| Harvard Citation Style |
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The Harvard citation style is similar in most respects to the APA style but generally it is also less complicated which makes it simple and pleasant to use. The Harvard citations style is also an in-text citation system that relies on parenthetical enclosures with the author’s last name or, alternatively, the first word of the title as well as the year of the publication enclosed in parentheses after the material is cited. For example, if I mention that Wikipedia has a great review of citing sources on its website then I must cite it as a source for this text (Citing, 2008). This is how the citation would appear according to the Harvard citation system and this would then refer to a full reference on the “References” page at the end of the paper or essay, as in:
Citing Sources. 2008. Wikipedia (online). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Wikipedia:Citing_sources [Viewed: 05-25-2008].
This is how the source is listed in the bibliography of a Harvard cited essay or paper. The year is not enclosed in parentheses as it is in APA style and instead of stating a “Retrieved on” date, brackets enclose the date in which the web source was viewed. Of course, if the publication is not web-based then a source cited in the Harvard citation style appears like this: Johnson, A. 2008. How to Cite in Harvard Citation Style. Journal of Academic
Writing, 08/11, p.87.
That’s it! The in-text citation may include a page number or a paragraph number which would be indicated in the following manner if used: (Citing, 2008: 87) or for a paragraph: (Citing, 2008: para.4). The Harvard citation system is simple and easy to use but the bibliography can get somewhat more difficult considering the wide range of potential publication types. However, sticking close to these basics will keep you out of trouble. Obviously, the Harvard citation style was developed at Harvard University and the university itself has many references available to students regarding the writing and referencing process although, interestingly enough, Harvard itself is a poor site for simple and easy to use information for the Harvard citation system. If this all seems too much then you can just have a custom essay written in the Harvard system and forego all of the trouble! |