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Harvard Referencing - the guide to citation and referencing

This guide is based on Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2010) Cite them right: the
essential referencing guide. 8th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave Study Skills).

Part 1 : General introduction

What is referencing and why is it necessary?

Academic work requires that you use and gather ideas from a variety of sources and refer appropriately to these sources within your work. This may involve using quotations in your text and then linking these to a reference list at the end of your work clearly identifying the sources. When you are writing your work, you need to recognise within the body of your text the sources from which you obtained information. This is called citing. Do not overload your essay with too many quotations. It is important that citations are accurate and consistent.

Referencing properly is important for many reasons. It is important to acknowledge the work of other writers and avoid plagiarism. It is also important to demonstrate the body of knowledge on which you based your discussion or argument. It will also enable tutors and other researchers to trace your sources and lead them on to further information.

By referencing you:

  • Acknowledge the work of other writers and avoid plagiarism
  • Demonstrate the body of knowledge on which you based your discussion and argument
  • Enable other researchers to trace your sources and lead them on to further information

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What is a reference list?

At the end of the work, you need to give a detailed bibliographic description of the items from which you obtained your information and which you have cited in your text. Only include the sources cited in a reference list.  This will show the reader at a glance which sources have been used directly i.e. referred to and quoted from in the text.

Using the Harvard referencing style a reference list is arranged alphabetically by the author's surname or by the title, if there is no author. Also there should be just one list for all your references. Do not split the list into sections e.g. books, journals, etc.

 

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What is a bibliography?

A bibliography is quite different from a reference list in that you include every resource cited i.e. the reference and also all other useful information you may have consulted when preparing to write your piece of work. What this means is that in your bibliography, you will repeat everything in your reference list and also include all other sources you read or consulted but did not cite.

Using the Harvard referencing style a bibliography is arranged alphabetically by the author's surname or by the title, if there is no author. Also there should be just one list for all your references. Do not split the list into sections e.g. books, journals, etc.

 

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What is plagiarism?

It is extremely important that you understand what plagiarism is and take steps to avoid it.

Plagiarism is taking another person's words or ideas and using them as if they were your own.

While plagiarism most commonly occurs in written essays or dissertations, it can happen in any form of assessed work. For example, if your assignment is to create a computer program, you would be guilty of plagiarism if you included parts of another program or programs.

Plagiarism is taken very seriously at UEL. If even a small section of your work is found to have been plagiarised you will fail that assignment. In more serious cases, you can be expelled from the university.

Plagiarism has always gone on, but the growth of the internet has made it much easier, with a massive expansion of the amount of information available to students. There can be a temptation to “cut and paste” sentences or paragraphs from websites and to insert them into your own essay. This is not acceptable. As well as being dishonest, plagiarism is ultimately self-defeating as you will not learn by copying. Essays and assignments are as important to your development and eventual success as exams. Nor does plagiarism necessarily mean better marks. But perhaps the most convincing argument that can be made against plagiarism is that there is a high chance that you will get caught. Just as the internet has made plagiarism more tempting, it has also made it much easier to detect.

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Avoiding plagiarism

We have seen that plagiarism is taken extremely seriously at UEL and that it can have serious consequences. On the other hand, it is impossible to study at university without using other people’s ideas – otherwise how would you learn? So, how do you overcome this problem – the need to avoid plagiarism while using and referring to other people’s ideas? The answer is that you can include other people’s ideas in your work as long as you do not just repeat what you have read.

Instead, you need to: translate these ideas into your own words, add you own thoughts and analysis (“commentary”) about what you have included. In other words, it is acceptable to use other people’s ideas in your work but it is essential that you build on these ideas (adding your thoughts) and in so doing create your own, original work. However, in order to avoid plagiarism, there is a second important thing you must do when you use other people’s ideas in your work.: you must acknowledge what you have done. The way you do this is by including references in your text (citing/citations) and a bibliography at the end of your work.

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Harvard Referencing Style

The Harvard style is also known as the Author-Date system. There are many other referencing styles but it is important that you use the Harvard referencing style as outlined in Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2010) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. 8th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave Study Skills).

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