1. Using the Harvard system in your assignments

The Harvard system of referencing is a method for citing references in your assignments and giving the sources of those references.

1.1 What is referencing?

Referencing is a way of crediting all sources of information and ideas that you have used in any piece of academic work.

1.2 Why do I need to reference in my assignment?

In your assignment, you will use ideas and information from other sources to support points and arguments you want to make. If you use someone else’s ideas in your work, either by using your own words or making a direct quotation, you must reference the source, in order to:

• acknowledge other people’s ideas
• show you are aware of other people’s ideas and are including them
• allow the reader to find the original material you have used.

1.3 When should I reference?

You must reference whenever you copy (diagrams, illustrations, tables) or directly quote from someone’s work.  You must also reference when you summarise ideas and information from someone’s work, or when you paraphrase by putting someone else’s ideas in your own words.  Failure to do any of the above is considered plagiarism.

1.4 What is plagiarism?

The Student Handbook at Queen Margaret University College (2005) defines plagiarism as, “The presentation by an individual of another person’s ideas or work (in any medium, published or unpublished) as though they were his or her own “(qmu 2005, p.49). Plagiarism is considered to be a major breach of academic regulations.  If you are unsure about how to reference, and fail to reference correctly in an assignment, it will still be regarded as plagiarism, even though you did not set out with the intention of plagiarising.  For detailed information on plagiarism, and how to avoid it, see the qmu website at:

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/goodscholarship/

1.5 How do I include references and quotations in my assignment?

There are two key aspects to the Harvard system of referencing:

• citing a reference

You cite a reference when you refer in your text, or the body of your assignment, to any use you have made of the work of others.

• creating a reference list

A reference list is an alphabetical list by author, which you provide at the end of your work.  It must contain full details of all the sources you have cited in your text. If you cite something in the text and do not include it in the reference list this is considered to be plagiarism. It is important that the references you cite within your writing link accurately to the reference list at the end of your work, via the name of the author.

1.6 Note on bibliography

The reference list only identifies sources referred to (cited) in the text of your assignment. You may be required to provide a bibliography. A bibliography is presented in the same format as a reference list but it also includes all materials consulted in the preparation of your assignment. In other words, a bibliography presents the same items as a reference list but it also includes all other sources which you read or consulted but did not cite.

2. How to cite references within the text

In the Harvard system every time you refer to a particular document or writer in your text you must insert the author’s surname and the year of publication. This is known as citing a reference and the same author/date principle applies to all citations including books, journal articles, films or websites in the text. 

All examples of citations provided within this section are presented as complete references on page 29.

Citations can be fitted into the text in a variety of ways, as illustrated below:

2.1 Author/date

2.1.1       You make a statement in your own words, and give a reference for the source of ideas or the support for your argument. If the author’s name appears naturally in the text you can omit it from the brackets:

2.1.2       If the author’s name is not referred to in the text then you include it in the brackets:

2.1.3       In the next example the ‘author’ is the name of the series while the ‘publisher’ would be Granada TV:

2.1.4       If you want to cite several references together to support a point that you make, they should be arranged in the text in chronological order, with the oldest first:

or:

 

2.2 Direct quotations

In the following two examples, you are giving a direct quotation so you must also include the page number.

Note:

• you do not use italics or bold typeface to indicate a quotation
• the citation in brackets is part of the whole quotation. Therefore, the full stop comes after the brackets and NOT at the end of the quotation. This allows short quotations to blend into your work and the text to flow naturally.

2.3 Citing long quotations

• long quotations of 40 words or more must be indented from the left margin to make the quotation clear
• indent from the left margin by 1.27cm
• left indentation shows that it is a quotation so it does not require quotation marks, italics or bold typeface
• the lead-in statement ends with a colon (see below)
• separate the quotation from the lead-in sentence with one blank line
• note when you use a long quotation, the full stop is placed after the last sentence of the quotation and before the author date citation, as shown below:

2.4 Page numbers

Page numbers must be used within the text when using a direct quotation or when referring to tables, illustrations or figures. If such detail is required, i.e., page numbers, or track numbers of sound recordings, these appear after the date within the brackets.  The abbreviations are:

• page (p.)                                table (tab.)
• pages (pp.)                            diagram (diagr.)
• section (s.)                             figure (fig.)
• sections (ss.)                         illustration (illus.)
• track (tr.)                                 volume (vol.).

