Research › Referencing basics: Harvard and APA
Referencing basics: Harvard and APA
Referencing shows where your ideas and evidence come from. Learn the pattern for books, journal articles and web pages, then check your department's exact rules.
Why you reference
You reference to give credit to other people's work, to let readers find your sources and to show the evidence behind your argument. It also protects you from accusations of plagiarism. Most UK universities use an author-date style, usually Harvard or APA, but the details differ, so always follow the style your department names.
Harvard (Cite Them Right)
Many UK universities use the Cite Them Right version of Harvard. The Open University's quick guide sets out the basics.
In-text citations
Give the author's surname and the publication year in brackets, and add a page number (p. or pp.) when you quote or paraphrase a specific page.
- One author: (Lee, 2019) or (Lee, 2019, p. 12)
- Two authors: (Patel and Moreno, 2018)
- Three authors: (Chen, Brown and Okafor, 2020)
- Four or more authors: (Nguyen et al., 2021)
Reference list
Entries are in alphabetical order by author, with the surname and initials, then the year in brackets. Italicise book, journal and web page titles. Put article and chapter titles in single quotation marks.
| Source | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Book | Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of book. Publisher. |
| Journal article | Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date). |
| Web page | Surname, Initial. (Year last updated) Title of web page. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). |
If a web page has no personal author, use the organisation's name instead. Use an "Accessed" date for online sources. The Open University's examples include Lee, J. (2019) Writing for Study. Example Press., which show how the pattern looks in practice.
APA (7th edition) in brief
APA is also author-date, and is common in psychology, education and some health and social science courses. The details below are a general summary; check your department's guide or the official APA materials for exact rules.
- In-text: (Lee, 2019) or Lee (2019); page numbers as (Lee, 2019, p. 12). For three or more authors, use (Chen et al., 2020).
- Book: Lee, J. (2019). Writing for study. Example Press.
- Journal article: Patel, R., & Moreno, S. (2018). Feedback in online learning. Journal of Distance Education, 12(2), 45-61. https://doi.org/...
- Web page: Organisation. (2024). Title of page. URL
Key differences
| Feature | Harvard (Cite Them Right) | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Year in reference list | (2019) after author | (2019). after author |
| Article title | In single quotation marks | Plain text, no quotation marks |
| Four or more authors in text | et al. after first author | et al. from three authors |
| "Accessed" date | Yes, for online sources | Usually not required |
Direct quotes and paraphrase
- Paraphrase by putting the idea in your own words and cite the source. Changing a few words is not enough.
- Quote only when the exact wording matters. Put short quotes in quotation marks with the page number. Longer quotes are usually indented; check your style's rules.
- Secondary citing: if you read about an idea in someone else's book, say so, and cite the book you actually read.
Tools to help
Reference managers such as Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote can store sources and format them. They are helpful, but they make mistakes, so always check the output against your style guide. Your library may also provide the full Cite Them Right guide online.
Common mistakes
- Citing in the text but leaving it out of the reference list, or the reverse.
- Mixing two styles in one piece of work.
- Copying a reference from a website without checking it.
- Forgetting page numbers for quotes.
- Using web addresses with no title or author.
Next, learn how to avoid mistakes in plagiarism and responsible AI use, or return to evaluating sources.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Harvard and APA?
Both are author-date styles, but details differ, such as quotation marks around article titles, how many authors trigger et al., and whether an accessed date is needed.
Do I need page numbers in citations?
Add page numbers when you quote or paraphrase a specific page. In Cite Them Right Harvard this is shown as p. or pp.
Can I trust a reference manager?
They save time but make mistakes. Always check the output against your department's guide.