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How to reference a website using the Harvard referencing style
This guide covers how to reference a website in Harvard style. When citing information sourced from the web, it is of paramount importance that you make very clear what it is you are referencing. As sources on the internet can vary widely, your reference should aim to provide a trail that can lead the reader directly to the source. An internet source could be almost anything, including but not limited to scholarly journal articles, newspaper articles, blog posts, and personal web pages. Your reference format for internet sources will vary based on the type of source.
Since most websites are updated from time to time, it is possible that anything you quote may be changed or removed. This means that it is important to record within your citation the date that you last accessed the site.
Another important fact to be mindful of is that most websites do not have page numbers. If you need to reference a specific location on a website, you can use paragraph numbers in place of page numbers (abbreviated ‘para.’ in your in-text citation).
Citation styles for different online sources
This section will elaborate on the citation style to be utilized for the following sources, along with examples for each source type.
Web pages authored by an individual/individuals
Your references for this type of web page will include the following information:
- Author’s/Authors’ names
- The year the site was published or last updated (in round brackets)
- Title of the web page (in italics)
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
In-text citation
B. Johnson (2016) made his argument quite clear stating…
Reference list
Johnson, B. (2016) The rise of the Ubermensch. Available at: http://www.bjohnsonsworld.co.uk/theriseoftheubermensch (Accessed: 23 October 2017).
In-text citation (two authors)
After years of research, Russell and Verstappen (2013) found that…
Russell, J. and Verstappen, M. (2013) Rubber compounds and their rate of wear . Available at: http://www.dailysciencefixforyou.com/rubbercompounds (Accessed: 24 November 2019).
Web pages authored by a company or organization
Here’s the information you will need to include for this type of reference:
- Name of the company/organization
- Year the site was published or last updated (in round brackets)
- Title of the web page (in italics)
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
A patient may suffer mild psychosis (Rural Health Institute, 2018) as a result of…
Rural Health Institute (2018) The effects of shock therapy. Available at: http://www.rhi.co.uk/shocktherapy (Accessed: 31 October 2019).
Web pages with no author
Citation structure :
- Title of the webpage (in italics)
- The year the site was published/last updated (in round brackets)
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
Renderings of the architect’s master plan can be found online ( Gumpert’s Modernism, 2013) …
Reference List
Gumpert’s Modernism (2013) Available at: https://www.stellararchitecture.com/modernism/ (Accessed: 24 July 2020)
Web pages with no author or title
Citation structure:
- URL of the page
- (Accessed: date)
In-text citation
Salt dough cookies (http://www.wholesomerecipes.com/saltdough.html, 2018) are a wonderful way to….
http://www.wholesomerecipes.com/saltdough.html (2018) (Accessed: 12 September 2020).
Web pages without a date
Citation information:
- Author’s name
- Mention that no dates were available (use ‘no date’ in round brackets)
- Title of the web page, if available (in italics)
Cuba struggled through the decade (Banana Republic News, no date) facing a constant onslaught of….
Banana Republic News (no date) The trials and tribulations of Cuba. Available at: https://www.bananafyinews.com/cuba.html (Accessed: 15 July 2019).
Multiple pages from the same website
If you need to cite multiple pages from the same website, and the pages have different authors and/or publication dates associated with them, then you can simply use corresponding individual in-text citations and reference list entries for each page that you cite. In this case, you would also include the unique URL for each page in its corresponding reference list entry. However, if the pages you are citing all have the same author and publication date, you can differentiate between them in both your reference list entries and in-text citations by adding a lowercase letter after the date.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022a)
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022b)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022a) International travel . Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html (Accessed: 18 July 2022).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022b) Cruise ship travel during COVID-19 . Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-travel-during-covid19.html (Accessed: 18 July 2022).
Note that if the web page has no date, insert a hyphen between the words ‘no date’ and the lowercase letter to improve readability, for example: (no date-a) or (no date-b).
Web blogs or video blogs
When citing any information from blogs or vlogs, you need to keep in mind that you are treading a very thin line between objectivity and subjectivity. Blogs or vlogs are meant to be informal as most people use them to express their perspectives on issues or topics that are close to their heart, or to comment on issues from the public domain. So, be incredibly careful as most blogs are not very well reasoned or objective in their stance.
- The year that the blog/vlog was published or last updated (in round brackets)
- Title of the blog/vlog (in single quotation marks)
- Title of the site that hosts the blog/vlog (in italics)
- The day or month the blog/vlog was posted
Note that if you’re trying to cite a vlog that was posted on YouTube, you’ll need to know how to cite a YouTube video in Harvard style .
Engelbert D’Souza (2015) has expounded on the “Mandela Effect” at great length….
D’Souza, E. (2015) ‘The Mandela Effect’, Engelbert’s monthly blog , 6 November. Available at: https://www.engelbertsmonthlyblog/november/mandelaeffect/ (Accessed: 11 September 2016).
Social networking sites
Citation information:
- Year (in round brackets)
- Title of the post (in single quotation marks)
- [Instagram]
- Day/month of the post
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
In-text citation
Hendrix was a master of distortion and feedback (Casanova, 2018) …
Casanova, G. (2018) ‘Jimi Hendrix: wild blue angel’ [Instagram]. 18 September. Available at: https://www.instagram.com (Accessed: 7 October 2019)
- Author (if available, otherwise use the title)
- The year the article was published or last updated (in round brackets)
- Title of the post (in italics)
- Day/month the post was uploaded
The Trump rally drew large crowds in South Carolina ( Trump campaign , 2016).
Trump campaign (2016) [Facebook] 24 October. Available at: https://www.facebook.com (Accessed: 28 February 2019).
- Author of the tweet
- Twitter handle (in square brackets)
- The year the tweet was posted (in round brackets)
- The full body of the tweet (if it is too long, use an ellipsis to shorten it)
- The day/month the tweet was posted
Jasper Kuhn (2018) was quite critical about the proceedings…
Kuhn, J. [@kuhnper] (2018) It was appalling to see the leaders of the state bicker like rabid dogs in the assembly [Twitter] 31 January. Available at: https://twitter.com/kuhnper/status/161664645.654654.655 (Accessed: 17 July 2018).
Key takeaways
- While referencing anything from a website, the main aim is to provide a trail that can lead the reader directly to the source.
- An important point to keep in mind is that you will need to cite the date you last accessed the site.
- Since most websites do not have page numbers, use paragraph numbers to show where you found the information you used.
Published October 29, 2020.