2.4.1 Sound track

In this example, you are referring to a specific track on a CD:

2.5 Citing multiple authors

If a cited work has four or more authors, state the first author listed, followed by ‘et al.’ in your text:

If there are fewer than four authors then you must cite them all in your text.
 

In your reference list you should always include all authors regardless of the number.

2.6 Citing a website within the text

Citing a website in the text follows the same principle as for books. Whatever makes up the first two elements of the full reference, which you have included in your reference list, is what you will be referring to within the text of your work:

 

This would appear in the reference list as:

 

A further example is:

 

This would appear in the reference list as:

 

Note the sequence of month day and year.

2.7 Citing a performance in your text

You apply the same formula to a performance as you would to a book, a journal or a film. The two key elements of the Harvard System are cited in the text and lead to the fuller details within your reference list (see page 29):

 

2.8 Electronic books

You cite electronic books in exactly the same way you would a book or a journal:

 

Some databases, such as ebrary, offer a citation service allowing you to download the full bibliographic details of an item. This is not the Harvard System of Referencing. You can use the details provided to construct a Harvard reference which should be as follows:

2.9 Using ‘In’ references within the text

An ‘In’ reference is used when you are referring to a piece of work which is contained within another publication. For example:

• a chapter in a volume of collected writings, brought together by an editor
• a conference paper in a collection of papers presented at a conference and gathered together in one volume with an editor as the main author.

In the text of your work you would cite the author of the paper/chapter as usual:

You will always reference at least two names and possibly two dates in the reference list:

On some occasions, the author/editor may be the same person but you would still follow the same format.

Once the work has been fully referenced in the reference list your reader will be able to see where to find the original work and who the editor is. Note that you must also include the page numbers of the relevant chapter or section of the book in the reference list.

2.10 Referring to works which you have NOT read

Works that you have not read are known as secondary references. If, at all possible, you should read the original work yourself. However, due to lack of availability you may need to use a secondary reference:

Please note:

• only include works in your reference list that you have actually read
• use  ‘cited in’ to show that you have not seen the original article by Wilford but only what Ransby says about it
• Wilford must not appear in your reference list
• you must include details of the work by Ransby and the page numbers which refer to the ideas of Wilford.

The full reference appears as follows:

 

2.11 Personal conversations

Personal conversations or interviews are not normally included in the reference list but these may be cited in the text. Personal conversations and interviews should only be included in the reference list where they have been recorded and/or transcribed and are available in the public domain, for example, in a library or on a website. The purpose of the reference list is to guide future researchers to original material. If there is no record of the personal conversation or interview, it does not appear in the reference list:

There would be no entry in the Reference List for Paul 2006.

2.12 Understanding the link between your citation and your reference list

The citation within your text is always made up of the first two elements of the full reference, which appears in your reference list, at the end of your work. i.e. author surname and year, in brackets. Readers of your work can link straight from one (the citation in the text) to the other (alphabetical reference list) with ease and speed. It is therefore important that you guide them to the right author. Don’t confuse the editor of a publication with the contributor to the publication (see also 2.9 and 3.4).

3. Compiling your reference list or bibliography

A reference list and/or bibliography must be included at the end of your assignment. A reference list and bibliography are both alphabetical lists, organised by the surname (family name) of the author, and include all of the sources you have used for your research. Only those works you have cited in your text should appear in the reference list.

The first two elements of each reference in your bibliography or reference list (author and date) appear in the text of your work. The reader of your work can easily check the citation in your text with the bibliography or reference list at the end, in order to find the full reference. Correct and consistent punctuation is important, for example:

• the first word in the title of books, chapters and journal articles starts with a capital letter
• authors’ names and initials, journal titles, publishers’ names and places should also start with a capital letter.

