Introduction
When you are new to undergraduate studies, referencing may not seem like something important. Although the assignment requirements at levels three and four may not emphasise the importance, it actually is. The assignments at these levels give you many good opportunities to learn how to reference the sources that you use. Take advantage of these opportunities. When you get to level five where referencing is a core requirement, you will already be good at it. That’s a smart thing to do!
Within business and management studies, the Harvard referencing style is commonly used. This is the same for many other fields. How can you use the Harvard referencing style though? This article will teach you how to use the Harvard referencing style. You will also learn about the resources that you can use for Harvard and other referencing styles. What does academic referencing mean for starters?
What is Academic Referencing?
Academic referencing is the act of acknowledging the sources of information that you use in your academic work such as essays, reports, and dissertations. This draws the reader’s attention to where you got the information, ideas, or quotations from. It allows the reader to consult the source if they wish to know more about the topic. Or, in the case of a lecturer, to verify the authenticity. In business and management studies, you have to acknowledge the author of each source that you use twice. That is, by in-text citation and referencing.
Academic referencing vs In-text citation
Both concepts are similar and are used interchangeably. However, they are not the same. The differences are below:
In-text Citation
In the Harvard referencing style and many other styles, an in-text citation is the first time an author is acknowledged. This is when the author is cited where the information was used in your work. For example, if you wrote an author’s idea in your own words within the first paragraph, you cite the author in that paragraph. The in-text citation gives only brief information about the source such as the surname and year of publication. When you quote an author word-for-word, include the page number in the in-text citation. The in-text citation can either be integrated into the sentence or not integrated.
Below are examples of in-text citations for Harvard referencing style in different scenarios. These are general examples. Ensure that you check the version of Harvard referencing that your college or university uses. It would mostly be the same, but it is worth checking.
| Integrated into the sentence | Not integrated into the sentence |
| One author: Brown (2019) states that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. According to Brown (2019), it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. | One author: These current issues will make more sense if we study our history (Brown, 2019). |
| Quotation: Brown (2019, p.44) “states that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues.” | Quotation: “These current issues will make more sense if we study our history” (Brown, 2019, p.44). |
| Two authors (the same book or article): Brown and Smith (2019) state that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. According to Brown and Smith (2019), it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. | Two authors (the same book or article): The current issues will make more sense if we study our history (Brown and Smith, 2019). |
| Three or more authors (the same book or article): Brown et al (2019) state that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. According to Brown et al. (2019), it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. Note: Some versions of Harvard referencing include et al (which means ‘and others’) when there are four or more authors, not three or more. | Three or more authors (the same book or article): The current issues will make more sense if we study our history (Brown et al., 2019). |
| More than one author (different books or articles) but the same idea: Jones (2020) and Johnson (2022) agree that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. | More than one author (different books or articles) but the same idea: It is agreed that the current issues will make more sense if we study our history (Johnson 2022; Jones 2020). |
| One author (two books or articles) in the same year, same idea: Brown (2019a) and Brown (2019b) state that it is important to study our history for a better understanding of current issues. | One author (two books or articles) in the same year, same idea: The current issues will make more sense if we study our history (Brown, 2019a; Brown 2019b). |
Referencing
Unlike in-text citations, academic referencing includes all the important details when acknowledging a source. These are the author’s name(s), date of publication, title of publication and place of publication. In addition to the surname included in the in-text citation, the initials of the other names are added. The references for all the sources cited in the work are listed alphabetically at the end. The important information in a reference can be categorised under four headings. These are who, when, what and where. Below are examples using the Harvard referencing style.
