Harvard referencing style: author-date citations and reference list
Updated 19 October 2026
Harvard is an author-date style used in business, economics, science and many universities in the UK, India and Australia. There is no single official Harvard manual, so the small details change from one university to the next. This guide shows the common pattern.
At a glance
- In-text citation
- Author and year: (Smith, 2021) or (Smith 2021), depending on your university
- Two authors
- (Smith and Jones, 2021)
- Three or more authors
- (Smith et al., 2021)
- Direct quotation
- Add the page: (Smith, 2021, p. 14)
- Reference list
- Alphabetical by surname, usually titled Reference list
- Layout
- Set by your department: check font, spacing and margins
Why Harvard differs between universities
Harvard describes a family of author-date styles, not one rulebook. Universities publish their own guides (for example punctuation after the year, single or double quote marks around article titles, and whether the list is called References or Bibliography). Always use your own university's guide when it exists, and follow it exactly.
Citations in the text
Give the author and the year. Put them in brackets at the end of the sentence, or name the author in the sentence and give the year in brackets. Use "et al." for three or more authors. A direct quotation needs the page number. If two sources have the same author and year, add a letter: 2021a, 2021b.
The reference list
List only the works you cite, in alphabetical order by the first author's surname. A common pattern for a journal article is below; your university may change the punctuation or the quote marks.
Author, A. and Author, B. (2021) 'Title of the article in sentence case', Journal Name, 12(3), pp. 100-115. doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.
Quick checklist
- The author names and years in the text match the reference list.
- Every cited work is in the list, and the list has nothing you did not cite.
- The punctuation follows your university guide, not a general example.
Common questions
Is there an official Harvard style?
No. Harvard is a family of author-date styles, and each university publishes its own version. Follow the one given to you.
What is the difference between Harvard and APA?
Both use author and year, but they differ in details such as punctuation, quote marks around article titles, the heading of the list and the layout rules. APA is a single published standard; Harvard is not.
Should I use a reference list or a bibliography?
A reference list contains only works you cited. A bibliography can also include works you read but did not cite. Your course tells you which one to use.
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