Note carefully how the examples below are punctuated.

3.1 How to reference a book

Details required for a book can be found on the front and reverse of the title page which is usually the first or second unnumbered page inside the book. Details for a book should be set out in the following order and with the punctuation as indicated:

Author/Editor surname, Initial(s).

Year.

Title of the book. (in italics)

edition. (if later than the first and abbreviated to ed.)

Series and individual volume number. (if available)

Place of publication:

Name of publisher. 

Please note:

• only give details of the edition if it is later than the first. No edition statement means that it is the first edition
• use the abbreviation ‘ed.’ for both edition and editor
• use ‘eds.’ for more than one editor
• make sure the edition detail matches the year of publication. For example, a book might be published originally in 1994 but a second edition is published in 2004. In this case, you put the year of publication as 2004 and state it is the second edition. See the example of Smith, D. J. above
• when referring to the number of the edition use 2^nd or 3^rd etc
• a reprint is not a new edition and so the year of publication is the date of the last edition.

3.2 How to reference a journal

Details for a journal article can usually be found on the contents list, front cover or article itself. Details for a journal article should be set out in the following order and with punctuation exactly as given:

Author/Editor surname, Initial(s).

Year.

Title of article.

Name of journal, (in italics)

Volume (part number) Month or Season (if available),

page number(s) of article.

3.3 How to reference a newspaper

Details for referencing a newspaper:

Author.

Year of publication.

Title of article.

Title of newspaper, (in italics)

Date of newspaper,

page number(s).

3.4 How to reference parts of a book: ‘In’ references

A common mistake is to confuse the name of a contributor to a book of collected writings with that of the editor. It is important to include the editor of the book in the reference list as this is the information needed by anyone wanting to find that piece of work (see also: section 2.9). If you have referred to or used a specific chapter, you need to give details for that chapter:

Author of the chapter or the section (as cited in your text).

Year of publication.

Title of chapter or section.

(The word) In: Author/editor of the collected work.

Title of the collected work. (in italics)

Place of publication:

Publisher,

page numbers of the section or the chapter referred to.

3.5 How to reference a presentation or lecture

Your reference should start with the name of the presenter of the lecture. If not available then you begin with the conference name:

Presenter.

Year of presentation.

Conference/Event Name. (if available)

Title of presentation/lecture. (in italics)

Type of presentation, eg, [lecture], [workshop], [keynote address]

Date of presentation/lecture.

Location: Venue. (if available)

3.6 How to reference a conference

Conference/event organisers/organisation.

Year of conference.

Title of conference. (in italics)

Date of conference.

Location: Venue. (if available)

3.7 How to reference conference proceedings

Your reference should start with the author or editor of the conference proceedings. If these are not available then you begin with the conference name. Where possible you should also include the place and the date of the conference:

Author/Editor.

Year of publication.

Conference Name. (in italics if no other title)

Number (if available)

Date of conference,

Location of conference. (if available)

Title of published work, if different from conference name. (In italics)

Place of publication:

Publisher.

3.8 How to reference conference papers

Include the following information for Conference Papers:

Author/Editor of Conference paper.

Year of publication.

Title of conference paper.

(The word) In:

Author/Editor of conference proceedings. (if available)

Title of conference proceedings (in italics)

Date of conference,

Location of conference. (if available)

Place of publication:

Publisher,

page numbers of paper.

3.9 How to reference theses and dissertations

Include the following information:

Author.

Year.

Title of thesis.  (in italics)

Title of award,

Name of awarding institution.

3.10 How to reference Government reports and Acts of Parliament

The author of most official government publications will be a government department, body or committee.

