details, multiple authors, edited books, references to another author's work or online items, to name a few. Here are some tips on how to deal with some common issues when using Leeds Harvard.
Skip straight to the issue that affects you:
Once you’ve watched all of the unboxing videos YouTube has to offer (assuming you have a spare century), you might want to check out the lectures and educational content available. In fact, you might even want to cite them in your work .
But since YouTube videos aren’t conventional academic sources, the rules for citing them are a little different. In this post, we look at how to cite an online video with Harvard referencing .
Since a YouTube video does not have an author in the conventional sense, you can instead cite the title and the year it was uploaded:
Ian Ayre describes Rawls’ veil of ignorance as important in philosophy and law ( Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance , 2015).
Here, for example, we give the name of the video, even though the video names Ian Ayre as the presenter.
You can even quote a YouTube video in your work. To do this, provide a timestamp to show where the quoted passage occurs in the video:
Decision makers behind a veil of ignorance make ‘better and less biased choices’ ( Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance , 2015, 00:02:20).
In this case, the timestamp shows that the passage occurs two minutes and twenty seconds into the video. This is equivalent to giving page numbers when quoting a print source.
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As with other sources, YouTube videos cited in your work should be added to a reference list at the end of your document. The format for these references is:
Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].
For the video cited in the examples above, for instance, we’d write:
Rawlsian Veil of Ignorance (2015) YouTube video, added by YaleCourses [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rRzMeAkULc [Accessed 19 December 2016].
Keep in mind that Harvard referencing is not a single, unified system. As such, you should check your style guide in case the rules your university uses differ from those described here.
If your style guide doesn’t give specific information on citing a YouTube video, the method here should be fine. Just remember to make your referencing clear and consistent throughout!
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Harvard Referencing / Harvard Referencing Style Examples / How to reference an article in Harvard referencing style
What is an article.
Almost all writers and academics reference other people’s writing in their works. Referencing demonstrates that you have researched your topic, are well versed in its arguments and theories, and it also helps avoid charges of plagiarism.
The Harvard citation system is just one of many referencing styles – and which style you choose is normally guided by the institution or publication you are writing for.
In this article, you will learn how to use the Harvard citation system to reference the following types of articles:
Properly citing article details in the reference list will help the readers to locate your source material if they wish to read more about a particular area or topic.
If accessed online:
Academic or scholarly journals are periodical publications about a specific discipline. No matter what your field is, if you are writing an academic paper, you will inevitably have to cite a journal article in your research. Journal articles often have multiple authors, so make sure you know when to use et al. in Harvard style . The method for referencing a journal article in the reference list is as follows:
Reference list (print) structure:
Last name, F. (Year published) ‘Article title’, Journal name , Volume(Issue), Page(s).
Shepherd, V. (2020) ‘An exploration around peer support for secondary pupils in Scotland with experience of self-harm’, Educational Psychology in Practice, 36(3), pp. 297-312.
Note that the article title uses sentence case. However, the title of the journal uses title case. Additionally, the volume number comes immediately after the journal title followed by the issue number in round brackets.
If the original material you are referencing was accessed online, then the method for citing it in the reference list will be the same as that in print, but with an additional line at the end.
Reference list (online) structure:
Last name, F. (Year published) ‘Article title’, Journal Name , Volume(Issue), Page(s). Available at: URL or DOI (Accessed: date).
Shepherd, V. (2020) ‘An exploration around peer support for secondary pupils in Scotland with experience of self-harm’, Educational Psychology in Practice, 36(3), pp. 297-312. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02667363.2020.1772726 (Accessed: 08 October 2020).
In-text citations are written within round brackets and start with the last name of the author followed by the year published, both separated by a comma.
You can also mention the author within the text and only include the publication year in round brackets.
Examples:
In this article (Shepherd, 2020) deals with…
According to Shepherd (2020), when peer support is available…
Talking about the secondary education system, Shepherd (2020, p.299) suggests that…
Even if you are referring to an incident which is public knowledge, you still need to cite the source.
The name of the author in a newspaper article is referred to as a byline. Below are examples for citing an article both with and without a byline.
Reference list (print) structure:
Last name, F. (Year published). ‘Article title’, Newspaper name , Day Month, Page(s).
Hamilton, J. (2018). ‘Massive fire at local department store’, The Daily Local, 10 August, p. 1.
