Harvard Referencing Examples: The Complete UK Guide (2026)
13 August 2026
Clear Harvard referencing examples for UK students. Learn to cite books, journals, websites and more with accurate formats and tips.
What Is Harvard Referencing?
Harvard referencing is a widely used author-date citation style in UK universities. It involves citing sources in the text by placing the author's surname and year of publication in parentheses, e.g., (Smith, 2020). A full reference list at the end provides all bibliographic details. The style is favoured for its simplicity and flexibility across disciplines. In the UK, institutions often adopt slight variations of Harvard, so always check your department's guidelines. However, the core principles remain the same: consistent punctuation, reliable source details, and clear in-text citations. Mastering Harvard referencing helps you avoid plagiarism, demonstrate academic integrity, and allow readers to trace your sources easily. This guide provides up-to-date examples for the 2026 academic year, aligned with common UK course requirements.
Book Example: Print and E-Book
For a standard print book, the format is: Author(s) Surname, Initial. (Year) *Title of book*. Edition (if not first). Place of publication: Publisher. For example: Smith, J. (2020) *An Introduction to Sociology*. 3rd edn. London: Routledge. For an e-book, add 'Available at:', the URL, and 'Accessed:' with the date. Example: Johnson, L. (2021) *Digital Marketing Essentials*. 2nd edn. Manchester: Pearson. Available at: https://www.pearson.co.uk/digital-marketing (Accessed: 10 February 2026). Remember that the edition is only included if it's not the first. Also, the place of publication is the city, not the country. In the UK, use the publisher's full name as it appears on the title page.
Journal Article Example
Journal articles are referenced differently to books. The standard format is: Author(s) Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', *Title of Journal*, Volume(Issue), page range. For example: Williams, R. and Patel, K. (2022) 'The impact of social media on teenage mental health', *British Journal of Psychology*, 115(2), pp. 320–340. For an online journal article, you must include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available. If no DOI, use 'Available at:' with the URL and 'Accessed:' date. Example: Evans, A. (2023) 'Climate change and urban planning', *Journal of Environmental Studies*, 48(1), pp. 12–29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvstud.2023.01.002 (Accessed: 8 February 2026). Always use the exact page numbers for the article, not the entire journal issue.
Website and Online Source Example
Citing a website in Harvard style requires the author or organisation, year, page title, website name, URL and access date. The format is: Author(s) or Organisation (Year) *Page title*. Website name. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). For example: NHS (2025) *Blood pressure test*. NHS website. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/blood-pressure-test (Accessed: 12 February 2026). If no author, use the organisation as author. If no date, use 'no date' but check if it's reliable – otherwise avoid using it. For online news articles, include the author and article title. Example: Brown, S. (2026) 'UK university fees to rise', *The Guardian*, 5 February. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/university-fees (Accessed: 13 February 2026). This clarity helps readers find the exact online source.
Other Common Sources: Reports, Chapters and Videos
Edited book chapter format: Chapter Author(s) Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Chapter title', in Editor(s) Surname, Initial. (ed. or eds.) *Book title*. Edition. Place: Publisher, page range. Example: Green, T. (2021) 'The economics of housing', in Brown, A. and White, L. (eds.) *Urban Studies Today*. 2nd edn. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 87–110. For a company or government report, use the organisation as author. Example: Department for Education (2024) *School Attendance Report 2024*. London: DfE. For online videos, format: Author or Username (Year) *Title of video* [Online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). Example: TEDx Talks (2025) *Why reading matters* [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example (Accessed: 14 February 2026). Always adapt the format to the specific source type.
FAQ
Include the author or organisation, year of publication, title of the page, the website name, 'Available at:', the URL, and 'Accessed:' followed by the date you last visited. For example: BBC News (2026) *Timetable for new rail strikes*. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/rail-strikes (Accessed: 3 March 2026).