Harvard Referencing Guide

Last updated 7 February 2018

The Harvard referencing system

Referencing is a standard practice for acknowledging information sources in academic writing at

university. Whenever you write an assignment that requires you to find and use information, you are
expected to reference all the sources of information and ideas included in your writing.

This handout provides guidelines for using the Harvard referencing system. There are two
components to a Harvard reference:
1) an in-text reference in the body of your assignment:
Chan (2011) explores a range of themes and ideas ...
2) full reference details in your reference list:
Chan, D.P., 2011. Business in China. Hong Kong: Dragon Press.
This guide is divided into two parts. The first part (pp.1-10) illustrates the basic rules for Harvard
referencing, provides a sample text which uses Harvard referencing, and answers some frequently
asked questions. The referencing guide in the second part (pp.11-17) contains specific rules and
examples for a variety of different reference types.

Part 1 Basic rules

Why do we reference?

Most academic assignments require wide reading so that previous and current thinking about a
particular topic can be identified. It is important to show your reader that you have sought out expert,
reliable sources to help support and develop your thinking on your topic. The referencing in your
assignment should:

 demonstrate good research practice

 show the range of ideas and approaches you have found and thought about
 acknowledge where those ideas came from
 tell your reader where they can locate the sources you have used

Referencing also helps you to avoid plagiarism. If you present someone else's ideas, and/or the way
they express their ideas, as if they are your own work, you are committing plagiarism. Plagiarism can
be unintentional due to poor referencing, but the consequences are always serious. Accurate
referencing helps you to avoid this.

In-text references

1. When to reference

Every time you include someone else's words, ideas or information in your assignment, an in-text
reference must be provided. Insert an in-text reference whenever you:

 paraphrase someone else's ideas in your own words

 summarise someone else's ideas in your own words
 quote someone else's ideas in their exact words
 copy or adapt a diagram, table or any other visual material

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2. How to reference

An in-text reference is provided each time you refer to ideas or information from another source,
and includes the following details:

the author's family name (do not include given names) + the year of publication +
page numbers when needed.

There are two main ways to present an in-text reference:

a) Integral referencing
The reference is in the body of your sentence, with the author's family name integrated into the
sentence structure, and the date is given in brackets. This type of reference is often used when you
want to give prominence to the author.

Lam (2010) argues that Hong Kong needs to further assimilate into the Pearl River Delta economy
if its long term growth is to be assured.

b) Non-integral referencing
The reference is enclosed in the sentence in brackets. This type of reference is often used when you
want to give prominence to the information.

The Hong Kong economy expanded by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2011 (Census and Statistics
Department, 2012).

3. Including page numbers

Page numbers should be included when you:

 use a direct quote from a particular source

 copy tables or figures, or present specific information like data/statistics

Cheung (2012, p.48) notes that “universities in Hong Kong need to strengthen their academic
credentials” if they are to compete in the world economy.

You can also include a page number when you take an idea from a particular page. However, it
would not be appropriate academic style to include a page number in all or most of your in-text
citations if you are only taking ideas from a source.

4. Use of “et al.”

Where there are several authors (more than four), only the first author should be used followed by
“et al.” (which is Latin for et alia) meaning ‘and others’:

Wong et al. (2005) found that the majority …

or as a non-integral reference:
Recent research (Wong et al., 2005) has found that the majority of …

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The following chart shows how to format in-text citations for Harvard referencing style:

Type of citation Integral Non-integral

Number of authors Citation in brackets,
Subsequent citations Citation in brackets,
First citation in text subsequent citations
in text first citation in text
in text
Chan (2010)
One author Chan (2010) argues … (Chan, 2010) (Chan, 2010)
argues …
Chan and Leung Chan and Leung (Chan & Leung, (Chan & Leung,
Two authors
(2010) suggest … (2010) suggest … 2010) 2010)
Tsui, Leung and Tsui, Leung and (Tsui, Leung & (Tsui, Leung &
Three authors
Collins (2010) find … Collins (2010) find … Collins, 2010) Collins, 2010)
Four or more Wong et al. (2010) Wong et al. (2010)
(Wong et al., 2010) (Wong et al., 2010)
authors mention … mention …
Groups (easily The Hong Kong
(The Hong Kong
identified by Housing Authority The HKHA (2008)
Housing Authority (HKHA, 2008)
abbreviation) as (HKHA, 2008) states …
[HKHA], 2008)
authors states …
Groups (no
Animals Asia (2007) Animals Asia (2007)
abbreviation) as (Animals Asia, 2007) (Animals Asia, 2007)
defines … defines …
authors
With page number
Chan (2010, p.15) argues … (Chan, 2010, p.15)
for quotation

5. Other expressions used in referencing

The terms ibid. and op. cit. are used to avoid repeating the same reference details in-text, i.e., the
body of your text and in your reference list.