Last name, F. (Year published). ‘Article title’, Newspaper name , Day Month, Page(s). Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Gambino, L. (2020) ‘Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate,’ The Guardian, 8 October. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/07/debate-kamala-harris-mike-pence-latest-news (Accessed: 8 October 2020).
Reference list structure, no byline:
The basic reference list structure for the reference is the same for both print and online articles. If information isn’t available, simply omit it from the reference.
Newspaper name (Year published) ‘Article Title’, Day Month, Page(s). Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
The Chronicler (2016) ‘Local man wins lottery jackpot twice in one year’, 30 May, p. 14. Available at: https://thechroniclerpaper.com/local-man-wins-lottery-twice (Accessed: 1 October 2020).
In-text citation structure (print or online):
The last name of the author and date are written in round brackets, separated by a comma. The method is similar to referencing journal articles in in-text citations.
(Hamilton, 2018)
In his paper, Gambino (2020) mentioned that…
For articles accessed online which do not have an author, the name of the publication is mentioned in place of the author’s name and is italicized.
( The Chronicler , 2016)
The structure of magazine articles is similar to that of a journal article.
Last name, F. (Year published) ‘Article title’, Magazine Name , Volume(Issue), Page(s).
Ornes, S. (2020). “To save Appalachia’s endangered mussels, scientists hatched a bold plan”, ScienceNews, (198), p.2.
Last name, F. (Year published) ‘Article title’, Magazine name , Volume(Issue), Page(s). Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
Ornes, S. (2020) ‘To save Appalachia’s endangered mussels, scientists hatched a bold plan’, ScienceNews, (198), p.2. Available at: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/endangered-mussels-appalachia-rivers-biologists-conservation-plan (Accessed: 3 October 2020).
In-text citation (print or online) structure:
(Author last name, Year published)
(Ornes, 2020)
Published October 29, 2020.
Harvard Formatting
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Published on 19 May 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 7 November 2022.
To reference a website in Harvard style , include the name of the author or organization, the year of publication, the title of the page, the URL, and the date on which you accessed the website.
example | (Google, 2020) |
template | Author surname, initial. (Year) . Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Reference example | Google (2020) . Available at: (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
Different formats are used for other kinds of online source, such as articles, social media posts and multimedia content. You can generate accurate Harvard references for all kinds of sources with our free reference generator:
Harvard Reference Generator
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Online articles, social media posts, images, videos and podcasts, referencing websites with missing information, frequently asked questions about harvard website references.
Blog posts and online newspaper articles are both referenced in the same format: include the title of the article in quotation marks, the name of the blog or newspaper in italics, and the date of publication.
Template | Author surname, initial. (Year) ‘Article Title’, , Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Rakich, N. (2020) ‘How does Biden stack up to past Democratic nominees?’, , 28 April. Available at: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-does-biden-stack-up-to-past-democratic-nominees/ (Accessed: 29 April 2020). |
Template | Author surname, initial. (Year) ‘Article Title’, , Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Rayner, G. (2020) ‘Boris Johnson sets out three-step plan to end lockdown on long road to freedom’, , 10 May. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/05/10/go-back-work-boris-johnson-says-britons-set-long-road-freedom/ (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
The format for a magazine article is slightly different. Instead of a precise date, include the month, season, or volume and issue number, depending on what the magazine uses to identify its issues.
The URL and access date information are included only when the article is online-exclusive.
Template | Author surname, initial. (Year) ‘Article Title’, , Volume(Issue) or (Month) or (Season). Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Taylor, P. (2020) ‘Susceptible, infectious, recovered’, , 42(9). Available at: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n09/paul-taylor/susceptible-infectious-recovered (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
To reference posts from social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, include the username and the platform in square brackets. Write usernames the way they appear on the platform, with the same capitalization and symbols.
If the post has a title, use it (in quotation marks). If the post is untitled, use the text of the post instead. Do not use italics. If the text is long, you can replace some of it with an ellipsis.
Template | Author surname, initial. [username] (Year) ‘Title’ or text. [Website name] Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Dorsey, J. [@jack] (2018) We’re committing Twitter to help increase the collective health, openness, and civility of public conversation … [Twitter] 1 March. Available at: https://twitter.com/jack/status/969234275420655616 (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
Online content is referenced differently if it is in video, audio or image form.
To cite an image found online, such as an artwork, photograph, or infographic, include the image format (e.g. ‘Photograph’, ‘Oil on canvas’) in square brackets.
