How to Create a Harvard Style Bibliography
A guide to formatting your Harvard “Reference List,” from hanging indents and alphabetical order to common source examples.
Get Harvard Formatting HelpYou’ve finished your paper, your in-text citations like (Smith 2024) are all in place. Now, you need to create the “Bibliography” or “Reference List” at the end. This is the alphabetical list that gives the full details for every source you used.
An error-free bibliography shows your professor that you are a serious researcher who pays attention to detail. It is a critical part of the Harvard referencing system, and it has specific rules for formatting that differ from APA and MLA.
This guide is your resource for building a Harvard-style Reference List. We will cover page formatting, the key components of a citation, and examples for common sources.
What is a Harvard Reference List?
A Reference List (sometimes called a “Bibliography”) is an alphabetical list of all the sources you cited in your paper. It appears on its own page at the end of your document. Its purpose is to allow your reader to find the exact sources you used for your research.
Reference List vs. Bibliography
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they can mean different things:
- Reference List: Lists *only* the sources you cited in your paper. (This is standard for Harvard).
- Bibliography: Lists *all* sources you consulted, even if you didn’t cite them.
Always use the title “Reference List” unless your professor specifically asks for a “Bibliography.”
Harvard vs. APA Reference List
The Harvard Reference List is similar to an APA “References” page, but with one key difference in punctuation: the placement of the year.
- Harvard: Smith, J. (2024) *Title…*
- APA: Smith, J. (2024). *Title…*
Notice Harvard places the year in parentheses, but does not follow it with a period.
5 Core Formatting Rules
Follow these five formatting rules.
Start on a New Page
The Reference List must begin on a new page after your main text. It should have 1-inch margins and page numbers as the rest of your paper.
Title the Page
Center the title “Reference List” at the top (not bold).
Alphabetize All Entries
List entries in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name. If no author, alphabetize by title (ignoring “A,” “An,” or “The”).
Use a Hanging Indent
Use a hanging indent (0.5 inches) for all entries. The first line of each entry is flush-left; all subsequent lines are indented.
Spacing
The Reference List should be double-spaced or single-spaced with a blank line between each entry. Both are common. Check your university’s guide and be consistent.
In-Text Citation vs. Reference List Entry
The Harvard system has two matching parts. The in-text citation is the “signpost” that points to the full reference.
| Component | In-Text Citation (in your paragraph) | Reference List Entry (at the end) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Tells the reader *who* and *when* (e.g., Smith 2024). | Gives the full details to *find* the source. |
| Example | (Pollan 2006, p. 99) |
Pollan, M. (2006) *The omnivore's dilemma*. New York: Penguin. |
For more on in-text citations, see our complete guide to Harvard referencing.
Common Harvard Reference Examples
Here are formats for common sources. Remember that minor punctuation may vary by institution. As this university guide shows, the basic format is: Author, Initial. (Year) *Title*. Publisher.
Book
One Author:
Pollan, M. (2006) *The omnivore’s dilemma: a natural history of four meals*.
New York: Penguin.
Two or Three Authors:
Smith, J., Jones, A. and Davis, L. (2023) *Title of the book*. London:
Reference List (from a 2024 article):
Bevilacqua, M., Nardone, A. and Ciarambino, T. (2024) ‘The role of bibliometrics in
the evaluation of research’, *Nature*, 626, pp. 21–22. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01777-6.
Journal Article (with DOI)
Note that article titles are in single quotation marks, and journal titles are italicized. This is a key difference from APA.
Format:
Author, A. A. (Year) ‘Title of article’, *Title of Journal*, Volume(Issue), pp. #-#.
Available at: DOI or URL.
Example (from a 2024 article):
Bale, A. (2024) ‘Chaucer’s Queer Poetics, Again’, *New Literary History*, 55(1),
pp. 23–45. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1353/nlh.2024.a920252.
Webpage
If the author and website name are the same, you can omit the website name.
Format:
Author, A. A. or Organisation (Year) *Title of webpage*. Available at:
URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
Example:
Smart Academic Writing (2025) *How to write a critical analysis*. Available at:
https://smartacademicwriting.com/how-to-write-critical-analysis/
(Accessed: 14 November 2025).
How to Handle Missing Information
No Author
Use the *Title of the Work* (in italics) in place of the author. Alphabetize by the title.
Example:
*Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary* (2003) 11th edn. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
No Date
Use the abbreviation (n.d.) for “no date” in place of the year.
Example:
Smith, J. (n.d.) *Title of work*. Publisher.
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Master Your Reference List
This guide covers Harvard referencing. By following these rules, you can format your in-text citations and Reference List consistently and professionally.
If you are still confused by the “et al.” rule or reference list formatting, let our formatting experts help. We can take your draft and return a perfectly formatted paper.
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