Ibid. is Latin for ibidem, which means 'in the same place'. You can use ibid. when your next citation
is the same as the last one.

Op. cit. is also Latin and stands for opere citato, which means 'in the work cited'. You can use op.
cit. when the same reference is cited somewhere else in your text, but is not the most recent
citation.

Look at the example below:

The advantages of having effective referencing skills are well-recognised in terms of students
having greater control over their written work (Walker, 2009), achieving and sustaining higher
grades (Choi, 2010) and in developing competence as a writer (Lau, 2009). But, students need to
"... be mindful of the importance of referencing and be consistent in their use at all times ..." (Aziz,
2010, p.11). However, it can be hard for some students to distinguish between Western surnames
and Western given names, and Aziz (ibid., p.12) states that "... students need to read more widely
to understand the differences between Western and Chinese names". The findings of some
researchers (Walker, op. cit.) show that reading in the target language is essential for sustained
academic progress.

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6. Ellipsis and square brackets

Ellipsis refers to dots in the middle of a sentence. Their purpose is to let the reader know that some
part of a quotation has been left out. If it is necessary to interrupt a quotation you are citing in order
to clarify something, you should enclose your remarks in square brackets.

Original: “Students in the university should study outside class, in all credit bearing subjects, for at
least 6 hours a week.”

With text omitted and clarification: “Students in the university [The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University] should study … for at least 6 hours a week.”

Sample text with in-text referencing and reference list

Harvard in-text referencing uses author’s surname and year. Include a page number (or paragraph
number for online sources) for direct quotations. The reference list is in alphabetical order.

Until recently, development in the textile and clothing industry has focused on “technological and cost
aspects” (HKRITA, 2012, para.5). According to Chen and Burns (2009, p.255), emphasis has been
placed on keeping the price of the “final product low and increasing efficiency in production”. Tukker
et al. (2011) further point out that designers, manufacturers and retailers have paid less attention to
other dimensions of the offering, e.g., ownership and related business models, as well as consumer
wishes and values. Hence, the products are designed and produced according to regularly changing
trends that enable quick profit (Lee & Chen, 2009), rather than radically rethinking the ways of
designing and manufacturing the offering that is based on consumer needs and sustainability as
proposed by Park and Tahara (2011).

References Print journal by 2

authors
Chen, H. and Burns, D.L., 2009. Environmental analysis of textile products. Clothing and Textile Research
Journal, 24(3), pp.248-261.
Internet source

Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, 2012. HKRITA features latest innovations in ITMA
2011. [online] Available at: <http://www.hkrita.com/newsletter/issue21/coverstory.htm> [Accessed 31
March 2014].
Electronic journal by 2 authors

Lee, S. and Chen, J., 2009. Mass-customization methodology for an apparel industry with a future.
Journal of Industrial Ecology, [e-journal] 16(1). Available at: <http://www.jindeco.edu.eu> [Accessed 31
March 2014].
Book by 2 authors

Park, P. and Tahara, K., 2011. Quantifying producer and consumer-based eco-efficiencies for the
identification of key ecodesign issues. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books.
Print journal by 9
authors
Tukker, A., Emmert, S., Charter, M., Vezzoli, C., Stive, E., Andersen, M.M., Geerken, T., Tischner, U. and
Lahlou, S., 2011. Fostering change to sustainable consumption and production: An evidence based view.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 16, pp.1218-1225.

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The reference list

1. What it does

The reference list provides full bibliographic details for all the sources referenced in your essay so that
readers can easily locate the sources. Each different source referenced in your essay must have a
matching entry in your reference list.

It is important to note that the reference list is not a bibliography. A bibliography lists everything you
have read, while a reference list is deliberately limited to those sources for which you have provided
in-text references. A bibliography is not needed unless specifically requested by your lecturer.

2. How it looks

The reference list is titled “References” and must be:

 arranged alphabetically by author's family name (or title/sponsoring organisation where

a source has no author).

 a single list where books, journal articles and electronic sources are listed together. Do
not divide into separate lists.