Template | Author surname, initial. (Year) [Medium]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Taylor, P. (2020) [Photograph]. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/2iZBKhY (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
Online videos, such as those on YouTube, Instagram, Vimeo and Dailymotion, are cited similarly to general web pages. Where a video is uploaded under the name of an individual, write the name in the usual format. Otherwise, write the username of the uploader as it appears on the site.
If you want to locate a specific point in a video in an in-text citation, you can do so using a timestamp.
Template | Author surname, initial. (Year) . Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Scribbr (2020) 23 January. Available at: https://youtu.be/Uk1pq8sb-eo (Accessed: 14 May 2020). (Scribbr, 2020, 1:58) |
For a podcast reference, you just need the name of the individual episode, not of the whole series. The word ‘Podcast’ is always included in square brackets. As with videos, you can use a timestamp to locate a specific point in the in-text citation.
Template | Author/presenter surname, initial. (Year) [Podcast]. Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
Example | Carlin, D. (2017) [Podcast]. 24 January. Available at: https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-59-the-destroyer-of-worlds/ (Accessed: 11 May 2020). (Carlin, 2017, 25:55) |
Online sources are often missing information you would usually need for a citation: author, title or date. Here’s what to do when these details are not available.
When a website doesn’t list a specific individual author, you can usually find a corporate author to list instead. This is the organisation responsible for the source:
Example | (Google, 2020) Google (2020) . Available at: (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
In cases where there’s no suitable corporate author (such as online dictionaries or Wikis), use the title of the source in the author position instead:
Example | (‘Divest’, 2020) ‘Divest’ (2020) Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divest (Accessed: 29 April 2020). |
In Harvard style, when a source doesn’t list a specific date of publication, replace it with the words ‘no date’ in both the in-text citation and the reference list. You should still include an access date:
Example | (Scribbr, no date) Scribbr (no date) . Available at: https://www.scribbr.co.uk/category/referencing/ (Accessed: 11 May 2020). |
It’s important to assess the reliability of information found online. Look for sources from established publications and institutions with expertise (e.g. peer-reviewed journals and government agencies).
The CRAAP test (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) can aid you in assessing sources, as can our list of credible sources . You should generally avoid citing websites like Wikipedia that can be edited by anyone – instead, look for the original source of the information in the “References” section.
You can generally omit page numbers in your in-text citations of online sources which don’t have them. But when you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a particularly long online source, it’s useful to find an alternate location marker.
For text-based sources, you can use paragraph numbers (e.g. ‘para. 4’) or headings (e.g. ‘under “Methodology”’). With video or audio sources, use a timestamp (e.g. ‘10:15’).
In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’
In-text citation | Reference list | |
---|---|---|
1 author | (Smith, 2014) | Smith, T. (2014) … |
2 authors | (Smith and Jones, 2014) | Smith, T. and Jones, F. (2014) … |
3 authors | (Smith, Jones and Davies, 2014) | Smith, T., Jones, F. and Davies, S. (2014) … |
4+ authors | (Smith , 2014) | Smith, T. (2014) … |
A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.
The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2022, November 07). Reference a Website in Harvard Style | Templates & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 16 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-website-reference/
Other students also liked, a quick guide to harvard referencing | citation examples, harvard style bibliography | format & examples, harvard in-text citation | a complete guide & examples, scribbr apa citation checker.
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One of the biggest shifts in studying when you head to university is the importance of referencing when you write assignments. You’re expected to show where you find the answers to your work, how you formed arguments and how you got to your conclusions. It’s also a way of showing that you have read around the subject and appreciate the context rather than just offering your own opinion.
But why we reference is one thing. HOW you reference… well that’s a whole new chapter (no pun intended).
Nothing is ever simple right? And referencing really does love to throw a spanner in the works – different universities, and even different subjects WITHIN the same university use a variety of referencing styles. Some types of referencing works better for certain subjects than others do, so it is very dependent on what your course wants to use.
To break it down, we’ve put together this quick reference guide to cover the basics of different styles of referencing, including websites, images, journals and books, in some of the more popular referencing styles. It’s not everything, but it’s a good starting point. Need more tips on your uni work? Check out our best revision techniques.
In this article:
How to reference a book, how to reference an image, how to reference a pdf, how to reference a journal article, citation generators, what’s the most popular referencing style.
You might find that websites are one of the most commonly referenced sources these days, especially with how many open source publications out there now. We’ve gathered some of the most popular referencing styles to make it that little bit easier.