Harvard Formatting Guide
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In-text citations
Two or more works cited at one point in the text
If two or more works by different authors or authoring bodies are cited at one point in the text, use a semi-colon to separate them:
(Larsen 2000; Malinowski 1999)
The authors should be listed in alphabetical order.
Two or three authors or authoring bodies
When citing a work by two or three authors or authoring bodies, cite the names in the order in which they appear on the title page:
(Malinowski, Miller & Gupta 1995)
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How to reference a website in Harvard style
The easiest way to reference a website in Harvard style is to use our automatic generator, but there’s a manual way too if you want to write it by hand. Here’s how to do it both ways:
The easy way to reference a website in Harvard style
We can reference a website for you automatically (and for free) with our reference generator below. Simply paste the page URL into the search box (or search for some keywords) and then click on the result we find. It automatically find all the details required to build the reference, so you can copy it straight into your assignment.
How to reference a website in Harvard style manually
Follow these instructions to manually reference a website in Harvard style
First, you need to locate these details for the website: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web address) .
- The author can typically be found on the page, but if there isn’t one listed you can use the website name in its place.
- The page title can be found near the top of the page, and you can also find it by hovering your mouse over the browser tab.
- The website name can usually be found in the web address or by looking for a logo or similar at the very top of the page.
- There often isn’t a publish date , but if there is it’ll be very close to the page title.
- The access date is the date you took information from the article (usually today).
- The page URL can be copied straight from the address bar of your browser and will start with either http:// or https://.
Then use this template and replace the coloured placeholders with the information you found on the page:
Author last name , Author firstname initial . ( Published year ) Page title . Website name . Available at: Page URL (Accessed: Access date ).
The final reference should look like this:
Scrivens, S. (2018) Google removes “Save to Inbox” feature from Android app, but it’s still available on the web [Updated] . Android Police. Available at: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/08/17/google-removes-save-inbox-feature-android-app-still-available-web/ (Accessed: August 18, 2018).
What to do when there’s no author
Often you’ll find a webpage doesn’t have a clear personable author, and in this case you can substitute the page title in the place of the author instead. Adapting the example above would look like this:
Google removes “Save to Inbox” feature from Android app, but it’s still available on the web [Updated] (2018) Android Police. Available at: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/08/17/google-removes-save-inbox-feature-android-app-still-available-web/ (Accessed: August 18, 2018).
What about multiple authors?
When the page has multiple authors you should include each of them in the same format, separated by a comma. The last author should also be separated by ‘and’. For example
Scrivens, S., Ferdinand F., and Masters, D. (2018) Google removes “Save to Inbox” feature from Android app, but it’s still available on the web [Updated] . Android Police. Available at: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/08/17/google-removes-save-inbox-feature-android-app-still-available-web/ (Accessed: August 18, 2018).
Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.
Cite A Website in Harvard style
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- Archive material
- Chapter of an edited book
- Conference proceedings
- Dictionary entry
- Dissertation
- DVD, video, or film
- E-book or PDF
- Edited book
- Encyclopedia article
- Government publication
- Music or recording
- Online image or video
- Presentation
- Press release
- Religious text
Use the following template or our Harvard Referencing Generator to cite a website. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator .
Reference list
Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.
In-text citation
Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.
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A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples
Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 15 September 2023.
Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It tells your readers what sources you’ve used and how to find them.
Harvard is the most common referencing style used in UK universities. In Harvard style, the author and year are cited in-text, and full details of the source are given in a reference list .
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Table of contents
Harvard in-text citation, creating a harvard reference list, harvard referencing examples, referencing sources with no author or date, frequently asked questions about harvard referencing.
A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source. It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range locating the passage referenced, if applicable:
Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).
An in-text citation usually appears immediately after the quotation or paraphrase in question. It may also appear at the end of the relevant sentence, as long as it’s clear what it refers to.
When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:
Sources with multiple authors
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘ et al. ’:
Sources with no page numbers
Some sources, such as websites , often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:
Multiple citations at the same point
When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:
Multiple sources with the same author and date
If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations. To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:
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A bibliography or reference list appears at the end of your text. It lists all your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, giving complete information so that the reader can look them up if necessary.
The reference entry starts with the author’s last name followed by initial(s). Only the first word of the title is capitalised (as well as any proper nouns).
Sources with multiple authors in the reference list
As with in-text citations, up to three authors should be listed; when there are four or more, list only the first author followed by ‘ et al. ’:
Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below.
- Entire book
- Book chapter
- Translated book
- Edition of a book
Journal articles
- Print journal
- Online-only journal with DOI
- Online-only journal with no DOI
- General web page
- Online article or blog
- Social media post
Sometimes you won’t have all the information you need for a reference. This section covers what to do when a source lacks a publication date or named author.
No publication date
When a source doesn’t have a clear publication date – for example, a constantly updated reference source like Wikipedia or an obscure historical document which can’t be accurately dated – you can replace it with the words ‘no date’:
Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.
When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.
When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:
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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.
Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.
A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.
The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.
In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’
Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:
- A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
- A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 18 November 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/
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About citing websites.
- Use the same capitalisation as the organisation uses for the name of a website.
- You don’t need to include the URL at the end of the reference in digital content.
- Hyperlink the title of the webpage.
- If the source is behind a paywall, hyperlink to the homepage of the website.
- Include the date you accessed the work. This is important because online sources can change. The information you’re linking to could be different to what users will find in the future.
Basic elements you need to reference a web page / document
- Author (person or organization)
- Year (or most recent date page created or revised)
- Title of the website / webpage / blog / document / etc
- Name of website
- Date accessed (Day Month Year)
Entire website
- Hyperlink the name of the website .
- Always include the date you accessed the site at the end of the reference.
- Include the word ‘website’ after the name of the website in square brackets.
- You can include the website URL after the website name (optional). If you do this omit the word website in square brackets.
Elements of the reference
Author a (year) name of website , url [optional], accessed day month year., in-text citation, (esafety commissioner n.d.), australian public service commission (apsc 2021), reference list, esafety commissioner (n.d.) esafety [website], accessed 3 december 2020. , url included, apsc (australian public service commission) (2021) australian government style manual , stylemanual.gov.au, accessed 3 october 2021., webpages and webpage content.
- Hyperlink the title of the webpage . Don’t link to PDFs or other downloadable documents. Instead link to the page that hosts the document.
- Include the word ‘website’ after the name of the website, unless the name of the website is a URL, for example WA.gov.au.
Webpage with authors listed
- Italicise title of webpage
Author A (Year) Title of webpage , Name of Website website, accessed Day Month Year.
