Harvard referencing is an author-date style: you cite the author's surname and year in the text, and list full details alphabetically at the end. It is common across UK and Commonwealth science and engineering departments.
Harvard is a family of styles rather than one official standard. The examples here follow the widely taught Cite Them Right pattern; always check your university's own guide for small differences. Names and titles in the examples are illustrative.
How Harvard Referencing Works
In the text, write (Surname, year), adding a page number when you quote or take a specific value: (Okafor, 2023, p. 41). At the end, list every source alphabetically by surname under the heading "Reference list".
Each entry gives the author, year in brackets, title, and publication details, with italics for the main title (the book, journal or report).
In-Text Citations
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| One author | (Okafor, 2023) or Okafor (2023) |
| Two authors | (Lin and Moss, 2019) |
| Three authors | (Lin, Moss and Park, 2024) |
| Four or more authors | (Park et al., 2024) |
| Specific page or value | (Okafor, 2023, p. 41) |
| Several sources | (Lin and Moss, 2019; Park et al., 2024) |
| Same author, same year | (Okafor, 2023a; Okafor, 2023b) |
| No date | (Example Semiconductor, no date) |
Some universities use "et al." for three or more authors, and some write "n.d." rather than "no date". Follow your own guide and stay consistent.
Journal Articles
Okafor, L. (2023) 'Grain-boundary scattering in thin copper films', Journal of Example Materials, 18(2), pp. 33–49. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123.
The article title goes in single quotation marks; the journal title is italic. Give volume, issue in brackets and the page range with "pp.". When the article has a DOI, add it as a link after "Available at:".
Books and Chapters
Patel, R. (2021) Introduction to control systems. 3rd edn. London: Example Press.
Moss, H. (2020) 'Sensor fusion', in Lin, T. (ed.) Robotics handbook. New York: Example Books, pp. 101–128.
Give the edition only if it is not the first. For a chapter in an edited book, cite the chapter author and title, then "in" with the editor's name and the book title.
Reports, Standards and Datasheets
Engineering work leans heavily on documents that are not journal articles. Cite them with the organization as author when no person is named.
Example Energy Agency (2024) Grid storage outlook 2024. Report EEA-24-3. Available at: https://www.example.gov/outlook (Accessed: 3 March 2026).
Example Standards Body (2022) Standard for example sensor interfaces. Standard 1234-2022.
Example Semiconductor (2023) XS-220 accelerometer datasheet. Rev. C. Available at: https://www.example.com/xs220.pdf (Accessed: 12 February 2026).
For a standard, the number identifies the exact version, so include it in full. For a datasheet, give the revision letter, since values can change between revisions.
Software, Code and Websites
Example Developers (2025) ExampleLib (Version 2.1) [Computer program]. Available at: https://example.org/examplelib (Accessed: 5 May 2026).
Example Robotics Society (2024) Choosing a motor driver. Available at: https://www.example.org/motor-drivers (Accessed: 20 September 2026).
Cite software and code you relied on, including code you adapted. Your department may also require a comment in the code itself acknowledging the source and its license.
Figures, Tables and Equations
When you reproduce or adapt a figure or table, cite the source in the caption, for example "Figure 3: Stress-strain curve (adapted from Okafor, 2023, p. 42)". The source also goes in the reference list.
Equations taken from a source should be cited where they appear, such as "using the relation given by Patel (2021, p. 214)". Well-known results such as Newton's second law do not need a citation.
A Worked Paragraph
"Additive manufacturing allows lattice structures that cannot be machined conventionally (Patel, 2021). However, surface roughness remains a limitation: Okafor (2023, p. 41) reports roughness values high enough to affect fatigue life, a finding echoed in later work (Lin and Moss, 2019; Park et al., 2024)."
The paragraph combines a parenthetical citation, a narrative citation with a page number for a specific finding, and a multiple citation separated by a semicolon.
Secondary Referencing and Variations
If you read about a study in another source and cannot access the original, cite both: (Ahmed, 2015, cited in Okafor, 2023). Only the source you actually read, Okafor, goes in the reference list. Use this sparingly; markers prefer original sources.
| Point | Common variations between universities |
|---|---|
| Et al. threshold | Three or four authors |
| Article titles | Single quotation marks or none |
| Access dates | For all online sources, or only those without a DOI |
| Edition | "3rd edn." or "3rd ed." |
Formatting the Reference List
- Head the list "Reference list" and place it at the end, before any appendices.
- Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname, or by organization name.
- For several works by one author, order by year, earliest first; add a, b and so on for the same year.
- Italicize the main title only: the book, journal, report or website name.
- Check that every in-text citation has an entry, and every entry is cited.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Harvard is a family of author-date styles, and universities publish their own versions. Follow your institution's guide.
For direct quotations, yes. It is also good practice when citing a specific figure, table or numerical value.
Give the manufacturer, year, datasheet title in italics, revision and the URL with an access date.
Use the organization as author if there is one. If not, start with the title, in italics, and use it in the in-text citation too.
If your department specifies Harvard, yes. Some engineering and chemistry departments prefer IEEE or ACS, so check the module handbook.
Most guides use "Reference list" for sources you cited. A "Bibliography" usually also includes background reading you did not cite.