The difference between referencing a book and a website is that books have all the printed information you need for citations – but websites can vary. So while we’ve included examples for the different referencing styles, you may need to tweak based on the website. It’s super important to make sure you’re sourcing from a reliable source, but if you find that a website doesn’t have an author, or doesn’t have a year, then amend to suit.
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Page Title . Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example: Bartlett, M. (2024) Freshers Guide 2024: What You Need To Know About Freshers & Student Life. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/advice/freshers-guide/ (Accessed: 11 September 2024).
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Retrieved from URL
Example: Kah-Pavlou, L. (2024). 10 Fun Alternatives To Alcohol & Drinking During Freshers’ Week. Retrieved from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/10-fun-alternatives-to-drinking-during-freshers/
Format: Author first name initial surname, ‘Entry Title’ ( Blog Name , publication date) <URL> accessed date.
Example: K Moody, ‘Best Revision Techniques’ ( Student Beans Blog, 15 February 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/the-best-revision-techniques/ > accessed 11 September 2024.
Format: Author surname, first name. “Title.” Website name , URL. Accessed day month year
Example: Moody, Keith. “Using Mind Maps for Revision – The Ultimate Guide for Students.” Student Beans Blog, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/students-guide-to-creating-and-using-mind-maps-for-revision/ . 11 September 2024
Format: Author surname, first name initial. Title [Internet]. Year published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: URL
Example: Howarth, E. Your Must-Have Uni Essentials Checklist [Internet]. 2024 [cited 11 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/student-essentials-list-university-checklist/
Format: First initial, surname, “Page title.” Website Title. URL (accessed date, month, year).
Example: E. Howarth, “The Essential Uni Food Shopping List.” Student Beans Blog. https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/essential-student-food-shopping-list-cheap-living/ (accessed 11 Sept, 2024).
If you prefer to study with a paper and pen, you’ll probably spend a lot of time in the library exploring textbooks and anthologies to support your assignments. It can be a little simpler to cite a book, as you’ll have all the information you need printed inside, which is a relief if you’re scrambling to find an author on a website!
But each major referencing style has subtle differences between them, so check out how to reference books (and chapters within books) below.
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Book Title . Edition if application. Place of Publication: Publisher
Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman.
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Publisher.
Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . Longman.
Format: Author surname first initial, Title (Publisher, Year).
Example: Thwaite A, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 (London, 1985).
Format: Author surname, first name. Title. Publisher, Year.
Example: Thwaite, Anthony. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. Longman, 1985.
Format: Author surname first name initial. Title. Location of publication: Publisher; Year.
Example: Thwaite A. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . London: Longman; 1985.
Format: First initial. Surname, Title . Location of publication: Publisher, Year.
Example: A. Thwaite, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman, 1985.
If you’re an art student, you’ll be writing a lot about your inspirations, emulations, crediting artists from all over the world, present day and past. It’s probably not the most creative thing you thought you’d be doing during your time at uni – but it’s still an important part of your work.
Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year).
Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter (Accessed 13 September 2024).
Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. [Format]. Site or Museum, Location. URL.
Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. [Painting]. National Gallery, London. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter
Format: Author/Creator, ‘Title of image’ ( Name of website, Date published) <URL> Access date
Example: Vincent Van Gogh, ‘Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter’ ( National Gallery) < https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter > Accessed 16 September 2024.
Format: Artist surname, First Name. Image Title. Year Created. Website Name, Numbers (if applicable), URL.
Example: van Gogh, Vincent. Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. 1890. National Gallery, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter .
So many publications, from ebooks to journals to poetry, are now available online in PDF formats. So if you struggle to get to the library, or find something in a pinch in your research, then PDFs can be a useful alternative.
Format: Author(s) or Organisation (Year). Title of Document . Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
Example: Student Beans (2024). Freshers Prediction Report 2024. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf [Accessed 16 September 2024].
Format: Title of document . (Year). Organisation. URL
Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024. (2024). Student Beans. https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf
Format: ‘Title’ (Organisation, Publication date) <URL> accessed day month year
Example: ‘Freshers Prediction Report 2024’ (Student Beans, 15 August 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf > accessed 15 September 2024.
Format: Author Surname, Author Forename. Title . Publisher, Year Published. Website Name , date page was published if known, URL. PDF download.
Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 . Student Beans, 2024. Student Beans , 15 August 2024, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf . PDF download.