(clement 2020), clement j (2020) device usage of facebook users worldwide as of july 2020 , statista website, accessed 16 september 2020., webpage written by an organisation, organisation name or abbreviation (year) title of webpage , name of website website, accessed day month year., (department of the prime minister and cabinet n.d.), department of the prime minister and cabinet (n.d.) australian national anthem , pm&c website, accessed 20 january 2020., webpage as part of a larger publication or series.
- Italicise the name of publication or series
Author A (Year) ‘Title of webpage’, Name of larger publication or series , Name of Website website, accessed Day Month Year.
Australian public service commission (apsc 2021), world wide web consortium (w3c 2019), apsc (australian public service commission) (2021) ‘author–date’ , australian government style manual , stylemanual.gov.au, accessed 3 october 2021., w3c (world wide web consortium) (2019) ‘audio content and video content’ , making audio and video content accessible , w3c website, accessed 25 august 2020., image found on the web.
- Hyperlink the title of the image .
Author A (Year) Title of image (or a description) [description of image type] ( i.e. photograph, cartoon, digital image of painting, etc), Name of Website website, accessed Day Month Year.
(arttower n.d.), arttower (n.d.) humpback whale [photograph], pixabay website, accessed 8 march 2022., blog or blog post.
- Hyperlink and italicise the title of the blog.
Author A (Year) Title of blog [format], accessed Day Month Year.
(strong 2016) or strong (2016) .., strong f (2016) sword and the script [blog], accessed 23 july 2016..
For blog posts, hyperlink the title .
Italicise the name of the blog.
Include the date you accessed the post at the end of the reference.
If a post doesn’t list an author, use the name of the blog.
Author A (Day Month Year) ‘Title of post: subtitle’, Name of Blog, accessed Day Month Year.
Name of blog (day month year) ‘title of post: subtitle’, name of blog , accessed day month year., peascod (2019) .., (mashable me 2022) .., peascod s (19 december 2019) ‘ the future of work is learning ’, digital transformation agency blog , accessed 4 january 2020., mashable me (10 march 2022) 'new mac mini will include apple's m2 and m2 pro processors' , mashable me blog , accessed 11 march 2022., comment on a blog post, author a (day month year) ‘re: title of post: subtitle’ [blog comment], name of blog , accessed day month year., mullins p (1 january 2020) ‘re: capturing attention in feed: the science behind effective video creative ’ [blog comment], facebook for business , accessed 4 february 2020..
Hyperlink the title of the post .
Italicise the title of the Wiki
Author A (Year) 'Title of post', Title of Wiki , accessed Day Month Year. 'Title of post' (Year) Title of Wiki , accessed Day Month Year.
In-text citation , (roussel 2008), (cultural issues 2007), (cultural issues 2007, para. 2), roussel s (2008) 'sustainability indicators' , coastal wiki , accessed 25 may 2013. 'cultural issues affecting international trade' (2007) wikiversity , accessed 27 october 2009..
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When it comes to academic writing, properly citing your sources is essential. Harvard style citation is one of the most widely used systems, known for its simplicity and flexibility.
Harvard referencing is important when citing a research paper , essay, or dissertation. It helps you give proper credit to the original authors and shows that your work is supported by reliable sources.
From in-text citations to formatting your reference list, his guide will break down everything you need to know about Harvard citations. If you’ve ever felt confused about how to cite a book, article, or website, we’ll make it easy to understand, and apply the Harvard style to your work.
Let’s start!
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What is Harvard Style Citation?
Harvard-style citation is a widely used referencing system in academic writing that follows the author-date method. This means that when you cite a source in your text, you include the author’s last name and the year of publication.
Commonly used in fields like social sciences, humanities, and business studies, Harvard referencing is appreciated for its simplicity and flexibility. It can be adapted for a variety of sources, including books, journal articles, websites, and more.
Students or researchers publishing with Harvard University Press are required to follow the Harvard referencing style.
Key Elements of Harvard Style Citation
The Harvard referencing style consists of two main elements.
In-Text Citations :
- In Harvard style, in-text citations use the author-date system. This helps readers easily identify the source of your information.
Reference List :
- At the end of your document, you’ll include a reference list that provides full details of all the sources you cited. This list should be organized alphabetically by the authors' last names.
We’ll discuss each of them in detail in the coming sections.
Harvard Style In-Text Citation
In research paper writing , it’s important to use accurate Harvard in-text citations correctly to give credit to the sources you use in your writing. They typically include the author’s last name and the year of publication, which allows readers to find the full reference in your reference list.
Here’s how to create Harvard style citation for different types of scenarios and sources.
- Single Author : When you refer to a work by a single author, include their last name and the year of publication in parentheses.
- Format : (Author's Last Name, Year)
- Example : Research shows that climate change affects weather patterns (Smith, 2020).
- Two Authors : If there are two authors, list both names separated by “and” in your citation.
- Format : (First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name, Year)
- Example : The study concluded that social media has a significant impact on communication (Johnson and Lee, 2019).
- Three or More Authors : For works with three or more authors, mention the first author followed by "et al.," which means "and others."
- Format : (First Author's Last Name et al., Year)
- Example : According to recent findings, exercise improves mental health (Brown et al., 2021).
- No Author : If a source does not have a clear author, use the title of the work instead, along with the year of publication.
- Format : (Title of the Work, Year)
- Example : As noted in the report on environmental sustainability (Global Insights, 2022), changes are necessary for a healthier planet.
- Citing a Direct Quote or Paraphrase : When quoting directly from a source, include the author's last name, year of publication, and the specific page number if relevant. Sometimes, you can also include paragraph numbers if you’re citing a quote from a web page.
- Format : (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)
- Example : Smith (2020, p. 45) argues that “effective communication is key to successful teamwork.”
- Multiple Works by the Same Author Published in the Same Year : If you need to cite multiple works by the same author from the same year, distinguish them by adding letters (a, b) after the year.
- Format : (Author's Last Name, Yeara; Yearb)
- Example : Several studies highlight the importance of time management (Taylor, 2020a; 2020b).
- Citing a Source with a Corporate Author : When citing a report or document authored by an organization rather than an individual, use the name of the organization as the author.
- Format : (Organization Name, Year)
- Example : The guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) emphasize the importance of vaccination.
- Secondary Sources : If you want to cite a source that is mentioned in another source, note both the original and citing authors.
- Format : (Original Author's Last Name, Year, cited in Citing Author's Last Name, Year)
- Example : Smith’s work (2005, cited in Jones, 2020) discusses the influence of culture on education.
