Education

Reference List: Harvard Citation Format

The Harvard style is one of the referencing styles that is used by scholars and students for academic writing. Like the APA style and the MLA style, it allows readers to find sources themselves. Moreover, the bibliographical citation makes research papers more credible.

Harvard referencing

The Harvard style is very specific and organized. The Harvard format implies two types of citations:

  1. In-text citations. They are used throughout the text for quoting or paraphrasing.
  2. A reference list. It collects all sources used in the particular paper.

Unlike other referencing formats, there is no single, definitive version of the Harvard format. Therefore, it can vary in detail such as punctuation, abbreviations, the use of italics and capital letters. It is always a good idea to consult your instructor before you start writing.

How to write a reference list in Harvard style

Your reference page should be arranged in this way:

  1. The reference list should be located at the end of the text, and don’t forget to number it consecutively.
  2. All the references are organized alphabetically by the surname of the author.
  3. Each citation should also include the date of publication and title of the work.

Actually, it is easier than someone might imagine. Here is the sample:

Surname, First Initial. (Year published). Title. City: Publisher, Page(s).

What about more complex cases? If there are several research works written by the same author, references should be listed in chronological order. When a book or an article is written by multiple authors, the names should be organized in the order they appear on the source.

A well-organized reference list demonstrates the quality of the paper. Therefore, it is essential to follow the Harvard format scrupulously. It is impossible to imagine a really good academic paper without a good reference list.

Origin: https://wr1ter.com/reference-list