Format: Title [Internet]. City: Publisher; Year Published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: http://Website URL
Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 [Internet]. London: Student Beans; 2024 [16 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf
Format: “Title,” website title. URL (accessed day month year).
Example: “Freshers Prediction Report 2024,” studentbeans.com. https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf (accessed 16 Sept 2024).
Journal articles will be your bread and butter when it comes to your assignments. You’ll find so much information in journal articles, and luckily most are available online these days, so it’s one of the more simpler ways to reference.
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). ‘Journal article title’, Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: .
Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y., Zou, X. (2024). ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’, World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.
Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Journal article title. Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: .
Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y. & Zou, X. (2024). Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.
Format: Author first name last name, ‘Journal article title’ (Year) Vol(Issue) Journal name <URL> accessed day month year.
Example: Xuyan Zou, Haiyan Huang, Yao Tan, ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’ (2024) 17(4) World Allergy Organization Journal < https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 > accessed 16 September 2024.
Format: Author surname, first name, et al. “Journal article title.” Journal name, vol. X no. X, Year. doi URL.
Example: Zou, Xuyan, et al. “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study.” World Allergy Organization Journal, vol.17, no.4, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894
Format: Author surname first name initials. Journal article name. Journal name. Year;(issue). Accessed day month year. doi URL.
Example: Zou X, Huang H, Tan Y. Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2024;(4). Accessed 16 September 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 .
Format: Author first name initial., surname, “Journal article name,” Journal name, vol. X, no. X, Year. Accessed on: day month year. [Online]. Available: doi URL
Example: X. Zou, H. Huang and Y. Tan, “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study,” World Allergy Organization Journal , vol. 17, no. 4, 2024. Accessed on: Sept. 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894
You can find lots of citation and reference generators online, and your own university will likely have a referencing guide document online or in the library in case you’re not sure.
If you’re using an online referencing generator, it’s always a good idea to cross reference with your university guide – just in case there are any errors. Just like your university essays, proofreading is a really key part of submitting an assignment, which includes your bibliography.
Harvard referencing is one of the most popular and common referencing style in the UK as it covers a lot of different subjects at university. Different subjects tend to rely on different styles of referencing as it suits the subtle nuance between a variety of topics and requirements.
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Generate accurate Harvard reference lists quickly and for FREE, with MyBib!
A Harvard Referencing Generator is a tool that automatically generates formatted academic references in the Harvard style.
It takes in relevant details about a source -- usually critical information like author names, article titles, publish dates, and URLs -- and adds the correct punctuation and formatting required by the Harvard referencing style.
The generated references can be copied into a reference list or bibliography, and then collectively appended to the end of an academic assignment. This is the standard way to give credit to sources used in the main body of an assignment.
Harvard is the main referencing style at colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also very popular in other English-speaking countries such as South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. University-level students in these countries are most likely to use a Harvard generator to aid them with their undergraduate assignments (and often post-graduate too).
A Harvard Referencing Generator solves two problems:
A well-formatted and broad bibliography can account for up to 20% of the total grade for an undergraduate-level project, and using a generator tool can contribute significantly towards earning them.
Here's how to use our reference generator:
MyBib supports the following for Harvard style:
⚙️ Styles | Harvard, Harvard Cite Them Right |
---|---|
📚 Sources | Websites, books, journals, newspapers |
🔎 Autocite | Yes |
📥 Download to | Microsoft Word, Google Docs |
There isn't "one true way" to do Harvard referencing, and many universities have their own slightly different guidelines for the style. Our generator can adapt to handle the following list of different Harvard styles:
Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.
Powered by chegg.
Use the following template or our Harvard Referencing Generator to cite a dvd, video, or film. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator .
Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.
Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.
Introduction
How do you go about referring to figures, tables and other visuals in your academic writing? What do you do when you want to include tables that are all your own work, or a table that is adapted from the work of another author?
This Short Guide will either give you the answers, or refer you to other sources of information. Please use it in conjunction with its companion guide from the ASC, Short Guide to using visuals in your writing (University of Birmingham, 2015).
There is no standard practice across the University of Birmingham. Some individual departments will have their own guidelines, and others may have no guidelines at all. So here are a few tips to help you to confidently use tables and figures in your academic writing.
Guidelines - A health warning
This complements whatever you get told by individual lecturers. Obviously, guidance from within your School always takes priority over this general guide to good practice.