Harvard Style Reference List
Creating a Harvard reference list is an important part of using Harvard-style citation. It provides all the details necessary for readers to locate the sources you’ve used in your writing.
In the Harvard referencing bibliography, references are listed in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names. Below, we’ll cover the formatting guidelines for various types of references, along with their specific formats and examples.
When citing a book, include the author’s last name, initials, year of publication, the title of books in italics, the edition (if applicable), the place of publication, and the publisher. There are several subtypes of books to consider:
- Book Chapters : If you’re referencing a specific chapter from a printed book, note the chapter's author, the chapter title, and then the book’s editor, title, and publication details.
- Format : Chapter Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) 'Title of the Chapter', in Editor's Initial(s). Editor's Last Name (ed.) Title of the Book . Place of Publication: Publisher, pp. Page Numbers/Page Range.
- Example : Harris, A. (2020) ‘Climate Change Adaptation Strategies’, in M. Green (ed.) Environmental Sustainability . London: Eco Press, pp. 50-65.
- Translated Books : When citing a translated book, include the original author, the translator, and the publication date of the translated version.
- Format : Original Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year of Translation) Title of the Book . Translated by Translator's Initial(s). Translator's Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher.
- Example : Kafka, F. (2014) The Metamorphosis . Translated by A. McNab. New York: Penguin Classics.
- E-Books : For online sources such as e-books, the format is similar to print books, but also includes the platform or URL if applicable.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) Title of the E-Book . Place of Publication: Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
- Example : Brown, L. (2019) Understanding Digital Marketing . London: Routledge. Available at: https://www.routledge.com/Understanding-Digital-Marketing (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
- Journal Articles
For journal articles, include the author’s last name, initials, year of publication the title of the article in single quotation marks, and the title of the journal in italics. You’ll also include the volume number, the issue number (if available), and page numbers.
There are different types of journal articles:
- Journal Articles with DOIs : If an article has a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), include it at the end of the citation.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of the Article’, Title of the Journal , Volume(Issue), pp. Page Numbers. DOI: DOI Number.
- Example : Smith, J. (2020) ‘Exploring New Technologies’, Journal of Tech Studies , 15(4), pp. 25-34. DOI: 10.1234/jts.2020.045.
- Journal Articles without DOIs : If there’s no DOI, simply list the article as usual without including the DOI.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of the Article’, Title of the Journal , Volume(Issue), pp. Page Numbers.
- Example : Brown, L. (2019) ‘The Impact of Social Media on Youth’, Journal of Communication Studies , 12(3), pp. 45-60.
When referencing a website, include the author’s last name, initials (if available), year of publication (or last updated), the title of the webpage in italics, the name of the website, and the URL. If there’s no author, use the name of the organization.
- Online Articles and Blogs : This includes articles from online publications or personal blogs. The format is similar, but be clear about the website's nature.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) Title of the Article . Name of Website. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
- Example : Johnson, R. (2023) How to Cook Healthy Meals . Healthy Eating Blog. Available at: https://www.healthyeating.com/how-to-cook (Accessed: 15 September 2024).
For reports, the format is similar to that of a book. Include the author’s last name, initials, year, publication title in italics, place of publication, and the publisher. If the report is by an organization, use the organization’s name as the author.
- Government or Organization Reports : If the report is published by a governmental body or organization, include that as the author.
- Format : Organization Name. (Year) Title of the Report . Place of Publication: Publisher.
- Example : United Nations. (2022) World Population Prospects 2022 . New York: United Nations.
- Theses and Dissertations
When writing a thesis paper or dissertation , your Harvard style references will include the author’s last name, initials, year, title in italics, the type of thesis (e.g., PhD thesis), the institution, and the location.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) Title of the Thesis . Type of Thesis, Institution, Location.
- Example : Taylor, M. (2021) The Effects of Urbanization on Local Ecosystems . PhD thesis, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
- Conference Papers
When citing a conference paper, include the author’s last name, initials, year, title in italics, the title of the conference, and location.
- Format : Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) Title of the Paper , Title of the Conference, Location.
- Example : Wilson, R. (2023) Innovations in Renewable Energy , International Renewable Energy Conference , Berlin.
We’ve also included more examples in PDFs that you can download and take guidance from. Take a look at them below.
Example of an Assignment with Harvard Referencing
Harvard Referencing Style
In Conclusion,
To wrap things up, getting the hang of Harvard style citation is super important for students and researchers alike. It not only gives credit to the authors you reference but also adds credibility to your work.
By understanding how to handle in-text citations and create a solid reference list, you can make sure your writing meets academic expectations.
If you ever feel stuck or overwhelmed with your writing, remember you don’t have to do it all by yourself. You can always reach out to our essay writing service at CollegeEssay.org for help.
We provide expert guidance and support tailored to your needs. Whether you need assistance with citations or writing the perfect essay, we’re here to help you succeed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between mla and apa citations.
The main difference between MLA and APA citations lies in the format and the focus of each style.
- MLA (Modern Language Association) is often used in the humanities, like literature or art. It focuses on the author's name and the page number in in-text citations. For example: (Smith 45). The Works Cited page lists sources alphabetically by author.
- APA (American Psychological Association) is commonly used in the social sciences, like psychology or education. It emphasizes the author's name and the year of publication in in-text citations. For example: (Smith, 2020). The References page includes more detailed information, like the source's DOI (digital object identifier) if available.
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How to Cite a Website in Harvard Referencing
- 3-minute read
- 11th June 2019
With so much information now available online, you may need to cite a website in a piece of academic writing at some point.
But since most referencing systems focus on books and journals, knowing how this works can be tricky. Thus, to help out, we’ve prepared this quick guide to citing a website using Harvard referencing .
In-Text Citations (Named Author)
To cite a website in Harvard referencing, you will need to give the author’s surname and a year of publication. For instance:
Rousseau converted to Catholicism in 1728 (Bertram, 2010).
If you have already named the author in the main text, though, you don’t need to duplicate this information in the citation. Instead, you can just give a year of publication in brackets after the author’s name.
In addition, since websites don’t have page numbers, you will not usually need to give a pinpoint citation when quoting an online source.
However, for long or complicated texts, you could include a paragraph or section number (use “para.” to signal a paragraph number or the “§” symbol to denote a section). So to cite a website like this, we would write:
According to Bertram (2010, § 2.1), Rousseau thought morality had been displaced by “the impulse to dominate, oppress and exploit.”
Make sure to check your style guide for information on citing sources with no page numbers, though, as different places will have different rules.
