What is Harvard referencing?

Harvard is an author-date referencing style. You cite the author's surname and the year in your text, for example (Smith, 2021), and give the full details of each source in an alphabetical reference list at the end.

Which version of Harvard does this generator use?

It follows the Cite Them Right version of Harvard, which is widely used by UK universities. Check your module handbook, because some universities use their own variation.

Is this a Harvard citation generator or a bibliography maker?

Both. It creates the in-text citation and the full reference for each source, and builds an alphabetical list you can use as a reference list or a bibliography.

Can I use it for Leeds Harvard?

The generator follows Cite Them Right Harvard. Leeds Harvard, used at the University of Leeds, differs in some details, so generate your reference here and then check it against the Leeds library guide, adjusting points such as brackets, place of publication and online source format.

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

A reference list includes only the sources you cited in your work. A bibliography usually also lists sources you read for background but did not cite. Follow your module handbook on which one to include.

Do I need an accessed date?

Yes for websites and other online sources found by a URL. A DOI is a permanent link, so when you use a DOI the generator leaves out the accessed date, as Cite Them Right does.

How do I reference a source with no author?

If an organisation published it, use the organisation as the author. If there is genuinely no author, leave the author empty and the generator will start the reference with the title.

What if there is no date?

Look carefully first, for example for a 'last updated' date. If there is genuinely no date, tick 'No date' and the generator will write (no date) in the reference and the citation.

When should I use et al.?

In the Cite Them Right version of Harvard, use the first author's surname followed by et al. in your citation when there are four or more authors. The reference list here includes all authors.

Can it create a Harvard reference from a DOI, ISBN or link?

Yes. Paste a DOI, an ISBN or a web link into the autocite box, or type the title, and the generator fills in the details from Crossref, DataCite, Open Library, Google Books or the web page itself. Check the details against your source before you use the reference, because records are sometimes incomplete.

Which sources can I reference?

Books, chapters in edited books, journal articles, websites, newspaper and magazine articles, reports, theses and dissertations, videos, conference papers, and lectures or slides from your course.

Can I switch my reference list from Harvard to APA?

Yes. Use the style switch above the tool. Every reference in your saved list is rewritten in the style you choose, so you can move between Harvard and APA 7 without typing anything again.

Is the generator free?

Yes. It is free to use and needs no sign-up, and your reference list is saved in your own browser only. When you use autocite, the DOI, ISBN, title or link you enter is sent to the lookup services named above, or to our server to read a web page, so that the details can be filled in.

Free Harvard Reference Generator | Harvard Referencing Tool

Free Harvard Referencing Generator

A free Harvard reference generator, citation maker and bibliography tool in the Cite Them Right style. Paste a DOI, ISBN or web link, or search by title, and the details fill in for you. Reference 10 types of source, from books and journal articles to newspapers, theses and lecture slides, then copy your sorted reference list straight into your document, italics included.

Free, no sign-up

Runs in your browser

Works on mobile

How to use the Harvard referencing generator

1Paste a DOI, ISBN or web link into the autocite box, or type the title of the book or article, and select Find source.
2Check the details that fill in against your source, especially the capitalisation of the title, the year and the edition. If nothing is found, choose the source type and fill in the details yourself.
3Copy the reference and the in-text citation, or add the reference to your list.
4Edit or remove any reference in your list. You can also switch between Harvard and APA 7 at any time, and the whole list changes style.
5When your list is complete, copy it into your reference list. It is sorted alphabetically for you.

Harvard reference formats used by this tool

The generator follows the Cite Them Right version of Harvard, which many UK universities use as their standard. Titles shown in italics below are italic in your reference.

Book: Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of book. Edition. Publisher.
Chapter in an edited book: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of chapter', in Editor, Initial. (ed.) Title of book. Publisher, pp. first-last.
Journal article: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. first-last. Available at: DOI.
Website: Author or Organisation (Year) Title of web page. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Report: Organisation (Year) Title of report. Publisher. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Newspaper or magazine article: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of article', Newspaper Name, Day Month, p. page. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Thesis or dissertation: Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of thesis. PhD thesis. University. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Video: Creator or Channel (Year) Title of video. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Conference paper: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title of paper', in Editor, Initial. (ed.) Title of proceedings. Publisher, pp. first-last.
Lecture or slides: Surname, Initial. (Year) 'Title' [PowerPoint presentation]. Module code: Module title. University. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Autocite: Harvard references from a DOI, ISBN or link

Typing every detail by hand is slow and easy to get wrong, so the generator can look a source up for you. Paste a DOI for a journal article or book chapter, an ISBN for a book, or the link to a web page, news article or YouTube video. You can also type a title and choose the right match from the results.

Journal articles, chapters and conference papers come from Crossref and DataCite, the official DOI registries. Books come from Open Library and Google Books. For web pages, our server reads the page once and picks out the title, author, date and site name that the publisher has added for search engines and social media.

The details are only as good as the records behind them. Some publishers store titles in capital letters, some web pages hide the author or date, and a few sites block automatic reading. Always compare the reference with your source, use the Sentence case button if a title comes in with capitals on every word, and fill in anything that is missing.

Harvard in-text citations

Every reference in your list needs at least one matching citation in your text, and every citation needs a matching reference. The generator gives you both forms:

Parenthetical: (Smith, 2021) at the end of the sentence
Narrative: Smith (2021) argues that...
Two authors: (Smith and Jones, 2021)
Three authors: (Smith, Jones and Patel, 2021)
Four or more authors: (Smith et al., 2021)
Direct quotes need a page number: (Smith, 2021, p. 45)
No date: (Organisation Name, no date)

Common Harvard referencing mistakes

Citations in the text that do not appear in the reference list, or the other way round
Using first names instead of initials in the reference list
Forgetting the accessed date for websites and online reports
Mixing styles, for example APA punctuation in a Harvard list
Listing references by date or in the order used instead of alphabetically by surname
Missing page numbers for direct quotations

Harvard reference generator, citation generator or referencing tool?

Students search for this kind of tool under many names: a Harvard reference generator, a Harvard style referencing generator, a Harvard citation generator, a Harvard referencing website or tool, a referencer or a bibliography maker. They all mean the same thing. This generator creates both parts you need: the in-text citation, such as (Smith, 2021), and the full reference for the list at the end of your work.

A reference list contains only the sources you cited in your text. A bibliography usually also includes sources you read but did not cite. Most UK universities ask for a reference list, but some modules ask for a bibliography as well. You can use the generator for both: add every source you consulted, then remove the ones you did not cite if your handbook asks for a reference list only.

University versions of Harvard: Cite Them Right, Leeds Harvard and others

This generator follows Cite Them Right Harvard, the version most UK universities use. Some universities publish their own version instead, such as Leeds Harvard at the University of Leeds, and others adapt Harvard for particular departments. The core idea is the same everywhere, author and year in the text and an alphabetical list at the end, but small details differ. If your university uses its own version, generate the reference here, then check these points against your library guide:

Whether the year goes in brackets, for example (2021), or without them
Whether the place of publication is included before the publisher
How many authors you list in the text before using et al.
How online sources are shown, for example "Available at:" or "Available from:" and the format of the accessed date
Whether titles are in italics or another format

Harvard is not one single style

There is no single official Harvard style. Universities publish their own versions, and details such as the use of 'et al.', the place of publication or the accessed date for DOIs can differ. Always compare the output with your module handbook or library guide, and follow your university where it differs.

If you would like an expert to check a full reference list or correct citations throughout a draft, our referencing help covers Harvard, APA, OSCOLA, MLA and IEEE.