Visuals are normally divided into two categories for use in your writing. Tables are – fairly obviously – columns of words or data that you would create in a package such as Microsoft Word™ or Excel™.
Figures are everything else, for instance pictures, drawings, scanned material, photographs, charts and graphs etc. In some schools, all visual materials may be grouped together and known as ‘Figures’.
Make sure that any reference to percentages always includes the specific number. The normal shorthand is N=45 (where the study refers to 45 respondents).
Referring to your work in the text of your assignment
When you have gone to a lot of trouble to create tables and figures, it is important to make sure that you use them effectively.
So always refer directly to the figure. For instance:
‘Figure 7, above, suggests that...’
‘Table 4, page 19, is a powerful argument for...’
‘Figure 17, over page, provides clear evidence that...’
Who created your table or figure?
Always give a source for your table or figure, or if you have found an image that you want to use after altering it.
Figure 2. Belbin roles (Source: Personal collection)
You can normally use copyright material for your private study. However, images you will see on the web are protected by copyright law and cannot be simply cut and pasted into your work. You must always give a source for the figure or table, and never use copyright material without acknowledgement. We strongly advise you to find out more from the University of Birmingham webpage on fair dealing (University of Birmingham, 2015a), and the web page on digital content (University of Birmingham, 2015b).
Images may also be available to you under what is called the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, this is an arrangement for the legal sharing of content which individuals have created. As well as acknowledging the creator of the work, it’s also a good idea to use a low resolution image from a highresolution work. Again, find out more about this at the University website (University of Birmingham 2015b).
Dimensions of the cross-section of the beam (Frei, 2012. Used with permission)
Using Creative Commons means you will avoid the risk of copyright theft, and also plagiarism. To learn more, go to the Creative Commons website (Creative Commons, 2014).
Labelling your work
Unless you are told to the contrary, tables should be labelled sequentially as Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 etc. Everything else is labelled sequentially as Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 etc.
The label is usually placed beneath the figure or table. But be aware of practice in your own School.
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Referencing and RefWorks
Our templates will help you to reference correctly for your assignments, and there are plenty to choose from! Just remember, you'll have to follow the guidance exactly as shown, including text formatting and punctuation.
What kind of material do you want to reference? Use the filter selectors below to choose the right category.
By default, you will see our most frequently used templates. You can switch to view specific types of materials, or see them all.
Journal Articles
Art & Culture
Ilustrations
Illustrations
Course Material
Communications
The source i am using references someone else. how do i reference that.
This is called secondary referencing .
For example, you are reading an article published in 2014 by Caroline Anderson. In her article, Caroline talks about an interesting theory outlined and discussed in a different journal article, published in 2010 by Michael Scott, and she correctly cites and references Scott 2010.
You want to paraphrase that idea in your essay. Who do you reference, Anderson 2014 or Scott 2010 ?
You should only reference what you have read, and you do not have to track down the original reference. However, if you wish to credit the originator of the idea, see our example here:
Scott (cited in Anderson 2014) suggests that in order to have a better brew, you should put the milk in first, then the teabag, then the boiling water. I strongly disagree with that.
Scott's theory (cited in Anderson 2014 p.25) states that "the correct order for an optimal brew is milk, teabag, boiling water".
ANDERSON, C., 2014. The history of a good cuppa. T Journal , 54(2), pp. 24-28.
The reference list will only include the source you have read.
This happens quite often with websites, if you want to reference different pages from the same organisation which are published in the same year. Take for example these two pages from NHS Choices, published in 2017: Four cups of coffee not bad for health and Can fizzy water make you fat?
You must differentiate between the citations and reference list entries using letters to the right of the publication year.
To achieve this:
Following a systematic review looking at the consumption of coffee in adults, it has been found that "400mg/day of caffeine is not associated with significant concern for cardiovascular mortality" (NHS Choices 2017b) . A different study, looking at water consumption, suggests that there is a difference between how fizzy water and non-fizzy drinks can affect the body (NHS Choices 2017a) .
NHS CHOICES, 2017a . Can fizzy water make you fat? [online]. London: NHS Choices. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2017/05May/Pages/Can-fizzy-water-make-you-fat.aspx [Accessed 23 May 2017].
NHS CHOICES, 2017b . Four cups of coffee 'not bad for health' suggests review . [online]. London: NHS Choices. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2017/04April/Pages/Four-cups-of-coffee-not-bad-for-health-suggests-review.aspx [Accessed 23 May 2017].