| Who (Name of the author or organisation if there’s no name) | When (date of publication) | What (name of the book, journal, and title of the article) | Where (place of publication, name of publisher, volume, and page numbers) |
| Book Reference | |||
| Structure: Surname, Initials. (Year). Book title, (include the edition here if there is one). Place of publication: Publisher. | |||
| Brown, J. | (2018). | The History of Modern Science. | Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, |
| Academic Journal Reference | |||
| Structure: Surname, Initial. (Year). ‘Title of article’. Name of Journal. Volume (Issue), page numbers. | |||
| Jones, A. | (2020). | ‘The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health.’ Journal of Health Psychology, | 25(3), pp. 123-135 |
| Website Reference | |||
| Structure: Surname, initial. (Year). Page Title. Available at: URL: (Accessed: Day/Month/Year) | |||
| Brown, C. | (2019). | The Benefits of Meditation for Stress Reduction. | Available at: https://www.mindful.org/the-benefits-of-meditation-for-stress-reduction/ (Accessed, 15/04/2023 |
These are examples of the general structure used for the Harvard referencing style. Your institution may have slight variations based on the version used. If there are, you will find them in the referencing style guide or instructions.
Why is Academic Referencing Important?
Academic referencing is important in several ways. Below are some of the popular ones:
Credit Where Credit is Due
Citing and referencing the source used in an academic work gives the deserved credit to the author. This is a good academic practice that recognises the contribution of others to the field. It is also another way to show the academic integrity of the student.
Research and knowledge
The citation and references in your work show the depth and breadth of research that you have done. This shows the extent of your knowledge and understanding of the topic. Also, it adds credibility to the perspectives in your work and positively contributes to the grade.
Prevent Plagiarism
Using someone else’s ideas or information and not acknowledging them amounts to plagiarism. This is a serious academic offence. Citation and referencing are safe ways to avoid this.
Further Research
The references in your work allow others to find the sources to learn more if need be. Also, your lecturer can use references to verify the information in your work.
Popular Referencing Styles
Besides the Harvard referencing style, there are many other referencing styles. The referencing styles that you have to use will depend on your field of study, country of study and your institution. Ensure that you check to be sure you are using the required one. Below is a list of some of the commonly used referencing styles:
- APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style.
- MLA (Modern Language Association) referencing style.
- MHRA (Modern Humanities Research Association) referencing style.
- Chicago/Turabian referencing style.
- Vancouver referencing style.
- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) referencing style.
- AMA (American Medical Association) referencing style.
- Oxford referencing style.
- OSCOLA (Citation of Legal Authorities) referencing style.
- AGPS (Australian Government Publishing Service) referencing style.
- AAA (American Anthropological Association) referencing style.
- AGLC (Australian Guide to Legal Citation) referencing style.
Referencing Tools and Resources
You don’t necessarily have to write the references of the sources you use from scratch anymore. There are many tools and resources for referencing these days. However, you need to know the right structure or format for different types of sources. This is because some of the online tools and resources may return references with minor errors.
Also, the references they produce may not be exactly what your institution requires. In both cases, you can easily correct them if you know the right structure or format. To get the reference of a source you are using via an online library or database, find the link called ‘cite’ or quotation marks. See an example below from Google Scholar, circled in red:
When clicked, it opens five different referencing styles for the source:
Below are several referencing tools and resources that can be used for different referencing styles in many ways. This includes providing referencing guidance, generating references, and managing your references. The goal is to choose a suitable one that you are comfortable with and familiarise yourself with. There are also YouTube videos on how to use most of them.
| Cite Me Right | Mendeley | JabRef | Citation Machine |
| CiteFast | RefWorks | Cite This For Me | RefMe |
| EndNote | Citavi | EasyBib | BibMe |
| Zotero | Papers | ZetoroBib |
Conclusion
Academic referencing is a very important part of your academic written work. This is because it contributes to the credibility and accuracy of your work. It helps you avoid plagiarism and impacts your grades positively when done right. The further you go in your studies the more important it becomes. Ordinarily, a level five (second year of undergraduate) piece of academic work that includes all the right information and answers the question without citations and references may not pass.
However, if all the sources used are cited with a list of references, it will pass with a good grade. So, it is worth investing time in knowing how to cite and reference in your field of study. Learn how to find the sources to use in your assignment here.