In-Text Citations (No Named Author/Date of Publication)
To cite a website that does not name its author, the best approach is usually to reference an organizational author instead. This will be the company or organization that runs the website:
Tax avoidance often involves using contrived transactions that serve no purpose other than exploiting legal loopholes (HMRC, 2016).
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If no date of publication is available, you can use “n.d.” in its place:
Moths are “an essential part of food chains” (RSPB, n.d.).
It can be hard to spot the author and publication date for websites, though, so make sure to check carefully before omitting this information from citations.
How to Cite a Website in the Reference List
As with any source in your work, you should add all cited websites to a reference list at the end of your document. The information you need here is:
Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year or Publication/Last Update) Title of Web Page [Online]. Available at: URL [Accessed date].
In practice, then, the reference list entry for a website would look like this:
Bertram, C. (2010) Jean Jacques Rousseau [Online]. Available at: plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/ [Accessed 24 October 2016].
Of course, if a webpage is missing a named author or date of publication, this should also be indicated in the reference list:
RSPB (n.d.) Grow Food for Moths [Online]. Available at: https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/givenatureahomeinyourgarden/gardenactivities/growfoodformoths/ [Accessed 19 September 2016].
A Quick Note on Harvard Referencing
Although Harvard referencing is a common citation style, it is not a single unified system. As such, the rules your school uses may differ, so you should always check your style guide if you are not sure how to cite sources.
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Harvard Style
- Position of the citation
- Secondary Referencing
- Date of Publication
- Page numbers
- Paraphrasing and Summarising
- Examples of References in Harvard style
- Quick A-Z Examples of References
- Citation Tools and Software
- Journal Articles
- Web Pages and Social Media
- Newspaper articles
Dictionary or Encyclopaedia
Thesis or dissertation.
- Reports and Datasets
- Standards and Legal Publications
- Conferences
- Images, figures and tables
Exhibitions
- Audiovisual and Digital Media
- Lecture Notes and Presentations
- Generative AI
- Author/Editor (Surname, initials)
- (Year of publication)
- Title (in italics).
- Edition (other than first edition).
- Place of publication: Publisher.
Clohessy, T. (2019) Blockchain: the business perspective . Galway: NovoRay Publishers.
When an e-book looks like a printed book, with publication details and pagination, reference as a printed book (as above). For e-books that do not contain print publication details, a URl or DOI can be included. (A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works).
Books with a URL or a DOI can be referenced like this:
- Author/editor (Surname, initials)
- Title of book (in italics).
- Available at: URL (Accessed date) or DOI
Garvey, P. and Miller, D. (2021) Ageing with smartphones in Ireland: when life becomes craft . Available at: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/51794/1/9781787359666.pdf (Accessed: 5 November 2024).
O'Malley, E. (2024) Ireland's long economic boom: the Celtic Tiger economy, 1986–2007 . Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53070-8
Book Chapter
- Author of chapter/section (Surname, initials)
- 'Title of chapter/section'. Edition (if a subsequent edition) .
- 'in:' followed by author/editor of book
Place of publication: Publisher,
Page reference.
Galligan, Y. and Buckley, F. (2017) 'Women in politics', in J. Coakley and M. Gallagher (eds.) Politics in the Republic of Ireland . 6th edn. London: Routledge, pp. 216-239.
Journal article (Print)
- Author(s) (Surname, initials)
- ' Title of article’
- Title of journal (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the)
- Issue information (volume, issue, pages)
Walsh, T. (2018) 'Re-animating the past: an Irish animation history', Nordic Irish Studies , 17(2), pp. 133-150.
Journal article (online)
- Author(s) (Surname, Initials)
- (Year of publication).
- ‘Title of article’,
- Title of journal (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the),
- Issue information (date, volume, issue no., pages).
- Available at: URL (Date accessed).
Mullins, L. and Hodgins, M. (2019) '“The day is long you know?” Older people’s voices on their homecare experiences in Ireland', Journal of Social Care , 2(1), pp. 1-21. Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/jsoc/vol2/iss1/2 (Accessed: 18 December 2023).
Journal article (database without DOI)
Journal articles retrieved from databases without a DOI can be referenced like a print journal, as above.
Odio, M.A. (2021) ‘The role of time in building sport management theory’, Journal of Global Sport Management , 6(1), pp. 70-86.
Journal article (with DOI)
There is no need for an ‘Accessed date’ when using a DOI, since the link is permanent.
- Title of journal (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the)
- Available at: DOI
Whelan, E., Golden, W. and Tarafdar, M. (2022) 'How technostress and self-control of social networking sites affect academic achievement and wellbeing', Internet Research , 32(7), pp. 280-306. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-06-2021-0394
Journal article (pre-publication)
“Pre-print”, “In press” and “advanced online publication” usually refer to articles that have been accepted for publication, but may not yet have been assigned to a publication volume/issue. These articles can be cited using the year of online publication and the DOI.
- Issue information (date, volume, issue no., pages)
- Available at: URL (Date accessed) or DOI
Owen, J., Cross, S., Mergia, V. and Fisher, P. (2022) ‘Stress, resilience and coping in psychological wellbeing practitioner trainees: a mixed methods study’, Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , 15, article number e38 [peer-reviewed accepted version]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1754470X22000356
Journal Article (with article numbers, not page numbers)
If the journal article has an article number instead of a page range, include the words “article number” and then the article number instead of the page range.
- ‘Title of article’
- Journal Title (in italics)
- article no: article number [no pagination]
- Available at: URL (Date accessed) or DOI
Frias, J., Joyce, H., Brozzetti, L., Pagter, E., Švonja, M., Kavangh, F. and Nash, R. (2024) 'Spatial monitoring of microplastics in environmental matrices from Galway Bay, Ireland', Marine Pollution Bulletin , 200, article number 116153. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116153
Journal Article (Systematic Review)
- Database name (in italics)
- Issue number,
- Available at: URL (Date accessed) or DOI
Elfghi, M., Dunne, D., Jones, J., Gibson, I., Flaherty, G., McEvoy, J.W., Sultan, S., Jordan, F. and Tawfick, W. (2024) 'Mobile health technologies to improve walking distance in people with intermittent claudication', Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2), Article number CD014717. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD014717.pub2
- Author (Surname, Initials or Organisation name)
- Title of webpage (in italics) .
- Available at: URL
- (Accessed date).
Health Service Executive (2021) Psoriasis . Available at: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/psoriasis/psoriasis-symptoms-and-diagnosis.html (Accessed: 19 April 2021).
If no date can be established, use 'no date' to indicate no date in the citation and the reference.