Where the same author has produced works in different years these works should be arranged in chronological order in the reference list, for example:
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2004. Report on... SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2005. Children and... SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2014. Advice on...
If two or more of these are from the same year, follow the guidance from the previous FAQ and add a, b, c, etc. to differentiate between the different entries, for example:
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2004. Report on... SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2005a. Children and... SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2005b. Juvenile justice... SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 2014. Advice on...
You simply put the citations in one set of brackets.
This is the bit where I am paraphrasing a really cool idea which is going to make me sound very smart (Wilson 2012; Allen 2002; Green and White 2002; Brown, Jones and Smith 1998; Anderson et al. 1965) .
No , if the book or journal article also exists on paper, you would reference the source as the paper version , regardless of whether you read it online.
The good news is almost all E-Books, or E-Journals will have been published in paper too. It doesn't matter whether you find the book via our Library catalogue, GoogleBooks or any other service. You should be able to find the necessary information to create a standard reference for the book/journal article.
There are very rare cases in which a book has only been published online. In these cases, reference like a webpage, something like this:
BROWN, C., 2013. My love affair with referencing . [online]. London: Little & Large. Available from: http://www.littlelarge.com/brown [Accessed 17 December 2016].
I can't find the publisher....
In general, the organisation on whose website the web page sits will be the publisher. If this is not clear, look for ‘About Us’ or ‘Contact us’ information, or scroll to the bottom of the page and look for copyright information; you should see an organisation mentioned.
The address of the organisation’s headquarters should be mentioned in ‘About us’, ‘Contact us’ or ‘Our Offices’. You can treat the town or city where the organisation is based as the place of publication.
If you still can't find it, you can omit mentioning the place of publication.
On some pages, a date may be given at the top of the page. If no date is listed there, scroll down to the bottom of the web page and look for a copyright or ‘last updated’ date.
If you still cannot find a date, but the page you are looking at, and the rest of the website, seems to be continually updated and there are no indications that the page is older, you can use the current year as your date.
If you are in any doubt, however, use n.d. (meaning no date) for the year.
We know this isn't what you want to hear, but we're afraid there's no exact answer to this question.
In some cases, your lecturers will tell you specifically how many references they expect from you in a particular assignment. More often though, the number of references will be determined by the nature of the assignment and it will be down to yourself and what you have written and the sources you have consulted. If you are worried you have not used enough sources, and therefore do not have enough references, we would suggest you seek guidance from whoever is marking your assignment.
Of course! We're a friendly bunch who are here to help, support, and give you all the right tools to get those references right!
If you need further support with Harvard referencing please visit our Workshops and Appointments page where you will find:
If you're not sure which template is right for your source or if you're struggling to identify the information you need then you can email the team for support. This is a high demand service and we can't always guarantee a quick response. Please use the information we provide online to help yourself as much as possible first. This includes looking at the templates and ensuring that you have adhered to these when writing your references. We can't offer a proof-reading or correction service for your entire reference list. As referencing is a marked part of most assignments your lecturers are expecting to see your own work.
Appointments, workshops, and email support are available during the Academic Support Team working hours of Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
Appointment and email response times will depend on team availability and demands on the service. These are high demand services so please make sure you contact us well ahead of your deadline.
If you would like to download a copy of this referencing guide, PDF and Word versions are available below:
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The format for the time code is minutes:seconds. Alternatively, if the entire video is relevant, then you don't need to include the time code. You'll find two examples for each scenario below. In-text citation template: (Username/screen name, Year in which video was posted, mm:ss) Reference list template: Username or screen name (Year in ...
Online Videos in a Harvard Reference List. Any YouTube video cited in your work should be added to the reference list at the end of the document. The format for a YouTube video here is: Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].
There are different versions of the Harvard referencing style. This guide is a quick introduction to the commonly-used Cite Them Right version. You will find further guidance available through the OU Library on the Cite Them Right Database. For help and support with referencing and the full Cite Them Right guide, have a look at the Library's ...
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors' names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ' et al. ': Number of authors. In-text citation example. 1 author. (Davis, 2019) 2 authors. (Davis and Barrett, 2019) 3 authors.
This guide explains how to use the Harvard Style. It includes a short tutorial. Introduction; Harvard Tutorial; Quotation; In-text citations; Books Toggle Dropdown. ... Reference: Name of person posting video (Year video posted) Title of film or programme. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year).
