Cite Them Right Harvard Referencing: The 2026 UK Guide
13 August 2026
Master Cite Them Right Harvard referencing in the UK. A clear guide to citations, reference lists, and common examples for students.
What Is Cite Them Right Harvard?
Cite Them Right Harvard is a specific version of the Harvard referencing style, widely used in UK universities. It is based on the guide 'Cite Them Right' by Richard Pears and Graham Shields, now in its 12th edition. This style provides a consistent framework for citing sources in academic work, ensuring that all references are traceable and formatted uniformly. Unlike generic Harvard styles, Cite Them Right specifies exact punctuation, ordering, and layout rules for many source types, from books and journal articles to websites and legal documents. Many UK universities adopt it as their default referencing style, and it is integrated into the Cite Them Right online platform, which is often subscribed to by UK academic libraries.
In-Text Citations: The Basics for UK Students
In Cite Them Right Harvard, in-text citations follow the author–date format. You place the author's surname and the year of publication in parentheses, for example: (Smith, 2021). If you mention the author in your sentence, only the year goes in brackets, like 'Smith (2021) argues...'. For works with two authors, include both surnames every time: (Smith and Jones, 2021). For three or more authors, use 'et al.' after the first author: (Smith et al., 2021). Direct quotations also require page numbers: (Smith, 2021, p. 24). Informal sources, such as web pages with no author, are cited using the title and date. Consistency is essential for a good grade.
Building a Reference List in Cite Them Right
Your reference list at the end of your essay must include full details for every source you cited. In Cite Them Right Harvard, entries are arranged alphabetically by author surname. The basic structure for a book is: Author Surname, Initial. (Year) Title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher. For example: Smith, J. (2021) The art of referencing. 2nd edn. London: Academic Press. Notice that the title is italicised, and 'edn' is used for edition. For journal articles, you need volume and issue numbers, and page ranges. Websites require the available date and URL, with an 'Accessed' date. Pay close attention to punctuation—full stops, commas, and colons are placed exactly as specified in the guide.
Common UK Source Types and Examples
Knowing how to reference different source types is crucial. Here are a few common examples in Cite Them Right Harvard: a chapter in an edited book is cited as: Bloggs, J. (2020) 'Chapter title', in Doe, A. (ed.) Book title. London: Publisher, pp. 10–30. A journal article looks like: Brown, A. (2022) 'Title of article', Journal Name, 15(3), pp. 45–67. For a website: Royal Society (2023) Climate change report. Available at: https://www.royalsociety.org/climate (Accessed: 5 January 2026). For UK government documents, you may need include Parliamentary papers, and for legislation, the citation format differs significantly. Always check your university's specific guidance to confirm which variants are accepted.
Tips for Using Cite Them Right in UK Essays
To use Cite Them Right Harvard effectively, start by recording full source details as you research. This saves you from hunting for page numbers and publishers at the last minute. Use the official Cite Them Right online resource if your university provides access—it offers interactive examples and a tutorial. Watch out for common pitfalls: forgetting to include 'et al.' for three+ authors, mixing up the order of publication place and publisher, and missing 'Available at' for online sources. Also, remember that secondary referencing (citing a source you have only seen quoted in another) should be avoided where possible. Finally, run your reference list through a proofreader or use reference management software like EndNote or Zotero, which often support Cite Them Right.
FAQ
Cite Them Right Harvard is a structured version of the Harvard referencing style used in UK higher education. It follows the guidelines in the book 'Cite Them Right' by Pears and Shields. Many UK universities recommend it because it offers clear rules for citing a wide range of sources, from books to social media. It ensures academic integrity by giving credit to original authors.