The main elements required for all references are the author’s name(s), year, title and publication
information. The basic reference formats are shown in the following examples. These should be
followed exactly, paying special attention to details of capitalisation, punctuation, use of italics and
order of information.

3. Journal article format

First author’s surname, Initials., Second author’s surname, Initials. and Third author’s surname,
Initials., Year of publication. Title of article. Name of journal, Volume number(Issue number),
pp.Page range of article.

The author’s The author’s Use Comma

Title of the article, followed by a full stop.
family name, initials, each ‘and’ before Year of Use upper case for the first letter of the
followed by a followed by a before the publication, title and lower case for the rest unless
comma. full stop with the final year. followed by a referring to names or places.
no spaces. author. full stop.

Wong, K.M., Au, C.P. and Cheung, E.H., 2009. The Chinese university student.
Journal of Chinese and Asian Education, 12(2), pp.891-902.
Page range of the
article preceded by pp.
Title of the journal in Number of Dash (–) between the
No indent italics, followed by a Volume of the the issue in numbers. Full stop at
for second comma. Use capital journal. No space round the end.
and letters at the start of between journal brackets,
subsequent all key words. number and issue followed by
lines of number. a comma.
reference.

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4. Book format
First author’s surname, Initials., Second author’s surname, Initials. and Third author’s surname,
Initials., Year of publication. Title of book. City of publication: Publisher.

The author’s
initials, each Year of
The author’s Title of the book in italics, followed by a full
followed by a publication,
family name, stop. Use upper case for the first letter of
full stop with followed by
followed by a the title and lower case for the rest unless
no spaces. a full stop.
comma. referring to names or places.

Chan, M.T., Wong, R.H. and Cheung, K.S., 2012. The child examiner. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books.

City of
Use ‘and’ before Comma before publication, Publisher,
the final author. the year. followed by a followed by a
colon. full stop.

5. Internet source format

Name of organisation, Year of publication. Title of article. [type of medium] Available at: <url>
[Accessed date].
Complete name of organisation, with Title of the webpage in Date of the
parent name if necessary, followed italics, followed by a full webpage.
by a comma. stop.

Census and Statistics Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Administrative Region, 2012.
Population and vital events statistics in Hong Kong - births, deaths, marriages and domestic
households. [online] Available at: < http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics
/statistics_by_subject /index.jsp > [Accessed 8 April 2014].
URL of the website enclosed by < >.
When the URL is long, break it across two
Type of medium, for
Accessed date enclosed in lines before a slash (/) or other
example, pdf or
square brackets and followed punctuation. Do not underline URLs
online, enclosed in
by a full stop. because this hides underscores.
square brackets.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I cite two or three authors?

When there are two or three authors for a reference, include all their family names in the in-text
reference, in the same order that they are listed in the original source. For example:

 According to Choi, Fang and Lee (2012), students in Asia are more studious than
their North American counterparts.

 Wong and Morrison (2011) strongly support the use of technology in the classroom.

 Asian students devoted on average 16 hours per week to out-of-class study compared
to 10 hours for North American students (Choi, Fang & Lee, 2012).

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2. How do I cite more than three authors?

If there are four or more authors, you should only use the first author's family name in the in-text
reference followed by the abbreviation “et al.”. For example:

 This is supported by Wilson et al. (2011) in their educational change study.

However, all the authors' names must be included in your reference list, in the same order that they
are listed in the original source.

3. How do I cite when there is no author and/or no date?

When no person is mentioned, include the title of the source or the authoring/sponsoring
organisation in place of the author.

For example:

 The centre aims to improve students' communication skills to enable them to

attain excellent results in their academic and professional lives (English Language
Centre, 2012).

 Oral presentations, like written assessment tasks, should contain an introduction,

body, and conclusion (‘Making the most of oral presentations’, 2011).

When no year of publication is given, use the abbreviation “n.d.” which stands for ‘no date’ in place
of a year, or give an approximate date preceded by “ca.” which stands for ‘circa’.

However, be cautious about using sources without dates.

A source with no date might not be reliable.

4. How do I cite information from one author (Author 1) which I have found in a book or journal
article by another author (Author 2)?

Sometimes you will need to refer to authors whose work you encounter secondhand (i.e.
mentioned in other people's work) rather than firsthand. You should mention both authors (Author
1 and Author 2) in your in-text reference, but would only list the actual item you read (Author 2) in
your reference list.

