What is Harvard style?
Harvard referencing connects an author and publication year in your text with a full reference at the end. Harvard has several institutional variants. This generator uses Cite Them Right Harvard 12, so check that it matches the version your course requires.
How to create Harvard citations
Find your source
Paste a URL, DOI or ISBN, or enter a title in the tool above. Choose Find source to open your document and search in the Cite panel. Use Enter manually when you already have the publication details.
Review and add it
Choose the record that matches what you read. Review the author names, date and publication details, then add the source. You can open its actions menu to edit it later.
Cite while you write
Place your cursor in the document and choose Cite beside a source. Add a page locator when you need one. Your reference list updates as you work, and you can copy a reference or the whole list.
Find your source to start your reference list.
Harvard in text citations and references
A Harvard citation normally includes the author's surname and year, such as (Austen, 1813). Add a page locator for a quotation or a specific passage when needed. The reference list is ordered alphabetically by author, rather than by first appearance in the document.
A citation identifies a source at the point where you use it. The reference gives readers the details they need to find it. Keep both connected to the claim, including when you paraphrase another author’s work.
Check the details before you cite
Check the author, year, title and publication details. For online sources, confirm the URL and access date when required. Cite the edition you read, especially when page numbers differ. If the same author has multiple works in one year, review the letters used to distinguish them.
Choose the correct source type. A journal article available on a website is still an article, and a chapter may have different authors from the whole book. If a result is incomplete, add the details you can confirm from the original publication.
Leave unknown details blank. A formatted reference does not verify the evidence behind your argument, and you should follow any additional instructions from your institution or publisher.
Keep your references with your draft
Your source opens in the Citation editor. Write your text, add linked citations, edit source details and copy your references from the Cite panel. Switch between AMA, IEEE, ACS and Harvard without entering the same sources again.
Get started for free carries your current document, title, formatting, sources and citation style into your account. After registration, you return to that document without repeating setup.
Until then, your draft is kept in this browser tab. Copy the text and references you need before closing it, or save them to your account.
Learn more about inserting citations and editing your document.
More free writing and citation tools
Choose the style your next assignment needs, or refine the wording in your draft.