A Beginner's Guide To Harvard Referencing

Harvard Reference List

The Harvard reference list comes at the end of your text. You have to list your sources in alphabetical order by the last name of the author. In the reference list, you provide detailed information about your source. Let’s look further into our Harvard referencing guide and learn how to make a Harvard referencing list.

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a Harvard reference list along with the Harvard referencing examples:

Step 1: Start With The Author's Name

Begin with the last name, followed by a comma, and then the first and middle initials (if available). If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas. If there are more than three authors, list the first three followed by "et al."

Step 2: Add The Year Of Publication

Immediately following the author's name(s), include the year of publication in parentheses.

Step 3: Include The Title Of The Work

Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. Italicize the title.

Step 4: Indicate The Type Of Work

After the title, specify the type of work being referenced (e.g., book, journal article, website).

Step 5: Provide Publication Information

For books, include the city of publication and the publisher's name. In the case of journal articles, include the journal name, volume number, and issue number (if applicable), while for websites, include the website name and URL.

Step 6: Follow A Consistent Format

Ensure that each entry in your reference list follows the same format and that the information is presented clearly and consistently.

Step 7: Arrange Alphabetically

List the sources in alphabetical order by the author's last name. If there is no author, use the first word of the title.

How To Do Harvard Referencing In Word?

It is really easy to do Harvard referencing in Word. Just follow these simple steps to create your Harvard referencing list easily.

• Open a new Word document and select the "References" tab in the ribbon at the top of the page.
• In the "Citations & Bibliography" group, select the style "Harvard" from the "Style" dropdown menu.
• Click the "Manage Sources" button to open the "Source Manager" window.
• In the "Source Manager" window, click the "New" button to create a new source.
• Choose the type of source you want to cite from the "Type of Source" dropdown menu. Fill in the required fields such as author, title, year of publication, etc.
• After adding all the necessary information, click "OK" to save the source.
• Place your cursor where you want to insert the citation in your document.
• Select the "Insert Citation" button from the "Citations & Bibliography" group and select the source you just created from the "Add New Source" dropdown menu.
• Word will insert the citation in the correct Harvard format.
• When you are finished with your document, you can create a bibliography by selecting the "Bibliography" dropdown menu in the "Citations & Bibliography" group and selecting "Bibliography."
• Word will generate a bibliography based on the sources you have cited in your document.
• If you are adding block quotes, follow proper block quote formatting guidelines to ensure authenticity in your work.

Tips For Harvard Referencing

Here are some tips for proper Harvard referencing that you can follow to achieve better results.

• List the author's last name followed by their initials.
• If there are multiple authors, use an ampersand (&) before the last author's name.
• Place the year of publication in parentheses, followed by a period.
• Italicize the title of the work.
• If it's a book or journal article, only the first word of the title and any proper nouns should be capitalized.
• For journal articles, include the title of the journal in italics.
• Include the volume number in italics, followed by the issue number in parentheses (if applicable).
• Page numbers should follow the volume and issue numbers.
• For books, include the title of the book in italics.
• Include the place of publication and the name of the publisher.
• If the source is retrieved online, include the URL or DOI at the end.
• If available, include the date of access to show when you retrieved the information.
• If you are from Manchester, follow the guidelines for MMU referencing.
• Include the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses within the text for in-text citations.
• If directly quoting, include the page number after the year, separated by a colon.
• If citing multiple works by the same author published in the same year, differentiate them with a, b, c, etc., after the year.
• If citing a source you have not read directly but that was cited in another work, use "cited in" to acknowledge the source you accessed.
• If there is no author, use the title of the work in place of the author's name.
• Use a hanging indent for each reference.
• Double-space the entire reference list.
• Be consistent in your formatting throughout the document.
• Consult the specific style guide or manual for additional requirements and examples.
• Use Harvard reference generator tools where necessary.