A report may be well known by the name of the chairperson of the group or committee but they are not usually referenced by the name of the author. In the text, you could refer to the chairperson of the group or committee:

 

In your reference list the full government report would be referenced as:

With an Act of Parliament, it is usual to cite the title of the Act in your text, with the date, and then include it in your reference list in alphabetical order of the first main word of the Act:

3.11 How to reference audio visual materials

The golden rule is always to describe items as fully and clearly as possible, and in a consistent format. In the case of TV/radio programmes, note the date and channel of transmission. The format of the item should always be provided. Include the following information:

Series Title.

Series number. (if appropriate)

Year of production.

Programme title. (in italics)

Place of publication:

Transmitting organisation,

Date of transmission

medium: format [in square brackets].

For all materials cited from a transmission rather than a hard copy, the date of transmission and the transmitting organisation should be given, if no other unique identifier of the particular edition is available:

In the case of videos, films or DVDs, follow the same order as above including directors’ names but starting with the film title:

Title. (in italics)

Year. (for films the preferred date is the year of release in the country of production)

Director. (note the name is not written with family name first)

Place of production:

Organisation responsible for production

medium:format [In square brackets].

 

3.12 How to reference leaflets

In the case of leaflets, the author is often the organisation publishing the leaflet. Sometimes items do not have a date of publication. In this case, use any of the following terms ‘undated’, ‘no date’ or ‘n.d.’ in brackets. You should demonstrate that you have checked the date and not just forgotten it (see also section 4.4):

3.13 How to reference electronic resources

Electronic resources can be referenced giving similar details to those for printed material. You also need to include the date when you accessed the resource, as well as the full web site address. This address or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the equivalent of the place and publisher.

When you cite Internet addresses, punctuation is particularly important. Use the common convention of using chevrons (< >) to delineate the start and end of an address. The chevron is not part of the Internet address.
 

3.13.1 Electronic documents

Include the following information in this order:

Author/Editor.

Year.

Document title. (in italics)

edition. (if not first edition)

Type of medium [in square brackets]

Place of publication (if available):

Publisher (if available)

The words Available from: followed by the web address <in chevrons>

Date accessed in square brackets.

3.13.2 Electronic book

Author/Editor.

Year.

Document title. (in italics)

edition. (if not first edition)

Type of medium [in square brackets]

Place of publication (if available):

Publisher (if available)

The words Available from: followed by the web address <in chevrons>

Date accessed in square brackets.

 

3.13.3 Electronic journal articles

Include the following information in this order.

Author/Editor.

Year.

Title of article.

Name of journal (in italics)

Type of medium [in square brackets]

Volume (issue number) month/season (if available),

page number(s) or online equivalent.

The words Available from: followed by the Internet address <in chevrons>

Date accessed in square brackets.

3.13.4 Reference to a website

Sometimes you may need to reference a whole web site, in which case you follow the same pattern as above:

3.13.5 Online images

Visual information such as pictures, photographs, cartoons and illustrations should always be acknowledged, even if they are free clip-art. When a website specifically requests that you cite extra information as a condition of using their site do so because this will ensure providers will continue to offer such resources freely. Include the following information:

Title of image, or a description. (in italics)

Year.

The words ‘online image’ or ‘online video’ [in square brackets]

The words ‘Available from’: followed by <the Internet address>

Filename including extension

Date accessed in square brackets.

3.13.6 Discussion lists

Discussion lists should include the following information:

Author.

Year.

Title of message.

Discussion list name, month and day. (in italics)

The word online [in square brackets]

The words ‘Available from’:

E-mail list address or <URL>

Date accessed in square brackets.

3.13.7 Email message

Referencing personal emails may occasionally be required, especially if you are involved in group work, or are corresponding with a subject expert. You should include the following information in this order:

 

Author / Sender.

Sender’s email address (in brackets)

Year.

Subject of email. (in italics)

Month and day.

Email to: recipients name (email address).

4. Useful hints and common conventions

4.1 Managing your research

Research always takes more time than you will expect. Making use of library catalogues, bibliographies, indexes and abstracts will help you to find details of books and articles. Be warned that checking details after you have written your assignment is time consuming and difficult. It is far better if you keep a record of your references as you conduct your research. Remember to:

• keep a careful and accurate note of all your sources as you prepare your assignment
• make a note of all the document details for future reference
• make sure you have all the details you need before you photocopy anything
• make sure you are following the referencing guidelines set by your programme.

