Harvard Reference Style Guide

Referencing is the means by which writers acknowledge the sources of information and ideas that are used in producing a piece of written work. It also helps the reader to ascertain the scope and depth of the writing and locate the source of the material. This booklet on references and referencing has been compiled to help you to reference correctly the ideas and work of others. Please follow it carefully when compiling your list of references or bibliography and when referencing in your assignments.

1.1 Referencing system

This referencing is based on the ‘Harvard’ system. This system is based on two requirements; the first is to reference in the main body of the text after referring to another person’s work and the second is to compile a list of all references at the end of the text (reference list). The Harvard system is a simple method of quoting references in which names and dates are given in the body of the text and alphabetically listed at the end of the essay / assignment / project. Footnotes may not be used as they are not in keeping with the Harvard Referencing System. When using the Harvard Referencing System do not use footnotes, numbered reference lists, or include references for Wikipedia as this is not an academic source.

1.2 Purpose of referencing

References are a list of all the materials which have been used or cited in the essay / assignment / project with enough detail to allow a reader to find the item with as much ease as possible. It is important that whenever you use the ideas of other writers, or quote directly from their works, that you acknowledge them in the text and in a list of references at the end. They are called references because you have ‘referred’ to that article or book in your text. As others who read your essay / assignment / project may wish to follow up a particular author’s ideas, it is vitally important that all references are complete and accurate.

1.3 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is viewed as a form of academic dishonesty and may be defined as stealing or borrowing from the writings or ideas of others and passing them off as one’s own. Any
failure to acknowledge other people’s ideas and statements in an assessment is seen by the University as academic fraud. It is regarded as a major offence for which a student may be referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the University and may be expelled from the
University.

It is important to understand that stating that your intention was not to cheat and that you didn’t understand what constituted plagiarism will not be accepted as a defense. It is the action and not the intention that constitutes plagiarism.

To avoid unnecessary anguish, students are advised to read these documents carefully and follow all conventions described. Please note you may be requested by your lecturer / supervisor to submit your sourced literature or articles for inspection.

This app includes:

Reference List Rules

How to refer to an author’s work within the text
The author(s) and year of publication are cited in the text
The author(s) surname is part of a sentence
Works published by the same author(s) in the same year

Using primary and secondary sources
Using quotations
Short quotation as part of a sentence
Block or large quotation

Using quotations
Block or large quotation

How to write a reference list
How to write a reference list
Definitions of phrases used within this section
Referencing a book
Referencing a chapter in an edited book
Referencing a journal article
Referencing a publication by a government agency or other organisation
Referencing an Act of Government / Bill
Referencing a dictionary / directory / encyclopaedia
Referencing an open learning package
Referencing a video
Referencing unpublished sources / theses / dissertations
Referencing a personal communication
Referencing reprints
Referencing a newspaper
Referencing from the Internet and other electronic sources
Referencing tables and figures