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Harvard in-text citation
A Harvard in-text citation gives the author’s surname and the year: (Kahneman, 2011). For a direct quote, add the page: (Kahneman, 2011, p. 45). Named in the sentence: Kahneman (2011, p. 45).
Harvard in-text citation rules
- Two or three authors: name all, joined with “and” — (Watson and Crick, 1953).
- Four or more: first author plus et al. — (Nguyen et al., 2024).
- No author: use the title in italics (or in single quotation marks for an article).
- No date: write (no date) — (Mayo Clinic, no date).
- Secondary source: (Piaget, 1952, cited in Smith, 2020).
- Universities run their own Harvard variants; check your module handbook for small differences.
Source: Cite Them Right, 12th edition (Pears and Shields, 2022).
Harvard in-text citation examples
| Situation | In-text citation |
|---|---|
| One author, page | Citation (Kahneman, 2011, p. 45) Narrative Kahneman (2011, p. 45) |
| Two authors | Citation (Watson and Crick, 1953, p. 737) Narrative Watson and Crick (1953, p. 737) |
| Three authors | Citation (Nguyen, Okafor and Silva, 2024) Narrative Nguyen, Okafor and Silva (2024) |
| Four or more | Citation (Nguyen et al., 2024) Narrative Nguyen et al. (2024) |
| Organisation as author | Citation (World Health Organization, 2023) Narrative World Health Organization (2023) |
| No author, italic title (book, report) | Citation (Climate change and health, 2023) |
| No author, quoted title (article) | Citation (‘Rising seas threaten coastal aquifers’, 2022) |
| No date | Citation (Mayo Clinic, no date) Narrative Mayo Clinic (no date) |
| Page range | Citation (Kahneman, 2011, pp. 45–47) Narrative Kahneman (2011, pp. 45–47) |
| Web page paragraph | Citation (Mayo Clinic, 2024, para. 4) Narrative Mayo Clinic (2024, para. 4) |
| Video timestamp | Citation (Kurzgesagt, 2014, 2:15) Narrative Kurzgesagt (2014, 2:15) |
| Quoted in another source | Citation (Piaget, 1952, cited in Smith, 2020, p. 18) |
Need the full reference-list entry too? Use the Harvard citation generator; it gives the reference and the matching in-text citation together.
Harvard in-text citation questions
What is the Harvard in-text citation format?
(Author, Year) or, with a page for quotes, (Author, Year, p. #). In a sentence: Author (Year) states …
How do I cite a website in-text in Harvard?
Use the author or organisation and year: (World Health Organization, 2023). No date: (World Health Organization, no date).
When does Harvard use et al.?
In Cite Them Right Harvard, for four or more authors. Some universities start at three, so follow your own guide if it differs.
Is Harvard the same as APA?
They are both author-date systems and look alike in the text. The differences are in punctuation and in the reference list.