Scribbr Harvard Referencing Generator
Accurate Harvard references, verified by experts, trusted by millions.
Save hours of repetitive work with Scribbr's Harvard Referencing Generator.
Stop wasting hours figuring out the correct citation format. With Scribbr's referencing generator, you can search for your source by title, URL, ISBN, or DOI and generate accurate Harvard style references in seconds.
| ⚙️ Styles | Cite Them Right (12th ed.) |
|---|---|
| 📚 Sources | Websites, books, articles, reports, and more |
| 🔎 Autocite | Search by title, URL, DOI, ISBN |
Rely on accurate references, verified by experts.
You don’t want points taken off for incorrect referencing. That’s why our referencing experts have invested countless hours perfecting our algorithms. As a result, we’re proud to be recommended by teachers worldwide.
Enjoy the Harvard Referencing Generator with minimal distraction.
Staying focused is already challenging enough. You don’t need video pop-ups and flickering banner ads slowing you down. At Scribbr, we keep distractions to a minimum while also keeping the Harvard Referencing Generator free for everyone.
Get startedReferencing Generator features you'll love
Autocite
Search for your source by title, URL, DOI, ISBN, and more to retrieve the relevant information automatically.
Cite Them Right 12th ed.
Scribbr's Harvard Referencing Generator supports the most commonly used versions: Cite Them Right (12th edition).
Export to Bib(La)TeX
Easily export in BibTeX format and continue working in your favorite LaTeX editor.
Export to Word
Reference list finished? Export to Word with perfect indentation and spacing set up for you.
Sorting, grouping, and filtering
Organize the reference list the way you want: from A to Z, new to old, or grouped by source type.
Save multiple lists
Stay organized by creating a separate reference list for each of your assignments.
Fonts
Choose between Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and more options to match your style.
Industry-standard technology
The Scribbr Referencing Generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.
Quick tips
Explanatory tips help you get the details right to ensure accurate citations.
Secure backup
Your work is saved automatically after every change and stored securely in your Scribbr account.
How to reference in Harvard style
Harvard referencing is a widely used referencing style (especially in UK universities) that includes author-date in-text citations and a complete reference list at the end of the text.
There are many versions of Harvard referencing style. Our guidance reflects the rules laid out in Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide (12th edition) by Richard Pears and Graham Shields.
Scribbr’s free reference generator can create flawless Harvard style references for a wide variety of sources.
Harvard reference entries
The basics
The reference list appears at the end of your text, listing full information on all the sources you cited. A Harvard reference entry generally mentions the author, date, title, publisher or publication that contains the source, and URL or DOI if relevant.
You’ll include different details depending on the type of source you’re referencing, as some information is only relevant to certain kinds of publications.
Reference examples
The format of a reference entry varies based on source type. Apart from the information included, formatting details such as the use of italics also depend on what you’re referencing. The tabs below show formats and examples for the most commonly referenced source types.
| Format | Author last name, Initial. (Year) Page title. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year). |
|---|---|
| Example | Caulfield, J. (2022) What is a pronoun? | Definition, types & examples. Available at: https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/using-pronouns/ (Accessed: 27 October 2022). |
Missing information
The suggested information won’t necessarily all be available for the source you’re referencing. To learn how to work around missing information in your references, check the table below.
| Missing element | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No author | List the organisation that published the source in the author position.
If there’s no organisation to list, start the reference entry with the source title instead. | Scribbr (2022) What is a pronoun? | Definition, types & examples. Available at: https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/using-pronouns/ (Accessed: 27 October 2022).
What is a pronoun? | Definition, types & examples (2022) Available at: https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/using-pronouns/ (Accessed: 27 October 2022). |
| No date | Write ‘no date’ where the date would usually go. If the source is online, still include an access date. | Scribbr (no date) What is a noun? | Definition, types & examples. Available at: https://www.scribbr.co.uk/category/nouns/ (Accessed: 27 October 2022). |
| No title | Include the URL in place of the title. | Scribbr (2022) https://www.scribbr.co.uk/category/nouns/ (Accessed: 27 October 2022). |
Harvard Referencing Generator
Generate accurate Harvard style references in seconds
Harvard in-text citations
The basics
Harvard referencing style uses author-date in-text citations, which means including the author’s last name and the publication year of the source, like this: (Smith, 2019). This citation points the reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list.
Always include an in-text citation when you quote or paraphrase a source. Include a page number or range when available and relevant to indicate which part of the source you’re drawing on. Using material from other sources without acknowledging them is plagiarism.
Citation examples
In-text citations can be parenthetical (author and date both in parentheses) or narrative (author name mentioned in the sentence, date in parentheses). A source may also have more than one author. If there are four or more, name only the first, followed by “et al.”
| Author | Parenthetical example | Narrative example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 author | (Smith, 2022, p. 15) | Smith (2022, p. 15) |
| 2 authors | (Smith and Zhang, 2022, p. 15) | Smith and Zhang (2022, p. 15) |
| 3 authors | (Smith, Zhang and Romein, 2022, p. 15) | Smith, Zhang and Romein (2022, p. 15) |
| 4+ authors | (Smith et al., 2022, p. 15) | Smith et al. (2022, p. 15) |
| Organisation | (Cancer Research UK, 2022) | Cancer Research UK (2022) |
Missing information
As with reference entries, it’s good to be aware of how to deal with missing information in your in-text citations.
| Missing element | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No author | List the organisation that published the source as the author.
If there’s no organisation to list, use the source title instead. | (Scribbr, 2022)
(What is a pronoun? | Definition, types & examples, 2022) |
| No date | Replace the date with the words ‘no date’. | (Scribbr, no date) |
| No page number | Use an alternate locator such as a paragraph number.
You can also leave out the locator if you don’t need to point to a specific part of the source. | (Scribbr, 2022, para. 4)
(Scribbr, 2022) |
Harvard Referencing Generator
Generate accurate Harvard style references in seconds
Tools and resources
Scribbr offers a variety of other tools and resources to help with referencing and other aspects of academic writing:
- Referencing generator: Scribbr’s free referencing generator can also create flawless citations in other styles, such as APA and MLA.
- Free plagiarism checker: Detect and fix plagiarism issues with the most accurate plagiarism checker available, powered by Turnitin.
- Proofreading services: Make sure your writing is clear and professional with the help of an expert editor.
- Guide to Harvard style: Understand the rules of Harvard referencing style, and learn how to cite a variety of sources.
- Guides and videos: Explore our Knowledge Base, our YouTube channel, and a wide variety of other educational resources covering topics ranging from language to statistics.