Tourism Ireland (no date) Emerging Markets . Available at: https://www.tourismireland.com/Marketing/Emerging-Markets (Accessed: 19 April 2021).
- Author of message
- (Year that the site was published/last updated)
- ‘Title of blog post’ (in single quotation marks),
- Title of website (in italics),
- Day/Month of posted message.
- Available at: URL (Accessed date).
Quinn, E. (2024) 'Donegal travel guide', Wilderness Ireland , 16 February. Available at: https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/donegal-travel-guide/ (Accessed: 8 April 2024).
X (formerly known as Twitter)
- Author of post
- (Year posted)
- 'Title or description of post'
- Day/Month posted.
Connacht/City Tribune (2023) ‘Galway is seventh-worst city in Europe for car traffic congestion’ (X] 27 January. Available at: https://x.com/CTribune/status/1618860442457362432 (Accessed: 15 April 2024).
Webwise Ireland (2024) 'Interest in media literacy is on the rise as a result of the fight against disinformation' [Facebook] 2 April. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/Webwise (Accessed: 16 April 2024).
- Author (Instagram account holder/poster)
- 'Title of post'
- [Instagram].
- Day/Month
Wild Atlantic Way (2024) 'Maghery, Donegal' [Instagram]. 15 April. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/discoverireland.ie/reel/C5yXF03sNkV/ (Accessed: 16 April 2024).
- Author
Exam Revision (2022) 'Are you smarter than a Junior Certificate student?' [TikTok] 7 November. Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/@examrevision.ie/video/7163365981325184261 (Accessed: 16 April 2024).
- ‘Title of article’ (in single quotation marks)
- (Year that the entry was published/last updated)
- Title of wiki site (in italics).
'Edible seaweed' (2024) Wikipedia . Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_seaweed (Accessed: 16 April 2024).
Newspaper article (print)
Author (Surname, Initials) (if name of writer not given, start with the name of the Newspaper (in italics))
'Title of article' (you can include this in inverted commas),
Title of newspaper (in italics),
Date of publication (day and month)
Corrigan, S. (2023) 'Finding refuge in music', Connacht Tribune , 15 December, p. 18.
Newspaper article (online)
O'Connell, S. (2023) 'Why switching lanes can be the fastest route to career success', The Irish Times , 15 December. Available at: https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2023/12/15/why-switching-lanes-can-be-the-fastest-route-to-career-success/ (Accessed: 18 December 2023).
Author or Editor (Surname, initials)
‘Title of entry’.
‘in’ followed by author/editor of book, (in direct order)
Title of book (in italics) .
Page number.
Chapple, M. (2014) 'Capacitive reactance', in Dictionary of physics . London: Routledge, p. 27.
Vesper, D.J. (2019) 'Contamination of cave waters by heavy metals', in W.B. White, D.C. Culver and T. Pipan (eds.) Encyclopedia of Caves , 3rd edn. London: Academic Press, pp. 320-325. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128141243000352.
Online Reference works
There are many online-only dictionaries and thesauri.
- Author/editor (if available)
(Year of publication)
- 'Title' (in single quotation marks)
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
'Creativity' (2024) Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/creativity (Accessed: 18 June 2024).
Author (Surname, Initials)
(Year of submission)
Title of thesis (in italics) .
Degree statement.
Degree awarding body.
DOI or Available at: URL (Accessed date) (if viewed online).
Shiel, J. (2023) To design and build a self-balancing hexapod controlled by Bluetooth . Unpublished B.Eng. Dissertation. Atlantic Technological University.
Kavanagh, E. (2022) The Irish war of independence (1919–1921) in County Galway: local histories, memories & post-conflict heritage initiatives . Ph.D. thesis. Atlantic Technological University. Available at: https://research.thea.ie/handle/20.500.12065/4374 (Accessed: 20 December 2023).
Market Research Report (Online Database)
Author (Name of Organisation)
Title of report . (in italics)
Reference number (if available)
- Place of Publication: Publisher.
or Available at: URL (Accessed date) (if viewed online).
If the URL for the webpage where the report was found requires you to login with a username and password, use the homepage of the database in your reference (this will be the first page you view after you have logged into the database).
Mintel (2022) Car insurance - Ireland - 2022 . Available at: https://clients.mintel.com/ (Accessed: 8 June 2022).
'Title of data'
Type of work (i.e. dataset)
Available at: URL (Accessed date)
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (2021) 'Homelessness report February 2021' [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.gov.ie/dataset/homelessness-report-february-2021 (Accessed: 21 April 2021).
Government Publication
Name of Government or Institution
Title (in italics)
Place of publication: Publisher
OR : Available at: URL (Accessed date) (if viewed online)
Department of Transport (2024) National cycle network . Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/34846-national-cycle-network/ (Accessed: 10 January 2024).
Company Report
- Name of organisation
Place of Publication: Publisher
Gaelic Athletic Association (2023) Annual report 2023 . Available at: https://www.gaa.ie/news/gaa-report-healthy-financial-year/ (Accessed: 15 January 2024).
Name of authority or organisation
Number and title of standard (in italics) .
Or: Available from: URL (Accessed date) (if accessed online).
International Organization for Standardization (2022) I.S. EN ISO/IEC 27002:2022: Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection - Information security controls . Available at: https://eu.i2.saiglobal.com (Accessed: 15 January 2024).
Standard Operating Procedure
- Title of report (include full date of document and official number, if given).
- or URL and Access date.
Health Service Executive (2023) Authorisation scheme: Standard operating procedures (Home support services) (V.2, October). Dublin: Health Service Executive.
Fant, K. (2023) Standard operating procedure for thyroperoxidase activity assay with Amplex Ultrared (AUR-TPO), version 2.0, applied in Part 2 of the EURL ECVAM thyroid validation study (JRC133079) . Ispra: European Commission. Available at: https://jeodpp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ftp/jrc-opendata/EURL-ECVAM/datasets/ThyroidMethods/2a/Method%202a_SOP_Assay_Part%202_JRC133079.pdf (Accessed: 13 May 2024).
Statute / Act
Title of Act including year, (in italics)
Number of Act
Part & Section (if applicable)
(Country/Jurisdiction)
If you are referencing acts from multiple countries (Jurisdictions) include the country (jurisdiction) in round brackets after the title of the Act.
Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2023, No. 36 (Ireland). Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2023/act/36/enacted/en/pdf (Accessed: 15 January 2024).
Law Report (Case)
'Name of parties involved in the case' (in single quotation marks)
Court and Case number.
