Harvard System Handout

(Extracted and adapted from Saunders et al., 2003, pages 461-463)

Four points are important when referencing:

Credits must be given when quoting or citing other work.

Adequate information must be provided to enable a reader to locate each reference.

References must be consistent and complete.

References must be recorded in the precise format required by your university.

The Harvard system

Referencing in the text

The Harvard system is an author-date system, a variation of which we use in this book. It was
developed at Harvard University in the 1930s (Anderson and Poole, 2001) and usually uses the
author’s name and year of publication to identify cited documents within the text. The system for
referencing work in the text is outlined in Table A2.1.

Referencing in references or bibliography

In the references or bibliography the publications are listed alphabetically by author’s name, and
all authors’ surnames and initials are listed in full. If there is more than one work by the same
author, these are listed chronologically. The system for referencing work in the references or
bibliography is outlined in Table A2.2. While it would be impossible for us to include an
example of every type of reference you might need to include, the information contained in this
table should enable you to work out the required format for all your references.
For copies of journal articles from printed journals that you have obtained electronically via
Internet it is usually acceptable to reference these using exactly the same formats as printed
journal articles (Table A2.2), provided that you have obtained and read a facsimile (exact) copy
of the article. Exact copies of the journal articles have precisely the same format as the printed
version, including page numbering, tables and diagrams. They are usually obtained by
downloading the article via the Internet as a file that can be read on the screen and printed using
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Finally, remember to include a, b, c etc. immediately after the date when you are referencing
different publications by the same author from the same year. Do not forget to ensure that these
are consistent with the letters used for references in the main text.
Table A2.1 Citing references in the text using the Harvard System.

To refer to Use the general format For example

A single author (Surname date) (Saunders 1993)

Dual authors (Surname and Surname date) (Saunders and Cooper 1993)

More than two authors (Surname et al. date) (Slack et al.1996)

Work by different authors (Surname date; Surname date) in (Baker 1996; Lewis 1998;
generally alphabetical order Thornhill 1997)

Different authors with the (Surname, Initial date) (Smith, J 1998)

same surname

Different publications by the (Surname date; date) in (Lewis 1991; 1998)

same author ascending date order

Different publications by the (Surname date letter), (Forester 1991a)

same author from the same make sure the letter is consistent
year. throughout.

An author referred to by (Surname date; cited by (Granovetter 1974; cited by

another author where the Surname date) Saunders 1993)
original has not been read
(secondary reference)

A corporate author (Corporate name date) (Hanson Trust plc 1990)

A newspaper article with no (Newspaper name date) (The Guardian2002)

obvious author

Another type of publication (Publication title date) (Labour Market trends 2001)
with no obvious author

An Internet site (Site title date) (Advertising Association

1999)

A direct quotation (Surname or Corporate name ‘The Harvard method, which I

date, p. number) where ‘p.’ use in this book, has a number
means ‘page’ and number is the of advantages over other
page in the original publication methods’(Bell 1999, p. 51)
on which the quotation appears.
Table A2.2 Using the Harvard system to reference in the references or bibliography
To reference Use the general format For example

Books and Book (first Surname, Initials and Saunders, MNK and Cooper,
Chapters in edition) Surname, Initials (date) Title, SA (1993) Understanding
books Publisher, Place of publication Business Statistics, DP
Publications Ltd, London

Book (other Surname, Initials and Morris, C (1999) Quantitative

than first surname, Initials (date) Title Approaches to Business
edition) (edn), Publisher, Place of Studies (5th edn), Financial
publication Times Pitman Publishing,
London

Book ( no Corporate name or Mintel Marketing Intelligence

obvious author) Publication name (date) Title, (1998) Designerwear: Mintel
Publisher, Place of publication Marketing Intelligence
Report, Mintel International
Group Ltd., London

Chapter in a Surname, Initials and Robson, C (2002) Real world

book surname, Initials (date) Title,
Publisher, Place of
publication, Chapter
Chapter in an Surname, Initials (date)
edited book ‘Chapter title’, in Surname,
Initials and Surname, Initials
(eds), Title, Publisher, Place
of publication, page numbers
Research (2nd edn), Blackwell,
Oxford, Chapter 3
Craig, PB (1991) ‘Designing
and using mail questionnaires’
in Smith, NC and Dainty, P
(eds), The Management
Research Handbook,
Routledge, London, pp. 181-9