4.2 Gender balance and the Harvard system of referencing

In the reference list, in order to maintain consistency, you use only the initial letter of the author’s given name rather than including the full name. If you do not wish to obscure the gender of the research base, it is possible to refer within your text to the author’s full name:

 

4.3 References with no author or organisation

If the source does not have an author or organisation, list alphabetically by the title. Include the whole title and ignore words such as: ‘a’; ‘an’; ‘the’; at the beginning of the reference title. Any reference starting with a number precedes the alphabetical list; if there is more than one, they are organised numerically:

 

This example would appear at the beginning of the alphabetical list of references as the first word is a number and because the word ‘the’ is ignored. See example reference list in section 5.

4.4 Reference with no publication date

Note that sometimes sources do not have a date of publication. In this case, use any of the following terms but be consistent: (undated); (no date) or (n.d.) in brackets. This demonstrates that you have checked the date and not just forgotten it. If there are any clues which might help you to place the date within a particular decade (198?), then do so as this is considered better than no date. Searching for the most recent dates referred to in the text or the references of the publication will help.  See also 3.12.

4.5 Unfinished sentences or quotations

The omission of a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage is indicated by three spaced dots or ellipsis points. The quotation must maintain the same sense as the original:

4.6 Footnotes

Footnotes are not part of the Harvard system of referencing.

4.7 Latin terms

Et al.

Et al. is used in Harvard when citing authors in the text. It is an abbreviation of the Latin term ‘et alii’, meaning ‘and others’. It is used to cite a work with multiple authors:

 

The above work would be cited in the text of your document as:

The following Latin terms do not form part of the Harvard system of referencing. However, it is useful to understand them when reading work by authors using a different referencing system.

 Ibid.

This is an abbreviation of the Latin term ‘ibidem’ meaning ‘in the same place’. It is used as a ditto instead of repeating the previous reference:

Op.cit.

This is an abbreviation of the Latin term ‘opere citato’ meaning ‘in the work cited’. This is used after an author’s name to refer to the same work cited previously for this author:

Sine loco (s.l.)

This is the Latin term for ‘without place’. If there is no place of publication use (s.l.) to indicate location unknown:

Sine nomine (s.n.)

This is the Latin term for ‘without name’. If there is no publishers name use (s.n.). If the publisher is unknown, it is probable that the place of publication is also unknown, in which case use the following:

4.8 Publishing in journals and books

Note that Harvard is NOT necessarily the same as a publisher’s house style. When writing an article for inclusion in a professional journal, you must consult the editor’s notes on style used in the specific publication.

Further help and advice:

• the Academic Handbook for your subject – always check for subject guidelines. Remember to use the method selected by your subject/school;
• the Good Scholarship website. This covers many aspects of academic practice, including how and why to avoid plagiarism and is available at:

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/goodscholarship/

• if you have any referencing queries, contact a tutor, the Student Learning Service or your liaison librarian.

5. Example reference list

The 2001 census: a measure of democracy in the UK. London: Bacoprint, 2001.

Bell, V., Dee, M. and Peacock, S. 2006. Writing, citing and suffering: a guide to the Harvard System of Referencing. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University College.

Birn, R. 2004. The effective use of market research: how to drive and focus better business decisions. [electronic book] London: Kogan Page. Available from: <http://site.ebrary.com/lib/qmu> [Accessed January 7 2006].

Boy with spiky hair sitting in a bathtub. 2005. [online image] Available from: <http://www.inmagine.com/all-kids,-all-fun-photos/photodisc-pvdv205> pdv205.jpg [Accessed July 15 2005].

British Broadcasting Corporation. 2006. Skillswise. [online] Available from: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/> [Accessed April 10 2006].

Brown, S.T. 1996. Caring for the carers: professional updating for carers. Social Work Today. 3 (1) pp.12 -18.