A reference to a YouTube video will generally require the following components: Example. In-text citation. Black holes are invisible, and therefore the only way to study them is to observe their effect on nearby matter (National Geographic, 2018). Full reference for the Reference List / Bibliography.
Any YouTube video cited in your work should also be added to the reference list at the end of your document. The format here is as follows: Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date]. For the video cited above, for instance, the correct reference would be:
To cite a YouTube video you will need the following: Name of the account that published the video. Date the video was uploaded. Title of the video. URL. YouTube citation format: Harvard style. Name of account that published the video (Year video was uploaded) Title of the Video. Day Month the video was uploaded.
To reference a YouTube video in Harvard style, you'll need the following information: Name of the organization or person who uploaded the video. Year the video was posted. Title of the video. Date the video was uploaded (if available) URL or name of video platform. Access date.
To cite a YouTube video in a reference entry in Harvard style include the following elements:. Owner of video: Name of the person/organisation posting the video. Year of upload: Indicate the year the video was posted. Title of the video: Give the title as presented in the source. Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Date uploaded: Indicate day and month the ...
Example of a YouTube citation in MLA 8 style. In a lot of cases (like the above example) the author will be a business or just a username, not a real name. In these cases simply list the full username in place of the author last name and first name. In Harvard style. Harvard format is very similar to APA.
To cite a video from YouTube or another video sharing site, you need an in-text citation with a corresponding reference listing the uploader, the publication date, the video title, and the URL. The format varies depending on the citation style you use. The most common styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Use the interactive example generator ...
When you're referencing with Leeds Harvard you may come across issues with missing details, multiple authors, edited books, references to another author's work or online items, to name a few. Here are some tips on how to deal with some common issues when using Leeds Harvard. Skip straight to the issue that affects you: Online items; URL web ...
Formatting a Harvard style bibliography. Sources are alphabetised by author last name. The heading 'Reference list' or 'Bibliography' appears at the top. Each new source appears on a new line, and when an entry for a single source extends onto a second line, a hanging indent is used: Harvard bibliography example.
In the Reference List. As with other sources, YouTube videos cited in your work should be added to a reference list at the end of your document. The format for these references is: Title of Video (date uploaded) YouTube video, added by Username of uploader [Online]. Available at URL [Accessed date].
Here`s a look at how to correctly reference sources in your university work using the Harvard referencing method. Correctly crediting your sources is importa...
Per Chapter 10 of the APA Publication Manual, a reference list entry for a YouTube video should include the name of the channel and/or name of the person who uploaded the video, the date the video was published, title of the video, and URL.. The templates and examples below show how to create a reference list entry for a YouTube video in APA style. ...
In this video we will give you a brief introduction to citing and referencing in the Harvard Style. It is aimed at those who are totally new to this type of ...
The name of the author in a newspaper article is referred to as a byline. Below are examples for citing an article both with and without a byline. Reference list (print) structure: Last name, F. (Year published). 'Article title', Newspaper name, Day Month, Page (s). Example: Hamilton, J. (2018).
To reference a website in Harvard style, include the name of the author or organization, the year of publication, the title of the page, the URL, and the date on which you accessed the website. In-text citation example. (Google, 2020) Reference template. Author surname, initial. (Year) Page Title.
Jonny, a student at the University of Derby, explains Harvard Referencing. He discusses how to use citations and how to reference different sources such as b...
But each major referencing style has subtle differences between them, so check out how to reference books (and chapters within books) below. Referencing a book in Harvard style. Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Book Title. Edition if application. Place of Publication: Publisher. Example: Thwaite, A. (1985).
A Harvard Referencing Generator is a tool that automatically generates formatted academic references in the Harvard style. It takes in relevant details about a source -- usually critical information like author names, article titles, publish dates, and URLs -- and adds the correct punctuation and formatting required by the Harvard referencing style.
Cite A DVD, video, or film in Harvard style. Use the following template or our Harvard Referencing Generator to cite a dvd, video, or film. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator.
Make sure that any reference to percentages always includes the specific number. The normal shorthand is N=45 (where the study refers to 45 respondents). Referring to your work in the text of your assignment.
Example Citation. Scott (cited in Anderson 2014) suggests that in order to have a better brew, you should put the milk in first, then the teabag, then the boiling water. I strongly disagree with that. Scott's theory (cited in Anderson 2014 p.25) states that "the correct order for an optimal brew is milk, teabag, boiling water". Reference List. ANDERSON, C., 2014.