Cite Them Right Harvard

Always try your best to find missing information, for instance, by searching online for the publishing organisation. Where it is missing, indicate that it is a deliberate omission, as in the examples below.

My source doesn't specify an author

If the author/editor is anonymous, or no author/editor can be identified, use the title of the work.

My information has no date of publication/creation

If no date of publication/creation can be identified, use (no date) in the reference, and refer to only the author/creator in the in-text citation.

My source doesn't have a place of publication

If there is no place of publication given, use (no place).

You can refer to someone's work in your text using in-text citations in a number of ways:

• refer to their work
• refer to the author by name
• refer to two or three authors
• refer to four or more authors
• refer to multiple works at the same time
• refer to multiple works of an author published in the same year
• refer to a work without a given author.

Quote an author's work

General advice on how to format quotations in your assignment (includes when to use quotation marks).

Include the page number(s) of the quote in your citation.

Example: "Developments in information technology have a direct impact on healthcare, through decision support systems". (Robinson, 2012, p.32).

Example: As Smith states (2013, p.58), "referencing is more than just placing the right comma and the right brackets in the right place!".

Note on page numbers:

• A 'p.' is used when a single page is being quoted or referred to. For example, p.67.
• A 'pp.' is used when multiple pages are being quoted or referred to. For example, pp. 102-167. When using 'pp.' you need to add a space afterwards before the number.
• If the work has no page numbers (for example, videos and most websites) the page number can be omitted.

Paraphrase (reword) an author's work

Paraphrasing is when you reword someone else’s written or spoken work.

You may find you need to do this when you want to express a thought or idea with greater clarity.

If you paraphrase you must acknowledge your source otherwise you are guilty of plagiarism, this means, passing off someone else's work as your own.

When paraphrasing, only add a page number/page numbers if you believe it may be helpful to your reader to locate the source of an idea or explanation.

Tutorial: Visit the How to reference and avoid plagiarism workbook for more guidance on paraphrasing.

Examples

Original text: To study the great civilizations as an explanatory background to the present means stepping aside from the headlong rush of history since 1914. It invites us to reflect on history with a slower pulse-rate, history in the longer term (Braudel, 1993, p.37).

Paraphrase example (general argument): In A History of Civilizations, Fernand Braudel demonstrates the principle that that we can learn much from taking a long view of history, over millennia as well decades (Braudel, 1993).

Paraphrase example (specific point): Fernand Braudel suggested that the end of the Korean War damaged the Indonesian economy (Braudel, 1993, p.268).

Combination of paraphrase and quotation example: Braudel advocates a longue durée approach to the past, suggesting that much can be learned from taking a long view across the centuries and when we “reflect on history with a slower pulse-rate” (Braudel, 1993, p.37).

Note on page numbers: The most important thing is to consider your reader when you are paraphrasing. If you are referring to a general principle that is followed throughout a text, then there is no need to cite a specific page (see “general argument” example above). If, however, you are paraphrasing a particular idea (see “specific point” example above) then this may be helpful to your reader. They are unlikely to be able to check the many references to Indonesia and Korea in Braudel’s 600-page book to find out the context for this specific claim.

Cite Them Right guidance regarding the full reference in the bibliography or reference list is that ‘Page numbers are only required in the reference list for chapters in books, and serial (journal/magazine/newspaper) articles'.

You may need to reference confidential material – for example, if you have access to an organisation’s intranet whilst on placement and need to cite some of their documents. In order to protect the identity of the organisation, it is important you anonymise the information. If in doubt about whether to include material, seek guidance from the relevant module leader.

Any identifying elements in the title should be in anonymised in square brackets.

How to format your reference

[Anonymised author/institution] (Year) Title of report, document or file. Location: [Anonymised producer]. Unpublished.

Example: [Placement hospital] (2020) [Placement hospital] examination criteria for elderly patients. London: [Placement hospital]. Unpublished.

Example of an in-text citation

Example: The records they produced (Placement hospital, 2020) ...

You should be advised when and how it is permissible to use generative AI (artificial intelligence) in assignments and assessments. Please speak with your tutor about appropriate use.

It is an academic offence to download material from the web and submit it as your own work, or submit work created by using AI tools without appropriate acknowledgement.

Always speak to your module leader if you are considering using AI in any assessment.

There is not yet a general consensus on how to reference generative AI such as Chat GPT, Claude, Adobe Firefly and Microsoft Copilot.

As the content recalled from AI tools cannot be replicated, we recommend that you reference the outputs as a personal communication or an image.

If your module leader has stated you are allowed to use generative AI you need to:

• critically evaluate any output that is produced
• fully check any quotations or citations it produces
• correctly document your use of the AI tool so that you can give a full reference.

More information on using generative AI as an information source can be found in our Using generative AI as an information source workbook pages.

You may wish to cite a work you haven't read that has been referred to in another work that you have read.

In this case you should cite the primary source (the unread work) and the secondary source (the read work) in your text.

However, in your reference list/bibliography, you should just reference the secondary source.

Example: Rowley (1991) cites the work of Melack and Thompson (1971), who developed the McGill Archaeology questionnaire.

Example: Melack and Thompson (1971, cited in Rowley, 1991) developed the McGill Archaeology questionnaire.

Example: Rowley (1991, citing Melack and Thompson, 1971) refers to the McGill Archaeology questionnaire.

In these examples, the list of references would only contain the work by Rowley.

Recommendation: secondary referencing should be avoided if at all possible. The author may be citing the primary reference because of their own interpretation of its relevance, possibly in quite a different context. We recommend you read the primary source for yourself to ensure its relevance to your particular purpose.