Free Harvard Citation Generator

What is the Harvard Referencing System?

The Harvard citation style is a system that students, writers and researchers can use to incorporate other people’s quotes, findings and ideas into their work to support and validate their conclusions without breaching any intellectual property laws. It's commonly used in assignments and publications for humanities, natural, social, and behavioral sciences.

Components

It is a parenthetical referencing system made up of two main components:

  • In-text citations include the author’s surname and the year of publication shown in brackets wherever another source has contributed to your work.
  • A reference list outlines all of the sources directly cited in your work.

In-text Citations

In-text citations briefly indicate where you have directly quoted or paraphrased a source. Your reference list is an alphabetized list of complete Harvard citations that enables your reader to locate each source with ease.

Examples of In-text Citations

  1. Author’s surname and date in parentheses:
    Example: (Joyce, 2008).
  2. Mentioning the author's name in the sentence:
    Example: Joyce (2008) suggests...
  3. Including a page number for direct quotes:
    Example: “...” (Joyce, 2008, p. 15).
  4. Four or more authors:
    Example: (Wolbeck Minke et al., 2007).

Reference List

Your reference list should include every source cited in your work. Follow these guidelines:

  • Start on a new page at the end of your document, labeled "Reference List."
  • Copy each full-length Harvard citation into a list.
  • Arrange the list alphabetically by the author’s last name.

Harvard Referencing Guidelines

  • Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
  • Font: Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier New (12pt).
  • Double-space the entire paper.
  • ½ inch indentation for new paragraphs.

A Brief History of the Harvard Reference Style

The author-date system is attributed to Edward Laurens Mark, an eminent zoologist. It has become one of the most accessible styles used across various subjects.

Conclusion

Creating accurate and complete citations is essential in supporting the credibility of your research. The Cite This For Me Harvard citation generator simplifies this process, providing you with clean, formatted references that enhance the professionalism of your work.