For example, if you read an idea by Choy (Author 1, published in 2008) in a source by Martins
(Author 2, published in 2012) you would need to mention both authors in your in-text reference. For
example:

 One scholar (Choy, 2008, cited in Martins, 2012, p.143) argues that ...
 Choy (2008, cited in Martins, 2012, p.143) believes that ...

However, in the reference list you should only list Martins (Author 2, the source you read) and not
Choy (whose idea you read about in Martins).

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5. How do I cite multiple sources by the same author published in the same year?

If an author has published more than one item in the same year, place a lower case letter of the
alphabet next to the dates in your in-text referencing to distinguish between these separate
publications. For example:

 Preston argues that a man paints with his brain, not his hands (2011a) and reiterates this
elsewhere (2011b).

You must also include these lower case letters in your reference list entries as well. The order in
which you attach the letters is determined by the alphabetical order of the titles of these sources.

6. What if there are two authors with the same family name?

Occasionally you will need to reference two different authors who share the same family name. To
avoid ambiguity, include the author's first initial after their family name in the in-text references. For
example:

 Urban deprivation in Hong Kong has been seen to increase in the first decade of this
century (Chan, E., 2010). Whether this will affect the language skills of fresh graduates in
Hong Kong is still disputed (Chan, C., 2010).

7. How do I present exact quotations?

Short quotations of fewer than thirty words should be enclosed in double quotation marks (“ ... ”)
and be accompanied by an in-text reference including a page number (where possible).

For example:

 Research indicates that “students in Hong Kong devote on average 5 hours a week
to their English studies from the age of four” (Leung, 2010, p.31).

Longer quotations of more than thirty words should be presented without quotation marks and
indented (using Tab key) at the left.

For example:

According to Obama (2006), America:

should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through
military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical
regimes that have led to flourishing democracies; movements that continue today. This does
not mean abandoning our values and ideals; wherever we can, it’s in our interest to help
foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic resources at our disposal. (para.45)

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8. Where exactly do I put the full stop when quoting and/or citing?

Full stops must always be placed at the very end of a sentence, after the quotation and/or in-text
reference. For example:

 According to Mooney (2011, p.88), “exam pressure in Hong Kong has lessened slightly in
the past decade”.

 Research indicates that students in Hong Kong have had four mobile devices before
their 18th birthday (Samson, 2012).

9. Can I cite two or more sources at the same time?

Yes. Use a semi-colon to separate the sources in the in-text reference, and list the items
alphabetically according to their authors' family names. For example:

 Social networking has had a major impact on young people (Chan & Erickson, 2012; Lam
& Mok, 2008).

If referencing multiple sources by the same author, present the items in chronological order (oldest
to most recent) and separate them with commas. For example:

 Burns (2006, 2009, 2012) argues that there should be more universities in Hong Kong.

10. Can I paste the URL of a webpage into my essay as an in-text citation?

No. Follow the author-date in-text referencing conventions for all sources. If you are unsure how to
reference a website because there is no author or date information, follow the guidelines provided
for referencing sources without authors or dates.

11. How do I cite e-mail messages?

E-mail messages from individuals should be cited as personal communications. Because they do not
provide recoverable data, personal communications are not included in the reference list. Cite
personal communications in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator,
and provide as exact a date as possible. For example:

 E. Cartman (personal communication, June 28, 2015) reveals that …

 … (Marsh, S., personal communication, May 5, 2015).

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12. How do I cite images such as photographs from websites?

All images including graphs, charts, maps, drawings and photographs are referred to as figures. You
need to label the image as a figure and place a caption directly below the image, which includes the
title and author of the image, and its year of publication. For example:

 Figure 1: Flamingos standing and feeding in a pool near salt beds, Netherlands Antilles
(Volkmar K. Wentzel, 2015)

The in-text citation would be like this:

 Figure 1 shows that ….

Your reference would be as follows:

 Wentzel, V. K., 2015. Flamingos standing and feeding in a pool near salt beds,
Netherlands Antilles. [photograph] Available at: <http://natgeofound.tumblr
.com/> [Accessed 5 July 2015].