Davidson, B. and Marsh, F. 1999. Putting theory into practice: a practical guide for carers. In: Wilde, R. ed. Essential readings in social work: ten case studies. Bradford: Linen Press, pp.99 -118.

Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. 1990. Sociology: themes and perspectives. 3^rd. ed. London: Unwin Hyman.

Jenkins, C., Beasley, S., Bell, V. and Chapman, A. 2005. Punctuate but don’t deviate. London: Saga.

Jones, A.W. 1995. Learners at the centre of the educational process. Newcastle: Shearer Publishing.

Jones, M.L. 2001. Teachers need time out. British Journal of Education, 6 (3) pp.22-29.

Jones, V. 2005. Don’t it make your brown eyes blue. Glasses for the masses. The British Journal of Opthamologists, 4 (2) pp.11-12.

Kozinets, R.V. 1998. On netnography. Initial reflections on consumer investigations of cyber culture. In: Bumbag, K. ed. Research methodologies and walking on the wild side. Bolton: Widget Press, pp.22-32.

Morrison, V. 1968. Astral Weeks. [CD] London: Warner Bros.

Nureyev, R. 1999. Swan Lake. [Performance viewed July 9 at the Paris opera ballet].
[Note: as the reference is to the choreographer rather than the music, it is the choreographer who is mentioned, rather than the composer (Tchaikovsky)].

Palmer, W. 1994. Social work practice in the 21^st century. London: Saga.

Ramble, J. ed. 2006. Using simple hygiene rules to combat MRSA. Health Education Series, 42. Bristol: Magpie Publishing.

Ransby, B. 1992. Columbus and the making of historical myth. Race and Class, 33 (3) Jan-Mar pp.79-86.

Redfearn, M. 2006. Information explosion. London: JISC.

Singh, H. 1998. The developing child. 9^th ed. London: Allyn and Bacon.

Slade, B. 2005. Women and work in the 21st century: juggling home and career. London: Sage.

Smith, C. 1990. The genetics of eye colour. International Journal of Ophthalmic Specialists, 25 (4), pp.34-35.

Smith, D. J. 2004a. The links between victimisation and offending. Edinburgh University. Centre for Law and Society.

Smith, D. J. 2004b. Parenting and delinquency at ages 12 to 15. Edinburgh University: Centre for Law and Society.

Smith, D. J. and McAra, L. 2004. Gender and youth offending. Edinburgh University: Centre for Law and Society.

Smith, J. and Brown, M. 1999. Looking up to our children: An analysis of height over two centuries. 4^th ed. London: Barker.

Tan, A. 2006. The lost art of sensitive criticism. April 1. [lecture] Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University College.

World in Action. 2000. Sacred food. Manchester: Granada TV, January 19. [Video: VHS].

6. Bibliography

 Booth, W.C., Colomb, C.G. and Williams, J.M. 1995. The craft of research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

British Standards Institution. 1989. BS 1629:1989. British Standard Recommendations for references to published materials. London: BSI.

British Standards Institution. 1990. BS 560:1990. Recommendations for citing and referencing published material. London: BSI.

Central Queensland University. 2005. Harvard author-date system. Referencing guide. Queensland: Central Queensland University, Division of Teaching and Learning Services.

The Chicago manual of style. 2003. 15^th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Fisher, D. and Hanstock, T. 1998. Citing references. (s.l.): Blackwell’s Bookshops.

Li, X. and Crane, N. 1993. Electronic style: a guide to citing electronic information. Connecticut: Mecklermedia.

Turabian, K.L. 1987. A manual for writers of term papers, theses and dissertations. 5^th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Acknowledgements

 Authors

Marianne Dee, Virginia Bell and Susi Peacock

Contributors

Susie Beasley

 Version 2
Spring 2006

 Queen Margaret University College
Edinburgh
EH12 8TS

2006 Queen Margaret University College

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any form of information storage or retrieval system without permission from Queen Margaret University College.

7. Index