Database or Website (in italics)
‘Hogan v McLoughlin’ (2023) The High Court, case 704. The Courts Service of Ireland . Available at: https://www.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/1808c3c6-f2d2-4037-b7d1-80e712c4a641/2023_IEHC_704.pdf (Accessed: 16 January 2024).
EU Directive
‘Legislation type’ (in single quotation marks)
‘Number and title’ (in single quotation marks)
Official Journal (in italics)
Page numbers.
‘Council Directive 2021/514/EU on administrative co-operation in field of taxation’ (2021) Official Journal L104, pp. 1-26.
‘'Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on common rules for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, amending Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and repealing Directive 2009/73/EC' (2024). EUR-Lex . Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1788 (Accessed: 6 November 2024)..
Conference Paper
'Title of the contribution paper',
Title of conference (in Italics),
Location and date of conference.
Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed date) (if accessed online).
Deacon, L. and Ní Fhloinn, E. (2023) 'Online synchronous maths support attendance post-Covid', Ninth Conference on Research in Mathematics Education in Ireland MEI 9 , Dublin (Ireland), 13-14 October. Dublin: Dublin City University, pp. 124-131. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.10062556
Conference Paper (Journal)
Author of paper
‘Title of paper’ (from the Conference title, location, date, if included ),
Title of Journal (in italics),
Issue information (volume, issue, date),
Wolf, R.R. and Wolf, A.B. (2023) 'Using AI to evaluate a competency-based online writing course in Nursing' (from the OLC Innovate Conference, Nashville, TN, 4-6 April 2023), Online Learning , 27(3), pp. 41-69. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i3.3974
Conference Paper (Internet)
'Title of paper', (in single quotation marks)
Title of conference: subtitle, (in italics).
Location and Date of conference,
Page references (if available).
Mason, R., Becker, B.A., Crick, T. and Davenport, J.H. (2024) 'A global survey of introductory programming courses'. SIGCSE 2024 - Proceedings of the 55th ACM technical symposium on computer science education . Portland, 20-23 March, pp. 799-805. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/3626252.3630761
Conference Presentation
Author (surname, initials)
‘Title of the paper or presentation’,
Title (and subtitle if applicable) of the conference , (in italics),
Organisation or company (if stated),
Location and date of conference.
Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed date).
Kavanagh, P. (2022) 'State of tobacco control in Ireland second report, 2022', Tobacco endgame: nobody left behind conference, Dublin, Ireland, 31 May. Available at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/tobaccocontrol/news/dr-paul-kavanagh-the-state-of-tobacco-control-in-ireland-2022.pdf (Accessed 29 May 2024).
Illustrations, figures, diagrams, logos and tables (print)
When referencing a figure, table, diagram, or illustration, begin with the original source. Use the terminology from the book or article (e.g., illus./fig./diagram/logo/table) to identify the illustration and provide the page number and any caption number in your in-text citation. The entire article or book will be included in the reference list entry.
Chaudhary (2020, p. 23, fig. 1.3) illustrates three groups of organisms- yeasts, molds and mushrooms. Olson and Ahluwalia (2021, p. 1031, fig. 1) investigate the likelihood of sharing favourable word of mouth...
References:
Chaudhary, K. (2020) Introduction to biotechnology and biostatistics . Oakville, ON: Delve Publishing.
Olson, N.J. and Ahluwalia, R. (2021) 'When sharing isn't caring: the influence of seeking the best on sharing favorable word of mouth about unsatisfactory purchases', Journal of Consumer Research , 47(6), pp. 1025-1046. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa052.
Image, illustration, photo or table (online)
Photographer (Surname, Initials)
Title of image, photograph, photograph collection, figure, illustration or table (in italics)
Available at: ULR (accessed date)
Consorti, D. (2019) The beautiful Keem bay at Achill Island, Ireland . Available at: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/the-beautiful-keem-bay-at-achill-island-ireland-gm1167906867-322260741 (Accessed: 14 June 2024).
Photographs (Online Collection)
Photographer (if available)
Title of photograph/video (or collection) (in italics)
Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date)
whidom88 (2021) The Wild Atlantic Way . Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/102739648@N03/51273207115 (Accessed: 23 May 2022).
- Artist (surname followed by initials)
- (Year of production)
- Title of work (in italics)
- Location of the work
- (Viewed: date)
- If accessed online: Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date)
Moynan, R.T. (1891) Castle on a River, Sunset [Oil on canvas]. The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. Available at: http://onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie/objects/716 (Accessed: 14 June 2024).
Ordnance Survey of Ireland was Ireland's official mapping agency. The OSI's mapping activity covered almost two centuries, beginning with the 6" (inch) maps sheets produced from 1837 - 1842. Since March 2023, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) has amalgamated with the Property Registration Authority (PRA), and the Valuation Office (VO) to become a new state agency called Tailte Éireann (TE).
- Corporate author and publisher
- Title (in italics),
- Sheet number, scale.
- If online: Available at: URL (accessed date).
Ordnance Survey of Ireland (1998) Covering part of County Clare, Galway, Offaly and Tipperary , sheet 53, 1:50,000. Dublin: Ordnance Survey of Ireland. (Discovery Series).
Tailte Éireann (no date) Achill Island . Available at: https://webapps.geohive.ie/mapviewer/ (Accessed: 15 April 2024).
Google (2024) ATU Connemara . Available at: https://maps.google.com (Accessed: 15 April 2024).
- Title of exhibition (in italics)
- (Year)
- [Exhibition]
- Location. Date(s) of exhibition
- If it is an online exhibition, add : Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
Anne Madden Seven paintings (2023-2024) [Exhibition]. Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland. August 24, 2023–January 21, 2024.
Exhibition Catalogue
- Author of catalogue (Surname, Initials)
- Location and date of exhibition
- [Exhibition catalogue].
- Place of publication: Publisher (if available) .
Rooney, B. (ed.) (2015) Uniform: A collaboration with Jackie Nickerson Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 10 October 2015-10 January 2016 [Exhibition Catalogue]. Dublin: The National Gallery of Ireland.
- Title of film (in italics)
- (Year of distribution)
- Directed by ...
- [Feature film].
Place of distribution: Distribution company.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Directed by M. McDonagh [Feature film]. Century City, CA: Searchlight Pictures.
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (2021) Directed by D. Rosenbaum. Available at: Netflix (Accessed: 17 January 2024).
Online Video
- Name of person/organisation posting video
- (Year video posted)
- Title of film or programme (in italics) .
- Date uploaded (if available) .
- Available at: DOI or name of streaming service/app or URL (Accessed: date).
