ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Using the Harvard

Referencing System

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

What is referencing?
When you write an assignment
at university, you are required to
refer to the work of other
authors. Each time you do so, it
is necessary to identify their
work by making reference to it
both in the text of your

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Why should you

reference?
References enhance your writing and assist your reader by:
showing the breadth of your research
strengthening your academic argument
showing the reader the source of your information
allowing the reader to consult your sources independently
allowing
reader
to correctly
verify your
data.
If youthe
dont
reference
you may
commit plagiarism, which is
seen as academic misconduct and carries penalties

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Which referencing
system should you use?
There are a number of different referencing systems used in academic writing.
author-date systems commonly known as Harvard and APA (American Psychological
Association)
footnoting or endnoting systems commonly used in History and Law.
It is important that you use the referencing system required by your lecturer for an assignment
and maintain consistency in using that system.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Taking
notes

Taking clear notes during your reading will

make referencing much easier and quicker.

Make a note of: author / title / date / publisher details and

chapter details / page numbers if relevant.
If it is online, note the web address and the date and time
you accessed it.
Make clear distinction between any direct quotes you write
down and information written in your own words so you dont
accidently plagiarise when you come to write you
assignment

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Citing in your text

The first part of a Harvard reference is the in-text citation where you
acknowledge the sources you read.

Use (author, date) and page numbers if applicable.

Consider the flow of your writing when choosing how to include the
citation.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Quotation
s
Use quotation marks t and page number(s) to indicate a direct
quote.
Short quotes can be included in your own sentence:
Continuing professional development allows people to build on their knowledge
and skills to develop their level of competence (Alsop, 2000, p.64).

Longer quotes should be indented and in a separate paragraph:

Evidence suggests that the popularity for alternative medicine is growing.
It is estimated that a third of the population have
tried the remedies of complementary medicine or
visited its practitioners (Dimond, 2004, p.378).

Avoid overusing quotations.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Paraphrasin
g

Presenting an idea or argument in your own words.

Ensure it is significantly altered from the original to avoid
issues of plagiarism (just changing a couple of words is not enough!).
Paraphrases relate to specific sections of a work, so it is
good practice to include the page number as you would do
with a direct quotation.
Effectively preparing patients by dealing with questions, setting
goals and making the patient feel involved in their care can
significantly reduce postoperative anxiety and may have a positive
impact on their subsequent recovery (Lees, 2010).

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Summarisin
g

A brief outline of the main points of a work without going into

specific details.
Generally summaries relate to a whole work, or to a large
section, so are much less specific than paraphrasing.
As a summary potentially covers most or all of a work, it
does not require page numbers to be given as they are for
direct quotations and paraphrasing.
A recent study by Sampson (2009) demonstrated that moderate
alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of dementia in later life.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

Secondary
References

Where the passage you are referring to is the authors own

reference to another work.

You are relying on their accurate and unbiased reproduction

of that work, so it is much better to locate the source and
read and reference it directly in you own work.
If you cannot locate the original, secondary reference it by:
A study concluded that marijuana users felt less confident than
cocaine users about being able to stop taking the drug. (Budney
et al, 1998 cited in Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2010, p.412).
In your end list:
Reference the item
you have read.

In the body of
your text cite
both works

Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S. & Hooley, J. M. (2010)

Abnormal Psychology (14th ed). Boston, Parson
Education Inc.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

The End
List
At the end of your work include a list of references.
List in alphabetical order by author, do not separate into
different types of work.
The following slides show how to reference correctly.
Bibliographies and Reference
Lists

Bibliography:

Lists all the

material you
have read,
whether
cited in your
assignment
or not.

Reference
List:

Lists only the

material you
have cited
directly in
your
assignment.

Where both
are requested:

Reference list
gives all items
directly cited.
Bibliography
contains any
other reading.

Always check your programme / module handbooks to see which form of

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
a
BOOK
Author(s)
Surname.Initial(s),
Use & between two authors.

Date
Year of publication

Naidoo, J. & Willis, J. (2001) Health studies:

an introduction. Basingstoke, Palgrave.
Title
In sentence case and italicised.

Publisher
Place of publication, publisher.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
a
e-BOOK

Author(s)

Date
Year of publication

Surname.Initial(s),
Use & between two authors.

Title
In sentence case and italicised.

Seedhouse, D. (2009) Ethics: the heart of health care (3rd

ed). Chichester, Wiley [Online]. Available at
http://www.dawsonera.com. Accessed on 24th January 2014.

Publisher
Publisher followed by [Online].

Access information
Give homepage of website, and date
and time you accessed the resource.
(As e-books often require a login, only
the homepage needs to be given.)

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
a
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Date
Year of publication

Author(s)

Surname.Initial(s),
Use & between two authors.

Article Title
In sentence case

Kelly, C. & Lynes, D. (2008) Psychological effects of

chronic lung disease. Nursing Times, 104(47), pp.82-85.

Journal Title
In Title Case and italicised

Journal information
Give volume and issue as x(x),
followed by page numbers
pp. For multiple pages
p. For a single page item

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
a
e-JOURNAL ARTICLE

Author(s)
Surname.Initial(s),
Use & between two authors.

Journal Title
In Title Case and
italicised

Date
Year of publication

Article Title
In sentence case

Pollard, K. (2009) Student engagement in

interprofessional working in practice placement settings.
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(20), pp.2846-56 [Online].
Available at www.swetswise.com. Accessed on 15th May
2013

Journal information
Give volume and issue as x(x),
followed by page numbers
pp. For multiple pages
p. For a single page item
Follow with [Online].

Access information
Give homepage of website, and date and
time you accessed the resource.
(As e-journals often require a login, only the
homepage needs to be given.)

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
a
WEB PAGE

Date
Author(s)
Surname.Initial(s) if a person
is the author. Otherwise use
corporate author or
organisation.

Year site last updated (often shown at

the bottom of the page).
If not known, enter (no date).

Department for Children, Schools and Families. (2009) Background to

every child matters. Every Child Matters [Online]. Available at
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/about/background/background/
. Accessed on 18th January 2014..

Access information
Page Title
In sentence case

Website Title
In Title Case and
italicised. Followed
by [Online].

Give full address of webpage,

and date and time you
accessed the resource.

ESOFT METRO CAMPUS

How to reference
Next Session.. We practice
referencing !!!