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Part 2 Referencing guide

Type of
In-text references Reference list
source
Surname of author, year of Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication.
publication Title. City of publication: Publisher.
Books
Example: Wong, B.K., 2002. Fostering creativity. Oxford:
Wong (2009) points out Blackwell.
that …

Cite the author of the Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication.

chapter in the text of your 'Title of chapter', in Surname of editor, Initials., ed.,
paper, not the author of the Title of book. City of publication: Publisher, pp.Page
book, year of publication range of chapter.
Chapters in
an edited
Example: Carter, R., Hughes, R. and McCarthy, M., 1998.
book
Carter, Hughes and ‘Telling tails: Grammar, the spoken language and
McCarthy (1998) argue materials development’, in Tomlinson, B., ed.,
that … Materials development in language teaching.
Cambridge: CUP, pp.67-86.

Surname of author, year of Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication.

Books with publication Title. Edition number. City of publication: Publisher.
different
editions Example: Finney, T.K., 2012. Fostering creativity. 3rd ed.
Finney (2012) identifies … Oxford: Blackwell.

Surname of author (n.d.) Surname of author, Initials., n.d. Title. City of

publication: Publisher.
Books with
Example:
no date
Nelson (n.d.) identifies … Nelson, T.Z., n.d. Language matters. Bristol:
Simpsons.

Surname of author, year of Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication.

publication Title. [type of medium] City of publication (if
known): Publisher. Available at: <URL> [Accessed
ebooks and Example: date].
pdfs Tsang (2004) ascertains …
Tsang, S., 2004. A modern history of Hong Kong.
[ebook] London: I.B. Tauris. Available at:
<http://books.google.com.hk/books> [Accessed 10
April 2014].

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Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication, (page of article. Name of journal, Volume number(Issue
number for direct number), pp.Page range of article.
quotations)
Examples: Poon, L.S., Lee, J.C., Chan, A.B., Jones, J.E. and Smith,
Poon et al. (2003) argue J.F., 2003. Re-evaluating the effects of computer
that students should refer games on young people. Journal of Applied Social
Journal to sources properly … Psychology, 12(3), pp.88-100.
articles (use et al. when citing 4
(with author) Lam, L.S., 2005. Referencing. Journal of Applied Social
or more authors) Psychology, 14(2), pp.19-26.

Lam (2005, p.19) stresses

that “students need to be
mindful of the
importance of
referencing” …

‘Title of article’, year of Title of article. Year of publication. Name of journal,

publication Volume number(Issue number), pp.Page range of
Journal article.
articles Example:
(no author) Many organisations
already use this method Organisational change in the 21st century. 2012.
(‘Organisational change in Perspectives in Management, 12(3), pp.28-29.
the 21st century’, 2012).

Surname of author, year If the article has a DOI, use it in your reference. If
of publication there is no DOI,include the journal homepage URL in
Example: your reference.
Anderson-Clark, Green
and Henley (2008) believe Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title
that students should … of article. Name of journal, [e-journal] Volume
URLs and number(Issue number), pp.Page range of article. doi:
DOIs # [Accessed date].
Anderson-Clark, T., Green, R. and Henley, T., 2008.
The relationship between first names and teacher
expectations for achievement motivation. Journal of
Language & Social Psychology, [e-journal] 27, pp.94-
99. doi: 10.1177/0261927X07309514 [Accessed 8
April 2014].

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of article. Name of journal, [e-journal] Volume
Example: number(Issue number). Available at: <url> [Accessed
Electronic
… and this has been date].
journals
formulated by Halonen et Halonen, S.J., Simpson, R.R., Jolly, D.G., Au, P.R.,
al. (2010) who … Bagot, F.P. and Chui, J.J., 2010. Computer games and
personal development. Family Forum, [e-journal]
12(3). Available at: <http://www.ff.comgamperdev
.org> [Accessed 31 March 2014].

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Name of organisation, Name of organisation, Year of publication. Title of

year of publication, article. [type of medium] Available at: <url>
(paragraph number for [Accessed date].
Internet
direct quotations)
sources
The Hong Kong Housing Authority, 2011. Housing in
(electronic
Example: figures. [pdf] Available at:
only sources)
The Hong Kong Housing <http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/pdf
Authority (HKHA, 2011, /about-us/publications-and- statistics/HIF2011.pdf >
para.6) maintains that … [Accessed 2 April 2014].

Name of department/ Name of department/company, Year of publication.

company, year of Title of article (Number of document - if given). City
publication of publication: Publisher.