Journal Journal article Surname, Initials and Storey, J, Cressey, P, Morris,

articles Surname, Initials (date) ‘Title
of article’, Journal name,
volume number, part number,
pages
T and Wilkinson, A (1997)
‘Changing employment
practices in UK banking: case
studies’, Personnel Review,
26:1, 24-42
Table A2.2 (continued)
To reference Use the general format
Journal articles Journal article Corporate name or
(continued) (no obvious Publication name (date)
author) ‘Title of article’, Journal
name, volume number,
part number, pages
Government Parliamentary Country of origin (date)
publications papers including Title, Publisher, Place of
acts and bills publication
Others As for books
(with authors)
Others Department name or
(no obvious Committee name (date)
authors) Title, Publisher, Place of
publication
Newspapers, Newspaper article Surname, Initials and
including CD- Surname, Initials (date)
ROM database ‘Title of article’,
Newspaper name, place
of printing, day, month,
pages
Newspaper article Newspaper name (date)
( no obvious ‘Title of article’,
author) Newspaper name, place
of printing, day, month,
pages
Newspaper article Newspaper name or
( from CD-ROM Surname, Initials (date) ‘
database) Title of article’,
Newspaper name (CD-
ROM), day, month, pages
For example
Local Government Chronicle
(1993) ‘Westminster poised
for return to AMA fold’ Local
Government Chronicle, 5
November, p.5
Great Britain (1994) Criminal
justice and Public Order Act
1994, HMSO, London
As for books
Department of Trade and
Industry (1992) The Single
Market: Europe Open for
Professions, UK
Implementation, HMSO,
London
Roberts, D (1998) ‘BAe sells
property wing for £301m’,
The Daily Telegraph, London,
10 October, p.31
Guardian (1992) ‘Fraud trail
at Britannia Theme Park’, The
Guardian, Manchester, 5
February, p.4
Financial Times (1998)
‘Recruitment: lessons in
leadership: moral issues are
increasingly pertinent to the
military and top corporate
ranks’, Financial Times (CD-
ROM), London, 11 March,
p.32
Table A2.2 (continued)

To reference Use the general For example

format

Other CD- Title of CD-ROM or Encarta 98 Encyclopaedia (1997) (CD-

ROM Surname, Initials (date) ROM), Microsoft, Redmond, WA
publications (CD-ROM), Publisher,
Place of publication

Unpublished Surname, Initials and Saunders, MNK, Thornhill, A and

conference Surname, Initials (date) Lewis P (2001) ‘Employees’ reactions
papers ‘Title of paper’, paper to the management of change: an
presented at the exploration from an organisational
Conference name, justice framework’, paper presented at
days, month, location the Eighth Annual International
of conference Conference on Advances in
Management, 11-14 July, Athens

Letters, Letter Surname, Initials and MacClelland, S (1998) ‘Unpublished

personal Surname, Initials (date) letter: Reviewer’s feedback’
emails and ‘Unpublished letter:
electronic Subject matter’
conferences/
bulletin Personal Surname, Initials (date) MacClelland, S (1998) ‘Reviewer’s
boards. e-mails ‘Subject matter’ feedback’ (e-mail to the author)
(e-mail to the author) (online)
(online)

Electronic Surname, Initials (date) Jones, K (1999) 101 reasons why we

conference/ Subject matter, name of need the pound, Britain and European
Bulletin electronic Monetary Union [online]
Boards conference/bulletin
board [online]

Internet Journal <URL: http://www. <URL:http://www.stingray.ivision.co.u

items published on remainder of full k/groups/emu/frindex.htm>
excluding the Internet Internet electronic
e-mails conference/bulletin
board>
Table A2.2 (continued)

To reference Use the general For example

format

Internet Journal Surname, Initials and Illingworth, N (2001) ‘ The Internet matters:
items article Surname, Initials exploring the use of the Internet as a research
excluding published (date) ‘Title of tool’, Sociological Research Online 6:2,
e-mails on the article’, Journal [online] (cited 20 March 2002) Available
continued Internet name, volume from
number, part number <URL:http://www.socresonline.org.uk/6/2/
[online] (cited day illingworth.html>
month year)
Available from
<URL: http://www.
remainder of full
Internet address>

Internet Site title (date) Title Chartered Institute of Personnel and

site/specific of page within site Development [online] (cited 7 January 2002)
site pages where applicable Available from
[online] (cited day <URL:http://www.cipd.co.uk>
month year)
Available from
<URL:http:// www.
remainder of full
Internet address>

Internet Surname, Initials and Jones A and smith A (eds) (2001) ‘What
article Surname Initials exactly is the Labour Force Survey? [online]
(date) ‘Title of (cited 20 December 2001) Available from
article’ [online] (cited <URL:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/d
day month year) ownloads.theme_labour/what_exactly_is_
Available from LFS1.pdf>
<URL: http:// www.
remainder of full
Internet address>
Reference:
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003) Research Methods for Business Students (3rd
ed.), FT Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex, England,
ISBN: 0 273 658042