Atlantic Technological University (2024) Exploring nature's pharmacy: ATU's cutting-edge research in marine microbiology . 13 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flQfcsxOqTI (Accessed: 29 April 2024).
TV Programme
- Title of programme (in italics)
- (Year of transmission)
- Transmission channel,
- Date of transmission (day/month), time of transmission.
Becoming Irish (2020) RTÉ One Television, 11 March, 19.00.
Episode of a TV Series
- ‘Title of episode’ (in single quotation marks, if known; if not, use series title)
- Title of programme or series (in italics),
- Series and episode numbers.
- Transmission channel.
'Sligeach, Eire' (2024) Téacs Taistil , series 2, episode 6. TG4. 03 April, 21.30.
Radio Programme (Online)
- Title of programme
- Year of transmission
- Name of channel,
- Day and month of original transmission.
Parkinsons Awareness Week (2024) RTE Radio 1, 6 April. Available at: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22380955/ (Accessed: 8 April 2024).
- Author/Presenter
- Year that the site was published/last updated
- Title of podcast (in italics)
- Day/Month of posted message
- Available at: URL (Accessed: date)
Ó Móráin, C. (2024) That Great Business Show: No slacking in the classroom: episode 183: Emily Brick, Adrian Reynolds and Ian Hobbs [Podcast]. 14 March. Available at: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5f6db0ab2dc2346e2dd1a808 (Accessed: 8 April 2024).
Lecture Notes (Print)
- Lecturer (Surname, Initials)
- ‘Title of item’.
- Module code: Name of academic module (in italics) .
- Institution. Unpublished.
Murphy, C. (2023) 'Lines and Lamina'. 2079: Applied graphics . Atlantic Technological University. Unpublished.
Lecture Notes or Powerpoint Slides (Online): Moodle
- Module code: Module title (in italics) . Institution.
- Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).
Byrne, S. (2024) 'Sources of law'. 3123: Early childhood law . Atlantic Technological University. Available at: https://vlegalwaymayo.atu.ie (Accessed: 9 January 2024).
Recorded Lectures (Virtual learning environments)
- ‘Title of lecture’
- [Medium] (Recorded lecture) .
- Module code: Module title (in italics) .
- Institution.
Moynihan, L. (2023) 'Analysing the marketing environment' [Recorded lecture]. 2485: Introduction to marketing . Atlantic Technological University. 6 November. Available at: https://vlegalwaymayo.atu.ie (Accessed: 9 January 2024).
Massive Online Open Course (MOOC)
- Title of course (in italics)
University of London (2023) Finding your professional voice: confidence & impact [MOOC]. Available at: https://www.coursera.org/learn/finding-your-professional-voice (Accessed: 13 May 2024).
edX (2024) Generative AI for business leaders [MOOC]. Available at: https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-programming/edx-generative-ai-for-business-leaders (Accessed: 14 May 2024).
Music on CD or Vinyl
Artist/composer
'Title of song/track' (if required, in single quotation marks),
Title of album (in italics)
R.E.M. (1992) 'Everybody hurts', Automatic for the People [CD]. New York: Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Music Streaming
- Artist name (individual, band, orchestra, etc.)
- (Year of release)
- ‘Title of song/track title’ (if required) ,
- Title of album (if required, in italics).
- Available at: Name of streaming service
- (Accessed: date).
The Killers (2004) 'Mr. Brightside', Hot Fuss . Available at: Spotify (Accessed: 27 April 2021).
Generative AI tools are pieces of software that generate information automatically based on questions or suggestions entered by the user. They include ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, among others. Tools can produce text, code, graphics, and other forms of information. Generative AI systems that deal with text are also known as Large Language Models, or LLMs, and they continually create a 'knowledge base' of information by using prior inquiries or prompts as a data source. Generative AI technologies can be interesting to use since they can quickly give or create content, but they have limitations when used in academic work because the outputs may not be completely accurate.
Using generative AI tools to create something and then passing it off as your own violates academic integrity and is regarded as an unfair method of research. Your work should be created from your own research and learning.
However, if you do decide to go ahead and use GenAI tools to help you in your writing and research, you really need to indicate that you have done so and what methods did you use.
Digital Art
Generative AI content may be cited as an electronic version of an original work of art or article if it is made available online.
- Creator (name of AI)
- Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).
Pixabay (2024) AI generated architecture building [Digital art]. Available at: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-architecture-building-8618143/ (Accessed: 8 April 2024).
Personal Communication
If the final output of the AI is only available to you (using ChatGPT in a chat, for instance), then treat it as a private correspondence and include a description of the AI-generated content in your in-text citation. Check with your lecturer if you must attach a copy of this as an appendix to your work.
- (Year of communication)
- Medium of communication
- Receiver of communication,
- Day/Month of communication.
OpenAI ChatGPT (2024) ChatGPT response to Joan Bloggs, 8 April.
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To reference a website in Harvard style, include the name of the author or organization, the year of publication, the title of the page, the URL, and the date on which you accessed the website. In-text citation example
Learn how to use the Harvard referencing style to cite websites, blogs, and social media sites.
When citing a work by two or three authors or authoring bodies, cite the names in the order in which they appear on the title page: (Malinowski, Miller & Gupta 1995) (Holt 1997) or Holt (1997) wrote that... Holt, DH 1997, Management principles and practices, Prentice-Hall, Sydney.
Follow these instructions to manually reference a website in Harvard style. First, you need to locate these details for the website: page or article author, page or article title, website name, published date, access date, page URL (web address).
A full template and example to help you write a citation for a Website in the Harvard style.
Harvard referencing examples. Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below. Books
Include the word ‘website’ after the name of the website, unless the name of the website is a URL, for example WA.gov.au. Webpage with authors listed. Italicise title of webpage; Elements of the reference Author A (Year) Title of webpage, Name of Website website, accessed Day Month Year. In-text citation (Clement 2020) Reference list
Harvard Style Reference List. Creating a Harvard reference list is an important part of using Harvard-style citation. It provides all the details necessary for readers to locate the sources you’ve used in your writing. In the Harvard referencing bibliography, references are listed in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names. Below, we ...
To cite a website in Harvard referencing, you will need to give the author’s surname and a year of publication. For instance: Rousseau converted to Catholicism in 1728 (Bertram, 2010). If you have already named the author in the main text, though, you don’t need to duplicate this information in the citation.
Books with a URL or a DOI can be referenced like this: Title of book (in italics). Garvey, P. and Miller, D. (2021) Ageing with smartphones in Ireland: when life becomes craft. Available at: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/51794/1/9781787359666.pdf (Accessed: 5 November 2024).