Government/ Example: Equal Opportunities Commission, 2010. Preventing

Company The Equal Opportunities and dealing with sexual harassment. Hong Kong:
reports Commission (2010) has Equal Opportunities Commission.
reported that …
The Coca-Cola Company, 2015. 2014 Annual report.
The Coca-Cola Company [pdf] Available at: <http://www.coca-colacompany
(2015) announced … .com/investors/annual-other-reports> [Accessed 5
July 2015].

For a film or DVD, use the For a film the suggested elements should include:
title and year of release.
Title of film. Year of release. [type of medium]
Examples: Directed by Initials. Surname of director. Country of
The ups and downs of a origin: Film studio.
Hong Kong family
through the eyes of … Echoes of the rainbow. 2010. [film] Directed by A.
(Echoes of the rainbow, Law. Hong Kong: Mei Ah Entertainment.
DVDs or films 2010).

… as was shown by Full title of DVD or video. Year of release. [type of

numerous films in the medium] Country of origin: Film studio or maker.
1980s (Great films from (Other relevant details).
the 80s, 2005).
Great films from the 80s: A selection of clips from
(non-integral citation Warner Brothers top films from the 1980s. 2005.
recommended) [DVD] New York: Warner Brothers.

It is suggested that a non- Screen name of contributor, Year. Video title, Series
integral reference should title. (if relevant) [type of medium] Available at:
be used for YouTube <URL> [Accessed date].
YouTube sources.
videos HongKongPolyU, 2011. PolyU milestones. [video
Example: online] Available at:
… celebrated its 70th <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XsfWmFyrNg>
anniversary in 2007 [Accessed 8 April 2014].
(HongKongPolyU, 2011).

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Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of article. Name of newspaper, Day Month, p.Page
Newspaper
number(s).
articles
Example:
(with
Van der Kamp (2012) Van der Kamp, J., 2012. Just leasing more land won’t
author)
believes that … open up the property market. Sunday Morning Post,
1 April, p.15.

Name of newspaper, year Name of newspaper, Year of publication. Title of

of publication article. Day Month, p.Page number(s).
Newspaper
articles
Example: Sunday Morning Post, 2012. Put pedestrians first, not
(no author)
Sunday Morning Post cars. 1 April, p.14.
(2012) points out that …

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of article. Name of newspaper, [type of medium] Day
Month. Available at: <URL> [Accessed date].
Example:
Online Cross (2013) opines that … Cross, G., 2013. News of a children's commission will
newspaper bring good cheer to Hong Kong. South China Morning
articles Post, [online] 24 December. Available at:
<http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion
/article/1389081/news-childrens-commission-will
-bring-good-cheer-hong-kong> [Accessed 26
December 2013].

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of article. Name of magazine, Volume number(Issue
Magazine number), p.Page number(s).
articles Example:
Pringle (2011) illustrates Pringle, H., 2011. Lofty ambitions of the Inca.
that … National Geographic Magazine, 219(4), p.34.

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of article. Name of magazine, [type of medium] Day
Month. Available at: <URL> [Accessed date].
Online Example:
magazine Toobin (2013) comments Toobin, J., 2013. Same-sex marriage, the legal deluge.
articles that … The New Yorker, [online] 24 December. Available at:
<http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment
/2013/12/same-sex-marriage-the-legal-deluge.html>
[Accessed 26 December 2013].

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 14

 Harvard Referencing Guide
Last updated 7 February 2018

Surname of author, year When quoting from a foreign language work in the
of publication, (page main body of the text, the quote should be provided
number for direct in English.
quotations)
Translated Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title.
work Examples: Trans. Initials. Surname of translator. City of
Freud (1914) stated publication: Publisher.
that …
Freud, S., 1914. The psychopathology of everyday life.
Freud (1914, p.109) Trans. A.A. Brill. London: T. Fisher Unwin.
stated, “…”.
Surname of author, year Do a romanisation of the author’s name and title of
of publication, (page book/article. If readers cannot read Chinese, add a
number for direct translation of the book/article’s title in square
quotations) brackets. If there is no official translation, list the
Chinese item at the end of the reference list alphabetically.
sources Examples:
Xiao (2008) shows that … Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title
[Translation of book/article’s title]. City of
According to Xiao (2008, Publication: Publisher.
p.37), “ …”. Xiao, L., 2008. Zhongguo su miao yi shu [The art of
Chinese drawing]. Shanghai: Mei Shu Chu Ban She.

Surname of author, year When quoting from a foreign language work in the
of publication main body of the text, the quote should be provided
in English.
Example:
Foreign
Kundera (1984) derides … Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title
sources
[Translation of book/article’s title]. City of
Publication: Publisher.
Kundera, M., 1984. L'Insoutenable légèreté de l'être
[The unbearable lightness of being]. Paris: Gallimard.

Surname of author, year You are advised not to cite university lecture notes:
to do so is often deemed unacceptable. You ought to
Example: locate, read and cite the sources and references
Jenkins (2010) implies provided in the Reading List or References in the
that … lecture notes.

However, the following guidelines may assist you

Lecture should you need to cite lecture notes:
notes
Surname of lecturer/author, Initials., Year. Title of
lecture notes, Module/Subject code Module/Subject
title. Name of institution, unpublished.

Jenkins, J., 2010. Developments in computer-assisted

learning, MM2355 Management. The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, unpublished.

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 15

 Harvard Referencing Guide
Last updated 7 February 2018

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year. Title of

dissertation/thesis. Level. Name of Institution.
Example: Available at: <URL> [Accessed date].
Yuen (2009) points out
Online
that … Yuen, W.L., 2009. An investigation of the politeness
dissertations
phenomena in hotel service encounters. Ph.D. The
and theses
Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Available at:
<http://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu
. hk/ bitstream/handle/200/5346/b23429835.pdf
?sequence=1> [Accessed 26 December 2013].

When citing the Basic Basic Law Art Article number, The Basic Law of the
Law, use name of the law, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the
article number and year of People's Republic of China, Year of publication.
publication.
Basic Law Art 27, The Basic Law of the Hong Kong
Example: Special Administrative Region of the People's
The Basic Law Art 27 Republic of China, 1997.
(1997) affirms that …
Laws
When citing Hong Kong Name of ordinance, Cap Chapter number s Section
legislation, use name of number, Laws of Hong Kong, Year of edition.
the ordinance and year of
edition. Employment Ordinance, Cap 57 s 14, Laws of Hong
Example: Kong, 2007.
As stipulated by the
Employment Ordinance
(2007), …

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

of publication of paper. Paper presented at title of conference,
Location of conference, Day Month. Available at:
Example: <URL> [Accessed date].
Abdoli and Kahani (2009)
Conference
discuss … Abdoli, F. and Kahani, M., 2009. Ontology-based
papers
distributed intrusion detection system. Paper
available
presented at the 14th International CSI Computer
online
Conference, Tehran, Iran, 20-21 October. Available
at:
<http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.ezproxy.lb.polyu.edu.hk
/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=5349604> [Accessed 5 July
2015].

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials., Year of publication. Title

Online of publication of post, [type of medium] Day Month. Available at:
forum, <URL> [Accessed date].
discussion Example: Gates, B., 2015. Setting targets to save lives, [blog] 2
group, or Gates (2015) suggests July. Available at: <http://www.gatesnotes.com
blog post that … /Health/The-Best-Investment-for-Improving-the
-World> [Accessed 5 July 2015].

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 16

 Harvard Referencing Guide
Last updated 7 February 2018

Surname of presenter, Surname of presenter, Initials., Year of broadcast.

year of broadcast Title of speech, [type of medium] Day Month.
Available at: <URL> [Accessed date].
Speeches Example:
available President Obama (2009) Obama, B., 2009. Remarks by the President on
online announced that … procurement, [online] 4 March. Available at:
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office
/remarks-president-procurement-3409> [Accessed 5
July 2015].

All images are referred to Surname of author/artist, Initials., Year of

as figures. publication. Title of image. [type of medium]
Available at: <URL> [Accessed date].
Images from Example:
websites Figure 1 shows that … Wentzel, V.K., 2015. Flamingos standing and feeding
(See p.10 for
details) in a pool near salt beds, Netherlands Antilles.
[photograph] Available at:
<http://natgeofound.tumblr.com/> [Accessed 5 July
2015].

If there is no obvious publication date, aim to

establish the earliest likely date, for example,

2010? = probable year

c. 2010 = approximately 2010
201- = decade certain but not year
References
201? = probable decade
with missing
details
If you cannot identify the name of an author, city or
publisher, use the following terms:

Anon. = author is anonymous or unidentifiable

s.l. = no city of publication (Latin: sine loco)
s.n. = no named publisher (Latin: sine nomine)

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 17